The war has been going on for more than two months, and the smoke has spread across most of Europe. The romance of Paris was lost under the flames of war, the splendor of London was shattered by German planes and warships, and only Berlin, which was as bustling and noisy as ever, and the clouds of war never seemed to have visited here.

On a clear morning, the sight of Berlin's empty alleys was the envy of any belligerent. Men, women and children poured into the streets, flowers and flags filled the city with a celebratory atmosphere, and most of Berlin's residents gathered early in the morning near Frankfurt Boulevard and Alexanderplatz, all in anticipation of the arrival of the parade troops.

Today's protagonists, in addition to Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was preparing for a military parade on Alexanderplatz, are the Prince of East Prussia and his legions, who have made great achievements on the Eastern Front.

As early as two days earlier, Chentian and the East Prussian Regiment had arrived on the outskirts of Berlin. In preparation for the parade, all the soldiers of the regiment were given a new set of uniforms, and to their delight, the regiment became the first unit to be equipped with a new helmet. Of course, in order to get these 200,000 new M16 steel helmets, Chen Tian also moved a little in front of the Kaiser, after all, the protection of this helmet in actual combat is much stronger than the traditional German pointed helmet of the German army.

On the military parade viewing platform, the Kaiser sat at the front in military uniform, and on his left hand sat Queen Victoria.

"Gigi, I said that this batch of helmets should be equipped with the first batch of soldiers to land in the British Isles, you take them now, and when I want you to lead an army to attack Britain in the future, you don't regret it!" The Kaiser remembered those helmets and turned his head to Chentian.

Chen Tian naturally couldn't ask for this, "Of course! Your Majesty the Emperor, then we will say that our army will fight the first battle of landing in England! ”

"Hmmm! Very good! The Kaiser was very pleased, but in an instant he seemed to remember something, and his face suddenly darkened a lot.

"But now we have to get rid of France first, Moltke Jr. is really disappointed to me, a Seine defense line has not been taken for half a month, and I have decided to dismiss him. Gigi, do you think it's more appropriate for you to be the new Chief of the General Staff? ”

Chen Tian looked at the Kaiser's face seriously, the face seemed to have aged a lot since the start of the war, it seemed that the frequent offensive pauses on the Western Front brought him a lot of sorrow, first in the French border defense line, after the capture of Paris, it was the turn of the Seine defense line. Although there are always reasons for this, the Kaiser's temperament still seems to be too anxious. Even the Eastern Front campaign commanded by Chen Tian was in a stalemate with the Russian army for a period of time when he was in Bialystok, and the war was rarely smooth sailing.

Chen Tian felt that it was naturally best to be able to make himself the chief of the General Staff, at least a rare exercise in the overall planning ability, and he was no worse than the arrogant little Moltkey. It's a pity that with his identity and ability, Chen Tian feels that it is really not suitable to wade into this troubled water. As a prince sitting in the position of chief of the General Staff, a big victory will not only make the crown prince think, but even the Kaiser will feel uneasy, and a small victory or even no victory will be bad for Germany.

Chen Tian pondered for a while, looked at the Kaiser's serious expression, and then carefully gave his own suggestion: "Your Majesty, I think the current chief of the general staff is still good, but if Your Majesty has decided to remove him, the ability of the Minister of War Falkenhayin is not bad!" ”

The Kaiser nodded, and it seemed that he had already made up his mind to remove Moltke.

For this little Moltke, Chen Tian has never had a good impression of him, and he has a bitter gourd face all day long, as if everyone owes him money. Strategically, this is also worried, and there is no quality of a strategist at all. Chen Tian remembered that in history, Moltke was dismissed as chief of the General Staff after the defeat in the Battle of the Marne, and now the Battle of the Marne did not happen, but he fell on the French defense line of the Seine behind the Marne, one of these two rivers is east of Paris and one is west of Paris, which makes people cry and laugh.

As for Falkenhein, although he did not turn the tide after replacing Moltke Jr. in history, the mess left by Moltke Jr. was too bad, a good "Schlieffen" plan was shattered, Britain and France had the advantage in the Battle of the Marne, maybe even if Schlieffen was reincarnated, there was nothing to be done, but Falkenhain had no choice but to choose a war of attrition, and finally failed to create a miracle.

Now the situation is different, although the German army on the Western Front twice failed to attack the Seine, but the strength and morale have not been greatly affected, the French army has almost completely lost the support on the other side of the channel, and the armored forces of the German army are only temporarily resisted by virtue of the natural danger of the river, once the German army breaks through this defensive line, the French plain is unobstructed, and it is difficult for the French to support it for a long time alone.

"It is a great honor to be appreciated by His Royal Highness the Prince!" Falkenhain's voice suddenly came from the side, almost startling Chentian. It turned out that he was so engrossed in talking to the Kaiser just now that even the War Chancellor, who came later, did not notice it. Falkenhein also saw that the Kaiser and the prince were talking happily, and did not come to greet them until between the two conversations. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, he heard what Chen Tian said just now, and Chen Tian didn't mind it, on the contrary, he felt that it would be a good thing for his trip to the Western Front, a very good start.

