Chapter 458 Active and Passive

On the surface, everything seemed normal. The Fourth Legion at Story 13 was still stationed, and the Bonn Fortress in front seemed to be motionless. Kriolev was still deploying troops and preparing for the upcoming war as much as possible... However, this calm did not even last for a day.

"What did you say? The Inquisition took action?!"

At noon the next day, before lunch, Kriolev received this surprising news from his adjutant Karl.

"Yes, sir, according to the scout's report, the Iron Giant of the Inquisition and five iron chariots and 5,000 soldiers of the Fourth Legion left Story 13 early this morning and are heading towards the Bonn Fortress!"

"How long will it take to reach the Bonn Fortress?"

"At least five days!"

"Very good."

After calculating, Kriolev nodded. Five days was enough time for the reinforcements of the Second Legion to join them. Since the Iron Giant had taken action, they could rush through the Bonn Fortress with the reinforcements before the Iron Giant arrived at the Bonn Fortress, and then bloom in all directions! As long as the Iron Giant is separated from the Fourth Legion, the next action will be much more convenient!

However, Kriolev thought so, but it did not mean that others thought so.

"Report!!"

Kriolev had just finished lunch when he saw a messenger rushing into his room.

"The order from the Commander-in-Chief of the Council, Kechak, requires the First Legion to save the Bonn Fortress at all costs, and it must not be lost!"

"………………………………"

Hearing the other party's message, Kriolev suddenly felt that the food in his mouth was not fragrant.

"Ah………………"

Looking at the order handed over by the messenger, Kriolev sighed helplessly and looked at the adjutant Karl beside him, who also shook his head.

This was not their original plan, but it was useless because it was an order from the commander-in-chief of the army, and they had to listen to it even if they didn't want to.

"What should we do now?"

"The only way is to set off for the Bonn Fortress and defend it."

Kriolev sighed silently. The order from the Council was very clear, requiring the First Legion to set off immediately and go to the Bonn Fortress for defense. The reinforcements of the Second Legion arrived shortly afterwards, and the First Legion was asked to defend the Bonn Fortress at all costs. It was obvious that the Council had also learned about the Tribunal's actions, and their first thought was to save themselves...

Thinking of this, Kriolev was no longer in the mood to eat.

"Inform the entire army, prepare to set off, and send someone to inform the Bonn Fortress that we will be responsible for it from now on!"

While the First Legion was in action, their actions were naturally reported by the reconnaissance women Suzu and Kanami.

"I didn't expect... Kriolev would actually take action......"

Hearing the intelligence brought back by the two, Qilti and Uruzer were both confused and couldn't believe it at all. Especially Uruzer, as Seth's military advisor, she was also the best at planning in this area. Before the action began, Uruzer conducted a series of analyses on Kriolev, the opponent. In her opinion, this veteran was brave and courageous, and his personality was also cautious and careful. He should take the initiative himself, instead of handing it over to others.

Being led by the nose like this is not Kriolev's style at all.

"It's very simple."

Compared to the surprise of Qierti and Uruze, Duanmu Huai seemed very calm.

"Because this is ultimately a political issue, not a military issue."

"Political issue?"

"Yes."

Duanmu Huai nodded.

"You all think that Kriolev is our opponent, but in fact, Kriolev is ultimately just a general, the commander of the First Army. No matter how high his reputation in the army is, he is not the emperor, let alone the commander-in-chief. And our opponent is not Kriolev, but the Council..."

At this point, Duanmu Huai picked up a chess piece and stuck it on the sand table.

"From the perspective of the Council, when they learn that our army is approaching, what do you think they will think? They will definitely worry that the Inquisition will be at the gates of the city and will directly send them to the sky with a cannon. So they will definitely ask the First Legion to stop our army at all costs. In this case, even if Kriolev has all kinds of talents, it is meaningless."

"………………It can actually be like this………………"

Hearing Duanmu Huai's explanation, everyone present was stunned. They have always instinctively believed that military affairs are military affairs and politics are politics. But it is obvious that Duanmu Huai has a different view on this.

Duanmu Huai seemed very calm about the admiration and surprise that others cast on him. Military affairs are an extension of politics. In the final analysis, military affairs are just a political means within humans.

Throughout history, there are countless examples of politics influencing military strategies. For example, in the Battle of Changping during the Warring States Period, the State of Zhao, led by veteran general Lian Po, persisted with the State of Qin for several months. Later, the State of Qin sent people to spread rumors in Zhao, claiming that the Qin army was not afraid of Lian Po but of Zhao Kuo. If Zhao Kuo had been the commander-in-chief, the Qin army would have fled in less than three hours.

