"George, you go back first. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ”

There was a hint of wistfulness in Lucien's flat tone, the weather, the harsh environment, and the poor people in the distance, who were exposed in the distance, made him feel very bad.

His negativity was naturally felt by George, and he could hear that what his brother-in-law said was not just about letting him go back to his life.

"You...... Aren't you optimistic about the next offensive? He asked in a whisper.

"Yes, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to achieve a decisive victory." Because he was sure that no one else was eavesdropping, Lucien did not have any taboos, and directly said what he thought in his heart, "Now it is no secret that the tenacity of the Russians and the strength of their fortifications are no longer a secret, although they have suffered serious losses now, but they still have enough will to fight and provisions, so they will continue to hold on, thwart our attack, and only after bloody battles again and again, so that their morale and reserves are exhausted, we can reach the end of victory." ”

George furrowed his brow and swallowed his saliva. He had always been a proud young soldier, and the glorious achievements of his predecessors made him convinced of the glory of the French army, and after coming to the Crimea, the victories in the previous battles convinced him of the superiority of the French army over the Russians, and he could not believe that when he came to this fortress, France would be so difficult to surpass.

George would have been furious to denounce the negative defeatism of the offensive before he had launched the offensive and to disdain him as a coward, but the fact that it had come from his brother-in-law, a famous battle hero, made him feel at a loss.

He admired his brother-in-law very much, so he knew that the other party was definitely not a coward, but this kind of thing still sounded too ugly.

"Sir, I think you should have more confidence in our army, because after all, we now have a decisive advantage." He had the audacity to say to Lucien, "Now that the fortress of Sevastopol has been completely surrounded by us, it is so isolated that no provisions or ammunition can be delivered to them, so now that a point of their strength is a point of permanent loss, while we can get a steady supply from the homeland!" Now I think they've worn down the line, the whole fortress has become a papier-mâché house, it looks very strong, but it's already fragile, and if we kick it lightly, it will collapse with a bang! ”

At this, George's eyes were full of excitement, as if he was looking forward to the cheers of the whole army after the next capture of the fortress.

"The Russians are much more tenacious than you think, and they can burst out with an unimaginable will to fight in desperate situations, so although they are desperate now, it is impossible to break them easily." However, Lucien immediately poured cold water on him, "In addition, the Russians still have many troops in Crimea, and we cannot attack the fortress with all our strength, we must guard against their attack." ”

"Are you scared? I don't think these Russians have anything to fear, it turns out that they have never been the opponents of the French! George couldn't help but ask.

"You, an adjutant who doesn't have to go to the front, ask me if I'm afraid?" Lucien was a little annoyed, "I've been in the army for so many years, and I've never been afraid!" Let me tell you, on the battlefield, blind confidence is not bravery, most likely just because of ignorance! Since you haven't been to the front line a few times, don't easily question the judgment of those veterans! ”

"Sure enough...... Are you looking down on me? George's face turned a little pale in an instant, and it was obvious that this was what he was most worried about. I don't have your experience, but at least I'm brave enough not to be afraid of any fortress! ”

Lucien secretly regretted it, he knew that his words, though not intentionally, had already broken a young man's pride, even though he was at fault in the first place.

"No, I didn't question you, I just said that we can't belittle the enemy lightly, that will only make us misjudge, and suffer unexpected losses, you will definitely soar in the future, and then you will have too many lives on your shoulders, if you still have such rash thoughts,." Lucien sighed softly, feeling even more mentally exhausted, "Well, you go back early, and tell the commander-in-chief all my opinions, and he will make a judgment." ”

"I will convey your words and your attitude to the commander-in-chief as they are, including the concerns you have told me in private, although I do not agree with your opinion, but I will convey it truthfully." George nodded, but still a little unhappy, "But, sir, I want to remind you of what you promised me before. ”

Lucien was stunned for a moment, then finally understood, and then some cold sweat suddenly oozed from his back. "George ......"

George had told him before that he wanted to go to the front, and after several persuasions, Lucien finally agreed, but because George had been by the Commander-in-Chief's side, it did not materialize, and now he brought up the old matter again, which made Lucien panic.

Because compared to the previous battles in the field, this kind of battle is now more difficult and more dangerous, and if George is allowed to participate in the battle under such circumstances, then even he has no way to guarantee George's safety......

"George, we'll talk about that later." After a moment, he waved his hand.

"No, sir, compared to ...... I would like you to see me as a soldier, a second lieutenant with a lower rank than you, rather than a young man who is just your brother-in-law. With a little rebellious tone, George raised his head and looked at Lucien, "You should treat me with this attitude, this is the respect for me, and I am an adult, I need this respect!" ”

After hearing such an answer, Lucien could only smile bitterly in his heart, young people are always so strong-blooded, and they will not understand the hard work of the elders for them.

However, young people are cute precisely because they have blood.

But even then, he couldn't accede to this dangerous request.

"I'll talk about this later, no need to talk about it again." Lucien interrupted him directly, "Okay, you go back and recover first." ”

George didn't move for a moment, and continued to look at Lucien.

"Since you know I'm sir, what else is there to say?!" Lucien couldn't help it and directly scolded the other party.

