Chapter 521 Reverse Bait

Everything seems like a "random event" that happens by chance, but there is actually an invisible hand behind it.

Charles controls everything. He knows how to guide and even control public emotions.

The news and doubts were not issued through the "Little Daily" and the "Meritorious Newspaper", but through certain well-known "military commentators" who contributed to other newspapers, and the "Lady in White" who led the public opinion.

The more people think about it, the more they think it is right, and the "rumor" becomes more and more reasonable, eventually forming a complete "chain of evidence" that echoes each other.

Soon, the relationship between Commander-in-Chief Nivelle and the British was also exposed.

After all, it was no secret that Nivelle became the commander-in-chief of the French army through the British, and he needed to use supplies to convince many parliamentarians to support him.

Then, the French people suddenly realized:

"God, this is simply a conspiracy by the British against us. They controlled Nivelle and used Nivelle to formulate an unreasonable battle plan for Charles."

"That's not 'unreasonable'. It's simply a trap, a trap that pushes Ciel and his troops into a pit of fire."

"It's unbelievable! Charles was fighting for France. He saved France and everyone. But now, he was sent to the enemy's guns because of the betrayal of his allies. This is too shameless!"

"We can't let the British succeed, otherwise we will become their accomplices!"

"We are the only ones who can protect Ciel!"

…

This time, people were no longer on strike, marching, or shouting slogans. Angry people stormed the Paris City Hall and even surrounded the Bourbon Palace, demanding a reasonable explanation from the government and parliament.

The news reached the army, and the soldiers protested, holding their guns and shouting:

“Are we fighting the Germans or the British?”

"We were winning, led by Charles. But the British were trying to steal our victory. They took control of the commander-in-chief and tried to defeat the French by having him kill our war hero."

"If this continues, what's the point of us fighting to the death on the battlefield? We should fight the British first and let them know that we are not easy to bully!"

…

The French Parliament and government were in chaos.

They were innocent, and they were unaware of the battle plan. Some heard some rumors, but did not realize that this was a trap set for the Charles:

"They are absolutely crazy, trying to use the Germans to kill Charles."

"Perhaps we shouldn't have compromised with the British. We should have known that letting Nivelle be the commander-in-chief would inevitably lead to this."

"The British don't give us supplies for free. Their ultimate goal is not only to defeat the Germans, but also us!"

…

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Nivelle hurried to explain. He published in newspapers, accepted parliamentary inquiries, and made speeches in public:

"Things are not what you think."

"We do have an offensive plan, but it cannot be made public because it involves military secrets."

"This is a rumor spread by the Germans in order to divide Britain and France and cause internal conflicts in the Allies."

"Please believe that the UK is our steadfast ally and they will not do such shameful behavior!"

…

At the same time, Nivelle sent another order to Charles: "The offensive mission is canceled, and everything must be kept secret!"

…

Ciel smiled softly when he saw the order, knowing that he had succeeded.

Nivelle's position was questioned, not only by the public, but also by the government and parliament, who all doubted whether Nivelle was qualified for the position of commander-in-chief.

The British were discredited and even British soldiers were disgusted by this practice.

Many British officers and soldiers are fans of Charles, and they will firmly choose to stand on Charles' side in terms of public opinion.

Even if you are not a fan of the Charles, reasonable people would think that they should not plot to harm their allies before achieving final victory, which would only make their loved ones sad and their enemies happy.

More importantly, the Germans generally believed that Charles's troops would no longer be able to attack Namur.

“Great,” Tijani cheered when he saw the telegram. “They finally canceled this stupid plan.”

Charles hummed, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table without saying anything.

Tijani noticed something was wrong, and he looked at Charles in confusion: "You still don't seem satisfied, Major General?"

"No, I am satisfied," Charles replied, "but you seem to have forgotten why we did this in the first place."

After being reminded by Charles, Tijani seemed to understand what Charles meant: "You mean, attack Namur?"

As he said this, Tijani raised the telegram in his hand, meaning that you have received the order to "cancel the mission". Now as long as you pretend not to know, there will be no problem with Namur.

Charles only replied: "Namur must be fought, General!"

Tijani was stunned. Is this guy serious?

How to fight Namur?

Even if we have to fight, it won't be us!

Then Charles added: "But not now."

He is waiting, waiting for the bait to appear!

…

Dunkirk, British Expeditionary Force Headquarters.

Everything seemed to be the same as usual here. The staff and signalmen started their day's work in the early morning in an orderly manner.

However, at some inadvertent moments, there were always people whispering to each other, and from time to time they cast strange looks in the direction of Kitchener's office.

In the office, Kitchener's desk was cluttered with telegrams and newspapers, and he was holding a copy of The Times. The headline on the front page read: "Is it a wise choice to create division in the final stage of victory?"

He could ignore French public opinion, but the doubts from Britain were equally overwhelming.

British citizens also hope for victory, to end the war and this blockaded life. They do not want their relatives and children to continue to be sent to France, and eventually die in a foreign country without even their bodies being found.

However, Kitchener's actions as Minister of War went against their wishes.

This is very dangerous and not what people want.

Kitchener frowned and sighed, put down the newspaper, picked up the coffee beside him and took a few gulps.

What went wrong?

It was clearly a perfect plan, why did it turn out like this?

Now he seems to be getting further and further away from his goal!

Is it Charles?

Maybe, if we consider it from the perspective of the beneficiary, he is the ultimate beneficiary and the only beneficiary.

Damn it, it’s him, it must be him, it’s all Charles’ fault!

Kitchener then realized that he had underestimated the enemy and thought that Charles could surrender with just a simple order.

Unexpectedly, his counterattack was so fierce that everyone was put on the spot and embarrassed. Charles even had the evidence in his hand:

Now that the offensive plan has been cancelled, it is no longer a military secret. As long as Charles announces the plan, everyone will be convicted!

In the future, if you still want to give orders to Charles through Nivelle, you must fully consider its rationality.

Now, Kitchener thought, it was time to fight a battle to divert public attention!

(End of this chapter)