Before the guard camp left, they took away the gifts given by Xiao Letian. Everyone knew that supplies were too scarce in Metz. Even Bazin himself could only eat dry bread that was about to go moldy.
Chinese people value reciprocity and prepare many wooden boxes for gifts before leaving.
"Report to the marshal, some food and wine, one box of whiskey, two boxes of Bordeaux red wine, five boxes of baguettes, and three boxes of sausages and ham..."
"There are also ten boxes of Chinese military rations on the list, including cans, compressed biscuits, candies, chocolates..."
"That's enough... Prepare a banquet in the afternoon and convene a banquet for all regiment-level officers and officers above... This matter is too big for me to act arbitrarily!"
After Bazin gave the order, he continued to walk into the gap in the defense line. When he entered the city, he suddenly saw from the corner of his eye not far away, four French soldiers running wildly on the street, and two rats were already frightened and fled for their lives.
"Catch mice...catch these two mice...and dry them in the sun..."
The excited soldiers chased them and captured the two mice with empty ammunition boxes. At that moment, the faces of the soldiers who had successfully hunted were filled with happiness.
Bazan's tears suddenly fell down, "Give...give them some food...this damn war..."
Old Charlie Company was like in a dream today. There was a wooden box of baguettes in front of them. The outside was still crispy when pressed with your hands, and the inside was still soft when you broke a piece.
"Fresh bread! It must have been baked just in the morning... God, there are sausages and ham here!"
The soldiers were as happy today as they were on Christmas Day. They divided the bread and cut it into thick pieces, then filled it with sausage and ham to make a simple sandwich. They choked on the big piece after each bite.
Old Charlie finally felt relieved, "My intuition is not wrong...this damn war...at least this damn war in Metz City is finally going to end!"
In the headquarters renovated from the train station, orderlies and civil servants were busy. Centuries-old Ming Dynasty porcelain left over from the Middle Ages was brought out and delicacies brought from outside the city were placed.
Bottles of spirits were opened one after another, all of which were fine wines that had been aged for more than fifty years. The only regret was that there was no ice, but for the officers who had not eaten meat for a long time, this was already a rare treat.
The officers who came early gathered in groups of two or three, enjoying sausages, hams, and toast with their dinner plates, and drinking glasses of wine really relieved the fatigue of more than a month.
Abnormal things are monsters. These tired-looking officers didn't know what was waiting for them. Although they enjoyed the delicious food, their expressions were still solemn.
"Has the marshal wiped out all the last treasuries? Is the whole city going to break out and fight in a bloody battle?"
"It's not very realistic. Didn't the previous intelligence show that the enemy has already reached Paris and Orleans? Then there is no main force in the south of Metz. Where can we go to break out?"
"Wait, have you heard? Yesterday someone saw people from outside the city negotiating..."
"Shh...shut down, keep your voice down, keep your voice down..."
There are 170,000 troops, with more than 130 regiment commanders alone, plus more senior brigade commanders, division commanders and other officers. This time Marshal Bazin held a banquet for more than 150 people.
Banquets of this size are nothing on ordinary days. There are many grand banquets in Paris with more than 500 people. Bazin even holds a hunting picnic with more than 800 people.
But at this moment, during the war, the marshal brought together regiment-level officers from the army. This in itself was a very dangerous move.
If the enemy takes advantage of this banquet to launch an attack, it will cause command chaos for a short period of time!
No one knew what kind of medicine the marshal was selling in his gourd, and everyone was uneasy. It was not until four o'clock in the afternoon that all the senior commanders of the army gathered together, and there was a commotion in the railway station hall.
At this moment, a group of soldiers from the guard camp suddenly ran out of the door. They lined up in two lines with loaded guns and ammunition. "The marshal is here! Silence!"
All the officers put down their plates and wine, tidied up their appearance and stood respectfully facing the main entrance. At this time, Bazin and several of his generals walked into the hall wearing brand new military uniforms, and there was a sound of salutes.
Bazin looked around them with a complicated expression, returned a military salute, and then walked to the makeshift podium.
"Gentlemen! The continuous hard battle has worked hard for you... take a break now!"
Holding a glass of wine, Bazin glanced at the familiar face in front of him, "Today, I have basically brought together all the lieutenant colonels and above officers in the entire army. You are the brains of the entire army, and you are also the backbone of this army! "
"With you here, the fighting power is there, but without you, this 170,000-strong army is nothing but a pile of scattered sand!"
"For this glass of wine, I thank you for your bravery in killing the enemy, and I thank you for your loyalty to the empire! You are soldiers worthy of respect!"
"cheers!"
Half a glass of whiskey was swallowed down the Marshal's throat, and the strong liquor burned his chest like a line of fire!
More than 150 senior officers on site all toasted "To the Marshal!"
Bazin looked at everyone and said calmly, "Some of the 170,000 people in Metz City are my direct descendants who have been under my command for many years, and some are friendly forces that I have temporarily reorganized..."
"But no matter what, you should all know me! I am Bazin, the warrior who led the charge in North Africa, Crimea, and Mexico!"
"I am a soldier who rose from a mercenary to an imperial marshal! Regardless of whether I am your direct commander or not, I think you all should know me and understand me!"
"I know you are very confused now. You have no idea why I held such a banquet, let alone why I wasted so much wine and food..."
"Now I tell you... I have made up my mind and am ready to lead everyone out of this damn war!"
Before he finished speaking, there was a buzzing commotion on the scene, and the officers were whispering to each other. In the modern military hierarchy, colonel-level officers are already regarded as senior military management talents, which is not something ordinary people can get along with.
The school level is a watershed. It is already very difficult for ordinary soldiers to reach the rank of lieutenant. If you want to reach the school level, you must have a great chance.
There wasn't even a major present, all of them started as lieutenant colonels. These people were not fools who had problems when they obeyed.
"Marshal, are you going to take us out of the city for a decisive battle? This is indeed a good way to solve the current shortage of supplies, but we need information now!"
"A breakout to the south? A 170,000-strong army passing through the Vosges Mountains? This is too difficult. Do we have the troops to respond?"
Voices of doubt suddenly came from the crowd, but Bazin had already made a decision at this moment. He shook his head and said firmly, "The decisive battle is too difficult... My decision is..."
"I have decided that the entire army will surrender unconditionally tomorrow!"
After saying these words, the air in the scene suddenly froze. Everyone looked at the marshal dumbfounded and didn't say anything for three minutes!
"Treason! You are treason! Are you crazy? Is this an April Fool's Day joke..." someone in the crowd exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, this is not a joke. I have already decided that we do not have the conditions to be trapped in Metz City. We don't even have enough food. We cannot let the soldiers die in vain..."
"Surrender and save the lives of the children! I am responsible for them!"
"Asshole! You are a traitor, you are committing treason!" Two more officers jumped out of the crowd!
Commander Radmiro, who was beside Bazin, suddenly stood up and yelled, "Damn bastard, what do you know? Treason? Which country are we judging?"
"Is it an empire or a republic? Sunstein! Answer me, which country is judged for treason?"
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