He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 510

(510) Napoleon’s Triumvirs Scatter

The fastest moving Marshal was always Massena.

“Where the hell is that crazy old man of Prussia!”

But now, he was the slowest.

After the Battle of Dortmund, Massena advanced towards the Netherlands, of all places.

It was already an independent nation controlled by anti-French forces, but there were no troops to stop Massena’s 2nd Corps of 50,000 men.

Rather, being in enemy territory, they were requisitioning needed military supplies without restraint.

The problem was that in this place, ‘Eindhoven,’ only traces of Prussia could be found.

“Your Excellency, Archduke of Essling, it would be best to retreat from here.”

“Suchet, I have never missed an enemy I aimed for.”

“But this battlefield is not yours, is it?”

Lieutenant General Suchet pointed out sharply.

This was not Massena’s battlefield.

If it were a battlefield where he was directly commanding as commander-in-chief, Massena could act as he pleased.

However, Napoleon was clearly in command, and this was a war that would determine the fate of the French Empire.

Suchet spoke forcefully to Massena, who was frowning deeply.

“His Imperial Majesty is the protagonist of this battlefield. You should return.”

It wasn’t just a matter of the Emperor’s pride.

Currently, the French Empire was officially at war with the Anti-French Alliance.

Although all Anti-French Alliance nations except Britain had been defeated, France had not completely subdued those nations.

In this situation, what would happen if they didn’t rally around Napoleon and annihilate the British army?

Political issues aside, there was a great risk that the Imperial Army would be defeated piecemeal strategically.

Moreover, considering that France itself was in the midst of a civil war, it could lead to an irreversible situation.

For example, France could be seized by the anti-Imperial faction.

However, Massena, the former revolutionary army general who had now become a hereditary aristocrat, shouted.

“It’s not just a matter of pride! What if the Prussian army arrives while the battle is in full swing!”

This was also a strategic issue.

Suppose they ignored Prussia and joined Napoleon.

What would happen if Prussia struck them in the back then?

As in the original history, there was a risk that the French Imperial Army would collapse.

If the homeland was in perfect condition and subsequent reserve troops had been dispatched, there would be no need to worry about this.

However, France was in the midst of a civil war, and the Grande Armée was fighting without reinforcements.

Moreover, after the Battle of Leipzig, the number of the Grande Armée had decreased considerably.

Originally, it was a large army boasting 230,000 Grande Armée soldiers and 300,000 including Russian auxiliaries.

However, currently, excluding the wounded and auxiliaries, the total strength was around 150,000.

Furthermore, the most important main force was only now entering Flanders.

In this situation, if the Prussian army attacked the incomplete Grande Armée, there was a high possibility of a significant blow.

“Damn it, we need King Eugene at times like this!”

“Why are you suddenly looking for His Majesty the King of Spain?”

“King Eugene is the best at finding things like this. Just like a magician!”

Massena shouted, and Chief of Staff Serboni, who was looking at him with a dumbfounded expression, interjected.

“Stop talking about magicians who aren’t here. Marshal, if we go any further, we won’t be able to find the main force.”

Massena got up from his seat, watching the soldiers engaging in ‘voluntary’ requisitioning on the outskirts of Eindhoven.

Perhaps Massena also acknowledged that it was no longer possible to be tied down by the Prussian army?

However, the words that came out of Massena’s mouth were different.

“No matter what, I can’t just go back.”

“You’ll end up like Marshal Augereau.”

“I know, Serboni! I’m not saying I’ll stay behind and chase the enemy myself!”

Massena suddenly stared at Suchet.

“Suchet, instead of the battlefield of glory, your role is to protect our allies. Can you do it!”

Suchet’s eyes widened.

Suchet also sensed that the next battle would be the final stage of this war.

In any case, Britain had also committed its forces almost desperately.

So, if Napoleon won, the war would be over.

Despite the disadvantages, it was Napoleon’s Grande Armée, which had boasted invincibility until now.

This time too, they would win.

However, instead of a battlefield with clear chances of victory, he was ordered to stop the enemy.

If Lannes, Murat, or Bernadotte were in this position, they would have protested.

“Are you saying we shouldn’t return no matter what?”

“Because if you find the enemy, you have to hold them back with one division.”

“That sounds like you’re telling me to die.”

However, Suchet was a very loyal soldier.

“I will gladly carry out the mission.”

Watching Suchet head towards his direct division, Massena climbed onto his horse.

“Good! Leave only Suchet’s division and tell the entire unit to retreat!”

“Which way are you going?”

“Brussels!”

Massena ordered firmly to Chief of Staff Serboni.

“If that Wellington guy is sane, he’ll settle things in Brussels. That’s the best place to move a large army!”

That was the central city of Flanders.

In the original history, it is the capital of Belgium.

Furthermore, Waterloo is right around the corner.

Massena, the lucky man who intuitively grasped the correct answer, began to retreat.

-Thud, thud!

Leading the 2nd Corps of 40,000 soldiers.

***

The Marshal who arrived closest was the diligent Augereau.

“Your Excellency, is it alright not to support Marshal Massena?”

Chief of Staff, Jean Antoine Verdier, asked.

This was Ligny, the place where Napoleon defeated Blücher just before Waterloo in the original history.

A small city near Namur, only about 30 kilometers from Waterloo.

