Chapter 406: Waterloo Replay Story (6K)

Arthur heard Plunkett's words, but did not refute his point of view. Instead, he smiled and nodded.

"Thomas, I'm glad to reach a consensus with you. You may not believe it, but I think exactly the same as you. The Duke of Wellington is not only the flag of the army, but also the flag of this country. He cannot fall, let alone be taken away by others. If anyone dares to do this, not only you, but I will also fight him to the death."

He stood up and filled Louis's glass. He was about to give Plunkett some, but the out-of-shape sharpshooter laughed and said, "Sir, you can just pour it for yourself. The rest of the wine, including the bottle, can be given to me. Although the goblets here are quite high-end, a guy like me who was born as a soldier still feels addicted to the bottle."

Arthur laughed dumbly and said, "Are you sure? The degree of this brandy is not low."

"You don't understand, when we soldiers are on the battlefield, we all rely on this sip of wine to live."

Plunkett took the bottle from Arthur's hand, raised his head and took a sip, raised his sleeve to wipe his mouth, and perhaps because of the alcohol, he talked more.

Plunkett's eyes showed a look of reminiscence: "I still remember the night before the Battle of Waterloo, the night of June 17, 1815. The rain was so heavy that it was almost like seeing a ghost. The cold wind poured into my body through my collar, just like someone was scraping my bones with a blunt knife.

We had just suffered a lot of losses in the Battle of Quatre Bras, and I found that many Prussians seemed to be pessimistic about whether they could win in the end. But I didn't take it seriously at the time. It was not until the end of the Battle of Waterloo that I learned that Gneisenau, the chief of staff of Prussian Marshal Blücher, was persuading him to lead the Prussian army to retreat eastward.

Gneisenau did not believe in the combat effectiveness of our British army, and thought that the Duke of Wellington might be in front of Napoleon. Retreat. He told Marshal Blücher that the Duke of Wellington might pretend to hold on, then take the opportunity to slip away, leaving the Prussian army at a disadvantage. And Napoleon could then attack Blücher's army, giving Wellington enough time to save his own troops.

What a ridiculous idea, he actually thought that His Excellency the Duke would be afraid of Napoleon. And it was not only Gneisenau who thought so, most of the Prussian staff thought so too. When I got up to urinate that night, I met a Prussian staff officer, Major Carl von Clausewitz, who joked with me: 'Although it was only one night, I feel that my hair has turned gray. '"

Hearing this, Louis couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, and he continued: "It's really a pleasure to hear the inside news of the anti-French coalition army from you, do you want to Don't you want to know what the mood is like in Napoleon's staff over there?"

"Uh..." Plunkett slapped his head and laughed, "I almost forgot about you, you are Napoleon's nephew. Well... Actually, I am really interested. Did you really feel that you had won at that time?"

Louis shook his head slightly and said, "On the contrary, you and the Prussians are afraid of Napoleon, and in the French staff, many people have been warning my uncle to pay attention to the danger from the Duke of Wellington. Unlike the Prussians, the French generals have a high opinion of the British Army.

Marshal Soult advised my uncle: 'Your Majesty, in a head-on confrontation, the British infantry is the devil. '

General Reye commented gloomily: 'The British occupying good terrain The British infantry is unshakable and invincible. ’

But you also know how confident my uncle is. He was very unhappy with the generals' evaluation and raged at them: 'You have suffered defeats under Wellington, so you think he is an excellent general! I tell you now that Wellington is a bad general and the British soldiers are bad soldiers. And this battle can be over before lunch today! ’

Of course, I don’t think my uncle is arrogant to the point of arrogance, because he later said: 'The Duke of Wellington's military talent is comparable to mine, and in addition, he has the advantage of being more cautious. ’

He knew that our generals were very afraid of His Excellency the Duke, so I am more inclined to think that he wanted to achieve the purpose of boosting morale by belittling his opponent at the time. "

Plunkett heard that he was about to fight back for the Duke, but he heard that his butt sank back into the chair smoothly. The sharpshooter laughed while touching the back of his head.

