artillery arc

Chapter 676 Liberation Day

The advance team sent by Pavlov has found a suitable headquarters stationed in the city of Agsukov.

So Wang Zhong, who entered the city first, came here to spend the night.

As soon as the colonel leading the vanguard team saw Wang Zhong, he handed him a document: "This is the procedure for tomorrow's Liberation Day."

Wang Zhong: "Liberation Day? I thought it was just a city entry ceremony, a simple one."

"Of course, that includes the entry ceremony. The troops scheduled to participate in the ceremony tomorrow are now resting in three middle schools outside the city. Before dawn tomorrow, they will have their rooms in order and wear shining medals, just like in Shepetovka."

Wang Zhong: “It is necessary…”

“It was requested by the local church.”

The parish that originally operated underground was directly transformed into a local church after liberation. In Shepetovka, this approach quickly restored the production and living order of the entire city.

Wang Zhong: “Did they ask for that?”

"Yes, they said it would boost morale. The liaison officer from the local church has arrived. You can ask him."

The colonel pointed to the clergyman next to him.

"I'm the liaison officer of the local church." The priest stepped forward. "Although the Plossan people's plot to massacre the city has been crushed, we have also paid a heavy price in casualties. Soon the citizens will find that the dead will not be resurrected just because of liberation, and the destroyed houses will not be repaired immediately just because of liberation."

After a brief pause, the priest continued, "And you may also know that the railway transportation in Agsukov will not be restored for a while. The logistics department of the army has to supply the troops, and there is very little free transportation capacity. In the short term, the supply of sausages and cheese in the city will be tight, and even pickles will be supplied by ticket."

When Vasily heard this, he immediately said, "It's really bad that pickles have to be supplied with tickets!"

Priest: "Yes, and there was a great shortage of fish and meat - but there was one thing, there was plenty of canned Spam, but that stuff -"

Canned Spam was very delicious at the beginning of the war, but after the formula was changed to increase production, it was regarded as pig food by the United States Army.

Of course, the changed recipe of Spam cans will still be considered a delicacy by the United Kingdom Army.

But in Ant, these canned foods are not so popular. After all, all Ant people have eaten the delicious, large, cheap and unlimited "doctor's sausage" before the war.

Wang Zhong: "That is to say, the masses need such a celebration to temporarily forget the troubles of reality."

Vasily: "I think that as long as there is enough wine, no one will have any troubles."

"That's the problem," the priest said helplessly. "There's not enough alcohol. And because a lot of the strong moonshine was made into Molotov cocktails and thrown at Plosson's armored vehicles, there's not enough alcohol."

Wang Zhong: "I see. It's Liberation Day. There's a grand entry ceremony. I'll go and give a speech."

"Just as you did in Shepetovka," the priest added.

Wang Zhong: "I understand. Then can I modify Shepetovka's speech and use it?"

Priest: "Of course, the key is that you go to give a speech. You have a deep connection with our city. You are a close friend of the crown prince who died in the suburbs of the city, and the son of the old duke. During the two years of the Plossen occupation, from time to time people would go to the cemetery in the suburbs in the middle of the night to lay flowers.

"The Plosson military police and the Imperial Household Ministry agents arrested many of our comrades by following these people - and also wrongly accused many good people who were simply there to express their grief.

"All you have to do is give a speech tomorrow, even if it's just shouting slogans."

Wang Zhong took a deep breath. "Then I can't handle the task, Vasily - no, Nellie, go get me some coffee, some. I have to finish writing the speech tonight."

Nellie: "Okay, I'll also prepare some midnight snacks. Chef Seris didn't make it here, so I'll cook this time."

Wang Zhong: "No problem. Uh, don't put Plossom eyeballs in the sour cream."

Nellie pursed her lips and looked at Wang Zhong without saying anything.

Wang Zhong was embarrassed: "Uh, you know I'm joking, right?"

Nellie: "There is a poem by Seris that says: "When hungry, I eat the meat of the barbarians; when thirsty, I drink the blood of the Xiongnu. So if you want to imitate Seris, I can do the same."

Wang Zhong: "That poem is a metaphor! A metaphor!"

Nellie: "I know, I'm kidding."

Wang Zhong stared at Nellie for a few seconds and said, "Nellie, people laugh when they are joking."

Nellie grinned.

Vasily: "It's a fake smile."

Gregory quickly pulled him back: "You, if you make her angry, I really can't protect you. She has a poker face and you can't see the signs!"

Nellie ignored Vasily and Gregory and turned away.

Wang Zhong patted the table where the typewriter was placed and said, "Vassily, come and take notes. I need to write a speech."

----

On August 8, in Agsukov, on Liberation Day, the local church organized forces to decorate the main road - the main "decoration" was to push the wreckage of vehicles into the alleys on the side of the road.

The Ant troops, neatly dressed and wearing medals, formed four columns and proudly entered the city to the sound of military music - even though many troops had already entered the city yesterday.

