As the French Emperor's base camp, there is more than one telegraph machine here, there are 25 telegraph machines each performing their own duties, sending and receiving important military information from different regions.
The most inconspicuous one in the corner is actually the highest level, because this telegraph machine is connected to the empire's intelligence department, and all spies' actions are transmitted through this telegraph machine.
The operator handed the message full of ciphers to a dedicated decipherer. When the top-secret message gradually turned into a string of French words, the decipherer's face turned pale and cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"God... God!"
As soon as he shouted, he covered his mouth with his hands. He looked around and no one was paying attention to him. The intelligence officer quickly ran to the prince's side.
"Your Highness! Important information! Important information has been sent from Berlin..."
Crown Prince Eugene grabbed the telegraph newspaper in one fell swoop. As soon as he took a look at it, he was stunned, "This, this, this... is this true?"
"My subordinates don't know. Anyway, all the code words in this coded telegram are correct. The six code words can only be known by the highest-level spies..."
"Even if the Prussians can detect one or two code words through channels, it is impossible to detect six!"
"And...and how could the Prussians use this person as bait? Bismarck would never dare!"
Prince Eugene suddenly reached out and blocked his mouth, "Stop talking, forget all this immediately..." After saying that, the prince turned around and walked straight to the hall of the city council.
Pushing open the door of the city hall conference room, the prince suddenly said loudly, regardless of the looks of the people around him, "All commanders below the military level at the scene should exit..."
"All the stenographers also quit, and all the secretaries and adjutants quit!"
"What are you doing standing still! Execute the order! Now!"
I have never seen the prince so stern. His eyes seemed to be spitting fire. Everyone who was targeted by him quickly packed up their things and left the meeting room.
In the end, only the highest military leadership group consisting of Marshal McMahon, Marshal Bazin, Chief of General Staff Marshal LeBouf and four military commanders remained in the conference room.
Chief of Staff LeBouf rubbed his numb temples, "Your Highness, what happened? We have no time to waste. The Prussian vanguard has already exchanged fire with our defense forces this morning, and they are constantly increasing their troops. …”
"I know, please give me some time, Chief of General Staff...Father, loyal marshals and generals of the empire! Important information has been sent from Berlin..."
Prince Eugene obviously felt that his voice began to tremble. Such a rude performance made the Emperor, who was suppressing the pain in his stomach, raise his head.
The crown prince put the telegram on the table, "Father! Our intelligence officer in Berlin has contacted Emperor Tongzhi! The little emperor has made a price... He has important information about us!"
"What? Did Emperor Tongzhi have contact with our people? What did he say..."
"Emperor Tongzhi offered 20 million gold francs in cash, as well as a large amount of lost treasures from the Qing Dynasty! As long as we can agree to his conditions, then he will have the important information we need..."
"By the way, he also wants a steel plant! After the war is over, France will need us to fund a steel plant!"
"There is absolutely no problem with the intelligence. It is impossible for the Prussians to use the emperor of the Qing Dynasty as bait! Moreover, the spies sent this time are the highest-level in our system, and all six code words are correct!"
There was a bang, and whispers came through the conference room. Marshal Bazan said in a low voice, "Didn't you specify what the intelligence was? Could it be Prussia's strategic deployment map?"
"What if Emperor Tongzhi wants to blackmail us? How can we promise him if we don't see the goods?"
Marshal McMahon shook his head, "I think there is a way. Listen, he asked France to give us a steel factory after the war... So that means the information he gave must be able to reverse the situation of the war!"
"Otherwise he wouldn't be so open-minded! I've never heard of someone using forward futures for extortion!"
The Emperor suppressed the pain in his stomach and looked at his son and said, "What do you mean? I want to hear what you mean..."
"Father! We have no choice now. We can afford the bet of more than 20 million! As long as we get through this difficulty, we can earn ten times or a hundred times from Qing trade in the future!"
"My opinion is to take a gamble!"
"Okay! Then call back right away. Let's take a gamble and see who can use the emperor of the Qing Dynasty as bait?"
The Crown Prince did not use his subordinates and ran all the way to the telegraph room. The screen retreated to the left and right. A group of soldiers from the Crown Prince's Guard used their bodies to build a human wall to isolate the other telegraph operators.
Just in the corner, the crown prince sent the latest instructions to the female spy in Berlin!
"I will go to the conference room. As soon as there is a call back, I will send it there immediately... During this time, no one is allowed to come near here. Anyone who dares to pry... will be killed without mercy!"
The Emperor, his son, and several marshals and generals had never felt that time was so difficult to pass. Everyone felt as if grass had grown in their hearts, and their eyes were either looking at their pocket watches or at the door of the conference room.
One minute, two minutes, five minutes... A full eight minutes passed. Just when the people in the room were about to lose their patience, the door was suddenly knocked open, and the codebreaker rushed in like the wind.
The telegraph newspaper he held in his hand was his life, and he held it high above his head!
"Call back...Call back...God bless the Empire...Call back..."
"Damn it! Stop talking nonsense and get it quickly...what happened?"
The prince grabbed the telegraph newspaper and just took a look at it. His feet became weak and he almost fell to the ground. If it weren't for the quick hands and eyes of Commander Frossard beside him, who quickly helped him, the prince would have really fallen to his knees.
"Father... Emperor Tongzhi... Emperor Tongzhi sold his teacher... his teacher Xiao Letian!"
"Xiao Letian is not in France at the moment and is not with the Prussian army... Xiao Letian is in Belgium..."
"Hahaha... God bless us... Xiao Letian is just north of Sedan... the small town Syni on the south bank of the Semuwa River... is only fifteen kilometers away from Sedan!"
The Emperor stood up from his seat as soon as he heard this!
"What did you say? Xiao Letian is in Belgium? How many troops are there around him?"
"Not much, only his own guard. It is estimated that Belgium will provide some military protection, but there won't be much..."
"Father! The opportunity has come, send the cavalry! As long as we can capture Xiao Letian alive, we will have room for negotiation!"
"Even if Prussia gives up Xiao Letian's life, this victory can stabilize the hearts of the people in Paris!"
"Kill Xiao Letian and capture him alive! We can bring the situation back from the brink of the great revolution!"
"The morale of the military and civilians has been boosted!"
The entire conference room was in a state of excitement, and everyone said excitedly, "That's right! Use the lives of these Chinese people to stabilize our morale and morale! This is the only way now!"
