Chapter 0213: Moltke's Doubt

The news of the 8th German Army's overwhelming victory at the Battle of Tannenberg, where they annihilated an entire Russian army and destroyed over 150,000 enemy soldiers, was promptly reported to the German General Staff, the Ministry of War, and Kaiser Wilhelm II.

When the report arrived, Kaiser Wilhelm II was already at the General Staff headquarters receiving updates on the war's progress. The Minister of War, von Falkenhayn, was also present, so the three of them learned of the victory almost simultaneously.

At that moment, the general situation of the war was still relatively favorable for Germany. On the Western Front, the Germans had made significant breakthroughs. Although the Belgians were still resisting, the passage had been opened, allowing the main German forces to advance into northern France. While much time had been spent and many troops had been lost, Germany still held firm control over the course of the war.

Thus, Kaiser Wilhelm II was in fairly good spirits. Chief of the General Staff Moltke, whose power had expanded further during wartime, was also pleased. If he could lead the German army to victory, he would surely be promoted to Field Marshal. Even after his retirement, he would maintain an exalted status. Even if QinTian ascended the throne as Emperor, he would not be able to undermine Moltke's position.

"What? The 8th Army won on the Eastern Front, defeating over 150,000 enemies? My God! How is that possible?" Wilhelm II could hardly believe it. In this war, his greatest fear had been that the 8th Army would be unable to withstand the Russian advance, which would have dealt a devastating blow to Germany's overall strategy. But now, it seemed the 8th Army had delivered a tremendous surprise—not only repelling the Russians but winning a great victory. This revelation dissolved all his previous doubts.

Moltke's expression, however, fluctuated dramatically. He had assumed that the 8th Army would struggle on the Eastern Front, and even if they managed to hold off the Russians, it would come at a heavy cost. His plan was to send in the pre-prepared reinforcements as saviors and take control of the Eastern Front, thereby stripping QinTian of command over the troops.

Moltke had meticulously calculated everything, but now reality had dealt him a heavy blow.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Crown Prince's victory on the Eastern Front signifies that the Russian threat has been reduced to almost nothing. We can now focus our main forces on attacking France without concern," von Falkenhayn said. He, too, had been worried about the Eastern Front. Although QinTian had been confident in the war, those who had experienced countless battles were not so optimistic. Now, with the 8th Army victorious, Falkenhayn could finally breathe easy.

"Hmph! Minister of War, it's too early to say that. I find it hard to believe that the Crown Prince's 8th Army could have won so easily. The Russian Northwestern Front, which invaded East Prussia, numbered over 500,000. Even with poor combat ability, it's impossible to win such a victory with ease," Moltke scoffed, shaking his head.

Both Wilhelm II and von Falkenhayn's faces darkened. Moltke's words were tantamount to openly accusing QinTian of falsifying the battle report—a serious charge in Germany's strict military culture. If QinTian were guilty of this, Wilhelm II could even use it as grounds to remove him from the position of Crown Prince.

However, Wilhelm II had great faith in QinTian. He did not believe QinTian would resort to such deceit, knowing the severe consequences that would follow if discovered.

"Chief of the General Staff, are you accusing the Crown Prince of dishonesty? He would never do such a thing!" von Falkenhayn retorted sharply.

"Minister of War, I am not accusing the Crown Prince. I am merely expressing doubt. Is the Crown Prince beyond suspicion?" Moltke replied, resolutely.

Wilhelm II cast a deep glance at Moltke. He now realized that the tension between Moltke and QinTian had grown so severe that it was affecting Germany's war effort.

"It seems this issue must be addressed," Wilhelm II thought to himself.

"Send someone to immediately investigate the truth of the Battle of Tannenberg," Wilhelm II commanded, his face stern.

Moltke felt a twinge of regret when he saw Wilhelm II's expression. However, the situation had already unfolded, and it was too late to turn back. He could only press on.

Within half an hour, using the royal intelligence system, Wilhelm II had obtained a detailed report on the Battle of Tannenberg.

After reviewing the report, Wilhelm II's anger faded, replaced by a hint of a smile.

"Take a look for yourselves," he said, handing the report to Moltke and von Falkenhayn.

Moltke's face turned black as coal after reading the report. He now regretted casting doubt on QinTian. But the words had been spoken, and there was no way to retract them. Worse yet, he had offended Wilhelm II, which would clearly cost him dearly.

Von Falkenhayn burst into laughter. "Well, Chief of the General Staff, do you still have anything to say?" he taunted.

"It seems I did indeed wrongly accuse the Crown Prince. However, the 8th Army has only defeated the Russian 2nd Army. There's still the stronger 1st Army, and Russia will surely send reinforcements to the front. So the 8th Army still faces tremendous pressure," Moltke stubbornly insisted.

Von Falkenhayn smirked but chose not to pursue the matter further.

Wilhelm II shook his head. "There's no need to worry about the Eastern Front for now. I trust that Oscar will secure victory there. Deploy all the reserved forces to the Western Front. That's where our focus should be," he commanded decisively, unwilling to waste further time on the issue.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Moltke replied, though with clear reluctance. He knew that Wilhelm II's displeasure with him had deepened because of today's events. Yet, rather than reflecting on his own actions, Moltke blamed everything on QinTian, growing even more resentful of him.