The citizens of Agsukov gathered on the roadside, waving red paper flags hastily made by the church and cheering for the troops.

The final destination of the troops entering the city was the Municipal Square, and the podium for the Liberation Day was set up in front of the Municipal Building, which had been reduced to ruins by Urban.

Wang Zhong saluted the troops entering the city from the viewing stand next to the rostrum.

After the entire square was filled with troops and the masses, the master of ceremonies announced loudly: "Now, please invite the commander of the Khazarian Front, the symbol of victory, the King of the Kingdom of Khazaria, General Alexei Konstantinovich Rokossov, to come to the stage and announce the liberation of Agsukov!"

Wang Zhong muttered, "Why do I have to say the title of king?", stood up with his speech, walked onto the podium, and saluted everyone.

The troops shouted in unison: "Ura!"

Each of the three "Ulla" sounds was louder than the previous one.

After the cheers, the entire venue fell silent.

Wang Zhong looked at the speech, then folded it and put it in his pocket. He used his free hands to hold the small podium on the rostrum and looked at the soldiers and people filling the square.

"My fellow countrymen! Two years ago, I was still a major general. I left here with my only division and headed to Orachi to build a defensive position. I planned to stop the Proshen Second Armored Group with the strength of one division.

"This was a very powerful armored group, with more than ten times the number of my troops. I was ready to sacrifice my life in Orachi.

"But my father and my dear friend, the Crown Prince, seemed to think I could survive. The day I left, they held my arms and looked at me, as if to say, 'I know you can fight back.'

"After that, I successfully held off the enemy in Orachi for several days, and then led the remaining troops out of the enemy's encirclement and arrived in Shepetovka.

"Princess Myshkin sent troops to pick us up and sent us to the rear to rest.

"Later I learned that on the day I left Khazaria, my close friend, Crown Prince Ivan, and my father died in battle outside of Agushukov."

Wang Zhong stopped and scanned the venue.

"I survived, and in order to remember everything that happened here, I packed a box of black soil from my hometown in a lunch box and carried it with me at all times.

“Just at the beginning of this year, before the muddy season arrived, I stood on the black soil of my hometown again. I returned the black soil I borrowed from my mother Khazaria to her!

“And yesterday, I laid flowers for my dear friend and my father at the cemetery built by the Plossom people.

"The troops I took away from here were expanded into the First Mobile Army. Two-thirds of the troops in this army are made up of Khazarians. They are always looking forward to returning to their hometown, reuniting with their relatives who stayed here, and seeing the beech tree that dated the girl that year with their own eyes!"

Wang Zhong stopped and looked at those pairs of eyes, and finally his gaze fell on the flag of Melania's First Army.

"But there are still many people who have not returned home. Some come from Brest, the border further west, some come from Roniezh, from Bogdanovka, from Verkhne-Penie! And our comrade Melania, whose homeland is still under the iron heel of Proshen!
"Today, we are celebrating here, but this is just a preview! In the future, such celebrations will continue to be held on the land of Khazaria! After we liberate each city, there will be such a ceremony! We will declare to the Proson Empire that our victory is unstoppable!

"In the near future, we will cross the Tiber River, recapture Bogdanovka, and before winter comes, we will sweep across all of Western Kosalia!
"We have shed enough blood and sacrificed enough! Now it's time for the Prosen people to bleed and sacrifice their lives, and let them use their flesh and blood to stop our tanks!

"We will use their blood to wash the tracks of our tanks! This is just the beginning, comrades! It's just the beginning, I promise you!"

After saying this, Wang Zhong took a step back and saluted everyone.

The overwhelming sound of the Ula rose straight into the sky.

----

As soon as Wang Zhong returned to the headquarters, he saw Pavlov’s bald head.

"You came up so quickly?" He was a little surprised. "I thought you had a lot of work to arrange."

"It has been arranged long ago." Pavlov shrugged. "Following you in battle, I have to be ready to move the headquarters forward at any time. I'm used to it. In addition, I also kept Popov here. He can handle a lot of unfinished business. After all, a large part of the logistics is guaranteed by the church."

Just as Wang Zhong was about to answer, a small group of officers entered the room.

Pavlov glanced at the officers and said, "The airport on the outskirts of the city resumed operations at four o'clock this morning. These should be from Yebao."

The colonel in charge saluted Wang Zhong: "Your Excellency——"

Wang Zhong: "We call it Davarish here."

Colonel: "Commander Davarish, we salute you. We are responsible for conveying the orders of the High Command."

The colonel handed the order to Wang Zhong, "General Alexey Konstantinovich Rokosov, considering your merits, I hereby promote you to marshal and appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the Ante Armed Forces."

Wang Zhong looked at Pavlov: "Marshal, I expected this, but what the hell is the commander-in-chief of the front line?"

Pavlov: "Maybe... they thought you were too young to be the commander-in-chief, so they made some adjustments. You still have to stay at the front anyway."

(End of this chapter)