Chapter 363: 356 Presumptuous
Anning had barely finished speaking when several other army leaders casually entered the map room while chatting.
Moro, seeing the potatoes on the table, asked with confusion, “Why are there so many potatoes on the map?”
Anning: “Don’t mind them, I was explaining to Lana where commanders should position themselves in various situations.”
The officers exchanged glances and then said in unison to Anning, “Please make sure to explain it to us again.”
Anning: “Co, Lana, to ensure you’ve understood, you explain. Here, take the potato!”
Saying this, he handed Lana the potato representing the commander and stepped aside.
Actually, it wasn’t to test Lana; he simply didn’t want to explain it again.
Lana: “Alright, let explain to everyone, after all, this was specifically told to . In general, commanders do not have the right to let bullets touch them!”
Moro: “But bullets don’t have eyes…”
“Bullets don’t have eyes, do you not have eyes too?” Lana perfectly replicated what Anning had just said, “Aren’t those heads on your shoulders? Use your brain!”
…
After this brief interlude ended, Anning returned to the front of the map table and gestured to Vanni: “Take away the potatoes and apples, we’re about to discuss our next strategy.”
Having said this, he waited a mont, allowing Vanni ti to clear the map of the potatoes and apples, then he started outlining the map: “The current situation is that Lana has now taken Augsburg and the coalition’s main supply route has been cut off by us.
“But the coalition can still escape because the Danube River banks are developed areas, which are the core regions of Bavaria and Austria, so there are many bridges and ferries, as well as water transport along the Danube. The Austrian army might still be able to escape.”
As he spoke, Anning tapped a few points along the Danube River with his pointer, each representing a city with a ferry or bridge.
“So we need to herd the coalition like sheep into one group, and finally block them at the river’s edge, using the Danube River’s main and tributary streams to create an encirclent!”
Anning illustrated on the map: “First, we need to give the coalition an illusion that they’ve discovered a loophole in our deploynt, and then take action to herd them to this ferry. Lastly, our troops will appear on the opposite side of the ferry.
“The task of blocking will be handed to Lana’s Third Army; their position is most suited for this task.
“Lana, you need to leave a small force to defend Augsburg, and also collect a lot of provisions like bread in the area, to create the impression that a large army is still stationed around Augsburg.
“When cooking, the camp should light more fires to produce enough cooking smoke.”
Anning, after all, was Chinese, and these deceptive tactics ca to him naturally without much thought, as if he was drawing gourds from a bottle.
After all, these were stories he had heard since childhood, all sorts of clever strategems, now effortlessly at hand.
Lana nodded: “I understand, but what if the enemy insists on crossing the river from Augsburg?”
“They won’t, the coalition does not have the courage to attack our well-defended city. They don’t have such courage.”
Anning said confidently.
**
At this ti, in Vienna.
Although Grand Duke Carl had returned to Austria, far from the battlefield, he was still paying close attention to the front lines.
After receiving the news that Augsburg had been captured, Carl hurried to the Schönbrunn Palace to see his Emperor brother.
Upon seeing Franz, it was clear that the Emperor was quite displeased.
Franz: “I was about to sleep, why are you coming to the palace at this hour?”
“Augsburg has fallen, and our supply lines have been cut off by Frost. If we do not react quickly, Alvizi’s forces might be completely annihilated by Frost!” Carl couldn’t help but raise his voice, “Can you really sleep at such a ti, brother? After Alvizi’s troops are annihilated, there will be nothing to stop Frost from reaching Vienna!”
Franz: “Alvizi has three hundred thousand n, plus the Prussian Army, that’s a total of four hundred thousand n. Even if they were pigs, it would take the French Army several months to capture them all.”
“Once the army disintegrates they will surrender, and even if so stragglers make it back, it will take months to reassemble them into troops. This much ti is enough for the French Army to reach Vienna! Do you plan to give up Vienna?”
Franz beca even more displeased: “Why would I give up Vienna? Back then, Sultan Osman with his giant cannon by Urban couldn’t take Vienna, so how could soone like Frost possibly succeed?”
Carl looked at his brother in shock: “What are you talking about? That was Osman’s… how many years ago was that? And we only managed to hold because of the help from Hungary and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Poland no longer exists!”
Franz: “But isn’t Hungary still here? All of Europe uses the Hungarian Cavalry and wears Dorman. Vienna won’t be lost.”
Carl: “Brother! The urgent matter now is to imdiately assemble our remaining troops to take back Augsburg. If we act fast enough, it is possible.
“Or call back the Bohemian regints…
“Frost likes to use small units for interspersed attacks; at most, there’s one army at Augsburg from the enemy, and it might even be just one division. We have to…”
Franz: “My brother, you are no longer our army’s commander, nor are you the Imperial Chancellor. You are just a prisoner who was captured by the French Army and was only released after nearly a year. Instead of worrying about this, you should consider how to minimize the repercussions of your capture in Vienna’s social circles.
“And find a suitable wife.”
The Grand Duke’s lips trembled slightly.
Franz continued: “Alvizi perford quite well in the French campaign; although he did not defeat Frost, he successfully withdrew most of the troops.
“That ti, Frost had the advantage of terrain and troops. Now Alvizi is fighting on our German land and also has the nurical advantage; he will handle it well.
“Now I need to sleep!”
Franz rang a bell, and the court steward ca in.
Franz: “Escort the Grand Duke out of the palace.”
The steward bowed slightly and then turned to the Grand Duke: “This way, please, Your Highness.”
The Grand Duke shook his head and walked away, fuming.
At this mont, a terrifying thought appeared in his mind.
But he shook his head, dismissing the idea.
—No, I am not a fratricidal beast, I cannot do that.
Even if that would be good for the current state of Austria, for the Holy Roman.
All I can do is try to find a way to save this dire situation. The Bohemian regints are my old troops, perhaps it can be done… Yes, maybe it’s possible…
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