Falkenhain said and came to the Emperor and Empress, "Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Highness the Empress, Falkenhain salutes you!" ”

"Oh, that's right, we just talked about you! You may be seated! The Kaiser motioned for Falkenhein to sit down next to Chentian.

Due to the fact that many of the generals were on the front line of the Western Front, there were not many generals attending the parade today, except for Falkenhain and Tatsuten, most of them were cabinet ministers and other important government officials, so the two felt much more comfortable when they spoke.

Falkenhein was 55 years old, not very tall, with short hair and mostly gray hair, two not very thick beards, a shaved chin, and a shrewd and spirited person.

After the Minister of War had taken his seat, the Kaiser spoke: "Actually, I have already spoken to the Minister of War that he would take over the post of Chief of General Staff of Moltke Jr., but we think that it is best to keep this matter in secret, so as not to arouse public speculation." In other words, Moltke the Younger was still nominally Chief of the General Staff, but all his functions and powers were replaced by Falkenhein. ”

Chen Tian was not surprised, the Kaiser really took this issue to probe his opinion after making a decision, and it was indeed unlikely that his identity would become the emperor's confidant and think tank, unless the situation really deteriorated to the point that no one else could support it.

Chen Tian is very calm about this, these things are also part of politics, and there is nothing to complain about at all.

"Yes, I happened to be on my way to the front with the Prince's troops. It is a great honor to be able to fight alongside His Royal Highness the Prince! Like most Germans, Falkenhein is unsmiling, so when he says he is honored, he still has a serious face, and there is no flattery in it.

Chen Tian felt very comfortable with this attitude of the German generals, and many times their praise and respect came from the heart. Of course, there will be flattering villains everywhere, so you need to judge for yourself.

"Oh? That's great! It was a great honor to be able to walk with our Minister of War and Chief of the General Staff, and we can also talk about future strategies on the way! It seems that the Kaiser and Falkenhein have already decided, maybe he will find out later, Chen Tian is a little disappointed, but he has no expression on his face. When talking on formal occasions, he also tries to use this expressionless way of speaking, firstly, to look noble, and secondly, it is really suitable for hiding his actual thoughts, which is a little awkward at first, and then he gets used to it.

"Yes, you two are our new hope on the Western Front. Falkenhay brought a new brain to the Western Front, and Gigi brought a new fist to the Western Front, and I look forward to your triumph! "When the Kaiser spoke, he had swept away the gloom just now, and it seems that the emperor's personality is really changeable, and the principle of accompanying the king like a tiger is also common in Europe.

Chen Tian and Falkenhain exchanged glances, and neither of them had much joy. As long as you keep winning, medals and praises will naturally be available, and once there is a big defeat, I am afraid that the end will be the same as that of Moltke.

Finally, the rumbling of engines and the sonorous sound of tracks of armored units came from the east. The 200,000 troops of the East Prussian Legion were to enter Berlin from the east, and they were to cross the Frankfurt Boulevard to Alexanderplatz, where the Emperor would honour the legion. Of course, this kind of personal award will not be the Kaiser himself wearing medals for everyone, but nothing more than selecting a few highest-ranking generals to issue medals, and the middle and low-ranking officers and soldiers have been awarded medals before, and now they are only here to be personally inspected by the emperor, which is already a great honor for the majority of officers and soldiers.

There are not many monarchs who can personally award medals to each soldier like the new tsar, and that may have been done for the soldiers at the beginning of Aglini's rise to power, and when he is successful, I am afraid that there will be no more such a situation.

As the sound of steel grinding became louder and louder, the figures of the East Prussian legionnaires gradually appeared in the distance, and the citizens all looked enthusiastically, and the crowd cheered even more as the soldiers passed in front of them. Despite the constant news of victories, everyone is happy to revel in each victory. This time, this hundred-fought division brought great results on the Eastern Front and peace on the eastern border of Germany.

Armored units naturally appeared at the front of the queue, and Olg and Guderian sat on the turrets of two tanks in the front row, one on the left and one on the right. Mr. Gu did not receive a medal this time, and this opportunity to show his face at the front of the parade queue before he participated in the war can be regarded as a comfort and encouragement to him. Two tank divisions with 500 tanks are nearly 3 kilometers long, which is enough for the citizens to look at for a while. Mechanized columns of armored vehicles, motorcycles and trucks stretched for more than 10 kilometers, and the entire street was filled with the faint smell of gasoline and engine exhaust.

With the exception of Olg's tank at the front, which turned into the square, the rest of the troops showed their faces in front of the parade stand, and without stopping they crossed Alexanderplatz, headed west along Bismarck's Boulevard, and after passing through the whole of Berlin, they were to board the trains bound for France at the suburban stations.

The tankmen were still dressed in their usual black uniforms, and it was impossible to distinguish whether they were new or not at this distance, much to the regret of the tankers, and only their commanders could see the emperor's face.

