After the initial consternation, General Gorchakov quickly agreed to the demands of the French. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

He really wanted to know what the French wanted to say to him, after all, after fighting for so long now, it was more or less a friendship.

Besides, even if the French were not as desperate as he had hoped, and their willingness to come to him to negotiate a temporary truce would certainly indicate that they were not in a very good situation, and in such a situation, the two sides would have a chance to bargain.

At the order of the commander-in-chief, the group of French envoys was soon brought to the general, and before he could speak, General Gorchakov looked at the Frenchmen with interest.

This is a group of brightly dressed soldiers, who immediately saluted after seeing the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, and stood in front of him respectfully, but without losing their dignity.

They were all wearing overcoats, and under the military overcoats, all of them had medals pinned to their chests that they had received in the war, and although their clothes had begun to fade out, they were all polished and clean, and they did not look sleepy. From them, we can see that the heroic and indomitable temperament that belongs to the unique military shows the style of the French army.

It seems that the condition of the French is indeed not so bad, the general could not help but think with a little disappointment in his heart.

However, it is right to think about it, they have the best transport fleet in the world, and they have warships that control the entire Black Sea, and it is not easy to replenish them, like those stupid donkeys in Petersburg...... He couldn't help but think to himself.

"What do you want to talk about? A temporary truce? After suppressing these thoughts in his mind, the general asked calmly.

Of course, he used French, and in fact since the 18th century, the Russian aristocracy has spoken French, and as a general from a high-ranking aristocratic family, General Gorchakov is naturally extremely fluent in French, perhaps even more fluent than Russian.

"Yes, Your Excellency, Commander." One of the leading envoys on the opposite side nodded in confirmation, "I have been instructed by the commander-in-chief of our army, Marshal de Treville, to negotiate a short-term armistice with your army on behalf of our army, and allow me to introduce myself, I am Major Jacques-Minard, and I am honored to serve as a staff officer at the French command." ”

"Okay, I see, nice to meet you." General Gorchakov nodded indifferently.

Although he had no affection for the Frenchmen who had called, he had to speak of the manners of the aristocracy, so he behaved very politely, but not with much enthusiasm.

"So, why? Why does your army suddenly want a short-term truce? ”

"At the moment our two armies have been fighting for many days, both sides have suffered heavy casualties, and I am afraid that we need a short truce to clean up the battlefield and exchange some prisoners of war by the way." Major Minar hurriedly replied, "Your Excellency, I and my officers and men greatly admire the performance of your army in this war, and the bravery and fearlessness displayed by your army are worthy of continuing your country's fine military traditions. ”

Although he knew that this was just a polite compliment from the other party, General Gorchakov was still very happy after hearing it, but he naturally did not nod his head because of the other party's few words.

"I also admire the bravery and sacrifice of your army, but it is a pity that you set foot on Russian soil as aggressors, and this dooms you to not be welcomed by us." He made a sarcastic remark, and then immediately changed the subject, "What kind of truce do you want?" ”

"Field Marshal Tréville's request was simple and fair." The major immediately replied, "For the entire truce of one month, during which we will not engage in hostile military operations against each other, nor will we change the disposition of the main forces. At the same time, a neutral area was designated for the exchange of prisoners of war, and by the way, a non-armed containment team was allowed to go to the forward positions where the heavy exchange of fire had been fought to collect the bones of the soldiers. The marshal considered this demand fair and reasonable, and that it was mutual. ”

It is indeed fair and reasonable, and it seems to be necessary, General Gorchakov thought to himself.

At present, the two armies have fought many times, and in the fierce battles, they have suffered huge casualties, and each has taken a lot of prisoners - because the Russian army is basically the losing and retreating side, so the number of Russian prisoners is much more than that of the British and French forces.

However, the other side is obviously also a coincidence, it is the middle of winter, the climate is very cold, it is not suitable for large-scale battles at all, and it will last for a while, so there is no way to fight fiercely in this month, and all that can be stopped is a harassment war between the two sides.

But even so, it is good news for General Gorchakov and the Russian army, and if it can be carried out, then they can at least take a breather in this difficult season.

Prisoners were of little use to them, and now that the various units were in a dilemma due to supplies, they became a headache, and if the prisoners could be exchanged, it would be obvious that the burden would be removed, and the heavily atnumbered troops would be replenished with an unexpected reinforcement.

Similarly, because of the fierce fighting, the bones of a large number of officers and soldiers who died in the battle lie on the remains of the main battlefields, especially in the fiercely contested Sevastopol fortress positions between the two sides. Although both armies took great care to collect and bury the bodies of officers and soldiers killed in battle, it was clear that a large number of poor people had been left out and had been lying there without rest.

These corpses slowly decaying on the battlefield are enough to send chills down the hearts of any brave soldier, for fear that they will also end up like this, affecting their courage and morale to continue fighting. And even if you don't look at the feelings of the soldiers, a proper collection of bones in the forward positions can avoid the threat of the plague that the army will face when the weather warms up.

