Flowers, Swords and France

After putting on a raincoat, Lucien followed George out of the tent and came to the path in the camp in the pouring rain.

The raindrops kept pouring down, and there was water everywhere, which made Lucien, who was wearing military boots, feel very uncomfortable.

They have been suffering from this torture for a long time. Not only other officers, but even Lucien himself felt a little anxious. As a professional soldier, he was not afraid of danger and death, but the torment of mud and rain was too uncomfortable.

However, in front of his subordinates and colleagues, he had to cheer up and refused to let them see any negative emotions of depression.

Lucien followed George, and the two of them trudged hard in the path of the camp. The rain made the surroundings foggy.

Under Lucien's gaze, this lieutenant who was not yet twenty years old showed a temperament mixed with the characteristics of a teenager. His slender figure, pale skin and rosy lips made him look more handsome, but his serious expression, steady and rhythmic steps, and resolute eyes made people no longer doubt that he had grown up.

"George." After confirming that there was no one around, he couldn't help but whispered to him, "How is the Marshal's health now?"

George slowed down his pace slightly, his eyes moved slightly, and after confirming that no one was observing the two of them in the wind and rain, he whispered, "The situation is not so optimistic. The doctor said that the Marshal's health... has reached the limit of the old man, and I am afraid it will never be able to recover to the previous state..."

When he heard this, Lucien couldn't help but hesitate.

Since arriving in Crimea, because of sudden physical discomfort, the Marshal has been staying on the warship and has not landed, causing the morale of the entire army to fluctuate. Lucien was originally very worried about the Marshal's health, and now after hearing George's words, he hesitated even more.

The doctors' words were very direct, and seemed to imply that the marshal had reached the limit of his life. Obviously, aging is an inevitable law of nature, and it cannot be avoided even with careful care in Paris, let alone in this desolate Crimean Peninsula.

Thinking of this, Lucien couldn't help but sigh.

The marshal is the commander-in-chief of the entire army, and his health is related to the entire army. Moreover, the marshal is also one of his benefactors. Whether from the perspective of the entire army or from a personal perspective, he has to worry.

However, he is a man who has experienced many years of ups and downs after all. After a moment of distraction, he hid this worry deep in his heart.

"The commander-in-chief's current physical condition must not be disturbed by any external factors. Please take care of him more and don't let him be too tired." He said to George calmly.

"I understand, brother-in-law." George nodded, then quickly shook his head, "But the marshal never listens to me, how can we command a marshal?"

"Even so, you have to work hard!" Lucien looked more serious, "The marshal chose you as his adjutant because he trusted you, you must repay this trust with practical actions! Also, call me sir!"

George moved his mouth, trying to defend himself, but finally he gave up, "Okay, I know, sir."

Looking at the expression of his brother-in-law, Lucien sighed slightly in his heart.

He was so lucky. He was born in an aristocratic family, and as the only son, his family had great expectations for him early on, and he was also promoted by military leaders like Marshal Treville. It is conceivable that he will have a bright future in the future-it is hard for people not to feel a little jealous.

However, fate is really wonderful, bringing me to this place and making someone like me his brother-in-law.

When he left France, he had accepted his wife's numerous requests to take good care of the young man. After all, George was her only brother and the heir of the family. She and her parents could not afford to let him suffer the terrible consequences of danger.

Thinking of this, Lucien's stern expression relaxed again.

"George, you must remember your duties and how much hope you carry."

"I know." George nodded again.

However, in the rain, his eyes were changing, and it was obvious that there were too many things in his mind.

"Anything else?" Lucien couldn't help asking.

"Sir, I... I want to join the battle." After hesitating for a moment, George couldn't help but say to his brother-in-law. "I want to fight on the front line like you!"

Lucien frowned slightly, and his wife's worried look before leaving came to his mind again.

He immediately shook his head, "No! Have you forgotten what your sister said? They worked so hard to save you from going to the front line, how can you treat her efforts like this?!"

"I am grateful to them, but..." George lowered his head in embarrassment, "I can't tolerate myself standing by and watching you fight. Sir, I also want honor!"

In his life at the military academy, he has received strict military training and education, and he also fantasized that one day he could gallop on the battlefield like his predecessors, make achievements, and win honor like a hero, even if he died on the battlefield, he would be glorious.

However, when he really embarked on the journey to the front, reality shattered the young man's rosy fantasy. He became the adjutant of the marshal and could only stay in the rear, by the marshal's side, living a boring and dull life like in China, unable to fight bloody battles like those brave front-line officers and soldiers. The passion of young people and the influence of military education made this young man eager to get rid of the shackles of the rear and participate in the battle on the front line.

