It was about to snow, and the whole world seemed to be empty.

As far as the eye could see, the earth was dark, and there was not much life to be seen.

However, although it is now freezing season, there are still a group of people who are slowly marching in a strict queue against the cold wind, driven by the rhythmic drum beat.

The group of soldiers wearing blue uniforms and red trousers, most of whom still had big beards, their faces were a little scorched and haggard because of the weather, and their uniforms were quite smudge, but under the strict training of the years, they did not have any doubts about the officers, and moved forward in silence.

It was not until they had reached the predetermined place that the queue stopped at the order of the officer.

Then, as commanded, they raised their guns.

"Ready!"

The soldiers closed one of their eyes slightly, aimed at the target in the distance, and then gathered all their energy to wait for the next order.

"Fire!" A moment later, a new order finally arrived.

At the command of the officer, almost uniform gunfire rang out.

"Smack, smack, smack"

Albert, who was watching the soldiers' drills from a distance, slowly applauded.

Then, with a smile, he looked at Lucien, who was standing next to him.

"Superb performances, Lucien, it seems that you have trained them very well, I am simply stunned."

After arriving in Sartori, preparing to help Charles with his preparations and taking refuge, Albert slowly adapted to life in the wilderness over the course of a few days. Because it was too boring to stay in the house all the time, he simply took the opportunity of the soldiers' drills and went to the side with Lucien to observe the training in order to pass the time.

Now he is no longer as frightened as before. For this place, surrounded by a regiment of troops, was now the safest place in the world. He no longer had to fear the baron's threat.

It is precisely because of this that he is in a very good mood now. Even if the weather is so bad today.

"It's not a show for practice, Albert." Lucien did not seem to appreciate his compliment, "This is the result of our hard work—the more skilled the soldiers are at the various tactical formations, and the more calm they are, the stronger their combat effectiveness will be on the battlefield." ”

"That's what I said." Albert smiled and nodded.

He then continued to watch the training in the distance.

Under his watchful eye, the soldiers practiced on the grass according to the usual routine, and the sound of passwords and gunshots mingled in the cold wind. The originally silent field suddenly became strangely noisy. Forgetting the past from afar, these soldiers in military uniforms are like buttoned out of a mold, and it is impossible to tell who is who. And those officers who command the soldiers, because they wear medals, look glamorous and vibrant.

However, in the midst of this well-ordered picture, he felt a strange feeling rising in his heart, as if there was an indescribable sense of incongruity.

Something seems wrong, huh?

Albert frowned, trying to figure out which tendon he had made the wrong one.

"Albert?" It seems to see that Albert's soul is not giving up. Lucien asked. "What's wrong with you?"

Albert didn't realize it, just thought in his head.

These figures were spinning around in his mind...... At last. He finally understood.

"It's too dazzling." He blurted out.

"Huh? What do you mean? Lucien didn't react for a moment, and looked at Albert suspiciously.

"Lucien, don't you think...... Are these soldiers dressed too eye-catching? Albert asked in a low voice.

"Dressed?" Lucien was stunned at first, then chuckled. "Albert, what's so strange about this, the soldiers wear uniforms for unity of command, but also to cultivate their sense of community, so that they can play their maximum combat effectiveness, since hundreds of years ago. Our ancestors have already uniformed the soldiers......"

"That's not what I meant," Albert shook his head slightly. The expression looks very serious.

He raised his hand and pointed at the officers and soldiers in the distance. "Lucien, don't you really think? The soldiers were dressed so brightly that I felt like I could see them all clearly, even if the distance was doubled. ”

"So what?" Lucien was still a little strange, "Dressed up brightly can inspire the soldiers to be honored, and it is more conducive to the command of our officers." ”

"But isn't it easier to become a target for the enemy? Especially the red pants, they are so dazzling that I feel a little inappropriate when I look at them......" Albert still looked puzzled, "My friend, although I have never been in a war, I feel like hunting, don't I?" The more eye-catching the target, the easier it is to provoke the gun. ”

"Soldiers have an obligation not to be afraid of guns." Lucien straightened his waist and replied with a rather military demeanor, "Besides, we have always dressed like this, and we have not had any problems since the beginning of the July Dynasty. ”

During the Napoleonic Wars, the uniform of French soldiers was a blue jacket with white trousers; By the time of the Restoration, the uniforms of the army had been restored to the all-white of the old dynastic era; After the establishment of the July Dynasty in 1830, the national flag was changed back to the tricolor, and in order to reflect the French identity, the military uniform was also changed to the classic style of blue shirt and red trousers.

