After receiving the telegram from Wilhelm summoning him to return to Berlin to report on his duties, Qingying was really a little unexpected.

From the moment he was appointed commander of the Fifth Army, Qingying understood the emperor's intentions. Because the strength of Germany in this plane has made a considerable leap compared with the same period in history, Wilhelm is full of confidence that Germany can win the war; Under these circumstances, he ordered himself to command the army on the Western Front, so that he could gild himself in this victorious battle. However, at a time when his troops were rapidly advancing through France, William had him stop at the front.

However, the smooth progress of the German army on the battlefield in France was also nearing its end. Since the attack on the center on June 6, the Fifth Army has been fighting continuously for more than a week, and the physical and material consumption of personnel and materials is quite huge; It won't be long before they will stop with the French resistance. Besides, he already has an oak leaf blue Max medal pinned to his chest, and it is nothing more than to grab more merits.

After taking care of the necessary business and handing over command to the Duke of Württemberg, Qingying immediately boarded a transport plane and flew towards Berlin with a loud noise of engines. The blue night sky is dotted with stars, and a bright moon hangs quietly. Looking out through the portholes of the cabin, the sea of clouds beneath the wings stretches as far as the eye can see, like gilded light in the moonlight. When the wind blows, the clouds are piled up like waves, pushing and rolling, and it is an extraordinary scene of desolation and magnificence.

Although the speed of airplanes in this era was only about 140 kilometers per hour, it was not much higher than some racing cars; But thanks to the relatively small size of Western Europe, Qingying's plane landed at Air Berlin a few hours later. A small black car with the Hohenzollern badge was already waiting not far from the tarmac. When Qingying stepped out of the plane. He immediately drove him towards the Charlottenburg Palace.

The night breeze is cold. The neon flashed, looking at the familiar buildings with a strong Gothic style, Qingying's body and mind gradually relaxed. Ever since he crossed over to this realm, he has lived in this city for the vast majority of his life; In a way, Berlin has become his true home. His career, his family, is supported by this root system. And he was relieved that it had been a month and a half since the outbreak of the war in Europe. Berlin, the capital of Germany, in the heart of Germany, seems to have been unaffected, and is still a scene of prosperity and grandeur. The streets are bustling with people and the trams are ringing; The commercial ports on both sides are brilliantly lit and stretched, and even when it is close to midnight, nearly half of them have never closed.

Compared with the war-torn front-line barracks, Berlin, the capital city that is located in the rear and is no different from peacetime, is undoubtedly a place that Qingying yearns for. After more than a month of sleeping late and waking up early, with high nervous tension, planning and scheduling all day long, and fearing mistakes, the tired army was finally able to draw a temporary end at this time. As soon as she thought of this, Qingying's mood also became happy; He has done what he should have done on the battlefield on the Western Front. It's time to consider what excuse to get more vacation time from William!

The building is sparse. The flow of people is decreasing. After a short time, the car passed through the city of Berlin, and after a few checkpoints, it followed a smooth and open bluestone avenue to the Charlottenburg Palace on the outskirts of the city. Qingying is already familiar with the road layout here; Bypassing several palaces, he walked straight into a building, into William's study. Oil paintings spread out, maps hang high. In the ornate and solemn inner room, William was immersed in reviewing a document; Seeing Qingying arrive, a hint of joy and excitement quietly flashed on his wrinkled face.

Compared with more than a month ago, Qingying's appearance has not changed, but Emperor Wilhelm, who has been in power for 25 years, still observed a slight change from the face of his most proud heir. In those eyes as shining as stars, there was already a faint meaning of commanding an army; And on that clear and handsome face, at this moment, all the youthfulness that belonged to the young man has faded, and he has begun to become as confident, majestic, and calm as a monarch in charge of the kingdom. The most striking thing is the gold-blue cross pinned to his chest, which looks gorgeous and dazzling under the light of the crystal chandelier.

"You don't have to be so restrained when you go home, just sit down." William spoke softly, scanning his gaze over the chair next to him; A waiter then walked into the room with a fruit bowl and drinks, and laid them out in front of Qingying one by one. After taking a sip of a cold drink, the pain of the several hours of trekking eased a little. When the waiter disappeared from the room, William's expression gradually became stern, and he said in a deep voice: "Ettel, do you know how clumsy your combat command is? ”

"Uh......" Qingying's right hand stretched out to the fruit bowl stopped in mid-air, and looked at Emperor William with a stunned expression.

