Since the Battle of Sadowa, there are only two key figures that Moltke and Bismarck kept talking about. One is Xiao Letian who guards Shiqiao Highlands, and the other is Prince Karl, the commander-in-chief of the Second Army.
At the beginning of the war, neither Prussia nor Austria expected that the two battalions led by Xiao Letian would play such an important role on the battlefield. During the preparations for the war, Prussian senior officials always thought that Xiao Letian just wanted his officer corps to watch the battle at close range and learn from actual combat experience.
Including later, Bismerck gave Xiao Letian 600 Hamburg recruits. His purpose was not to let Xiao Letian participate in the war. He just thought that when the Zhongguan regiment blocked the French army, there were some novel tactics that were very interesting, and he wanted to exchange tactics and learn from them. That’s all.
Not only the Prussians thought so, but even the Austrian intelligence agencies did not regard Xiao Letian and the others as a piece of cake. According to Benedek's previous statement, although the Chinese fought an amazing blocking war with France, they started the war as a last resort to save their prime minister.
When it comes to the Prussian-Austrian battlefield, these Chinese can only be treated as a group of passers-by. On the one hand, they have no motive to fight Austria, and on the other hand, Bismarck will not tolerate any accidents with these guests.
Regardless of military, political, or diplomatic considerations, there is no need for these Chinese to participate in the war. Even British and French intelligence officers did not believe that Xiao Letian would participate in the war.
But everyone's analysis was wrong. At the most critical moment of the battle, faced with the huge disadvantage of being outnumbered and outnumbered, Xiao Letian actually pushed forward, and his heart was nailed to the high ground like iron. It created a stone bridge miracle that amazed later generations of military history experts.
Of course, the so-called miracle is just a glorification of the predecessors by later generations, and those who have personally experienced this miracle may not be aware of it at the time. Just like Bismarck, Moltke Lao, Benedek...even the kings of the two countries, including Prince Karl who has always been resentful of Xiao Letian.
When the cavalry company led by Luo Huo handed over the information to the prince at a cost of more than 90% casualties, the 120,000-strong army immediately took action. When the prince ended the military meeting, the vanguard troops were ready to go and began to explore the way for the army.
Prince Karl began to march under the strict protection of the Guards Division. Behind his team, Luo Huo and his party were surrounded by dozens of cavalry and followed the army with an indignant look.
Perhaps Prince Karl was lax in order to report Luo Huo's message. The Guards Cavalry did not tie them up or collect their weapons. However, they were tightly held by the cavalry in the team and could only move forward along with the flow of people. If they wanted to be free, It’s impossible.
The prince rode his tall horse, surrounded by staff officers, and issued military orders while marching. Although the headquarters was moved to horseback, it still operated as usual.
Luo Huo looked at Karl coldly from behind. Although he was simmering with anger in his heart, he had to admit that Karl did have the bearing of a king and was full of confidence in his actions. The surrounding officers also accepted and executed his orders with sincerity. See The reputation of Prince Lai Baizhan is really not an exaggeration.
Luo Huo looked at Prince Carl, and then thought about Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty. He recalled some secret lessons that Xiao Letian had taken in his mind. He not only sighed and admired secretly.
"The rotten scholars in China still have the nerve to call Europeans Western barbarians? They also brazenly say that they are barbarians, and the Manchu Qing Dynasty has become a kingdom? Look at the emperors of Europe, which one did not come out of the battlefield? Which one doesn’t come to the throne after having rich experience in governance?”
"Look back and look at our own kings in the past. Nine out of ten were raised by women in the palace. Even if there are a few men around them, they are all eunuchs with weak yang energy. Men who were raised like this, You still want to lead a nation to become rich and powerful? Bah...they are all a bunch of rubbish who can't eat meat!"
Perhaps Luo Huo's eyes burned the prince's back. After Karl signed the last military order in his hand, he suddenly turned back and stared at Luo Huo, and Luo Huo was not willing to be outdone at all and looked at the collision, mid-air There was a spark of dissatisfaction.
The prince deliberately pulled the reins closer to slow down the horse, and soon he was marching parallel to Luo Huo and his party on the road.
"I see a look of resistance in your eyes, but you are still not convinced? I really don't know how you Chinese people can be so stubborn and not appreciate my kindness at all. If all your citizens are like you , I am really worried about the future of your nation..."
Xiao Letian's new army officers have received half a year of German training, and they also learned English unexpectedly for more than a year before. In addition, the prince spoke very slowly to take care of him, so this sentence The words can be understood without any need for translation.
The tension in Luo Huo's heart has not passed yet. He curled his mouth slightly and said with a sneer, "You don't need to worry. China's civilization has been able to continue for thousands of years since the Qin and Han Dynasties. We naturally have our own reasons for survival. You Europeans can't It’s just that I have been on the right path in the past hundred years. I guess you can’t imagine how deep Qian Qian’s background is..."
Karl never expected that Luo Huo would have such a bad temper. He had already put down his posture and spoke proactively. Why was he still reluctant to let go?