What's more, a short truce can also give the already exhausted and painful troops a respite, regain their energy, or at least make it easier to get through this winter.

So, literally, it's too good to be a good proposition.

However, precisely because it was so wonderful in the literal sense, General Gorchakov felt a little incredulous, and was deeply afraid that the enemy had some ulterior motives hidden under the letter.

"Sounds like a good idea, but I'm really hard to believe in your sincerity." He didn't bother to bother to bend around, so he said directly, "After all, no one can guarantee that you will be able to faithfully fulfill your promises. ”

"Marshal de Treville, with his reputation, vouches for the fact that he will never make any perfidy move." The major raised his head and looked at the general with a very sincere attitude, "He said that as a marshal and a famous nobleman, he would not joke with his reputation, and please believe this." In addition, your army can also send military envoys to our army to supervise our implementation of the truce, and if it feels wrong, you can stop cooperating, which is completely understandable. ”

"D-Treville was once a glorious surname, but unfortunately it was tarnished by those who took refuge in Bonaparte, and how can we believe it in those who took refuge in Bonaparte? Bonaparte, in our view, is itself a symbol of cunning, cruelty, and perfidy. General Gorchakov sneered coldly.

"But you still can't deny that these proposals are really beneficial to you and your men." Major Minard did not give up, "General, there is nothing unreasonable about the conditions we proposed, you can see our sincerity even if you try it, if we are treacherous, it will not be too late for you to scold us at that time!" ”

The major's words surprised the general a little, after all, as the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, he had not been confronted in person for a long time. His attitude is neither humble nor arrogant. Respectful but not flinching, and daring to argue with himself, from this point of view, the major is indeed qualified to serve as a military envoy.

"Well, then, I beg you to convey to Marshal de Treville that I am willing to accept his offer and to carry out this agreement. Since he vouched for his last name, I'll believe it for once. "After a moment of silence, at the end, General Gorchakov replied in a very aristocratic tone." Wait until you go to my chief of staff, and ask him to work out with you the detailed terms of the agreement, and we will carry out the following proposals. ”

"Thank you for your magnanimity, General." Major Minaar's serious face finally showed a happy smile, "I thank you on behalf of our army, and I'm sure your subordinates will appreciate your decision as well." ”

"This is Marshal Tréville's proposal, and if you want to thank him, thank him." General Gorchakov's expression was very indifferent. "By the way, didn't he say he still had a handwritten letter to me? Give it to me. ”

"This ......" The Major hesitated a little, and looked around for a moment. There are some personal things to tell you about the letter......"

"Huh?" General Gorchakov was once again surprised, he did not understand what personal matters the marshal had to talk to him.

Surrender to yourself? No way, Marshal Trevier would not make such a joke.

Want to surrender? It's even more impossible.

After thinking about it, he didn't come up with any way, and then he glanced at the other party again, and the other party's expression was firm, obviously wanting to hand over the letter to him alone.

"Hmph." The general couldn't help but snort coldly, and then waved his hand gently.

After a moment's hesitation, the officers present and his lieutenant immediately left the camp, leaving only two people to remain here.

"Okay, can you give it to me now?" The general asked coldly. "I wish Marshal Tréville wasn't entertaining me."

"Of course he won't." The major smiled again. "On the contrary, he will be of great help to you, Your Excellency."

The general couldn't help but be stunned again.

Because at this moment, the officer's temperament seemed to have changed, the original fortitude had disappeared, and it seemed to be a little more gloomy, and he couldn't help frowning. "What's wrong?"

It's not that he's afraid that the other side will do any tricks, after all, assassinating the other party's generals will only lose the face of the French army and Marshal Tréville himself, and it will have no meaning to the war itself, and even such a despicable action will make the Russian army even more hostile. He just didn't understand what had to be so mysterious.

Before he could react, the other party immediately took out a letter from his pocket, and then handed it over respectfully with both hands.

The general grabbed it impatiently, then immediately tore open the envelope and took out the stationery, and then looked at it carefully.

At first, his expression was still a little careless, but then it became more and more solemn, until finally he seemed to be frozen, obviously lost in thought.

After a long time, he raised his head to look at the officer opposite, and his expression became very strange.

"That bad seed, it's already here?" He said coldly, "It's really unpleasant. ”

"I don't understand who you mean by bad seeds, Your Excellency." Major Minar shook his head, "However, it is a true fact that His Excellency Chancellor Trevier came to inspect the front line on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor. ”

"Don't play stupid, of course he is the bad seed I am talking about." The general interrupted the other party impatiently, "No wonder I have been feeling a lot of stench in the air lately, it turns out that this is the reason!" ”

Because of this unexpected war, the general did detest and resent Emperor Louis Bonaparte and his ruling clique, which was the enemy of Russia, and the young Imperial Chancellor Charles de Tréville, a member of this ruling clique, naturally shared this disgust.

Moreover, in the past few years, Charles de Treville had always regarded himself as a pro-Russian faction, and kept saying that he would strengthen relations between France and Russia and construct a new type of future-oriented new era.