"I will be faithful to my obligations." After a long silence, George trembled slightly, left this ambiguous sentence, and then turned and left.

……………………

While the brothers-in-law Lucien and George were arguing in the trenches of the front, another argument was in full swing in the headquarters tent of the rear camp around the new round of the upcoming general offensive.

The difference, however, was that the participants were the most senior generals of the French army, and the meeting was presided over by Marshal de Treville, the commander of the French expeditionary force.

Although it was still only afternoon, the light had become so dim because of the winter clouds that candles had to be lit in the tent, and the shadows cast on everyone's faces, making these high-ranking generals in fine costumes look a little gloomy.

Although all of them wore military uniforms and wore medals pinned to their chests, each of them looked a little haggard, and many of them looked aggrieved by illness, and even though some still maintained their vigorous energy and desire for victory, they were inevitably a little more anxious because of the prolonged war.

Indeed, the war has been going on for far too long, and although the coalition has won several battles, it is still far from final victory.

Right now, the embarrassment at the front and the anxiety at the rear converge, both of which are putting a lot of pressure on them and overwhelming them.

However, Marshal Trevier, who was sitting on the main seat, still had a calm demeanor, the old general who had experienced that era, did have the demeanor of that era, and it was clear that he was the one who was under the most pressure, but he was much calmer than others.

Just now, his staff officers had informed these generals of the plan they had drawn up before, causing a commotion among the generals, but the marshal sat quietly in his seat without saying a word, like an idol, and let these generals whisper.

"Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, I think this offensive should be postponed, or canceled!" After a brief whisper, at last, a man looked up at Field Marshal Trevill, and spoke out loud. "This ...... It was too hasty, and there was too little time left for us, and more importantly, we took on a higher share of responsibility than we should, which made excessive demands on our soldiers! ”

Under the gaze of the others, Prince Joseph Bonaparte, dressed in military uniform, said, "I do not question your plan, but the previous offensives have proved that the Russians are more tenacious than we expected, and we ...... Even if we launch a new offensive, if we don't change all other conditions, then I don't think we'll be able to win this time. ”

This prince came to Crimea not long ago as the commander of the Guards, although he came to the battlefield relatively late, and nominally only the division commander at the same level as other generals, but his special status gave him an unusual right to speak, and the identity of the Guards is also very special, this is His Majesty the Emperor's most trusted and highest-paid troops.

As the prince of the royal family and the commander of the most elite troops, Joseph Bonaparte naturally did not regard himself as an ordinary general, so he spoke quite bluntly on various occasions without much scruples.

Again, because of his special status, when he made his objections clear, the whispers of the other generals ended instead, and everyone secretly looked at the prince and marshal, as if waiting for a consensus between them.

"Your Highness, to launch such an offensive, we must obtain the suddenness of time, and if we slowly gather troops, the Russians will definitely detect and take precautions." One of the staff officers replied, "While this may shorten the preparation time of your troops, since they are on the front line, your troops should be ready for battle." ”

"We'd love to meet the Russians in the field and tear them apart, but it's two different things to attack the fortress directly." The prince did not abandon his opinion because of the other party's words, but continued to insist on explaining, "It is a waste for an elite unit like ours to invest in forcibly attacking the enemy's fortifications and lines! What's more, we need to be the main attacker...... The losses are just too great, and in your plans, what about the British? What role did they play? Are they just spectators? I think this is a serious inequality, and we should have a common obligation. If there is a need to incur losses, then they should be allowed to suffer the same losses with us, shouldn't they? ”

Because in the new plan, his troops will undertake part of the main attack task, so the prince is of course very dissatisfied with the plan, but although the prince is speaking from his own position, but his words are not unreasonable, and indeed many generals are puzzled and even a little dissatisfied with the lack of many British in the plan to participate in the attack.

At this time, the others also whispered, each expressing their own opinions.

In the midst of the noise, Marshal Trevier gently picked up his marshal's scepter, and then waved it, albeit with a small movement, but the others stopped and waited for the marshal's instructions.

"Originally, I also wanted the two armies to share responsibility, but Marshal Raglan is now ...... They are already too sick, so the British cannot cooperate with our actions, at most they can only count on them to hold the outer positions, so as not to let the Russian troops outside break our blockade. The marshal suddenly spoke, "As for the siege, we can only go up on our own." ”

After listening to the marshal's words, everyone looked at each other, because the implication of the marshal's words was probably that the commander of the British army was so sick that he could not command the troops.

…… When the war progressed to such a fierce stage, the commander of the British army lost the ability to command the troops, and this bad news could not help but make the mood of each general even more anxious.

What's more, they already thought that the commander of the French army was even older than Marshal Raglan.

"Don't worry, I can't die!" As if sensing everyone's thoughts, Marshal Trevier said angrily, "At least I won't die until I take Sevastopol." ”

"In that case, Your Excellency Commander, in order to prevent the chaos of the British from affecting us, let's stop our operations for the time being." After a long silence, the prince said cautiously, "It is too reluctant to attack now. ”

"No, no, you have to do it according to plan!" Field Marshal Treville's tone became stern, "If Marshal Raglan has been seriously ill, then shall we wait forever?" No, it's not going to work, no matter what, we have to take this fortress as soon as possible! ”