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Ludendorff finally finished his work after a busy day. There were many Congress bills today, so the entire Congress discussion took a long time. Most Member of Parliament may only choose to listen carefully and vote on bills that interest them or are relevant to their own interests. However, Ludendorff is not like that. He always actively participates in all bills, inserting a few words on any topic to draw attention to this general in Army General and General Staff uniform. Despite being nearly sixty years old, Ludendorff always tirelessly attacks those with different opinions, so some people privately call Ludendorff a combative rooster.
Ludendorff took a car back to his own villa, which was a house spanning the city center. Although not very large, its unique geographical location allowed it to be visible from any position on the street.
In Ludendorff's words, "A general must always observe the world from a high vantage point in order to have a better perspective to control the overall situation."
Upon opening the door, Ludendorff felt somewhat strange. The servant who usually greeted him at the door on time was nowhere to be seen. Surprisingly, there was not a single person in the entire yard, a very rare occurrence.
"Could it be that there are visitors at home?" Ludendorff couldn't remember the last time someone had come to the house and made all the servants forget about their master, except for old Maoki.
With a puzzled mind, Ludendorff crossed the yard and used the key to open the front door of the house. It had been a long time since he had opened the door himself, and Ludendorff took a while to find his own key.
But his doubts disappeared immediately.
"Indeed, only this guy would make my servants so fearful," Ludendorff thought to himself. The scene before his eyes was a far cry from the desolate courtyard outside the door, with all the servants bustling around to serve the guests, whom Ludendorff had always seen as rebellious and contrary. Now, the maid who used to be defiant was eagerly seeking the guest's autograph, even asking those without paper to sign on her apron. However, when the guest saw Ludendorff's arrival, he requested the chattering maids to step aside. His slow and powerful voice mesmerized the maids, and the respect they showed far outweighed any affection.
"I feel like you are more like the master here, Mr. Hindenburg," said Ludendorff in a drawn-out tone.
"No one is the master of this land; we are all just passing through," Hindenburg replied nonchalantly.
"That may not be the case. Who doesn't admire the great Field Marshal Hindenburg? The armies he commanded were invincible, leading the German people from one victory to another," Ludendorff said somewhat cryptically.
"You don't have to be like this. If I really had been invincible and unbeatable, then Germany wouldn't have gone from one victory to another, only to end up signing the Treaty of Versailles." Hindenburg said somewhat helplessly.
"I know you resent me, feeling that I took the fruits of your victory in the European war and became the hero of Germany. But this is what the country needs. Germany needs a heroic figure to inspire morale, and besides, you and I both know that our proudest achievement, the Battle of Tannenberg, was actually the masterpiece of General Maximilian Hoffmann."
"What's the point of discussing this now? Everything is already settled. People always have to look forward." Ludendorff took off his uniform, pulled out a cigar from the pocket of his jacket, and started smoking, the thick smoke making Hindenburg cough repeatedly.
"Sorry, I forgot you had quit smoking." Ludendorff looked guilty as he crushed the cigar on the table.
"I hope you did forget." Hindenburg maintained his composure, not supporting his outburst, which was why he got along well with most subordinates, but apparently not Ludendorff.
"I came today to discuss the matter of the National Socialist German Workers' Party with you."
"National Socialist Party, is there anything worth discussing? Although I joined this party, it only has thirty-two seats in Congress, which is not considered a significant force at all," Ludendorff said dismissively.
Just a few days ago, due to the assassination of President Albert, the presidential election, which was supposed to start in July, was held early. Ludendorff wanted to use the National Socialist Party to cheer for himself, but in the end, he only received 1.1% of the votes. This made him very angry, especially because the private mockery of the Member of Parliament was still fresh in his mind.
What's even more frustrating is that the winner of the presidential election is the current obstacle in his path. Now Ludendorff feels that Hindenburg's purpose in this trip is to humiliate him.
