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Chapter 269 Military Envoys and Admonitions

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    After initial consternation, General Gorchakov quickly agreed to the French request.  He really wanted to know what the French wanted to say to him. After all, after fighting for such a long time, it could be considered a friendship.  ??Besides, even if the French are not as desperate as he hoped, their willingness to come to him to discuss a temporary truce certainly means that their situation is not very good. Under such circumstances, both parties will have the opportunity to bargain.  Under the order of the commander-in-chief, these French envoys were quickly brought to the general. Before speaking, General Gorchakov looked at these French people with interest.  This is a group of soldiers in bright clothes. After meeting the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, they immediately saluted the military salute and stood in front of him respectfully, but without losing their dignity.  They were all wearing coats, and under the military coats, they all had medals they received in the war on their chests. Although their clothes were getting old, they were all polished to a shiny, clean appearance.  Don't look trapped.  The heroic and persevering temperament unique to soldiers can be seen from them, showing the style that the French army should have.  It seems that the situation of the French is indeed not that bad, the general couldn't help but think slightly disappointed in his heart.  "However, it's right to think about it. They have the best transport fleet in the world, and they have warships controlling the entire Black Sea. It's not easy to supply, unlike those stupid donkeys in Petersburg He couldn't help but think to himself.  "What do you want to come here to talk about? A temporary truce?" After suppressing these thoughts in his mind, the general asked calmly.  Of course, he spoke French. In fact, French has been spoken by the Russian aristocracy since the 18th century. As a general from a high-ranking aristocratic family, General Gorchakov's French is naturally extremely fluent, perhaps even better than Russian.  fluent.  "Yes, Your Excellency, Commander." The leader of the military envoys opposite nodded and confirmed, "I have been ordered by the commander-in-chief of our army, Marshal de Treville, to negotiate a short-term truce with your army on behalf of our army.  Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Major Jacques Minard. I have the honor to serve as a staff officer at the French Army Command. " "Okay, I understand. Nice to meet you." Gorchakov.  The general nodded calmly.  Although he had no favorable impression of the French people who came over, he had to be aristocratic, so he behaved very politely, but without any enthusiasm.  "So, why? Why does your army suddenly want a short-term truce?" "Our two armies have been fighting for many days now. Both sides have suffered heavy casualties. I'm afraid we need a short truce period to clean up the battlefield. By the way,  Exchange some prisoners of war." Major Minar quickly replied, "Your Excellency, my officers and soldiers and I greatly admire the performance of your army in this war. The bravery and fearless spirit displayed by your army are worthy of it.  Continuing your country¡¯s fine military tradition.¡± Although he knew that this was just a polite compliment, General Gorchakov was still very happy after hearing it, but naturally he would not care about the other party¡¯s words.  Just nodded.  "I also admire the bravery and sacrifice of your army. It's a pity that you set foot on Russian soil as invaders, and this is destined that you will not be welcomed by us." He sarcastically said,  Then he immediately changed the topic, "How do you want a truce?" "Marshal Treville's request is very simple and fair." The major immediately replied, "One month is the entire truce period, and within this month  During this period, our two sides will not conduct hostile military operations against each other, nor will they change the deployment of major troops. At the same time, we will demarcate neutral areas for the exchange of prisoners of war, and by the way, each side will allow a reception team without any weapons to go to the forward positions where fierce exchanges of fire have occurred.  The remains of the soldiers. The marshal believed that this request was fair and reasonable, and it was mutual. "It is indeed very fair and reasonable, and it seems necessary," General Gorchakov thought.  At present, the two armies have fought many times. In the fierce battles, they have suffered huge casualties, and each has captured many prisoners. Because the Russian army is basically the side that failed and retreated, the number of prisoners captured by the Russian army is more than 100,000.  More or less than the British and French forces.  However, the other party obviously took advantage of it. It is now the middle of winter and the climate is very cold. It is completely unsuitable for large-scale battles and will last for a period of time. Therefore, there is no way to engage in fierce exchanges of fire within this month. All that has been stopped is  It could just be a harassment war between the two sides.  But even so, it is good news for General Gorchakov and the Russian army. If it can be implemented, then they can at least have some peace of mind in this difficult season.??Tone.  Originally, the prisoners were of little use to them. Now that all the troops are in trouble due to supply conditions, these prisoners have become even more of a headache. If a prisoner of war exchange can be carried out, then it will obviously be  Encumbrances can be removed, and severely attrited troops can be replenished by an unexpected reinforcement.  Similarly, due to the fierce fighting, the bones of a large number of dead officers and soldiers were lying on the ruins of various major battlefields, especially in the Sevastopol Fortress position, which was fiercely contested by the two sides, and there were even more bones.  Although both armies paid great attention to burying the bodies of dead officers and soldiers, it was obvious that a large number of poor people were left out and were lying there without rest.  "These corpses slowly decaying on the battlefield are enough to make any brave soldier feel chilly, fearing that they will end up like this, affecting their courage and morale to continue fighting.  