"Don't pretend to be innocent like a rabbit in front of me, you know better than me what happened on the battlefield before!" William snorted and said in a tone full of anger and reproach, "In the border battle a month ago, did you rush into the plains north of Lorraine with all your strength, so that the main force of the French army suddenly slaughtered from the Ardennes and almost did not meet any resistance in front of your stronghold of Theonville?" I trust you so much that I put a large army in your hands; And you, for the sake of obtaining a few medals, have no regard for the safety of this vital army! If it weren't for your luck, the Fifth Army would have collapsed with the fall of Theonville! ”

In the face of William's stormy reprimand, Qingying was speechless for a while. Although he never had a happy mood of "crazy hunting for medals", and his previous actions in the border battle were completely aimed at annihilating the vitality of the French army, it is undeniable that he did have a big problem in the battlefield game. On the basis of his strategy of luring the enemy, the French made a plan and countered the first army, which directly pinched his death hole. Had it not been for the overwhelming superiority of the German army in weaponry and infantry tactics, it would not have been known whether its Fifth Army would have been defeated. His lips twitched for a moment, and finally he spoke: "Yes, I was too eager to be able to gather the main force of the French army on the border, and as a result, I almost put the middle battlefield in great danger of being broken through. ”

William snorted again and said, "Pathetic Julius doesn't know what's going on, and he actually sent you an oak leaf blue Max, which is simply an unfair and serious waste!" Not to mention your extremely poor judgment and command in the border battle, even in terms of combat results alone, this oak leaf blue Max is far from your turn. The commander of the Eighth Army, General Hindenburg, is the person most qualified to receive this medal at present. In addition to the great and perfect Battle of Tannenberg half a month ago, his army has just made immortal feats on the Eastern Front, and at present, the high command is already considering the possibility of awarding him the rank of marshal! ”

Originally, Qingying was still resentful of William's overkill reprimand, but when he heard William's last sentence, the displeasure in his heart was immediately thrown out of the clouds, and he said in amazement: "Eastern Front? After the Battle of Tannenberg, did the Eighth Army win again in the battle with the Russians? ”

William was very satisfied with Qingying's humble acceptance of the discipline. He spread out the document in his hand in front of Qing Ying and said, "This is the news that has just been transmitted back from the battlefield on the Eastern Front. The Eighth Army had launched the Battle of Lake Masuri a week earlier, destroying the Russian First Army; As of today, our army has captured more than 50,000 Russian officers and soldiers, and killed and wounded nearly 130,000 Russian soldiers. This Russian army, which was the first to invade our East Prussia at the beginning of the war, has now lost more than two-thirds of its troops and almost all its artillery, and has been completely driven out of East Prussia! In the absolute disadvantage of being one enemy and two enemies, and suffering from the enemy's back, General Hindenburg only took less than twenty days to defeat these two Russian armies almost completely, and his own losses were extremely low! In comparison, what is your record by virtue of your superiority in troops? ”

Qingying carefully read the report in her hand, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but hook up a relaxed smile. The current German Eighth Army has the most fantastic lineup ratio in the world: Hindenburg's composure and firmness, Ludendorff's solemnity and wisdom; Hoffmann's resourcefulness and decisiveness, Grüttner's conscientiousness; Mackensen's bravery and François's impulsiveness...... Coupled with a large number of highly professional officers and well-trained soldiers, this force can only be described in one word, and that is invincible. Faced with an untrained, low-capability, well-mannered, and notorious Russian army, the Germans were as easy to deal with as chopping melons and vegetables.

"So, you're still far behind, learn more from the generals!" William paused slightly, then said.

Qingying pouted quietly, and she had completely understood the true intention of her cheap dad in her heart. In the face of William's serious gaze, he had no choice but to ignore his conscience and make a solemn promise of repentance, learning a lesson, and changing his past mistakes next time. Seeing that the stereotypical look in William's eyes gradually receded, replaced by his familiar calmness, Qingying smiled and said, "Father is in a hurry to call me back, it shouldn't be just for this one thing, right?" ”

William said without changing his face: "Indeed." Now that the French battlefield has entered a new stage, I would like to test your opinion on the war on the Western Front. Don't worry, just say what comes to mind. (To be continued......)

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