"Don't just look at the surface of things. Although the National Socialist Party is just a small party, it has a very strong propaganda ideology and capability. As long as it is given the right environment, it can quickly take root, sprout, and grow. This is something that you and I both know."
"You want to support the National Socialist Party?" Ludendorff was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, the National Socialist Party has cleared obstacles for me to ascend to the presidency, so both morally and logically, I should support them. My plan is to appoint their party leader, Hitler, as the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications for Germany."
"Then you should be even more grateful to Strasser, shouldn't you?" Ludendorff mocked. "He personally arranged the operation to help you take down President Albert, and now he's thriving in Berlin. How can you repay kindness with enmity?"
"For me personally, there is no difference between supporting Hitler or Strasser; to me, they are both just tools. But the people behind me do not think that way."
"We have an insider planted in the Berlin Country Social Democratic Party who has sent over the new 'Twenty-Five Points Program' drafted by Strasser's faction. Once Strasser rises to power, he plans to redistribute land and wealth. Although the Juncker nobility has fallen from grace, they still control a significant amount of manors and real estate in Germany. Do you think we would support his rise to power?"
"I don't care," Ludendorff replied nonchalantly, though he silently noted the presence of an insider in Berlin.
"Those behind you are still clinging tightly to their land. My supporters are purely military personnel; if Strasser wants land, let him take it. After all, I only own this one house. Does he expect me to sleep on the streets?"
This guy is really like a stone in the well, stinky and hard. Hindenburg It's just too much.
"We're a united family, honor and shame shared by all, why can't you just put aside your grudge and follow me?"
"Since we're both ants on the same thread, why should I follow you instead of you following me?" Ludendorff he asked in return.
Ludendorff is most disgusted by the damn bloodline system in Germany, where only hereditary Juncker nobility can serve as the supreme commander. It's because of his humble background that he couldn't become the commander on the Eastern Front of the European War. Hindenburg took his place, and in Ludendorff's view, it was Hindenburg who snatched away the glory that should have been his.
Ludendorff stared fixedly at Hindenburg, who just looked at him expressionlessly.
After a long time, Hindenburg let out a long sigh.
"Is it really that important who the leader is? If you insist on occupying that position, I'll give it to you once the nobility of Juncker reestablishes its dominance over the National Defense Forces in Germany."
Ludendorff suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh so tragic and terrifying that his mustache twisted with the spasms of his muscles, and his face was completely filled with wrinkles. He laughed with all his might, as if trying to expel all the injustices and suffering he had endured from 1914 to 1918.
After a long while, when the room was no longer filled with the unpleasant sound of laughter akin to a tearing machine, Ludendorff lifted his head.
"Hindenburg, you really underestimated me. Power and status used to mean a lot to me, but now," he turned and pulled a command knife from the display case on the wall, "power is important, but nothing is more important than you."
Hannover is raining at night, and the weather during the spring equinox is still cold at night. Out of nostalgia and concern for his old comrade, Ludendorff personally drove to escort Hindenburg back to his manor. Throughout the journey, the two did not speak again. Ludendorff drove while holding a cigar, and Hindenburg remained silent.
The guard on duty at the gate, Rudel, saw a car with its lights on approaching from a distance. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the owner of the manor had returned. He hurriedly ran out to open the iron gate of the manor, then respectfully stood at the entrance holding an umbrella, waiting to open the door and assist Old Marshal out of the car when it stopped.
At that moment, Ludendorff got out of the car in the light rain, saluted Hindenburg, just as they did when they first met in 1914, and then silently returned to the car to prepare to leave.
Hindenburg, who had been squinting, couldn't help but shout, "Be careful on the slippery road in the rain." The Audi didn't stop, but instead accelerated and rushed out. Hindenburg watched Ludendorff getting smaller and smaller until he disappeared from sight. His pupils began to dilate continuously until his sharp gaze returned, and he added in his mind,
"Ludendorff, your road is running out."
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