"Soldier, please remember that arrogance requires strength. Do you really think that your Prime Minister is omnipotent? First of all, I am very doubtful about your statement about the defense of Shiqiao Heights, let alone that they will not defend it. After retreating, two battalions of troops resisted one division, do you think I can believe it? This is war, not some fantasy!"
It may be that the memory of being kidnapped by the Chinese in the Hamburg military camp is still fresh in his mind. Anyway, Prince Carl gets angry easily when he sees these Chinese people. The usually calm Crown Prince always feels like he has changed when facing these lieutenants. Became an aggressive rooster.
In fact, not only Prince Karl did not believe Luo Huo's words, but also the senior officers and staff in the Second Army Headquarters did not believe this nonsense.
Even if the reputation of the Thorn Flower Division is not very good, it is still a well-equipped heavy division with more than 12,000 people. You, Xiao Letian, bring a total of 600 Hamburg recruits, plus more than 150 of your own There are only more than 700 middle officers. Even summoning the ancient god of war will not work for such a disparity.
"You tell me, more than 700 people are fighting against 12,000 people. You tell me how to fight? Tell me, where is your belief in victory?" The prince's tone became higher and higher, and the smell of gunpowder became stronger and stronger. .
Unexpectedly, the prince's gunpowder-filled attack hit the foam in the end. Luo Huo, who had looked serious just now, burst into laughter, letting the tense atmosphere out.
"You ask me? Who should I ask! Anyway, I just believe in our Prime Minister, and I have unconditional trust!" Luo Huo rolled his eyes at Prince Karl. "Why bother asking such a question? It's like you Prussians firmly believe in your own nation. It will definitely be revived, just like the British firmly believe that they are the king of the ocean, is there any reason for this confidence?"
"If you really want to know why, then go to the Ryukyu Kingdom and ask about the deeds of my Prime Minister who fought alone against 100,000 Japanese thugs! When you understand the reason why we defeated the strong with the weak, It’s not too late to talk again!”
After speaking, Luo Huo stiffened his neck, turned his head at a 45-degree angle and looked at the sky, and ignored Prince Karl.
"You!" The prince angrily held the riding whip and wanted to take action, but looking at the countless soldiers around him, he knew that this was a public place among thousands of troops, and any rude behavior would be spread throughout Europe.
"Okay, okay, I'm going to see if Xiao Letian is there in Shiqiao Highlands today. Hahaha, maybe I will see him in the Austrian prisoner camp, maybe he has become a prisoner now, by then I will See how stubborn you are..."
The prince's riding whip snapped on the war horse, and only a neighing sound was heard. The horse's hoofs as big as bowls trampled the soil and galloped forward with the prince.
Looking at the departing prince, Luo Huo put away the disdain on his face, looked toward the east with melancholy eyes, and muttered his hometown dialect.
"My lord, you can't retreat, you absolutely can't retreat! You don't know how much this Karl despises people in his heart. If such a prince comes to power in the future, all the agreements you have reached with Prime Minister Bismarck will have to be overturned! Can't admit defeat, absolutely can't admit defeat..."
Xiao Letian will not think that he has become the center of a normal battle, and he has no time to think about it. He has been shaken by Count Tabris's sharp tongue.
"Mr. Xiao, I know why you want Alan as a hostage. It's because you are afraid of our shelling and even more afraid of our heroic grenadiers, so you can only choose this very dishonorable way... Please rest assured, I have nothing to do with it. I mean to belittle you, I just feel your difficulties..."
"But that's not how wars are fought. This is Europe, not the distant East. I know that in the history of your East, there have been countless real examples of peasant uprisings that finally pulled the emperor off the throne and slaughtered all the nobles. But that It's the East, not Europe..."
"In modern European history, kings can only be killed by kings. Those thugs during the French Revolution killed Louis XVI. Do you know how Europe finally retaliated against those thugs? The royal families across Europe were angry. , they used all feasible methods to retaliate, and as a result, Napoleon was introduced..."
"There was also a king in England who was beheaded, that was Charles I. That incident also shocked the whole of Europe. Finally, when the king's son Charles II came to the throne, do you know how he took revenge? He ordered that the king be beheaded. Cromwell dug him out of the grave, beheaded his body, and his head was nailed to Westminster Abbey for 25 years..."
The old earl said with lingering fear, "Of course, Viscount Alan cannot be compared with the king. The reason I explained is to tell you that nobles are very respected in Europe. Even if two armies fight on the battlefield, nobles will not die. Not to mention being insulted like this..."
"Prime Minister, please think twice. If you provoke the anger of the European aristocracy, you will suffer continuous revenge throughout your life. To give a simple example, the British and French navies will strictly block the North Sea. Prussia sold you No arms or supplies can be shipped out, and it will even be a problem for you to return home..."
"As well as all the agreements between you and Prussia, I think the nobles across Europe will spare no effort to destroy them. No matter what, as long as they have anything to do with you, they will not succeed. This is not alarmist, this is an ironclad fact!"
Having said this, the old count looked at Xiao Letian, whose eyes were no longer firm, and said loudly, "Let us end this tragedy, let us send you away politely, and return to the rear with the honor you have received. No matter how Austria and Prussia win or lose, you will always be the winner!"
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