In contrast, the officers and men in armored cars and trucks were much luckier, wearing the new M16 steel helmets standing in the compartments, and everyone could see the emperor standing majestically on the reviewing stand from a distance. Chen Tianxin, who was standing on the side, had a strange feeling, although these equipment were not beyond the scope of this era, but when all kinds of vehicles were matched with the kind of helmets with ear brims, he seemed to see another German army belonging to the thirties and forties.

The noise of the vehicles was so loud that it even drowned out the crisp sound of horses' hooves and neat leather boots, and it was not until the cavalry and infantry appeared in front of them that the townspeople reacted.

Sturdy horses, splendid uniforms, and shiny riding boots, the cavalry methodically followed the armored troops into the streets. Cavalry accounted for only a very small number of this army, and the only cavalry division was also left in East Prussia, and Chen Tian only brought two cavalry regiments of less than 3,000 cavalry on the Western Front this time, and their tasks were mainly to guard and reconnoitre, and by the way to add some traditional atmosphere to the parade.

General François rode on a black steed, and walked at the forefront of the cavalry and infantry, with a burly body and a snow sword, the temperament of the traditional cavalry was unmistakable in him. Like Olge, François broke out of the queue and walked under the parade stand alone as he passed Alexanderplatz.

The neat and determined pace, the new and crisp gray uniform, the simple and beautiful Mauser rifle, these infantry have always been the pride of Germany, so the citizens of Berlin did not hesitate to give them the warmest cheers. Mackensen, Matthew, and Hoffman sat in three open-top cars in front of the infantry platoon, which were also parked under the parade platform.

When the East Prussian generals arrived, the solemn ceremony began. Chentian, François, Mackensen, Olge, Matthew, and Hoffmann came to the Kaiser in turn, and in front of the Kaiser lay a series of shining and delicate medals, which they had bought with their own wisdom and painstaking efforts, and everyone had been looking forward to this moment for a long time.

The Kaiser was the first to walk up to Chentian, he looked at Chentian with a smile, and tied the grand cross medal for him with his own hands. The 62 mm square medal symbolized the highest honor of the Empire, and before that only Wilhelm II himself owned one, and Chentian was the second person in the Empire to be lucky enough to receive it.

Originally, there were only 5 people in the history of World War I who received this honor, they were Wilhelm II himself, Field Marshal von •, Hindenburg, Army General Erich •, Ludendorff, Field Marshal Prince Maximilian and Field Marshal von #8226, Mackensen, but now it seems that Hindenburg and Ludendorff may have lost this opportunity because of the appearance of Chentian, as for whether Prince Maximilian and Mackensen will get them, Chentian cannot predict, Perhaps someone else will replace them with this medal because of their outstanding achievements.

François, Mackensen, Augg, Matthew, and Hoffmann were all awarded the Order of the Blue Max, and the Emperor wore them all with this medal second only to the Grand Cross. Each of them looked very excited, the muscles of their faces twitching slightly, and some even choked up with thanks.

After the brief ceremony, the infantry of the East Prussian regiment had not yet passed Alexanderplatz, and the emperor held out to the end.

That night was still a grand dinner, and Chentian, who was wearing the Grand Cross, naturally became the focus of everyone's attention. However, there are many familiar generals, and Chen Tian feels a little monotonous. He had been talking to Falkenhain for almost the entire night, and the two had many similar opinions about the situation on the Western Front.

At the banquet, Chen Tian also met Prince Heydrich and Tirpitz, whom he had not seen for a long time. After becoming the commander of the High Seas Fleet, Heydrich's gray hair seemed to have increased a lot, but the whole person seemed to be rejuvenated, and the knot that had once stuck in the heart of the Prussian prince seemed to have been untied.

"Thank you, Gigi! You made me find my worth! Heydrich said this very calmly, still thanking him without a smile.

Tirpitz stood silently with a faint smile on his face.

"There are only so many strategies I can contribute to the navy, and I wish our navy can win more victories in the hands of the two veterans and sail farther to the other side!" How Chen Tian wished he could take care of both land and sea, but unfortunately he had no way to separate into two people, he had already made a choice before the war, as long as the navy made a good start according to his plan, he threw himself into the land war, after all, the German admirals of that era were still very strong.

"The navy can have today, and it is inseparable from the brilliant strategy of His Royal Highness! I hope that the Navy will continue to receive the Prince's guidance in the future! Tirpitz said very sincerely.

Chen Tian was a little embarrassed, he just relied on his advanced knowledge to let the German Navy win the naval battle of the century, and let him, a duck, command a very ordinary naval battle, which should not even be comparable to Hipper.

"The Minister of the Navy has won the award, I have no experience in naval warfare at all, and the previous strategy was only some surprise tactics evolved from land warfare, and now that the battle for the sea has been regularized, I think it is better to leave it to you naval experts!"

"That's a shame! Your Royal Highness, our Navy will always owe you a favor! Tirpitz said meaningfully, with his distinctive smile on his lips, sly and deep.