Hu Ke glanced at the folder in front of him, looked up at Liu Ping, his face was kind, and his words were earnest: "Your Highness, as Chief of Staff Liang said just now, the significance of this operation is extraordinary, and the base camp and the government should cooperate sincerely and fully support it." Since His Royal Highness is the regent of the imperial power, any major decision of the base camp and the government is inseparable from His Royal Highness's understanding and approval. ”

Liu Ping didn't buy it, he smiled, but his words were full of lion-like might: "This king is sincerely thinking about the overall situation, so there are so many questions to ask. ”

The four elders looked at each other, and finally Yang Zhengjin opened his mouth: "The regent is too careful, Yuan Elder Hu obviously doesn't mean this, the emperor has already explained, the regent's meaning is the emperor's will, how dare the ministers disagree?" At the end of the day, the regent has any concerns about this battle, and he might as well say it bluntly. ”

Hearing Yang Zhengjin say this, Liu Ping's tone softened slightly: "This king does not mean to embarrass the old ministers, but he is worried in his heart, and he is not unhappy." The current general strategy of attacking from all sides is entirely based on the premise that our army is invincible in all battles, and we are almost blind to the difficulties in supply and national strength, and we do not take into account the changes in the morale of the people at home and abroad, and we ......will continue like this."

Yang Zhengjin interrupted coldly: "The regent's concerns are the reason why the base camp and the cabinet are planning to attack from all sides. The only way to do this is to make full use of our army's current superior position, not hesitate to take risks to attack, stabilize our allies, deter enemy countries, and strive to end the war in the shortest possible time so as to nip all kinds of crises in the bud. Otherwise. As the war drags on, the regent's concerns have a better chance of taking root until the country's foundations are shaken. ”

Liu Ping glared at him unhappily, but he couldn't refute it for a while, so he reluctantly nodded: "Since the base camp and the cabinet have reached a full consensus, of course this king also hopes to end the war as soon as possible." To comfort St. Ann. Moreover, the various domestic shortcomings exposed in this war are innumerable, and as soon as the peace is said and the situation is settled, this king will become the emperor, and I sincerely ask for the establishment of a reform committee under the direct leadership of this king, and attract people who are determined to reform without sticking to one pattern, reform the old evils, and establish a new style. In order to consolidate our empire for thousands of years. At that time, I hope that all the elders will show the strength of today and help the king win another war without gunpowder. ”

Yang Zhengjin nodded respectfully and said: "The regent's wisdom and foresight are beyond the reach of his ministers. Please rest assured that the regent, whether it is a war or an innovation, as long as the emperor's order directs, the ministers will do their best and die. ”

Half an hour later, on the Versailles-style garden square outside the Chengxian Hall, Yang Zhengjin and Liang Tianhe, who were also riding in a black "Wang Hu" bulletproof car, looked out the window: the soldiers of the Janissary Yulin Regiment with feathers and tassels on their helmets were changing their guards. The slightly exaggerated mechanical movements make them look like clockwork toys placed in a miniature palace model.

The car drove off. The toys disappeared behind the towering arches and courtyard walls, Liang Tianhe retracted his gaze from the window, and smiled bitterly at the bulletproof soundproof glass separating the cab and the back seat in front of him: "This regent is not simple, I originally thought it was just a toy puppet at the mercy of others, but after observing it these days, I still have a lot of ideas - didn't you have a deal with him before?" He doesn't want to engage his independent air force anymore? ”

Yang Zhengjin also turned his head from the window. With his head resting on the crocodile backrest, he sneered meaningfully: "Maybe he didn't know how much power the regent had before, but now he knows." ”

Liang Tianhe sneered: "Without our cooperation, he wouldn't want to do anything, right." Last time you said you were going to make a change, how did things go? ”

Yang Zhengjin closed his eyes and said: "That highness is very thoughtful, but he suspects that the emperor and the regent are testing him, and it takes time and time to lift his guard. This matter is in a hurry, the current regent is very talented, we have a pit for him to jump, and now you should be taking your grandson - what is there to worry about with a child? ”

Liang Tianhe still refused to give up: "That being said, you elders, the regent will give some face, and I will be different......