And even if you don't look at it from the emotional perspective of the soldiers, properly restraining the bones in the forward positions can avoid the threat of plague that the army will face when the weather gets warmer.  What¡¯s more, a short truce can also allow the already very tired and painful troops to take a breather, restore their energy, or at least spend this winter more easily.  So, this is literally a great proposition.  However, just because it looked so wonderful literally, General Gorchakov felt a little unbelievable, and was deeply afraid that the enemy had some ulterior motives hidden beneath the words.  "It sounds like a good proposal, but I really can't believe your army's sincerity." He didn't bother to beat around the bush and said it directly, "After all, no one can guarantee that you can faithfully fulfill your promise." "De  -Marshal Treville used his reputation to guarantee that he would never do anything treacherous." The major raised his head and looked at the general in a very sincere manner, "He said that as a marshal, he also said.  You are a nobleman from a well-known family and will not joke about your reputation. Please believe this. In addition, your army can also send military envoys to our army to supervise our implementation of the truce agreement. If you feel something is wrong, you can stop it.  "De-Treville was once a glorious surname, but it was unfortunately tarnished by those who took refuge in Bonaparte. How can we be full of people who took refuge in Bonaparte."  Do you believe that Bonaparte represents cunning, cruelty, and treachery in our eyes?" General Gorchakov sneered coldly.  "But you still can't deny that these proposals are indeed beneficial to you and your subordinates." Major Minar did not give up. "General, there is nothing unreasonable in the conditions we proposed. You can see that we have just tried it."  Sincerity, if we betray our trust, it will not be too late for you to scold us!" The major's words surprised the general. After all, as the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, he had not been contradicted in person like this for a long time.  His attitude is neither humble nor arrogant.  Respectful but not flinching, and daring to argue with himself, from this point of view, this major is indeed qualified to serve as a military envoy.  "Well, please tell Marshal de Treville that I am willing to accept his proposal and implement this agreement. Since he used his name as a guarantee, I will believe it for once." After a moment of silence, at the end  , General Gorchakov replied in a very aristocratic tone.  "You can go to my staff officer later and ask him to work out the detailed terms of the agreement with you. We will implement these proposals for the time being." "Thank you for your magnanimity, general." Major Minard's serious face  Finally he showed a happy smile, "I would like to thank you on behalf of our army, and I believe your subordinates will also be grateful for your decision." "This is Marshal Treville's proposal. If you want to thank you, then thank him."  General Gorchakov's expression was very indifferent.  "By the way, didn't you say that he still has a handwritten letter to me? Give it to me." "This" The major hesitated and looked around for a moment.  "There is something personal to tell you in the letter" "Huh?" General Gorchakov was surprised again. He didn't understand that the marshal had something personal to talk to him about.  Persuading yourself to surrender?  Impossible, Marshal Treville would not make such a joke.  Want to surrender?  Even more impossible.  After thinking about it, he didn't come up with any solution, and then he looked at the other party again. The other party's expression was firm, and he obviously wanted to hand the letter to him alone.  "Huh." The general couldn't help snorting, and then waved his hand gently.  After a moment of hesitation, the officers present and his adjutant immediately left the camp, leaving only two people behind.inside.  "Okay, can you give it to me now?" the general asked coldly.  "I really hope Marshal Treville is not amusing me." "Of course he is not." The major smiled again.  "On the contrary, he will be of great help to you, General." The general couldn't help but was stunned again.  Because at this moment, the officer's temperament seemed to have changed. His original fortitude had disappeared, and he seemed to be a little more gloomy. He couldn't help but frown.  "What's wrong?" He was not afraid of what the other side would do. After all, assassinating the other side's general would only bring shame to the French army and Marshal Treville himself. It had no meaning to the war itself. Even such a despicable action would  This made the Russian army share the same hatred.  He just didn't understand why something had to be so mysterious.  Before he could react, the other party immediately took out a letter from his pocket and handed it over with both hands respectfully.  The general grabbed it impatiently, then immediately tore open the envelope and took out the letter paper, and then read it carefully.  At first, his expression was a little careless, but then it became more and more serious, until finally he seemed to be stunned, obviously lost in thought.  After a long time, he raised his head and looked at the officer opposite, his expression became very strange, "That bad guy is already here?" He said coldly, "It's really unpleasant." "I don't understand what you mean.  Who are you referring to as the bad guy, Your Excellency?" Major Minard shook his head, "However, it is absolutely true that His Excellency Minister Treville came to inspect the front line on behalf of the Emperor." "Don't pretend to be stupid, what I said.  Of course he is the bad guy." The general interrupted the other party impatiently, "No wonder I feel the air smells so bad recently, that's why!" Because of this unexpected war, the general is really disgusted.  He hated Emperor Louis Bonaparte and his ruling group who were enemies of Russia. As a backbone of this ruling group, the young imperial minister Charles de Treville naturally shared this disgust.  