"In fact, what Napoleon said is not wrong. If our commander had not been the Duke, but the Marquis of Anglesey or someone else, we would have probably collapsed at the first blow. You may not know that the name of Napoleon alone could scare people away. We were still fighting on the front line at that time, but the citizens of Brussels in the rear saw the wounded being transported back from the front line and thought that our army had been defeated by Napoleon.

I heard from a brother of the 95th Regiment who was sent to the rear for treatment that at that time, Brussels was full of rumors that the Duke of Wellington had been defeated in the Quatre Bras. Everyone was in a panic, shouting that the enemy was coming. In the forest of Soignes, he saw servants throwing their luggage on the ground, then jumping on their animals and running desperately to the rear. The peasants who were carrying supplies on carts quickly cut the ropes of the harness, abandoned the carts, and rode away on the cows.

In the city, the situation was even worse. Masters and servants, grooms, maids, coachmen and gentlemen quarreled over horses and vehicles to leave the area. They all accused each other, insulted each other in French, English and Flemish, and then fought. Nearly half of the Belgian coachmen responsible for transporting food and grass refused to set out or let their animals go. They made many gestures, prayed to God, called on all the saints and angels in heaven to appear and witness, and swore that they would never go out, even to rescue their prince, the Prince of Orange.

Everyone ran around in a daze, shouting: "Napoleon is coming with the French!" It was really a very strange thing. The front line was orderly and calm, but the rear was already in chaos and running around. What's more ridiculous is that many people who don't know the inside story of the Battle of Waterloo usually think that the situation is the opposite. But in fact, whether it was the French soldiers or our allied soldiers, although they were afraid, they still tried their best to execute the orders from above. We did not lose order like the common people. "

Speaking of this, Plunkett couldn't help but boast to Arthur with some pride: "Don't worry, sir, although London has been in chaos recently, I will not be scared. We veterans who have been on the battlefield have seen the world. The night before the Battle of Waterloo was simply a miserable nightmare of strong winds, rain and mud.

There was no place to shelter from the wind and rain, and there was no tile or leaf above our heads. We could only settle down in the mud and filth as much as possible in the heavy rain, and most people didn't even have food on them. Those who carried supplies with them were lucky. For example, I happened to get some smoked and salted beef strips that morning, and kept them in my pants for a whole day. I dared to take them out secretly to enjoy them at night when it was pitch dark. What's even better is that I still had a little brandy left in my bottle, so I was in a better situation than most people.

I looked around, trying to find a dry place to lie down and have a good meal. But unfortunately, there was mud everywhere, and I only found some straw and branches to pad my body. With these and a dead tree, I barely resisted the heavy rain that never stopped all night. When it was time to sleep at night, we all wrapped ourselves in cloaks, huddled together, and just lay in the mud with our eyes closed, like a group of half-drowned and hungry rats. "Louis couldn't help asking when he heard this: "You guys are living like this, didn't you rob the local farmers?"

"Uh... well..."

Plunkett looked a little embarrassed: "I don't deny that this is true. At least I know that the brigade of General Frederick Adam of the Second Division was allowed to rob three farmhouses. However, most of the troops commanded by the Duke of Wellington knew his temper. He firmly opposed looting civilians and severely punished soldiers who stole civilians' property. During the Peninsular War, hundreds of people were sentenced to flogging for theft and robbery, and one robbery and murderer was ordered to be hanged because of his extremely bad nature.

Although it is normal to rob things during a war, the Duke of Wellington has always believed that burning, killing and looting are not conducive to maintaining military discipline, and will also make unnecessary enemies. He believes that when in Spain, the French incurred the hatred of almost all Spaniards because of their wanton looting everywhere, so during the Peninsular War, no matter where our army went, those Spaniards were very happy to assist us in attacking the French army.

Although this rule seems a bit excessive to me personally, since the Duke can arrange our logistics supplies in an orderly manner in most cases, we will not starve to death. So although some soldiers have complaints about not being able to rob, they will not directly attack and scold the old nose. Most importantly, the military regulations set by the old man were also very appropriate. Theft would only result in solitary confinement, robbery would result in whipping, and only murder would result in hanging, so everyone could accept it and thought he was fair.