Ruthless and cunning, treacherous, and brazen...... And so on, which have been put on the young politician by the enraged Russians, and no one has defended him.

To some extent, General Gorchakov still had some respect for him, although he and Marshal Trevier fought each other and suffered great losses; But for his grandson, it was a complete disgust, and he didn't even bother to hide it.

"You have the right to have any opinion about him, but ...... I think you'd better look at what he's offering you, General. In front of the enraged general, Major Minard remained calm, "After all, this is extremely good for you, for your men, and even for Russia." ”

"Hell good, we've had enough of being deceived, do we have to fall for him again? This hellish pig, no one wants to pay attention to him! The general scolded, "He wants to make peace with us? To hell with it! ”

"However, His Majesty the Emperor has authorized him to come into contact with your country to seek peace negotiations, and in the present circumstances, I think it is appropriate for the two countries to negotiate accordingly." Major Minar remained very calm, "General, I understand some of your feelings, but as the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, you should not be emotional, it will damage the interests of your country. ”

And his calmness also made the flame in General Gorchakov's heart slowly extinguished, and he secretly regretted that he had lost his temper in front of a civilian.

"I am just a general, my duty and duty is to fight for His Majesty the Tsar, and I have no right to discuss the question of war or peace." He replied indifferently, "I am not interested in any negotiations with someone like Charles de Treville, I would rather lead my army to drive him away." Okay, that's my answer. ”

Just as he was about to end the conversation, Major Minard suddenly took two steps forward and looked at the general face to face. At this time, he had become a little more challenging, and he no longer had the respect he had just had. "I repeat, please do not harm the interests of the country because of your personal feelings, Your Excellency. Otherwise, it will really reduce the respect we have for you. ”

"What do you mean?" The general jumped in anger.

"Your Excellency, I understand your words. However, if you don't have the authority to negotiate peace, why don't you convey it to someone who has the power? Ignoring his anger, the major continued to talk eloquently, "Yes, you are a military officer, you cannot interfere in politics and diplomacy, but you at least have the right to report this information and leave the situation to someone with power to judge, right?" ”

"You want me to report it to Petersburg?" The general's eyes widened, "What?" Do you want me to look foreign in front of them? Now that His Majesty hates that bastard, how could he possibly accept to negotiate with such a person? Don't even think about it! ”

"Whatever you think of His Excellency Chancellor Tréville, at least for now, if you want to make peace, you have to deal with him." Major Minall calmly conveyed the reality to him, "And I think that whether you talk or not, you must pass it over to Petersburg for judgment, otherwise you are derelict in your duty, aren't you?" ”

Then, under the gaze of the general, the major raised his voice again, "General, you have been present from the beginning of this war, so you are the best witness, then you should have seen how many troops have been lost on both sides since the beginning of the war, how much blood has been shed, and how many tragedies have occurred?" Now we are all tormented in such places, for what? Just for the sake of Crimea? No, France has no claim to Crimea, and she does not want to occupy any inch of Russia's territory, she only needs to defend her honor, so why should this war continue? ”

General Gorchakov's eyes widened and he looked very angry, but he did not speak.

The Major knew in his heart that his words had already had some effect, so he continued, "Wouldn't it be better for you, and for Russia, to die fewer Russian youths?" They are the hope of the future! What is to lose to Russia if negotiations are carried out? At worst, it is nothing more than to continue fighting, and at best it is possible to bring peace back to the two countries, do you have to affect the interests of the country for the sake of your own momentary anger? General, we just need you to tell Petersburg that you will not be held accountable for any of the talks, on the contrary, you have fulfilled your obligations to Russia. ”

The general still did not speak, but stood with a frown.

He knew in his heart that what the other party said was very reasonable, and as the commander of the Russian army, he naturally understood the current predicament of the army and the blow that the country was suffering now, and also understood the suffering of the people, if there was really a chance to end the war as soon as possible and not have to surrender in humiliation, then why not try?

He did hate Treville, but now it was clear that if you wanted peace, you had to deal with him. Moreover, if it is really possible to make peace, then even if you have to deal with him, it is not a price that cannot be paid.

Again, that sentence is correct, even if it is not negotiated, it is just that the war continues, and what is the difference between it and the present.

But that breath was unbearable.

He wanted to refuse, but the appearance of the officers and soldiers who had died on the battlefield suddenly appeared in front of him, and the words of refusal came to his lips and swallowed again.

Finally, he closed his eyes.

"Well, in that case, I'll pass it on to Petersburg, and whatever they do, I'll do as they are told."

"You made a wise decision." Major Minall bowed lightly and saluted him, "Your country will surely thank you, General." ”

"Hmph." The general sneered, "Is this why you want to stop fighting for a month?" It's really enough to make a round trip to Petersburg. By the way, who are you? I feel like you're not a soldier, but a diplomat. ”

"Oh, I'm Treville." The man shrugged, "I'm glad my stink hasn't smoked you yet." ”