As the night gradually deepened, in the castle in the Prince's territory of the Bromburg, the servants also packed up dining tables and chairs in the banquet hall. There has not been a grand occasion of two or three hundred people having dinner together for many years. No one can tell whether it is clear, but it is certain that its grand space and elegant decoration are enough to host larger and higher-end banquets.

This is one of the wealth left by predecessors to their descendants.

In the side hall of the castle, a place for men to chat and smoke and drink after meals. Xia Shu sat comfortably on the sofa, holding a large glass of cold black beer in his hand. Although the officers present were not so casual and comfortable, they all put aside their seriousness and restraint in front of others, sitting or standing with the Prussian prince as the center, drinking and chatting.

There were 7 officers in total, three naval garrison troops arrived in the afternoon, two cavalry officers and two infantry officers arrived after night. Now, in addition to 200 naval soldiers guarding the Prince's territory, a team of Prussian cavalry and a team of Royal Guards Infantry Regiment were added. Both units were quickly transferred by Royal Guards Infantry Regiment after receiving a telegram from Xia Shu. The Prussian cavalry was not large, but it was the most ideal guard and patrol force of this era. An infantry platoon came to the Royal Guards Infantry Regiment. They were serious land combat forces and the elite of the Prussian army.

The three troops belonged to different groups of troops, and the officers were unfamiliar with each other, so Xia Shu naturally became their only coordinator. Because it was the first night after coming here, the officers and soldiers did not know much about the surrounding environment. After discussing with everyone, Xia Shu decided to concentrate the main forces around the castle and set up a tight circular cordon, with only a small number of patrols on the periphery. The officers were responsible for their respective subordinate soldiers and ensured the integrity of the guard and defense in the form of joint command.

"By the way, Baron, according to your understanding, what conditions can be considered a qualified Marine Force?"

Continuing the previous discussion with the naval officers, Natsuki asked the officer of the Royal Guards Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant Von Seth, who holds the title of baron.

In this relaxed atmosphere, the young guard officer showed his free and easy temperament. He held the zabee and said: "Generally speaking, a qualified marine unit should be composed of a sufficient proportion of professional officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers who have received formal training, equipped with modern weapons and equipment, and often conduct combat exercises. If such a method of answering is too broad, the simplest criterion is: in any case, the same number of enemies can be defeated."

Natsuki smiled slightly and said, "This is a very practical criterion. By this measure, can the Marines of the Navy Fleet be listed as 'qualified'?"

Lieutenant Von Seth opened his mouth and wanted to answer, but suddenly remembered something, but he just laughed silently and directly raised his glass to drink.

Xia Shu looked at him and had his colleagues present. If he made a straightforward evaluation, it would likely cause conflicts. Silence was a rational move, and he also gave a side answer to the questions raised by Xia Shu.

Although Seth didn't speak, it could be seen that the naval officers led by Chilman were already dissatisfied. At this time, the only middle-aged officer present, Cavalry Captain Joseph Bernagen, just rightly said: "Your Highness, in fact, each military branch has its own characteristics and mission, and it is impossible to measure their strength by a certain standard. A very simple example is that the biggest advantage of our cavalry is speed. Let us attack the infantry that is ready for battle or the garrison guarding the fortress, and the result will be very bad. By the same token, the marines of the naval fleet are used to board ships or land battles, and land combat is only one of their usual training and exercises. What do you think, Your Highness?"

Sometimes, youth is an advantage; sometimes, age is an advantage, because of the accumulation of time and experience, it makes people mature and connotated. Bernardan's objective position won the recognition of every officer present and also brought some valuable inspiration to Xia Shu.

After the men's "night event", Xia Shu came to Charlotte's room. After bathing, the British girl wore a fluffy gauze nightgown and stood on the open-air balcony to enjoy the night view. The breeze blew, her long hair fluttered, her skirt rippling, and her pretty and handsome face shining under the silver moonlight. This scene was very dreamy...

"This is my life, quiet, down-to-earth, and comfortable." She leaned against his shoulder and whispered softly.

The summer tree feels in response to the scenery: "With you here, this is paradise."

"Then let's stay together and never separate. OK?" Charlotte's question was particularly affectionate.

"Okay." Natsuki replied, "never separate."

"But... you will eventually leave here to fight for your career and realize your dreams." She lowered her head slightly, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

He caressed her hair gently and felt her breath: "Then I am just a kite. No matter how far I go, I will be concerned about it. I am like a tired bird, eager to return to the nest every day."

"I'm afraid of the loneliness of a man," she said. "Joheng, promise me that no matter what happens, even war and destruction, you will come back here."

"This will be our eternal home." Xia Shu said affectionately, "No matter what, I will come back here and accompany you to watch the sunrise and sunset."

The two of them depend closely on each other, and their hearts are no longer lonely.

...

The bright sunshine shines on the green grass, and the air is filled with the fragrance of the soil. The men took off their military caps, took off their coats, and unbuttoned their shirts, galloping in a free and elegant manner. However, no matter how handsome they look and how capable they are, they are not as eye-catching as the white rider on the maroon Trekner. Her face is small, thick eyebrows and long eyelashes, and her nose is delicate. Her simple rider's short outfit shows her cool and heroic posture, and her tight breeches embellish the slender and charming leg curves.

