The golden tasseled military flag was embroidered with French characters. It should have been held high at the forefront of the team, but at this moment it could only dance in the flames.
"The 3rd Guards Division... the Thorn Flower Brigade... the Crown Prince Eugene's Cavalry... the 1st Grenadier Regiment of the Old Guard..."
Bazin stood on the high platform of the fortress, watching the military flag burning on the fire, feeling sad and tears falling down!
"Every military flag is the history of the empire... Every time those troops win, they will embroider the place of victory on it... Burning these will burn the military soul of the empire!"
Radmiro sighed helplessly, "There is no way... We can't leave it to the Prussians, right? We can surrender, but we can't lose our honor, right?"
"I know...I know...but I can't get over this hurdle in my heart! What they said is right. How will I face today in the rest of my life? After I die, will I still be able to face those comrades who were one step ahead of me..."
Radmiro and others saw that the Marshal was going to regret it! This is not possible. Since the royalist party has decided to start the project, how can there be any chance of turning back?
"Marshal! Don't think so... We have no choice but to do so!"
"I just went to the wounded soldiers camp and sent them more than a dozen wounded horses... Fifteen thousand wounded soldiers, people die every day, and not only do we lack medical supplies, we can't even provide enough food! "
"This battle cannot be fought, we can only surrender! There is nothing wrong with being loyal to the country and the nation, but we must also respect every living person!"
Bazin was so upset that he could not speak. At this moment, there were loud cries beside the fire in the square outside the fortress. The military flags were burned one after another, and tens of thousands of soldiers cried bitterly!
The cries floated into the air and reached the Prussian positions in the distance. All the Prussian soldiers were alarmed. They stood up and looked outside the defense line, not knowing what the French were doing.
"Have you heard that the French are about to surrender... In the evening, their positions were all withdrawn, and there is no one to defend us..."
"Are they crying because of their failure? After all, they have been crazy for so many years, and even we didn't expect that the French would lose so miserably!"
Xiao Letian sat on the tall wooden watchtower, wearing a woolen military uniform and a cape, sitting quietly, looking at the lights of Metz City in the distance.
He didn't say a word. Next to him was his disciple Xiang Ying, who respectfully held a cigar box and sobered red wine for his master!
"Master... the weather is very cold. Do you want to change to some warm wine..."
"Don't worry about me... I brought you here to let you see this city... Don't say anything, just quietly feel this wonderful atmosphere..."
"An era ends, and an era begins. A group of people ends and leaves, and a new group of people forms a force and comes to power!"
"Haha... Such a big empire will fall when it is said to have fallen. The illusion of invincibility before has been completely stripped away at this moment!"
"Humans... are powerless in the face of self-interest! In the future, you will also face many huge conflicts and confrontations, maybe wars, maybe economics, maybe diplomacy..."
"But you should always remember that no matter how huge the opponent is, it is made up of individual people... and the group of people will definitely be divided into left, middle and right!"
"Don't be an angry young idiot, don't shout slogans and try to kill all your enemies... Killing them all is not a good way to resolve conflicts. As long as you take the road of killing them all, you will definitely fail in the end!"
"Remember... to divide the enemy... Remember... the enemy also has internal contradictions..."
"Divide them, win over some, attack some, and neutralize others...Buy those who can be bribed, deceive those who can be deceived, and make allies with those who can be allies..."
"What needs to be slaughtered is only a small number of stubborn people!"
"Don't let your emotions control your reason... The stormtroopers you created... are just a little too fanatical. Your reason has been controlled by your emotions..."
"Are you not convinced when I say this to you? You don't have to tell the difference. You say you are convinced, but you are still not convinced in your heart... If you were really convinced, you wouldn't attack Zai Chun, right?"
"Hey... I understand your hatred of the Manchus, but this emotion cannot control your reason? If you really live your life based on your emotions and you become an angry youth, then who else will do serious things?"
"Go back and think about it carefully... Is Zai Chun the one who must die and be slaughtered? Isn't it true that he can't win over, can't be neutral, and has no use value at all?"
"You're not smart...child...you're still not smart enough!"
Xiang Ying lowered his head and said nothing. He knew that this was the master teaching the true top dragon slaying skills through words and deeds!
Xiao Letian looked at him, "Hey...don't you understand? For the sake of profit, I can even reconcile with the Emperor of France, and I can give up my past hatred and not avenge it!"
"Why is this? Because the world has changed, and it is more beneficial for us to choose to cooperate with the King of France now! As long as it is more beneficial to the Chinese people, why do I care about my face?"
"I can let go of such hatred, why can't you? My child... always remember that when you go up, your whole body will no longer belong to you!"
"The more responsibilities you have, the less you have as a person!"
"One day, you will not be yourself at all... One day, the Chinese will truly and completely possess your soul, and your life will only exist for this nation!"
"When you no longer even have the concept of yourself...do you think you still need personal emotions?"
"The superiors are ruthless! It's not that the superiors are all ruthless, but it means that the superiors can't have too many emotions of ordinary people...can't let emotions influence their judgment!"
Xiang Ying lowered his head and listened to his master's instructions honestly, while on the second floor of the watchtower below the two of them, Wang Junlan was writing furiously. He faithfully carried out the tasks of the daily attention group and recorded everything the head of state said. Every word is recorded.
January 17th! The weather was gloomy, and the northwest breeze brought a hint of coolness. At 8:30 in the morning, all the city gates of Metz suddenly opened. Bazin led 170,000 French troops to formally surrender to the Prussian army.
The entire Prussian army mobilized and opened ten large surrender sites outside the city. The French troops gathered in organized groups at the predetermined locations. The earth-colored French officers and soldiers silently put down all their weapons and ammunition, and they marched towards the Prussian army in turn. The civilian officer reported the name, unit number and other information...
What was waiting for them was to be broken up and then re-formed, heading north according to the predetermined route!
The disarmed French army was like a zombie with its soul removed. They advanced numbly under the command of the Prussian army. The officers and their own troops were scattered, and the familiar organization was also dismantled.
The Prussians were indeed ruthless. They even divided the French army into squads. Even brothers in a platoon could not be together, but had to be split into three parts and sent to different prisoner camps.
Old Charlie held the wound on his stomach and watched the brothers around him leave one by one and go in different directions. He couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Brothers... have a good journey... God bless you... bless us to be able to meet again..."
Veterans have their own unique premonitions. Old Charlie knows that this farewell may be forever! Old Charlie's company would never come together again in this life.
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