Chapter 466 Battle of Verdun
It's afternoon at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital.
Gallieni's condition finally stabilized. Perhaps due to fatigue and the effects of the medicine, he fell asleep in his hospital bed in a daze.
Charles took this opportunity to find Gallieni's attending physician Arthur, who was nearly sixty years old and was the best surgeon in the hospital.
"The situation is not good." Arthur pointed to the X-ray photo and said, "There are still a few small shrapnel in the abdomen that have not been removed. Some are difficult to see with the naked eye. Surgery is required, but..."
Ciel continued, "Maybe his physical condition can't withstand the surgery?"
"Yes, General." Dr. Arthur's eyes were filled with regret. "It was for this reason that it was delayed until now."
"Does that mean we can continue to delay?" Charles asked again.
"That's true." Dr. Altier nodded helplessly: "Unless it is absolutely necessary, surgery is not recommended. Be careful not to have too much emotional fluctuations!"
Charles expressed his gratitude, walked out, and walked alone in the hospital corridor, silently lighting a cigarette.
From time to time, wounded soldiers on both sides stood up to salute Charles, and beautiful nurses frequently cast charming glances at him. They whispered softly, and some even passed by Charles intentionally.
But Charles didn't react at all, as if he was isolated from the world and not in the same world, just walking on his own.
Historically, Gallieni was angered to death by Joffre. At that time, Gallieni had just finished an operation and Joffre was kicked out of the position of commander-in-chief by the parliament.
The parliament originally decided to dismiss Joffre directly because his performance on the battlefield was so terrible that he led the French army into the German trap almost every time.
However, Gallieni still believed that Joffre still had the function of a "vase", so he suggested a promotion in name only and a demotion in reality. He suggested that Joffre be appointed as the government's military adviser and promoted to Marshal of France.
But Joffre thought that all this was a "conspiracy" of Gallieni, so he angrily went to warn him.
Gallieni died in May 1916.
Charles walked slowly to the end of the corridor, looking at the plane trees on the roadside outside the window swaying slowly in the breeze, and secretly made up his mind that this time he would never let such a thing happen again.
At this time, a signalman standing next to Charles reported: "General, the headquarters called and said that the Germans seemed to be preparing for an attack and they were gathering troops in the Verdun area."
Charles was stunned. He took the telegram and saw that it was indeed Verdun.
Is this famous strangulation battle coming?
It seems to be ahead of schedule!
(Note: The Battle of Verdun broke out in February 1916, six months from now)
Soon, Charles seemed to have figured out the reason:
The Germans believed that they could not match Charles's troops in mobile warfare and armored forces, so they planned to attack a strategic location that the French must defend in order to change their fighting style.
Verdun is this "must-defend place". It is only 210 kilometers away from Paris. It is a solid fortress consisting of more than twenty fortresses, which is equivalent to the gate of Paris.
If Verdun was not captured, the German army could only attack Paris via the north or south routes, which would inevitably encounter layers of resistance.
But if Verdun was captured, there would be almost no defenses left, and the German armored forces might be able to penetrate Paris in a few days like Charles's troops.
By then, Paris will be in danger at any time.
Charles nodded, threw the unburned cigarette to the ground and stomped it out, giving Xiafei the opportunity to set a trap.
The most severe blow to a person like Xiafei who is keen on fame and fortune is to ruin his reputation and turn him from a "vase" into a spittoon that everyone despises.
Charles turned around and gave instructions to the guard standing in front of Gallieni's ward, then turned and strode out of the hospital.
…
The hospital was not far from the city defense headquarters, and in less than twenty minutes Charles appeared in the dim lights of the officers' club.
The officers' club had just opened at this time, and it was completely empty, with not a single officer inside.
It wasn't until he walked through the door that it occurred to Ciel that Lucia might still be with her family in Belgium.
But when he looked up, he was surprised to find Lucia busy behind the bar.
"You're back already?" Charles asked.
Lucia, who was cleaning, was startled. When she looked up and saw Charles, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and the fatigue on her face disappeared instantly: "Yes, General. I only took two days off, and I swapped shifts with Garel to have enough time to get back."
Then she asked Charles: "Why are you also..."
Before she finished speaking, Lucia said, "Oh?" "Is it because of General Gallieni?"
This matter should have been kept secret, but it happened suddenly and many people on the road saw it, and the news spread before any action could be taken.
"Yes." Charles nodded slightly and said, "A cup of coffee."
Without waiting for Lucia to answer, he turned and walked towards his usual seat.
Looking at Charles' back, Lucia felt inexplicably scared. The person in front of her seemed a little different from the Charles she was familiar with.
Soon, a cup of coffee was handed to Charles, and Lucia also took a cup and sat in front of Charles.
"I'm sorry." Lucia said with concern: "I just heard about this. How is General Gallieni now?"
"He's fine." Ciel replied expressionlessly.
"He'll be fine." Lucia comforted him. "Pittier-Salpêtrière Hospital has the best doctors in the world..."
"Lucia." Charles interrupted her, leaning forward and whispering, "Pass a message to the British intelligence officers through your people: the Germans' target is not Verdun, but Belfort."
Belfort is another important city on the Western Front. It is 400 kilometers away from Paris, but its defense is much inferior to Verdun, which has more than twenty fortresses and hundreds of large and small caliber fortress guns.
Lucia's heart sank.
Yes, he didn't need my comfort at all, he came to give orders, all he had in his mind was the war and General Gallieni.
"Yes, General." Lucia nodded aggrievedly.
Charles did not notice Lucia's change of mood. He added: "We cannot let them discover your identity. This is intelligence that the British found themselves, and they analyzed it themselves."
"Yes, General." Lucia replied: "Don't worry, the 'ladies in white' are just ordinary people. They have their own jobs and are busy every day. The British will not find out anything."
Charles nodded in satisfaction.
This is what he wanted. The advantage of the "Ladies in White" was that they hid in the dark, while British intelligence agents were in the light.
As long as the "Lady in White" slightly polishes the intelligence and cuts off the beginning and the end, allowing the British intelligence personnel to integrate and analyze the information and draw conclusions on their own, they will believe it without a doubt.
If British intelligence believed it, Joffre would fall into this trap!
(End of this chapter)
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