Although Lucien spoke very eloquently, and there was some contempt for outsiders in his expression, Albert was not such an easy person to retreat.

"There was no problem before, after all, everyone was just holding a burning stick, and at this distance, it didn't really make sense to aim or not, everyone waited to get closer and fire a few volleys and then rushed up to fight the bayonet...... But in this day and age it's different. Albert frowned and replied, "Lucien, haven't you seen the kind of gun that Charles and I are tinkering with?" Charles was not wrong, it was epoch-making! I can't say how good my marksmanship is, but I can guarantee it. At this distance, no, even if the distance is doubled again. I can also knock down the group of red pants in front of me one by one with a very high hit rate! ”

"Fighting a war and hunting are not the same thing. Mr. Lucien was a little upset to see him say this about his subordinates, "You can aim as slowly as you like when you hunt, but the battlefield is different, it is noisy, it is full of smoke, you can't give up, and death is always with you. You don't have a chance to take your time at all......"

"But isn't that also a way to make up for it with guò training? Maybe I'll be shaking and I won't be able to pick up a gun, but someone will always be able to pick up a gun, so what should I do when the time comes? What happens when they can easily spot our soldiers at a distance – because the red color is so visible that they can see their targets even in smoke – and then what happens? The consequences will be catastrophic. ”

The more Albert spoke, the more he felt that what he was thinking made sense, and he spoke much faster. "This weapon, although we are still keeping it a secret, I dare to assert that it will not be a few years before the armies of other countries will begin to be installed, and you and your men will not be in an undeserved danger at that time? Not to mention. Judging by the current trend, the weapons of the future will only become more sophisticated, with higher range and accuracy. At that time, I thought that this kind of attire would have caused our soldiers a lot of hardship - and it could have been avoided in advance, could it? ”

Albert's words made Lucien slightly stunned again.

"There is no doubt that I have no doubt about the bravery of you and your soldiers, but there is no need to prove your bravery by dying in vain? The goal of the army should be to win quickly and with few casualties, rather than to shed as much blood as possible. Before Lucien could reply, Albert continued, "So. Lucien, in my opinion. We should find a way to change such a dazzling outfit sooner rather than later, so that is best for you. ”

"Okay. Albert, I know what you're saying. After a moment of silence, "We will argue and deal with this kind of thing ourselves, and if there is indeed a problem, the army will find a way to fix it on its own." ”

Although he said so, Lucien's heart was already slightly shaken.

The kind of rifle that Charles had given him before, he had already used, and it was indeed a very heavy improvement, but he had only thought about the application of this rifle in war, and had not yet extended it to military uniforms.

Perhaps, because he was a layman, he did not take Lucien as an immutable thing that he took for granted, and therefore his ideas were more original? I really didn't expect this man to look lazy and laid-back, but when he got serious, he was so insightful - no wonder he was so compatible with Charles.

Inspired by Albert's words, some ideas slowly came to his mind, but he didn't know how to describe them yet.

"Come on, Lucien!" Albert couldn't help but sneer, "You don't know about the army, huh? What if you report it? Who listens to you? As long as there are conditions, everyone just wants to get by, here and there! ”

Originally, he still had some reverence for the army, but after dealing with the army recently because of weapons, he no longer had that kind of awe, he only felt that there was as dirty and inefficient as his own department.

"Albert, don't say that." Lucien looked at him sternly, "Although there are all kinds of problems, after all, we are defending the country. ”

"Yes, you defend your country," Albert shrugged, "and yet you don't want others to help you defend your country better?" Is it for the sake of face? ”

"Please don't say that again!" Lucien frowned. "Well, Albert, I'll admit that you have a point, and I'll find a way to help you out, but that's it."

"Haha, then you can just try, I promise you'll run into a nose of ash! Why don't we make a bet? Albert laughed, "I'll be able to rip off all these soldiers' red pants one day, and we'll see who does it first?" ”

"Whatever you want." After a moment of silence, Lucien shrugged.

He wasn't obsessed with the red pants, so even if they were removed, it wouldn't hurt - he would be encouraged if it would increase the effectiveness of his men.

