The ceremonial halls of the Hofburg are bustling with people.

Looking around, Rudolph saw many acquaintances, many of whom he had never met, but whose faces matched the black-and-white photographs he remembered, making him feel that he was not living through this era, but examining it.

The men they had never met were all from Austria-Hungary's allies, but apart from Bulgarian and Ottoman diplomats, the rest were Germans.

Rudolph observed the guests, who were basically from all the states of Germany, and they were all dignitaries of each state, and they did not come here to discuss the state of affairs, but more like a trip. These nominal rulers have long since lost their power and can only show their presence in the social arena.

Rudolph was not interested, he really didn't want to deal with those noble and pretentious ladies and ladies with great ambitions and talents. During the war years, hot-blooded young people joined the army and went to the front line, and only these children could stay in the rear and hang up their idle posts.

Several well-dressed young officers came over, and he still knew them, and even had more than ten years of friendship. Rudolph still remembers that he was young at that time, and they were young and freshly dressed and angry, playing heartily and living unrestrained.

I don't know if fate has its own certainty, or if it drifts away with the wind. After graduating from the military academy, they walked out of the ivory tower, and their respective lives also had their own trajectories.

The years have not left too many traces, they are still the same as they were at the beginning, and they can greet each other with a smile when they say goodbye.

There is no joy when reunited. Although not as flattering as others, from their words, Rudolph still hears only envy and admiration. Everyone only saw the honor after the victory, but they did not understand that under the brilliance, it was the oppression and destruction of the war.

Rudolph replied nonchalantly, without knowing anything or interrupting impatiently. He was also able to understand the cognition of these people, after all, death and blood, they had never experienced and never noticed.

Many people surrounded Rudolph with the moon in their hands, saying those vulgar and unbearable words. Rudolf only thought they were noisy, and the crown prince was busy changing glasses with others, and he probably wanted to join the Germans in instigating Bulgaria to enter the war. Rudolph remembered that Bulgaria would enter the war on October 1, but this was different from the past, and although the progress of the Austro-Hungarian army in Serbia was mediocre, it was naturally much better than the memory of throwing away the armor and returning home. The timing of Bulgaria's bet cannot be determined, it all depends on the bid of the allies.

Rudolph estimated the time, and it was almost time for Italy to enter the war. He suddenly remembered General Boroyevich, this "Knight Isonzo" is also present today. Rudolph searched for a long time before finding him in a hidden corner. The Croats were chatting with a few officers, looking very lonely and incompatible with the pleasures around them.

Rudolph walked straight over and escaped from the hustle and bustle of the world. After a brief greeting, they moved on to the conversation they had just had. It can be seen that they are all people who are not good at words.

Boroyevich told his story on the battlefield, and several generals around him from time to time expressed their opinions, and Rudolph joined in without a trace. Only the German general, with the characteristic seriousness of the Prussian soldiers, did not speak from beginning to end.

The atmosphere was somewhat depressing, and several veteran generals, although they had not personally experienced the battlefield, expressed their respect for the war under Boroyevich's account. It's no wonder that these people are emotionally negative, Borojevic's story is really not exciting. Throughout the campaign, his army group remained on the ground, maintaining a crumbling defensive line and suffering increasing casualties every day.

Somehow who started the new topic, Rudolph began to talk about his own experience. In the face of these bosom friends, he knew everything, said everything, and when it came to emotion, he swallowed a few glasses of wine.

Time passed quickly, several people sat together, telling stories and drinking, and for a while, no one approached these unsmiling officers. Bach's orchestral music, Mozart's concertos, and Haydn's quartet accompany them, from the Baroque period to the classical period, and these pieces are beautiful and solemn.

The melodious waltz sounded, and Rudolf didn't have to listen to it, he knew that it was the work of the Strauss family, who brought the waltz from the folk to the court. And in 1867, Johann Strauss the Younger freed the people of Vienna from the oppression of defeat. It was then that "The Blue Danube" was born, and it spread throughout Europe, across the ocean, and even became the "second national anthem" of Austria. ”

Enthusiastic music came, and the sad story was not suitable to continue. A table of people scattered and poured onto the dance floor.

Rudolph and Boroyevich walked to the edge of the table together, and the two tacitly picked up a piece of pastry and a glass of mulled wine.

Rudolph didn't go to the ball, he wanted to talk about Italy. As for General Borojevic, he may not have liked this occasion very much, but according to Rudolph's guess, the Croatian Serb did not bring his wife to attend today, and it is estimated that it will be difficult to find a suitable dance partner.

"The battlefield on the Eastern Front is calm." Rudolph suddenly sighed.

"War in the south may be going on again." Boroyevich was introduced to the topic.

"We never believed in this ally, and we were well prepared."

"The Alps are a natural barrier that Italians cannot overcome."

"The gentler Isonzo River basin would be their only option."

"My suggestion is to hold on to the Isonzo River, where strong fortifications are prepared."

"But it has been suggested to retreat to Slovenia, where the Alps and its southeastern stretch of the Dinara Mountains are precarious, but if they are lost, the plains of the east and the ports of the Mediterranean will fall."

"I agree with your judgment that the Isonzo River is a natural line of defense. With a little understanding, you will know that if you want to cross the river, you have to climb the mountain first, and if you want to climb the mountain, you have to cross the river first. ”

"No matter from which point of view, we should choose this way, there is our border, and the land of the motherland cannot be given up at will."

"If war breaks out, we can only draw out a limited number of troops, and the most advantageous strategy is naturally to choose defense, gradually attrition, and it is not advisable to save land and lose people." Rudolph immediately thought of the problem of casualties, the Italian front can only focus on defense, and taking the initiative to attack is to send death.

"I still hope that the war will not be fought, and it is really unbearable to fight on three fronts."