Even though he knew that his parents were doing it for his own good, he was still very depressed. This depression had been gnawing at his heart, making him restless. After enduring for a long time, he finally couldn't bear it anymore and directly mentioned his request to his brother-in-law.

The passion in his eyes touched Lucien's heart. Many years ago, he was also like this when he just joined the army. It was also driven by this passion that he tirelessly shuttled through the hot wind and desert of Algeria, and was born and died in the rain of bullets.

However, he and his brother-in-law are completely different people.

"...For you, no honor is more important than life." Lucien shook his head and directly rejected George's words, "Do you know what you will have in the future?"

"I know, but I know what I have now even more!" George widened his eyes and looked at Lucien without flinching, "Sir, do you really think that honor is less important than life? The king's younger brother was fighting on the front line back then. Does he have less on his shoulders than me?"

This question made Lucien speechless for a while. To be fair, if it weren't for his wife's exhortation, he would not have stopped George at all. In his opinion, as a soldier, it is normal to be eager to fight.

"Think about it again." In the end, he could only give such an answer.

"I have thought about it for a long time and I won't change my mind anymore!" George answered without hesitation, "If you think I should do something big, if you have higher expectations of me, then please let me fight like you, this is what I should do as a soldier!"

Lucien sighed again.

Yes, what reason is there to refuse? Ambitious people should do something different after all.

"If this is what you want, I will satisfy you." Finally, Lucien could only sigh, "After we fight the Russians, maybe you will come to me to convey the commander-in-chief's order, and then you can follow me to fight, so that you can see it well - but I want to tell you that this is definitely not a game, it is a bloody slaughterhouse, with only blood, body parts and terrible death on the ground."

The original text is available at Six # 9 @Book/Bar!

"I won't let you down, sir!" George was overjoyed, stood at attention directly, and loudly expressed his determination to Lucien.

He didn't care about his brother-in-law's words at all. "Then I will find an opportunity as soon as possible, and when the rain stops, we will march south."

In the rain, he was wearing a raincoat and his fierce movements immediately shook up a puddle of water. He looked a little funny, but Lucien didn't pay attention to this kind of thing at this time.

"What?" Lucien's attention was attracted by the following words, "We will march when the rain stops?"

"Yes, this is the news I heard from the commander-in-chief." George lowered his voice, "Under the urging of the British, the marshal decided to launch an attack in the near future to avoid giving the Russians too much time."

"Really..."

This unexpected news made Lucien stunned for a moment.

There is no doubt that the coalition forces are now facing great difficulties. Heavy rains, epidemics and supply problems are tormenting them, and morale is also declining. These negative factors will greatly affect the coalition's combat effectiveness in the future.

However, there are also benefits to doing so. The difficulties faced by the coalition forces now will continue in the future. If they do not move now, morale and combat effectiveness will face greater decline, not to mention that early action can also make it difficult for the Russians to take the opportunity to mobilize troops calmly.

So, there are pros and cons to action or not, but if this is the will of the commander-in-chief, he can only obey orders.

And there is no doubt that after the coalition forces go south, his division will be used as the main corps because it has landed, and will launch an attack on the Sevastopol Fortress together with the British landing troops.

"I understand." He whispered. "Then come find me when the time comes, but remember, you must keep it a secret."

"Okay, thank you!" George, overjoyed, immediately thanked Lucien.

At this time, the rain had gradually stopped, and the two men had walked to the beach and boarded a small boat, heading towards the Napoleon battleship anchored not far from the sea. From a distance, in the gray sky, these huge ships were entrenched around the bay, like a group of giants guarding a fortress.

Soon, they came to the battleship. After Lucien and several officers on the ship saluted each other, they strode with George to the cabin where the commander-in-chief lived.

Because it has been raining recently, the air on the ship has been a little bad. It smells like a musty smell of wood products and a fishy smell of sea water. This smell makes Lucien, who has been serving on land, feel a little uncomfortable. He can't imagine how the commander-in-chief can endure in such an environment.

With an inexplicable uneasiness, he saw His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief of the French Expeditionary Force lying on the bed in the cabin.

At this time, the marshal was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. His face was pale and haggard. It can be seen that he has been consuming his energy for many things recently. He is getting thinner and thinner. The hair on his temples has become a little messy and silvery.

This sign of aging made Lucien feel a little uncomfortable.

There is nothing more disturbing than seeing a soldier grow old.

And just when he was still feeling sad in his heart, the marshal slowly opened his eyes. There were some bloodshot in his eyes, but they were still bright.

"Lucien, you are finally here."