Chapter 477 (First update, please subscribe)
For several days, soldiers from the South China Army in green uniforms continued to enter the city of Rouen. When the citizens saw these heroic soldiers, their nervous mood finally calmed down.
God can testify to what the army that arrived here looked like before the "Phoenix Legion" arrived in Rouen - it was the French army that fled from Sedan and other places. When those defeated soldiers passed through the city of Rouen, they were not an army at all, but a group of stragglers at most. Their faces were all covered with dirty and long beards, and they were wearing tattered uniforms. Since there was no regimental flag or regimental number, all of them looked exhausted, as if their muscles and waists were broken, and all of them were dejected, walking there like zombies.
Can such an army defend Rouen?
The answer is of course no, but now the arrival of the "Phoenix Legion" has relieved the citizens of Rouen. They are not worried at all that the "Phoenix Legion" will leave here.
"The Emperor of the Phoenix Legion is in Rouen! God bless him!"
Zhu Xianhai was in Rouen, but not in the city. Instead, he was in a local nobleman's manor outside the city. It was close to the front line but far away from the city. An elite guard was stationed around the manor.
This is Zhu Xianhai’s main residence. As for the earl’s family living here, they moved to a wooden house in the manor.
At night, Zhu Xianhai sat at the long table in his study and worked until 2:30 as usual. At one end of the desk was a pile of military intelligence that had just been delivered from the front line.
Being at the front, everything was simple and made do with what was available. Even if there was a bedroom, he rarely went there to rest, but instead lay down on the sofa that served as a bed to sleep. On the small table next to him were several telephones, which were connected to the command post at the front. If necessary, he could even talk to the infantry regiment at the front. This was the advantage of the telephone.
"The Prussian offensive doesn't seem as fierce as we imagined!"
Walking to the map, Zhu Xianhai muttered to himself.
In the past three days, the Fourth Corps' attack on the South China Army's defense line was more of a test. Both sides were very cautious in testing each other. Although the South China Army relied on excellent weapons and held the defense line with a small number of troops, this style of fighting was not in Zhu Xianhai's plan.
"You should be more proactive and attack more fiercely. The best defense is offense. You should attack with all your strength!"
Your attack is so conservative that it's not going to be fun for me.
Staring at the map, Zhu Xianhai frowned.
Be cautious and careful!
Faced with such a style of play, Zhu Xianhai felt a little helpless.
"We need to find a way to urge Count Moltke and give him some motivation!"
Thinking this in his mind, Zhu Xianhai walked out of the study, and walked on the grass of the manor with a cigar in his hand. Unconsciously, he walked to a pavilion in the garden. This was a Chinese-style pavilion. According to the owner of the manor, this pavilion was built by their ancestors according to the design more than 100 years ago.
More than 100 years ago, China had not yet been despised by Europe. In the eyes of Europeans, China, even under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, was still a mysterious, wealthy and civilized country. But decades later, with the arrival of the British delegation, all the good memories of China from the Ming Dynasty disappeared, and then admiration and yearning turned into contempt.
One or two hundred years ago, when Europeans were fascinated by things about China, the rulers in China were also obsessed with things about Europe. Kang Mazi liked foreign clocks and all kinds of Western gadgets, and so did the so-called Ten-Perfect Man. Even when they were building the Old Summer Palace, they also built a large number of Western-style buildings, just like the earl's ancestors built this Chinese pavilion.
"The Old Summer Palace..."
After taking a puff of his cigar, Zhu Xianhai stared into the distance and talked to himself.
"Who isn't petty?"
…
On the outskirts of Orleans, several barbed wire fences enclose a wilderness. Outside the barbed wire fences, one can see French cavalry patrolling back and forth and French soldiers standing guard at intersections, always maintaining a look of strict vigilance.
"No approach allowed!"
Such warnings were issued within a radius of dozens of miles after the airship landed here on September 3. For the French, airships were their hope of defeating the Prussians. In order to protect these airships, the Orleans National Guard mobilized almost all of its forces.
Thanks to their protection, this airship unit that came from afar was able to rest here. The huge airships, towed by the mooring ropes, were suspended over the fields. Under the tents near the airships, the officers and airship soldiers were always discussing something. If nothing unexpected happened, the topic they discussed was always how to improve the accuracy of bombing and how to ensure the density of artillery fire. Basically, the officers and soldiers had all kinds of ideas every day.
Of course, they also have to inspect the engine and check the airship control cables every day. In the past few days, horse-drawn carriages have delivered cartloads of supplies here.
In addition to gasoline, bombs and artillery shells, they even received "nails" - "aviation darts" produced by local French nail-making companies. The French military had prepared everything early and was waiting for the airship, but unfortunately their airship has not arrived yet... Well, it was requisitioned by the South China Army to support France.
As for the nails ordered by the French, they naturally had to be delivered here.
"If we use aerial darts, we have to take into account the dispersion of the enemy forces, and..."
Just as Ma Guangming and his comrades were discussing how to fully utilize the lethality of their weapons, a communications soldier came running over on horseback from a distance. Looking at the communications soldier's hurried appearance, Ma Guangming spoke directly.
"Okay, brothers, get ready to fight!"
Sometimes intuition is very accurate. When Ma Guangming and his brothers began to prepare for battle, Li Du, who received the telegram, took a look at it. He was stunned for a moment, then handed the telegram to Wang Xinyue and said.
"The order has been issued. It was issued by His Majesty himself!"
"Your Majesty personally issued the order?"
Wang Xinyue was surprised. He never thought that this order came from His Majesty.
"Where is the target?"
Surprised, he immediately asked.
"Versailles!"
Li Du emphasized the three words directly, then he looked at his subordinates and spoke in an extremely serious voice.
"The code name of this operation is - Sword of Justice!"
(End of this chapter)
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