What's more, in the past few years, Charles de Treville had always regarded himself as a pro-Russian faction, and kept saying that he wanted to strengthen the relationship between France and Russia and build a new, future-oriented new era. However, as a result, later  The development proved that he was just deceiving Russia, which further deepened the disgust and hatred of this person in Russia.  ¡°Cold and cunning, treacherous, shameless labels such as this have been attached to this young politician by the furious Russian people, and there is no one to defend him.  To a certain extent, although General Gorchakov fought with Marshal Treville and suffered heavy losses, he still had some respect for him; but for his grandson, he completely disliked him, and he didn't even bother  Cover it up.  "You have the right to have any opinion about him, but I think you'd better examine the proposal he gave you, General." In front of the furious general, Major Minard remained very calm, "After all, this  It¡¯s very beneficial to you, your subordinates, and even Russia.¡± ¡°What the hell, we¡¯ve had enough of being deceived. Do we want to be fooled by this damn pig again?¡±  Are you willing to pay attention to him!" The general yelled, "He wants to negotiate with us? Go to hell!" "But our Emperor has authorized him to contact your country to seek peace negotiations. In today's environment,  "Now, I think it is timely for the two countries to conduct corresponding negotiations." Major Minar remained very calm, "General, I understand some of your feelings, but as the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, you should not go."  Acting emotionally will harm the interests of your country." And his calmness also slowly extinguished the fire in General Gorchakov's heart, and he secretly regretted that he had lost his composure in front of a civilian.  "I am just a general. My bounden duty and obligation is to fight for His Majesty the Tsar. I have no right to discuss issues of war or peace." He answered the other party indifferently, "I have no interest in talking to Charles de Tre  I would rather lead my army to drive him away. "Just as he was about to end the conversation, Major Minard suddenly took two steps forward.  Looking at the general face to face.  By this time, he had become a bit challenging, and the respect he had just lost was gone.  "Let me say it again, please don't harm the interests of the country because of your personal feelings, Your Excellency. Otherwise, this will really reduce our respect for you." "What do you mean?" The general jumped up in anger.  "Your Excellency General, I understand what you are saying. But??If you don't have the power to negotiate peace, why don't you convey it to someone who does?  Ignoring his anger, the major continued to talk, "Yes, you are a military personnel. You cannot interfere in politics and diplomacy, but you at least have the right to report this information and leave the situation to the people with authority to judge."  , isn¡¯t it?  " "You want me to report it to Petersburg?  The general's eyes widened, "What?"  Do you want me to make a fool of myself in front of them too?  Now that His Majesty hates that bastard, how could he possibly accept negotiations with such a person?  Don¡¯t even think about it!  " "No matter what you think of Mr. Treville, at least for now, if you want peace talks, you must deal with him.  Major Minard calmly conveyed the reality to him, "And I think, whether we talk about it or not, you must leave it to Petersburg to judge, otherwise you will be derelict in your duty, right?"  " Then, under the gaze of the general, the major increased his voice again, "General, you have been present in this war from the beginning, so you are the best witness. Then you should have seen that from the beginning of the war, both sides  How many troops have been lost, how much blood has been shed, and how many tragedies have occurred?  Now we are all suffering in this kind of place, and why?  Just for Crimea?  No, France has no claim to Crimea, nor does it want to occupy any inch of Russia's land. She only wants to safeguard her honor. So if this is the case, why does this war have to continue?  "General Gorchakov's eyes widened and he looked very angry, but he did not say anything. The major knew in his heart that his words had some effect, so he continued, "For you, for Russia  Say, wouldn¡¯t it be better to have fewer Russian youths die?  They are the hope of the future!  What would be lost to Russia if negotiations were held?  The worst is just to continue the war, but the best is the possibility of restoring peace between the two countries. Do you have to affect the interests of the country just for your own whim?  General, we just need you to tell Petersburg that no matter whether we talk or not, or what the outcome of the talks is, you will not bear any responsibility. On the contrary, you have fulfilled your obligations to Russia.  "The general still didn't speak, just stood with a frown. He knew in his heart that what the other party said made sense, and as the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, he naturally understood the current plight of the army and the current blow to the country, as well as the people  If there is really a chance to end the war as soon as possible without humiliating surrender, then why not try it? He does hate Treville, but now it is obvious that he has to deal with him if he wants peace.  . Moreover, if peace can really be negotiated, then even if you have to deal with him, it is not a price that cannot be paid. That sentence is correct. Even if the negotiation is not successful, it will just continue the war. What is it like now?  The difference. But that tone was really unbearable. He wanted to refuse, but the images of the officers and soldiers who had fallen on the battlefield suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. Finally, he swallowed the words of refusal.  "Well, in this case, I will convey it to Petersburg, and no matter how they deal with it, I will follow their orders.  " "You made a wise decision.  "Major Minard bowed slightly and saluted him, "Your motherland will definitely thank you, General.  "    "snort.  The general sneered, "Is this why you want to cease fighting for a month?"  It was indeed enough to make a round trip to Petersburg.  By the way, who are you?  I feel like you don't look like a soldier, but like a diplomat.  " "Oh, I am Treville.  The man shrugged, "I'm glad my stink hasn't gotten to you yet."  "
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