The 6th section of Jinbang has fully transitioned into defense.

  Bao Ke's eyes, sunken and angular, swept around the room before reporting on the well-known battle situation. Then, with a sudden change in tone, he spoke clearly and distinctly:

  "The next plan of the Central Group of Forces is to resolutely aim at capturing Moscow, probably by mid-November, after the ground freezes, our armored forces can continue to advance and annihilate the enemy's remnants. Then, I ask you, my Führer, on a certain day in December, to review the troops on Red Square."

  As he spoke, a radiant glow appeared on the emaciated face of Bao Keke, and Boruo Xiqi and Hare nodded repeatedly. Even Li De temporarily forgot his identity, becoming intoxicated with this beautiful prospect.

  "Hepner, you talk," said Li De without raising his head. He remembered that the commander of the 4th Tank Army was opposed to the offensive.

  "I agree with General Bok's battle plan," Hepburn said calmly.

  This time it was Li De's turn to be astonished. He stared blankly, his eyes fixed intently on Hepburn, like an Indian snake charmer.

  Heppner looked him straight in the eye and said, word for word: "Because since the end of October I have been advocating to switch to defense, but every time I was rebuked."

  A shout at the entrance: "General Goodrian has arrived."

  The commander of the 2nd Tank Group Army, covered in mud, strode in, with people nearby scurrying to get out of his way, clearing a path for him all the way to the Führer's face, where he reported in a loud and coarse voice:

  "My Führer, please forgive my tardiness. From Rostov, I came here in a Russian T-26 tank, and along the way, we were attacked several times because the insignia on the tank was caked with mud, so we were mistaken for Russians... Ah, Heppner, I heard that ten days ago, the Führer was ambushed? How is it that even here there are partisans? At the beginning of August, when General Geyer and I took this place with the 9th Army, crowds of civilians welcomed us with bread and salt, watching as we ate before letting us go."

  "Your timing is perfect, Goodrian. Let's get back to the matter at hand. We were discussing our next course of action. Marshal Bouck plans to continue the offensive, and this plan has the full support of Army Headquarters. What are your thoughts?" Li De asked his beloved general.

  "I am executing the command." He replied mechanically.

  Lee's disappointment was evident. The two armored division generals had hoped to dig in and defend, but were intimidated by their superiors' authority and did not dare express their true thoughts. He decided to stimulate them a bit, so he let the Army Commander talk about the attack plan they had already formulated.

  Under Haldane's encouraging gaze, Brauchitsch discussed the points of attack: in mid-November, to envelop Moscow from both wings, but was met with unanimous opposition from the two generals who were supposed to lead the breakthrough on both wings. Hoepner had long advocated for digging in for the winter, but didn't want to say it out loud. Guderian was frustrated by the repeated failures to take Tula and didn't have the heart to attack Moscow 200 kilometers away.

  Everyone suddenly started talking about the issue of winter clothing, and General Wagner, the Quartermaster General, was fired at. He looked at Ludendorff with a sense of grievance because as early as August, Hindenburg had ordered him to prepare winter clothing for the soldiers on the Eastern Front, but Hitler forbade him from discussing the issue of winter clothing in order not to affect morale.

  "Continue." Li De reluctantly stretched out his hand to Harald. Harald rather coquettishly blamed the slow progress of Strauss's Ninth Army: "Your attack is like a waltz, elegant in posture but always turning in circles on the spot."

  A stifled guffaw echoed through the carriage. Even Li De couldn't help but curl up his lips, then he asked the two commanders of the armored units leading the attack again if they supported the attack? This time the two responded quickly: Goodrian straightened up and shouted loudly:

  "Attack? What to attack with? I've been attacking Tula since October 9, and still can't take it down. Why is that? The Russian troops transferred from the Far East are equipped with T-34 tanks and rocket artillery. Once, their rocket artillery fired a salvo, and my entire tank regiment was engulfed in flames, it was terrifying." He still has lingering fear.

  Heppner also shouted, waving his arms: "As early as the end of October, I repeatedly asked to stop the offensive. Why? Because the armored units were stuck in the mud, the soldiers were starving, the tanks had no gasoline, there were no bullets in the guns, and a harsh winter was approaching. But from above, we were again and again given tasks that could not be fulfilled. I ask once more, for the last time, to switch to defense before the ground freezes." Having said this, he turned his head away with a snort, avoiding the hostile gaze of Haldre.

  A deadly silence, someone didn't close the gate properly and let out a long fart, but no one laughed, showing how heavy the atmosphere was.