Yang Zhengjin interrupted him, put his hands on his stomach, nodded slightly, and said, "Lao Liang, I know that you are under a lot of pressure, but who is not under pressure now?" A year later, if the war situation really deteriorated as the empress expected, we would all be sinners at the group plenum, and the great crime of forcing the palace will not be mentioned for the time being, and the responsibility for strategic mistakes will not be escaped in any case. Now we are grasshoppers on a rope, and we have to grit our teeth and carry it together when we encounter difficulties, instead of complaining and shirking responsibility. This matter will stop here, don't rush me again, as soon as there is news from Prince Wuhe's side, I will inform you as soon as possible. ”

Liang Tianhe listened, didn't speak, took out a pack of cigarettes out of nowhere, placed it flat in the palm of his hand, took a deep breath, stared at it with his eyes, but didn't move it for a long time.

Yang Zhengjin tilted his head and glanced at him: "Are you still quitting smoking?" Does this work? ”

Liang Tianhe couldn't take his eyes off it.

"I want to live a few more years."

Yang Zhengjin said with a smile: "I really want to live for a few more years, you have to quit women, I heard that your house has long become a national museum, and the next goal is to create a United Nations?" ”

Liang Tianhe gritted his teeth and put the cigarette back in his hand.

"No way, who called me a responsible man, unlike some people, who just eat and don't put away the dishes."

Yang Zhengjin turned his head out of the window as if he didn't care about himself: "You're talking about Wang Zhi, right?" By the way, has his attitude changed about this operation? ”

"You just pretend......"

Liang Tianhe expressed his contempt, and replied a little helplessly: "No, he still insists on his opinion - it is more certain to fight in two months." ”

Yang Zhengjin looked out the window and sighed lightly, shook his head and said: "Leave him alone, the regent is not our opponent for the time being, he doesn't dare not approve our plan, and as soon as it is passed at the imperial meeting in two days, the base camp will directly order the Eastern European theater." ”

"I'm afraid that Wang Zhi will be like the last 'bear slaughter' battle, and he will only care about finding steps for himself at the critical moment."

During the "Bear Slaughter" operation more than two months ago, when the main assault force of the Central Asian Front was blocked by the Orun River, Wang Zhi sent a telegram to the base camp, believing that the attacking units of the Northern Front had suffered heavy losses and had difficulty in supplying on the Ural Mountain front, and it was no longer possible to fight again; The assault of the Central Asian Front also lost its suddenness because the assault force had been blocked for too long, and it was indecisive to continue the offensive; He also offered to transfer the 1st Panzer Army to Central Asia, so that the Central Asian Front could launch a more confident offensive in a few months.

The base camp approved the armistice request of the Northern Front and ordered the Central Asian Front to withdraw troops as appropriate, but Liang Tianhe refused to stop there, and forced the exhausted main assault force to storm the enemy's heavily fortified positions with all their might, but the assault troops were still unable to break through the enemy position after paying a great price, and the supplies were almost exhausted, so Liang Tianhe was forced to order a retreat.

After the war, Liang Tianhe went to the base camp, believing that Wang Zhi had deceived the base camp with exaggerated words and pretentious gestures, causing the defeat of the Central Asian Front Army, and demanded that Wang Zhi be punished, but the base camp did not say anything about it. Soon, Liang Tianhe was transferred to the Central Committee, and Wang Zhi was promoted to the commander of the Eastern European Theater, and this public case was closed.

Hearing that Liang Tianhe was still struggling with the past, Yang Zhengjin blinked unhappily: "The past is over, Wang Zhi is also thinking about the overall situation, and he didn't mean to embarrass you." Besides, a momentary victory or defeat is nothing, and history has its own descendants to judge. However, before the battle began, the emperor personally went to you to give a briefing, saying that he would fight against Russia, and sent people to Wang Zhi to exert pressure. ”

"At that time, the emperor just wanted to accept it when he saw it, who told the General Staff to predict that Germany could only hold out until September? Now the Germans not only lasted until September, but it seems that it will be no problem to survive until the end of the year, and the emperor naturally has nothing to say, even if the group plenum is held, there is nothing to do with us, but to watch us do whatever we want. As for Wang Zhi, I have no personal grudges against him, but I am worried that he will follow the wrong person and stand on the wrong team at a critical moment. ”

After speaking, Liang Tianhe took out the pack of cigarettes just now, and cast a half-hateful gaze, as if the battle between heaven and man had started again.

Yang Zhengjin leaned against the window and was silent, thoughtful. (To be continued......)