"Hey, Joheng, come and chase me and see if your 'Black Wind' can catch up with my 'Tulip'!"

Hearing Charlotte's call from afar, Xia Shu's face was filled with a happy smile. No matter how beautiful Bromburg Castle is, it is still a strange foreign land for this brave British girl. Even with Xia Shu's company, she still needs time to adapt slowly. The "tulips" that Xia Shu brought back from Hill Manor back then was undoubtedly another important spiritual sustenance for her.

The "Black Wind" under the crotch of Xia Shu is also a tall and strong Trekna horse. They have light gaits, elegant and gorgeous, with an innate noble temperament, and are calm and gentle and friendly to people. On the land of their hometown, they enjoy the joy of running, and their smooth manes shine under the sun...

Well?

Suddenly seeing the shining points in the distant mountains and forests, Xia Shu stood at the foot, shrouded the sun with his hands, and looked into the distance. The streams, puddles and glass fragments in the mountains may reflect, but he is familiar with the forest, with dense vegetation and abundant branches and leaves. Except for the hunting season, people rarely set foot in it.

"Hey, guys!" Xia Shu called the officers to her side and let them observe the mountains and forests in the distance quietly. Not long after, Navy Captain Chilman took the lead in capturing the strange shining point.

"It's probably a telescope." He said with a warning look, "Someone is watching us."

Xia Shu roughly judged that the location of the reflective spots was more than 2,000 meters away, far beyond the range of the rifle. Moreover, before the first battle entered a white-hot stage, military sniper technology did not really develop, so the peeper itself did not have a direct threat, but the opponent's reconnaissance was obviously paving the way for the next step of action.

"Have you ever held offensive combat training on land?" Natsuki asked Chilman.

"No." The Navy Captain replied truthfully, "I don't think our duties include land attack."

"Try it out?"

“You mean…”

"Suppose that is the enemy. Take one of your platoons to launch an attack. After capturing the enemy's positions, you need to start a battlefield cleaning."

Chilman thought for a while, turned to Eckerler and said, "Lieutenant, this task is handed over to your platoon. Please follow the requirements your highness just said!"

"As for the order." Eckerler's answer was not hesitant, but before leaving, he looked at Xia Shu and seemed to have realized that this was not an easy task.

When Eckerler assembled troops and ordered the soldiers to go to the forest in three trucks, Charlotte rode his horse to Xia Shu and asked with curiosity: "What happened?"

"Oh, we made a bet to see if the navy soldiers are competent for the Army, right gentlemen?"

Because Xia Shu spoke English, the German officers did not have to worry about the kind lies, and Charlotte did not notice this. She took out her handkerchief and carefully helped Xia Shu wipe the stains on her face. The officers grinned one by one.

More than four hours later, Xia Shu took Charlotte and the officers for afternoon tea, and Eckerler returned to the castle in a stinky sweat.

"Hey, Carl." Natsuki guided before Eckerler spoke, "Your offensive exercise doesn't seem to be going well?"

Eckerler was a smart man. He immediately understood what Xia Shu meant. In front of Charlotte, he did not mention the peeper, but said implicitly: "I think our attack speed is not fast enough, and the soldiers lack the experience of sweeping the battlefield. If it is a real battle, the enemy will definitely slip away. Next time, we can do better next time."

Natsuki signaled him to sit down and rest, and then asked Lieutenant Von Seth: "His Excellency Baron, your troops should have other weapons in addition to pistols and rifles!"

"If you refer to our infantry regiment, there are artillery companies equipped with field artillery and machine gun companies equipped with Maxim machine guns, if you are the troops under my command, there is a Maderson machine rifle for support firepower and long-handled grenades, but they are all sealed in the warehouse and cannot be activated without authorization without the order of the Corps Command."

Chilman said with envy: "Once we leave the garrison, we only have pistols and rifles."

From the perspective of later generations, Xia Shu was certainly clear about the difference. The Maderson machine rifle, also known as the light machine gun in the future, can effectively fill the gap between rifles and heavy machine guns. If each platoon is issued one, the battlefield firepower will be significantly greater than that of the infantry troops that simply use traditional rifles, but its high cost restricts its promotion and popularization. According to historical records, before the outbreak of World War I, more than a dozen countries purchased such weapons or imitation licenses from Denmark, but the number of truly equipped troops was not large. In Germany, the Maderson machine gun using 8mm Mauser bullets was mainly distributed to mountain troops and a few elite corpses that were difficult to use heavy machine guns, and the Royal Guards Infantry Regiment was one of them.

Xia Shu had considered the issue of Marine Corps personnel and weapons equipment for a long time, and later put it aside for various reasons. With the German Navy's fleet of marines and recruits recruited every year, it did not take a long time to form several brigades or division-level marines. However, as Lieutenant Seth and Captain Bernarden said, a qualified marine unit is not only a matter of people and equipment, but sufficient training and running-in can form tactical qualities, which are reflected in actual combat.

"Then, Mr. Baron, let's take a look at the performance of the army leader!" Xia Shu said.
Chapter completed!