  Li De slowly stood up, this was a familiar speech posture, the fate of the decision was about to be made, dozens of pairs of eyes stared at him, he tried his best to imitate Hitler's tone, and surprisingly, he imitated it very well:

  "In light of everyone's opinions and the current situation, I would like to bring to your attention the following facts before making a final decision:"

  The vanguard of the 4th Army Group has reached a place 40 miles from Moscow, and it is still possible to occupy Moscow before winter. Of course, this requires replenishment of supplies and winter clothing. Also consider: Does the occupation of Moscow mean that Stalin will surrender? Will there be a counterattack?

  We can switch to defense, to save manpower, especially the precious armored troops and motorized infantry. This is also what most of the generals - if not the highest-ranking generals in the army - have been advocating for, because since Barbarossa our military has achieved the greatest achievements in history, we have captured 30 million Soviet soldiers, destroyed 18,354 tanks... The numbers that Reinhardt recited overnight continued to pour out, and Reinhardt was amazed by the Führer's incredible memory.

  "My conclusion: if we can get winter clothing and the Central Army Group can get logistical support of 34 trains per day, I agree to take risks and fight to the death to capture Moscow in the winter. However, at present, we cannot even guarantee one-third of our supplies, what are we going to use for an offensive? This is a problem."

  Li De took a sip of water, his throat itched unbearably, and with strong willpower suppressed the urge to smoke, then said: "Secondly, there is a Chinese saying: 'All things are accomplished, nothing more than heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and harmony among people.' We can't even stand on one leg, so the sooner we switch to defense the better."

  Everyone looked at each other, and Li De said the third reason: "From all aspects of measurement, our current military action has reached the peak of offense as Clauswitz said." Li De was satisfied to see that most people nodded frequently.

  "Switching to defense requires time to build fortifications, and the amount of cement needed is astronomical." He said as he searched for paper and pen to calculate on the table. Others felt a chill in their hearts and secretly wiped sweat for him.

  As expected, Li De gazed at him and said word by word: "My commander-in-chief, you can't really intend to build field fortifications with cement in the icy snow, can you? Think about it, a month later, under the severe cold of minus 40 degrees, what will these muddy waters all over the fields turn into?"

  "It's going to take a lot of cement to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Army." Goebbels said with a mixture of schadenfreude and mock seriousness.

  Braunhilde's face was as red as a cooked shrimp, and sweat dripped down her broad forehead. Harald also felt the heat on his face.

  Another deathly silence. After a while, Lee De broke the embarrassing situation and allowed a limited force to launch an attack. "It's enough to dispatch one corps from the Third Armored Group and one army from the Second Armored Army. Didn't you say that Russia's reserve troops have been exhausted? Even if we can't occupy Moscow, we can cover our construction of defensive fortifications."

  Before parting, Hitler comforted Halder and others by saying that just as he had predicted Stalin would hold a military parade, he also predicted that the Soviet army would launch a large-scale counterattack. Halder snorted in his nostrils and quickly left, Liddell saw tears flashing in his eyes, and couldn't help but soften his heart, catching up with him and putting his hand on his shoulder. Halder was also somewhat moved, taking out his handkerchief to wipe away the tears from his glasses.

  "Believe me, Hald," said Lee emotionally. "As the commander-in-chief, I must be standing higher and seeing further than you. For the future of the German nation, we must be cautious."

  Harold muttered: "You are the leader, you have the final say, but we insist on attacking, not just for fame and fortune."

  Lee De again patted his shoulder and said to Borowski: "Issue the order in my name: cancel those two orders issued before the attack on the Soviet Union."

  Braunhut and Hald exchanged a glance, asking hastily: "The Commissar Order?"

  Li De nodded: "Yes. In fact, these two orders are quite harmful to our army."

  "Heppner interjected: 'What the Führer said is absolutely right. When I took over Rostov, the population was very welcoming to us, but as soon as the SS arrived everything changed. Their actions led many Russians to join the partisans.'"

  "Immediately revoke those two orders." Li De said resolutely. The German generals present smiled, delighted to restore the traditional virtues of the German army. General Bock rushed to Li De's side and said: "My Führer, although you vetoed my plan to attack Moscow, I appreciate your wise decision just now."

  Lee De said to the emaciated marshal: "Practice will soon prove that my veto of your plan to attack Moscow was also quite wise."

  "I believe in the leadership of the Yuan Shuai." Although General Bao's eyes still shone with skepticism, at least he looked less hostile now.

  Brauchitsch whispered to Halder: "This Keitel, in our presence he is in a hurry to resume the offensive, and in the Fuehrer's presence? He is in a hurry to flatter."

  "The people of Brandenburg are good at flattering. At the age of 61, he has already become a marshal, and if he continues to flatter, he can go up to heaven?" Halder said viciously.