I will be crowned king

Ludwig was very satisfied with this evaluation. Although it was the suggestion made by Viscount Bogner, he had already regarded it as his own plan.

There is even his own calculation in this, which is to intimidate the eight generals who hold military power by expanding their armed forces, and also weaken Anson Bach's influence in their "small conspiracy group".

Although he took on the important task of liaising with the army and planning to overthrow the War Department, Ludwig knew that he had a very serious shortcoming, that is, he had no military power.

Among the thirteen generals who will take charge of the entire Army Department in the future, only he and two senior staff officers of the Army Staff Department, plus the dean of the Royal Military Academy, have no military power; the two staff officers are neutrals who have been won over. The influence of the dean of the Military Academy is deep-rooted; even if Ludwig has some reputation within the army, he cannot be easily touched.

Under such circumstances, once the new Army Ministry is established, he, who is young and has no military power, will easily become a marginalized existence; no matter how much Ludwig can bear it, he cannot accept this result.

It was not appropriate to weaken his own people at the moment, so he could only level the gap and minimize the importance of the army in this conspiracy, which became the most beneficial choice for him.

Even Ludwig has a certain advantage in this regard... With the financial resources of the Franz family, it is not difficult to arm several street militia groups; and then win over the Whitehall Street police, plus the previous suppression of the Clovis City riots With his reputation, it is not difficult to become the nominal commander of this "two hundred thousand militia".

As the direct heir of the Franz family, Ludwig also had his own ambitions.

Although he also regarded Anson as a friend, he had to admit that when he saw Anson win the trial and gather enough power to compete with the War Department, a trace of jealousy flashed in his heart.

To be honest, he was somewhat apprehensive when he mentioned this plan; it was not until he heard that Anson agreed that his conflicted and complicated heart finally calmed down.

After watching the troubled Ludwig leave, Anson did not rush to leave the shotgun club. Instead, he entrusted a young officer to run errands and call Carl Bain over for him.

Half an hour later, the chief of staff of the Storm Legion hurriedly walked into the club door, taking Teacher Erich with him as expected.

This is also Anson's purpose: the other party knows that he has just met with the archbishop's son, and is anxious to make sure that his most core confidants - at least in their eyes - will realize the importance of the matter, as someone who has just recently Joining the Cabal's shotgun club is certainly not to be missed.

The two of them listened carefully to his two-minute general narration, and fell into silence at the same time. In the end, Karl was the first to react and couldn't help but say:

"I asked, are they planning to demolish the city of Clovis and then build a new one?"

"It's possible, but that's not the point." Anson answered straight to the point:

"The point is that we cannot let go of this good opportunity. The plans of Ludwig and Viscount Bogner will definitely plunge the entire city of Clovis into turmoil, but the turmoil may not be an opportunity for us."

"To put it simply, if the Ministry of War is overthrown normally and a collegial system under the joint jurisdiction of thirteen generals is established, the middle and lower-level officers from the Storm Legion or the Skirmisher Division will get too little - regardless of military rank, They are at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers, reputation, and status.”

"But mobilizing the entire city of Clovis...if it works properly, it might be able to make the officers of the doctrinal faction of the Continental Army lose power and give the skirmishers a chance to show off."

"Oh?" A glint flashed in the corner of Teacher Erich's eyes: "Please explain in more detail."

"According to Ludwig's expectations, if we want to eliminate the threat and advantage of the army to Clovis City, at least 200,000 or even 300,000 militiamen must be mobilized." Anson stretched out his index finger and tapped the table lightly with his knuckles:

"Based on the inventory of various military factories in the city, the black market and the weapons secretly hidden by various civil groups, not to mention 200,000, 500,000 militiamen with rifles are more than enough; but 500,000 people with weapons in their hands are not equal to Five hundred thousand soldiers are not even equal to an army."

"To suddenly form such a large army, what do you think they lack?"

Facing Anson's question, the two people who looked at each other almost said in unison:

"……officer?!"