At that time, the entire Zhao court was in a panic. Even Zhao Kuo's mother personally went to King Zhao Xiaocheng to say that her son was a waste and that he should not be made a general. However, King Zhao Xiaocheng finally insisted on changing the generals on the battlefield, replacing Lian Po with Zhao Kuo. Unexpectedly, the Qin army on the other side did not have the moral principles of war and replaced Wang He with Bai Qi. They directly defeated Zhao Kuo, who was only good at talking about war, and killed 200,000 surrendered soldiers of Zhao. Zhao was beaten so badly that it could not even call out his grandmother.

When later history books saw this story, everyone thought that King Zhao Xiaocheng had a hole in his brain, but in fact, the two countries were fighting at that time, and the consumption of food and grass was so huge that the mice in the granary would cry when they saw it. In this situation, King Zhao Xiaocheng, as an emperor, had to make a choice. Otherwise, if the war continued, it would not matter whether the Zhao army won or not, and everyone would starve to death together.

As a general, Lian Po only needed to care about the war, but as an emperor, King Zhao Xiaocheng had to consider the entire country. By then, if the Zhao army won and a lot of people in Zhao starved to death, what would be the point? And if he continued, it was not certain whether he would win or not.

So he simply took a gamble. Since Lian Po was disobedient, he would replace Lian Po with the obedient Zhao Kuo.

But he lost the gamble.

The same thing happened to Yue Fei. Song Gaozong did use Yue Fei at first, but later he ordered Yue Fei to return to the court with twelve golden medals. Yue Fei was naturally tragic. But it is not entirely correct to say that Song Gaozong just listened to Qin Hui's slander. In fact, if it were another dynasty, Yue Fei might not have encountered such a thing. Even Han Gaozu Liu Bang would cook the running dog after the cunning rabbit died. Now the anti-Jin war is not over, why is Song Gaozong so anxious to cut Yue Fei?

The reason is very simple. The Song Dynasty has a precedent!

As a hero of the anti-Jin war, Yue Fei had such a high reputation in the Southern Song Dynasty. Song Gaozong was afraid that Yue Fei would drive away the Jin people, and then one night he would be pulled out of bed by his subordinates and put on a dragon robe or something... How did his ancestor become the emperor? How could he not know?

Why did the emperors of the Song Dynasty emphasize civil over military? Weren't they afraid of the second Chenqiao mutiny? Yue Fei's reputation and status in the Song Dynasty, coupled with the fact that the Southern Song Dynasty at that time was just like the Later Zhou Dynasty, people's hearts were floating. If Yue Fei really wanted to wear a yellow robe, wouldn't the Song Dynasty be as finished as the Later Zhou Dynasty?

So Song Gaozong had this worry, and with the treacherous minister Qin Hui stirring up trouble, he finally issued a series of stupid orders and killed himself.

In fact, many times, a careful study of various operations in history will reveal that there are objective conditions, and the other party was originally hesitant, so the slander of treacherous ministers or treacherous plots and conspiracies basically pushed the other party along, making the other party finally make a stupid and brain-dead decision in the eyes of later generations.

If there are no objective conditions, then no matter how beautiful the words are, it will be useless.

As the saying goes, an incompetent general can kill the whole army.

But no matter how powerful the general is, he can't beat the emperor. If the emperor gives an order, can you still disobey it?

In the final analysis, all military issues are political issues.

Generals like Wu Qi, Han Xin, and Yue Fei are all like this. They are first-class in leading troops to fight. It can be said that they are invincible in the world. They can kill gods and Buddhas. Wu Qi is even a versatile person who can handle both military and political affairs. It was because of his reform that the State of Chu became strong and became the hegemon of the Warring States Period.

But what's the use?

Wu Qi offended the nobles of the State of Chu because of his reform and was shot to death by arrows.

Han Xin, who defeated Xiang Yu, was conspired by Empress Lü and Xiao He after Liu Bang, and was tricked into the palace and assassinated in a sack.

Not to mention Yue Fei, everyone knows it.

So in the final analysis, no matter how powerful a general is, he will only die in the face of political games.

Therefore, in Duanmu Huai's view, no matter how powerful Kriolev is, it is useless. He is the reincarnation of Sun Wu and Han Xin. As long as he catches the Council, Kriolev will only die!

It doesn't matter if Kriolev doesn't get fooled, as long as the Council gets fooled!

Just like the Qin State's trick, it doesn't matter if you, Lian Po, don't get fooled, and it doesn't matter if the civil and military officials don't get fooled, as long as the idiot King Xiaocheng of Zhao believes it! Could you, Lian Po, rebel against King Xiaocheng of Zhao?

The same is true for Kriolev now. Due to the precedent of the Fourth Legion's rebellion to support the king, the Council must be afraid that the First Legion will also come to support the king, so for Kriolev, he has only two ways, either to completely obey the Council's orders, or to simply rebel against it directly - it would be better at that time, wouldn't it be more fun to join the revolutionary team together?

For Kriolev, from a political point of view, he has been completely killed.

"Order everyone to get ready."

Duanmu Huai sneered and stood up.

"Since the First Legion is coming, let's give him a grand and warm welcome ceremony!"