However, the British army had not yet arrived at Waterloo.

Because of that, Augereau, who was troubled about where to go, shook his head.

“I wouldn’t worry about Massena, unlike others.”

“Really? Aren’t you trusting him too much?”

“He’s different from me. Very flexible and quick to assess the situation. He’ll be back soon.”

Augereau stared at the map placed on the portable desk in the lodging barracks and said.

“Besides, I can’t make the foolish mistake of missing the battlefield again. His Majesty won’t tolerate it three times, Verdier.”

Once in Italy in the past, and once again in Leipzig this time.

Of course, Augereau was a Marshal who had rendered distinguished service by grabbing the enemy’s nape at Austerlitz.

However, Napoleon was originally a superior who was sensitive to small mistakes in the present rather than great achievements in the past.

Therefore, if he missed the battlefield again this time, it was certain that Napoleon would not give him another chance.

Verdier clicked his tongue and asked again.

“I understand, Marshal. Then where will you advance to?”

Augereau frowned and pondered.

What was important now was not where Napoleon was going.

It was where the British army was.

However, with no particular information coming in, Augereau’s options were very limited.

Augereau asked with a hopeful expression.

“Has there been no messenger from the main force?”

“Practically none. Currently, Chief of Staff Berthier is only thinking about moving the entire army to Flanders.”

“Flanders may look small on the map, but it has many forests, plains, and swamps. We need to know exactly where to go.”

Augereau frowned and pointed to a city on the map with his Marshal’s baton.

“Still, Lille, perhaps?”

Verdier tilted his head.

“Why are you thinking of Lille?”

“During the War of the Spanish Succession in the past, the Duke of Marlborough of England and the Duke of Savoy of Austria attacked Lille. As Lille was occupied at the time, France was in extreme crisis.”

“You’re talking about the time before the Battle of Malplaquet.”

It was the story of the time when Louis XIV fought against all of Europe to give the Spanish throne to his grandson.

At that time, England and Austria were France’s main enemies.

However, France did not have Napoleon, and after a series of defeats, the situation developed to the point where they were driven to the border.

Then, the famous generals John Churchill of England and Eugene de Savoy of Austria attacked the border fortress of Lille.

After a fierce battle, Lille fell.

After that, the entire French territory was gripped by a sense of crisis, and Louis XIV sued for peace, but resolved to fight again due to harsh demands.

The battle that took place next was the famous Battle of Malplaquet.

After losing this battle, France was cornered, but barely managed to survive.

If England refers to the old war, Lille is a strong candidate for attack.

Augereau said, looking at Lille.

“So, if a man named Wellington advances aiming for political effect, there is a high possibility that he will aim for Lille.”

It was a reasonable, rational, and logical judgment.

Although he felt something was strange, Verdier found it difficult to find fault with the judgment of his respected superior.

Verdier eventually nodded.

“I understand. Staff, the direction is the old border fortress of Flanders, ‘Lille’. Tell all battalion commanders of each division!”

“Yes, Chief of Staff!”

“Hurry. We’re already late!”

Watching Verdier urge the messengers busily, Augereau muttered.

“Yes, I can’t let the Emperor die on the battlefield. That’s what I can do as a comrade.”

He didn’t like the Empire.

Rather, the Neo-Jacobins who had revolted in France were closer to Augereau’s thoughts.

However, Napoleon was not simply a superior or monarch to serve, but a comrade.

Betray a comrade?

That was impossible.

-Kiiing!

Despite all these judgments and decisions, the Augereau Corps set off in the wrong direction.

In the opposite direction from Waterloo, where the British army was heading.

***

In the end, the Marshal who had reached his destination was Lannes.

“It seems we’ll have to evade until the main army arrives?”

Lannes chuckled and surveyed the battlefield from the hill.

First of all, it was certain that the enemy army was at least twice as large as his own.

Bessières frowned right next to him.

“Then, isn’t that a big problem?”

“Keep checking the situation of troops arriving sequentially, Bessières. Where did Murat go?”

“He went on a battlefield inspection with His Imperial Majesty.”

Originally, in the original history, Lannes should have already become a Marshal with Murat or Bessières.

Of course, he would have already died according to the original history.

Lannes, still alive and well and still on good terms with Bessières and Murat, whistled.

“You’re really bold. If the enemy attacks us preemptively like this, we’ll all die. Of course, it doesn’t seem like they’ve all arrived either.”

The British army has not yet fully assembled either.

If that were the case, they should be showing nearly 10 times the troops, not just twice.

Suddenly, Bessières’ eyes widened.

“Could it be that the enemy moved the same way as us?”

“Yes. Distributed assembly maneuver.”

“No, why would they do that? Also, how did they do it?”

Lannes said as if it were nothing.

“As for the method, they would have learned it from us. Perhaps, this place was the battlefield the enemy commander wanted. The name here was, Waterloo, wasn’t it?”

But this was by no means a simple story.

Because it meant that the tactics that had made Napoleon invincible were being read by the enemies.

Nevertheless, Lannes was still bold.

Victory and defeat were not the issue.

It was simply because he had never been afraid in front of an enemy.

Suddenly, rain poured down.

-Pitter-patter!

Waterloo, the battlefield of destiny.

The French Grande Armée had arrived.

With the triumvirs representing the Grande Armée scattered.