"And he's a middle- and lower-level officer who knows how to fight and train new recruits!" Anson nodded slightly:

"We estimate based on at least 200,000 people. The limit of a company is almost 200 people. 200,000 people...that's a thousand companies. The grassroots officers alone need 3,000 people to be effective."

"There are bodyguards controlled by security companies, guards trusted by wealthy nobles, and veterans who have been discharged and re-employed... After deducting all these people, there must be a gap of at least two thousand officers."

"Whoever can fill this gap will be able to take absolute leadership in the operation to defend Clovis City - on the contrary, if it cannot be filled, even if it can become a nominal commander, it will not play any role at all. .”

As he spoke, Anson looked meaningfully at Teacher Erich who was already eager to try: "I don't know if you understand that this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Skirmisher Division; if you miss it, there will be no second chance."

"It couldn't be clearer!"

Erich gave him a trembling look with excitement: "Two thousand officers... don't worry, leave them to me!"

Seeing that the school teacher was almost unable to sit still, Karl couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "I don't doubt you... These are two thousand officers. Have you really thought about it clearly?"

"Of course!" Teacher Erich straightened his back, quite confident that he had everything under control: "There are about two hundred core members of the shotgun club. I don't need to explain, these are all in Officer."

"In addition, the several clubs that we have good relations with can gather together about 500 people, and then they can find their friends, classmates, and subordinates... 3,000 people may not be realistic, but two people Thousand Jue is more than enough!”

"Brigadier General Anson Bach, I have understood what you mean. The key to this 'war' is not who is the leader, but which side can recruit more troops in its own name, or to be precise, more The officer who is the leader will be able to take the initiative."

"Yes, you understand very thoroughly." Anson nodded slightly: "Because they are not taken seriously in the Army Department, and at the same time, there are a large number of officers from the Skirmisher Division who are frequently suppressed and unemployed, so we have a first-mover advantage in this regard."

"As long as it is played properly, the advantage at the beginning can quickly overwhelm all forces."

Anssen's vowing tone made Instructor Erich even more excited: "With five hundred core skirmisher officers, plus a thousand friendly troops on our side, the status of the Shotgun Club will be unshakable!"

Facing his gaze, one of the two people with different expressions fell silent, while the other was already restless.

Although he couldn't wait any longer, Teacher Erich still showed no sign of leaving. He pursed his lips tightly and sweat flowed uncontrollably from his temples.

The commander-in-chief of the Storm Legion and the shareholder of New World Company slowly raised his head, showed a tacit smile, and said slowly:

"Of course, I also know that mobilizing two thousand people at once is indeed no small project; not to mention the difficulty of recruiting so many outsiders...it must be there."

"Indeed, I'm worried about this too." Teacher Erich sighed and stared at Anson with sharp eyes: "I really don't know what to do to make them join willingly?"

"Teacher Erich, do you have any ideas?"

"I'm... not afraid of your jokes. I really didn't think of any good ideas. Where are you, Brigadier General Anson Bach?"

"No, after all, I just learned about Major General Ludwig's plan, so I told you quickly."

"Thank you so much for this, but if you can't seize it, no matter how good the opportunity is, it's useless!"

"Who says it isn't?"

...You two looked at me and I looked at you, tacitly blaming each other, waiting for the other person to take the initiative to speak out the answer that everyone knew.

Until Carl Bain suddenly spoke, a sigh interrupted this seemingly endless discussion:

"Well... I have an idea, why don't we consider buying them off?"

The two people who had their attention turned around with their eyes wide open, as if they had heard some amazing and brilliant idea.

"The biggest shortage in Clovis City right now is food. How about spending some money to purchase some food?" Karl rolled his eyes, but deliberately put on the expression he just thought of:

"We are all friends, and we are holding generous gifts, so we can't refuse them too simply, right?"

For a moment, the three people who looked at each other were silent.

