Sean didn't want to distinguish whether Audrey's words were sincere or a slightly jealous warning.
In short, Audrey knows that Sean's love for her is not half-hearted. But she cannot be selfish and think that Sean will always belong to her alone.
Compared to Princess Elizabeth's experience, Audrey thinks she is happy enough.
However, Sean no longer has time to indulge in the love between his children.
In June 1836, the Genoese National Army swore to march north.
In addition to leaving one infantry brigade of the 3rd Division as a local defense force, Sean personally led the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions, most of the 3rd Division, the cavalry regiment, artillery battalion and ancillary troops, and marched northward in a mighty manner.
The cavalry unit that set out first had already crossed the Otter Mountains, and the rearguard had just left the military camp at Fort Putnam.
It is not a simple matter for an army of more than 30,000 people to go on an expedition. Keeping the soldiers well fed and taking good care of the livestock accompanying the army every day is a test of the quartermaster's ability.
The soldiers and horses have not moved, but the food and grass go first.
Therefore, the logistics troops set out two months early. They set up road signs along the march route, established military stations and predetermined camping areas, and stocked up on military supplies. This work was completed when Sean led a large force to prepare to cross the Otter Mountains.
peak.
The narrow trade road in the Otter Mountains was a land transportation bottleneck. The engineers used a large number of explosives to widen the transportation route in advance. This allowed a large amount of materials to be transported by rail from Poitou to Putnam Castle, slightly speeding up the transportation.
At the same time, the Genoese used the sea route to go westward from the Longjiang estuary, directly transporting a large amount of supplies to Daguerre, which will be the foothold and supply center for the main force of the National Army heading north. God knows how some of the military supplies promised to be issued by the Military Command will be
It won't be done on time and to the right amount.
Completing such combat preparations is a big test for the National Army. Sean used this opportunity to test the coordination and action capabilities of his logistics officers. Although there will always be unexpected situations, overall,
Look, Sean is quite satisfied with the performance of the logistics officers.
The officers are full of confidence. These officers who have been promoted rapidly due to the expansion of the army have a blind confidence in the war and are eager to establish meritorious deeds.
Sean showed a confident and invincible attitude in front of outsiders and ordinary soldiers, but he was actually very cautious.
This can be seen from the fact that he spent several months preparing supplies, building military depots regardless of cost, preparing rigorous transportation plans, and holding countless tactical analysis meetings.
Even the cautious Adrian Major thinks Sean is a little too cautious:
"Count, you want to win too much. Don't you want to put all the glorious mission of defeating foreign enemies on yourself? That should be the mission of all the armies of the empire, and even the mission of all the subjects."
"No, Adrian, war is a country's top priority. It is related to the life and death of millions of soldiers and civilians and the survival of the country. It cannot be observed, analyzed and studied carefully. Therefore, as a commander, it is not necessary to be careful.
That's too much, especially since we are still an army that has not experienced the test of cruel war." Sean said.
"I am not afraid of war, because this will be the beginning of my glory. From the day the National Army was proposed to be formed, I thought about this day. I only hope that through my personal efforts, this group of fanatical people can
Soldiers who shed less blood do not know the cruelty of war. Even the officers from the original 101st Guards Brigade have only participated in the counter-insurgency war. They think they have the key to victory. How can those rebels
Compared to the Belis?
I must maintain a delicate balance between ensuring morale and ensuring calmness. Strategically, we must despise all opponents, even overcome difficulties and have the courage to challenge, but tactically, we must pay attention to any opponent. Respecting the opponent is
Respect ourselves.
You have to know that for ordinary soldiers, war is a choice between life and death, but for a senior commander, it is an arithmetic problem, and casualties are just a number."
"Okay, Commander, I take back what I said. Now you have the consciousness to become a senior commander. This makes me, a scholar, more confident in the war we are about to face." Major shrugged, "However,
Our liaison officer has returned from Jiangbei."
Major is also wearing a military uniform now. Sean gave him the rank of colonel so that he can accompany the army as an adjutant and counselor. But it seems that Major is not quite used to the outfit he is wearing because he always subconsciously examines his own clothes.
Dress.
"What did Marshal Lewis say?" Sean asked, "Your expression tells me that we don't seem to be very popular."
According to the order, Sean's troops were placed under the command of Marshal Lewis on the Western Front. Their enemies were the Belis people, and the two sides had been facing each other for a year.
The 200,000 troops commanded by Lewis stopped the Belis attack and paid a heavy price. It seemed that the two empires had fallen into a competition of will and national strength.