"Okay, then we don't have to talk about it now, let's keep the gamble in mind." After this little argument was over, Albert regained that nonchalant smile, "Wait a minute, are you free?" Take me hunting. Lucien? I've been suffocating to death for the past few days! ”

"If you have time, you can't find it," Lucien nodded before looking at Albert with some hesitation. "But...... It's better for you to stay here all the time, after all, it's safer here. ”

"Hey! It's all here, what do I have to be afraid of? Albert shook his head nonchalantly. I don't believe it, with your people here, who else will come and do to me? Besides, Baron de Beauvang is not mad now, Charles has already negotiated with him! ”

"Well, in that case, let's go later." Feeling that what Albert said was also reasonable, after thinking for a while, Lucien finally agreed to his proposal.

He was convinced. No one in the place where he is now can endanger Albert and make him break his promise to the Charles.

It wasn't long before the two of them walked out into the wilderness and woods with their shotguns in hand, and began to hunt unhurriedly. Lucien's orderlies, on the other hand, followed unhurriedly, carefully watching the situation around them.

After a short period of getting along, the two of them soon left behind the little unhappiness just now and became very happy with each other again.

Even, from the perspective of a third person, their attitude is a little more enthusiastic than just now.

Lucien was already enthusiastic about Albert. It's not the kind of coping politeness that it used to be; Albert was also more accommodating and friendly to Lucien.

Rather, it was because of the quarrel just now.

All along, Lucien felt that this seemingly easy-going Albert. In fact, there is a faint arrogance in my heart that rejects people thousands of miles away, although he greets everyone with a smile, but he rarely treats each other sincerely. In the same way, he felt that the other party had never regarded him as a friend.

However, it is no wonder that his surname is De Foa Gray and his own surname is Leflaire, and a century ago, the two of them would not have crossed paths in this life.

However, even so. He wasn't completely at peace with that, because the times were completely different. There was absolutely no need for him to whisper to such a person.

Today, however, he had a completely different view of Albert - he was not a playboy who only wanted to eat, drink, and have fun, and only relied on the mountains to climb the ladder. Rather, he is a man with vision and brains; Moreover, he really sees himself as a friend, so he will tell himself these things.

"It's really strange today, I can't see a ghost all the time!" After spending a long time still not finding a suitable prey, Albert looked up at the sky with some anxiety, "It's really unlucky, I finally came out for a while, but I found nothing?" ”

"If you can't find it, there's no way," Lucien was still much calmer, looking around the wilderness with his gun, "After all, it's so cold today, and it's normal for wild beasts not to come out." ”

"It's not fun......," Albert sighed a little dejectedly, "I have to pass the time, right?" ”

The two men searched for a while, but found nothing, and finally Albert, disappointed, had to lean against a tree and rest.

"Lucien, what are your plans for the future?" To kill the boredom, Albert casually said, "Do you want to stay in the army?" ”

"Yes."

"And then as a supporter of the president?" Albert smiled.

"yes, aren't we all here?" Lucien was a little puzzled.

"Yes, we are all ...... now," Albert groaned slightly, "but, Lucien, I want to ask you...... If Mr. President finally wins the gamble and wants to become emperor, will you remain loyal to him? As his subjects? ”

Lucien was a little confused, he didn't think much of it.

It is one thing to support a republican Bonaparte president, quite another to support an emperor - and besides, the emperor and his uncle are not at all the same.

"It seems that you don't pay much attention to him either......" Albert continued, just as Lucien was still hesitating, "There are only two of us here, so there are some things we can say alone, Lucien, let me be honest, I don't care about that guy at all, I only serve him because of Charles, if Charles tells me not to worry about him anymore...... Hmph, I'm never going to do anything for him again. ”

Then, Albert looked at Lucien again, "Lucien, I know that you have a good relationship with Charles, so please tell me, do you think it is good to submit to the emperor?" Or is it better to follow the Charles? ”

Lucien still did not answer this question.

"Hey, maybe you'll have a different idea." Albert shrugged his shoulders, "After all, you have a bright future, my minister is your father-in-law, and you don't need Charles' help now." ”

"No, it's not like that!" Lucien hurriedly retorted. "I'm still very grateful to the Charles."

He didn't like to be told about his nepotism, but there was nothing he could refute - after all, it was an irrefutable fact that he was able to return to the army thanks to his wife's connections.

It is precisely because of this that he is very keen to seek promotion and expression in the army as much as possible, so that he can use his merits to silence those who secretly envy and mock him.

"Well, let's continue to help Charr in the future." Albert replied with a smile. (To be continued) R580