Speaking of this, Plunkett said with some envy: "But to be honest, on the eve of Waterloo, if our commander allowed us to rob, I would definitely do it. Because the weather was so hellish, you don't know how much I wanted to get some combustibles such as tables, chairs, benches, sofas, cradles, and barrels and throw them into the fire to make it crackle and warm my frozen body.

There was thunder that night, the thunder rolled and rumbled in the night sky, and occasionally there were lightning flashes. I lay in the furrow beside the tree, using my backpack as a pillow. It rained heavily all night, and the rain soaked the ground and knocked down the crops. I don't know how my companions slept, I just saw them all lying motionless and quietly for a long time.

Veterans like us who had participated in the Peninsular War were unwilling to complain to the new recruits who were new to the war. The new recruits didn't dare to complain, either, for fear of being scolded. They knew that if they dared to complain, they would be immediately ridiculed by the veterans.

'God bless your poor delicate body! Look at your pink butt, maybe we should send you to a brothel in London to serve you well. What can you do in the Pyrenees? '

Or 'Oh, my little baby! Do you need your father to sing a lullaby for you? Can't you bear this little hardship? Humph! Compared with what we did in Spain, this is just child's play! '"

Plunkett couldn't help laughing when he said this.

"That's why those who couldn't sleep pretended to sleep, and everyone endured these tortures with admirable heroism. When the next morning came, I saw that everyone looked tired. I can guarantee that no one in the whole regiment was asleep, because even a tough guy like me didn't sleep.

We should have gone to the battlefield exhausted, but our useless quartermaster finally played a role. He got some milk and sugar from the neighboring regiment. We boiled a large pot of water, poured sugar and milk, and tea leaves soaked in water from our backpacks into the pot. The officers nearby saw the smoke coming out of our cooking, so they all came to ask for a cup of tea. I assure you, that was still my first I met so many big men in the army at once, and there were three or four generals alone.

There was a new soldier in our regiment who was a fool. He disliked the taste of tea, so he poured a little black powder into his cup. I asked him how it tasted, and he told me that it was the worst thing he had ever tasted in his life. Haha, I joked with him at the time, saying that if there were not enough shells in a while, I would stuff him into the barrel and shoot him out. "

Speaking of this, Plunkett pursed his lips with a sense of lingering desire: "Although the memory of that day is not good, I don't know why, after so many years, I can still remember every minute and every second of that day, every bit of what happened. If, I mean if, sir, you If you want to order me like the old man led us to fight the French at Waterloo, I will not frown even if I have to sleep in the furrows again and drink tea that has neither sweetness nor milk flavor and even black gunpowder. "

Arthur did not answer Plunkett's question directly, but turned to say: "Thomas, I can't do as good as the Duke. But the only thing I can promise you is that the flag you are guarding will not fall. And this time, I will give you the task of holding the flag. Your task is simple and complicated. In the next period of time, many unexpected things will definitely happen in London.

I hope you can allocate some of your manpower to monitor the Assistant Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, O Mr. Gust Schneider, I have reason to guess that during the period when Viscount Palmerston was in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they had some connections with the forces in the City of Finance. So, if you find any emergency there, you can do whatever you want.

In addition, I have already found out the route of His Excellency the Duke's travel in the next few days. I want you and your brothers to deploy defenses along the Duke's travel route. If you find anyone who dares to attack His Excellency the Duke, I grant you the power to open fire on the spot. "

"Open fire on the spot?"

Although Plunkett had expected it, it was still a bit beyond his expectations to shoot and kill people directly in the street. After all, this is not a war period. If there is a misjudgment, he will be sentenced to death in the criminal court. More importantly, Scotland Yard has no criminal immunity, and Arthur's authorization sounds like a trap.

Arthur also understood Plunkett's concerns, and he nodded slightly to Louis beside him.

Seeing this, Louis immediately handed Arthur two copies of the minutes in his hand.

Arthur took the record, stamped his seal on it without thinking, then stood up and handed it to Plunkett.

His figure blocked the sunlight outside the window, and lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating the St. Edward badge on his shoulder. Plunkett looked up at the young man's face, half of which was illuminated and the other half was submerged in darkness. In the darkness, the only thing he could see was his eyes flashing with reddish light and his upturned mouth.

The damp air was a little cold, and the lightning, thunder, and oppressive atmosphere made it difficult for Plunkett not to think of the rainy night before the Battle of Waterloo.