Although the situation has stabilized, the battlefield is in the hinterland of the empire, which is difficult to satisfy.
What's more, the Belis people have changed their high-pressure policy towards the occupied areas and have shown signs of treating the occupied areas as their own land. The occupying forces have asked the Europeans in the occupied areas to cultivate the land for them and provide for them.
"The marshal ordered us to temporarily station ourselves in Daguerre and stay put." Major replied. "The order seems to have been written casually on a piece of paper by the marshal, with only a very scrawled fancy signature."
"It seems that Marshal Lewis is a little dissatisfied with us." Sean nodded and curled his lips.
"This is not surprising. The Genoa Level Three Conference asked us to obey Marshal Lewis's dispatch, but also allowed you to firmly control the command of the National Army. Unless necessary, the troops must not be divided and assigned to other commanders.
Participate in the war unless with your consent.
This made the marshal very upset.
He is a veteran marshal and your Majesty's most trusted marshal. He will never easily allow such a situation to challenge his authority." Major added, "Besides, his troops are fighting against the Billis.
We suffered heavy losses in the battle, and I heard that we were replenished many times. Outsiders like us joining rashly will make his subordinates and even himself think that we are here to take credit. Fundamentally speaking, Marshal Lewis does not trust us."
"Okay." Sean looked away from the map and said to Perosa, the chief of staff of the army who walked in, "Villar, are you ready with the 50 tons of food I asked you to prepare?"
"Everything is ready, Commander. In accordance with your request, I have also prepared twenty boxes of cigarettes, as well as some tea, fine cigars and wine specially for officers. However, the quality of the wine is average and it is our local Genoa product.
Born." Perosa said.
"In this situation, it would be good to get wine. I heard that this kind of wine is also in short supply on the black market in Daguerre. Villar, please send someone to send these supplies to Jiangbei immediately. In addition,
Attached is my request. The National Army will send an officer corps to observe the battlefield. I hope
Marshal Lewis agrees to my small request." Sean said, "We can ask our liaison officer to tell the marshal's quartermaster privately that if the officer corps of our National Army is allowed to rotate once a month, and provide necessary assistance and cooperation.
, they will receive this amount of supplies every month.”
"Yes!" Perosa said, "But in the long run, it will not be a small amount."
"Haha, Villar." Sean laughed, "This is an honest bribe. If it can make our officers feel the cruelty of war and restrain their impatience and aggressiveness, the price will be well worth it."
"I dare say that a considerable part of it will fall into the private pockets of those quartermasters." Perosa said.
"During the war, when people were starving in the rear and supporting the front line, how dare they do this?" Major said angrily.
"This is the custom and the tradition of the army." Perosa shrugged, "It happens to be under the command of Marshal Lewis. I have several friends who are officers there, and they keep in touch with me, so this is by no means a slanderous statement on my part.
Mr. Major, it is precisely because of the war that a large amount of supplies come in and out every day, so they can easily take action. In the army, the quartermaster has always been a fat job."
"It doesn't matter, if they dare to accept it, I will give it to them." Sean muttered, "This reminds me that in our National Army, such a situation is never allowed to exist."
"Commander." Perosa stood at attention and said, "I dare not say that such a black sheep will never appear in the National Army, but please rest assured that I will never let go of any such signs."
Major frowned and said: "Commander, I think that strict discipline and the establishment of authority by killing one person as a warning to others cannot prevent some people from taking risks to the greatest extent.
It's like leaving a pile of gold in an unattended room. This is challenging personal ethics and inciting people to commit crimes.
I think the key is to rely on a strict and perfect system. If there are not too many loopholes to exploit, then even if someone wants to do such a scandal, it will only be a small incident and will not cause too much loss to the National Army and will not hurt the National Army.
Overall situation. Therefore, I suggest that it is necessary to set up a special audit agency in the military. We have more than 30,000 people, not a brigade, and the supplies we consume every day are not a small amount."
"Adrian, your suggestion is very good." Sean said, "You will take the lead in this matter. A new army like ours has no historical baggage and does not need to be limited to the traditional way of running the army. We even
Soldiers must be allowed a channel to make accusations of bad behavior against their immediate superiors."
Sean said to Perosa again:
"You and Herbert want every officer to understand that we are not the Guards or the traditional imperial army, we are the Genoese National Army. Everything about this army is new, including our concepts.
If someone is dissatisfied with the disciplinary regulations I have established and thinks this is a distrust of him, then please ask him to leave as soon as possible. If there is a so-called military tradition, then in the National Army, this is a tradition."
"Commander, the National Army resolutely obeys your orders!"