The dim light swayed above the heads of the three people, reflecting a demonic shadow that kept shaking behind the sincere and resolute faces.

"Lieutenant Colonel Carl Bain, you...are truly an amazing genius!"

Teacher Erich was the first to speak, with such a sincere and solemn expression: "Such a good idea, why didn't I think of it?!"

Karl forced a smile, the corners of his eyes twitching crazily.

"Of course." Anson immediately took over: "Excellent deputy officers like Carl...I mean chief of staff, Clovis can count them all on one hand."

"You still have courage!"

Erich immediately added, while staring at Anson meaningfully: "To bribe more than a thousand officers at the same time, this kind of courage... is not something ordinary people can have."

"I agree." Anson nodded slightly: "In the New World, Carl Bain controlled six major colonies and the life supply line of millions of people; without his operation, the result of the Holy War would not be what it is today."

"At that time, the blink of his eyelids every day was the difference between the life and death of hundreds of people; if this kind of work involving logistics and finance was left to him, it would be absolutely foolproof."

“I feel the same way about that.”

Teacher Erich nodded and looked at the chief of staff solemnly: "Then Lieutenant Colonel Carl Bain, from today on, I will leave all the financial work of the shotgun club to you."

As he said that, he suddenly held Karl's hands, shook them hard, and then quickly stood up and left.

Carl, whose cheeks were stiff with laughter, watched the other person's back. It took a long time before he finally recovered. He turned to look at Anson, who had a playful expression, and snorted angrily:

"Are you satisfied?"

"How can it be?!"

The corner of Anson's mouth raised, and a strange look flashed in the corner of his eyes: "This is just the beginning. If we want to completely make the officers from the Skirmisher Division bow their heads obediently and obey our orders and commands, we have to wait a little longer."

"It's you, not us." Karl corrected his slip of the tongue: "Also, do you really think that a mutiny can make the officers of the Skirmisher Division obey you?"

"Of course they will, as long as they think about replacing the Bayonet Club, overthrowing the Continental Army doctrine, and making Skirmishers the most prominent military doctrine of Clovis."

Anson looked confident: "Of course the latter is temporarily impossible. After all, the foundation of the Continental Army's doctrine is too strong, but no matter how difficult it is, it won't stop someone from dreaming, right?"

Karl nodded in agreement. He had long been numb to the shamelessness of his commander-in-chief.

However, he doesn't pity the middle- and lower-level officers who are destined to be exploited... Tools are not something you can become if you want to. Since you are willing to sacrifice your life, don't regret that you are being used, not to mention that what you give here is real. Gold and silver, what’s up with a little pie to make everyone happy?

As for the pie, there may be no way to cash it in the end... As long as you are not a fool, you will not think of using it to make excuses.

"What about the Storm Legion? What will they do next?"

"Do nothing. At least at the beginning, we must strictly maintain neutrality." Anson's expression became a little more serious:

"Ludwig will soon help us get an order to move the army into the city. Before that, the Storm Legion must not do anything strange, even after entering the city - unless it is absolutely necessary, it is best not to participate in the mutiny. Amidst the melee between the legion and the city militia.”

"No matter which side you fight with, it will be difficult to escape the reckoning afterwards; and as long as you are not involved, even if everyone knows that the Storm Legion is the mastermind behind the overthrow of the Ministry of War, the responsibility will not fall on us."

"There is only one time for the Storm Legion to take action, and that is when the mutinous army is about to threaten the inner city and even the Osteria Palace. As a force to end everything and reverse the situation, we can prove our loyalty to the royal family!"

Karl nodded, but there was another question:

"If I remember correctly, Major General Ludwig's plan was to mobilize the militia to frighten the legions outside the city, so that they would give up attacking Clovis City and cut off the War Department's hope of defeating the enemy."

"From the beginning to the end of the entire plan, there seems to be no mention of fighting the mutinous army."

"Really?" Anson blinked:

"Then maybe...he forgot, right?"