"Thomas, this is the record of your conversation with me today. Check carefully to see if there are any discrepancies between the two documents. If there are no discrepancies, one document will remain in your hands, and the other will be sealed in the archives of Scotland Yard. If something unfortunate happens in the future, you can use this document to prove your innocence. No matter what happens, I am responsible for everything. This is my personal dereliction of duty and overstepping of authority, and it has nothing to do with you."

Hearing this, Plunkett was inevitably overwhelmed by Arthur's momentum.

He was stunned for a long time, then took a deep breath, and his fingers reached into his pocket. Plunkett took out his pipe, struck a match, and took a big sip.

The sharpshooter from the 95th Regiment blew two streams of smoke from his nose. He lowered his head and shook it, then suddenly laughed: "Sir, what do you think of me? I'm not a rookie. I fought in the Peninsular War and Waterloo. Documents and such are incomprehensible to a rough man like me, but I understand your attitude."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, with one hand on the desk: "Thomas, this is not a trivial matter. Take this document, it will save your life at a critical moment. You don't have to worry about me, I have my own way, and I will definitely get out of it in the end."

"You are kidding, there is no such thing as a sure way to get out of it in the battlefield. Did His Excellency the Duke know that he could defeat Napoleon before Waterloo? Just like Officer Bonaparte said, Napoleon belittled His Excellency the Duke in order to stabilize the morale of the army, and you used these nonsense to deceive me, and you also want to reassure me."

Plunkett stood up with a pipe in his mouth. He wouldn't have known it until he stood up. As soon as he stood up, he realized that the figure of this large sharpshooter was obviously bigger than Arthur: "However, even if you treat me as Silly boy, but I have to say that I admire your temper. "

Arthur raised his eyebrows: "Why?"

Plunkett laughed and said: "On the battlefield, soldiers usually divide officers into two categories. One category shouts: 'Follow me!'. The other category gives orders: 'Come on me!' 'Sir, I personally think that the saying 'give it to me' is not suitable for a leader. At the same time, I am also very glad that you are the former. I don't need the documents because you just provided them. This paragraph is enough for me and our brothers in the 95th Regiment. I now truly believe that the discussions about you in the hall are all nonsense, and I will also convey the attitude you conveyed to me today. To everyone on the Ghost Team, I’m sure they’ll be happy.”

Arthur smiled and asked: "Are you sure? The task I gave you includes not only the Duke of Wellington, but also the German Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"Oh, so he is a German?" Plunkett pinched the stubble on his chin and said with a smile: "Don't tell me that he once served in the Brunswick Regiment."

Louis opened Schneider's document and replied: "Schneider did not serve in the Brunswick Regiment, but his father was indeed a Brunswick Cavalry during the Battle of Waterloo. The Brunswick Cavalry commanded them at that time. Duke Friedrich Wilhelm."

"Ha!" Plunkett patted the holster on his waist: "He better be a good boy, otherwise he will have to pay for the sins his father has done."

When Arthur heard this, he took out another bottle of wine from the wine cabinet and put it into Plunkett's hand: "Does the 95th Regiment have any grudge against the Brunswick Cavalry?"

"It's not a big hatred." Plunkett took a puff of his cigarette and said, "We just hate them eating dog meat."

Louis said with confusion on his face: "What does their eating of dogs have to do with the 95th Regiment?"

Plunkett put the pipe upside down in the ashtray: "Originally, it had nothing to do with us that they ate dogs. But one day, we found that our regiment's puppy 'Rifle' suddenly disappeared. This poor puppy was ours." I picked it up on the roadside and survived many battles with us. During the battle, it often ran around and barked to express its joy. In the cruel war, only it could bring us a glimmer of joy. So, when 'The Rifle' went missing, we spent the whole afternoon looking for it, and guess where we ended up finding it?"

Arthur and Louis looked at each other, and they both saw something strange in each other's eyes.

Plunkett spat violently on the ground. He rolled up his sleeves and cursed: "Those damn Brunswickers! I've wanted to give them a taste of the gun for a long time. He'd better not be killed." I've caught the enemy, otherwise I'll have to put him in the pot and boil him!"