The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1877 Reinforcements
On the other hand, lured by a hefty reward, General MacRae's two regiments were speeding through the city, but a distant explosion made his heart sink.

There was no doubt that a firefight had broken out ahead, but could those groups of fugitives and outlaws really hold off the prince’s guards and the royal guards?
Seeing General Markre's extremely grim expression, Hašek hesitated for a long time before finally speaking in a fawning manner.

"General, you don't need to worry. The men I found are all professionals. They are all ruthless men from foreign lands, each of them has seen blood, not the pampered old men you'd expect."

General Markree's face darkened further. He already looked down on lapdogs like Hašek, and now, feeling irritated, he sneered.

"Chief Hašek, have you ever fought a war? You don't think war is like street brawls, do you? Why don't you take your men to the front lines next time we go to war with the French?"

Let those Frenchmen see the warriors of Bohemia.

President Gel noticed Mark Ray's concerns.

"General Markley, there's no need to rush."

"How can I not be anxious? Can I catch up? If I can't, we're doomed!"

President Ger smiled.

"You really don't need to rush. The earliest train won't arrive for another two hours."

"The train is right there, why don't they just drive off?"

"Mark Ray said dismissively."

"No! General, I may not be good at military campaigns, but when it comes to understanding trains, you are no match for me."

Trains are not horse-drawn carriages; they must depart on time, otherwise a collision may occur.

After listening to Chairman Ge's words, the people around him felt a little more at ease.

Now, in addition to the two regiments of troops, they also have Prague police, military police, gangs, as well as private soldiers and speculators from various families.

With a few cobbled-together men, the force had grown to nearly five thousand, and on the streets at night, they could only be described as imposing and awe-inspiring—at least that's what Director Hašek thought.

Originally, Chairman Geer planned to gather a team of tens of thousands of people, but in reality, some people are still observing, and some have already run away.

Those small fry can take the opportunity to run away, but it's not so easy for these deeply entrenched big shots to leave.

The border checkpoints of the Austrian Empire were no joke; those people were truly thorough. Especially at such a crucial juncture, it wasn't impossible for them to simply prohibit leaving the country.

Their only hope now lies in getting Prince Wendy Schretz to change his mind; as long as he's in charge, there's a chance things can work out.

Otherwise, it's impossible to fight to the death with those people.

Chairman Ger has already figured out a way, but he's afraid he won't be able to preserve the wealth accumulated by his family over generations.

At this point, the ruthless gangsters wanted to report to the Prague police. They had spent their entire lives on the streets and had never seen anyone throw grenades like that, let alone hundreds at once.

These Austrian soldiers fought without any basic logic; their methods were even more ruthless than the enemy's. How could you fight them? The tough guys wanted to fight those ordinary soldiers who just stood in rows, not these elite troops.
Hašek explained the matter very simply, and the wandering outlaws, based on their experience, also felt that it shouldn't be too difficult.

After all, they're just blocking the road. With their recklessness, they're not afraid of anyone and will eventually be able to escape unscathed by using their cunning to get away with it.

"Once I've done this job, I'll retire from this life."

The soldiers' bayonets fell, and they didn't hear the enemy's whispers. Their mission was to quickly clear away the remaining enemy and the debris blocking the road.

The roadblocks set up by this group of outlaws were extremely simple, but due to the recent explosion, many handcarts and furniture were blown to pieces and were difficult to clear.

Even now, some reckless individuals still open windows hoping to fire shots from the shadows, but this tried-and-true method backfired this time.

Gunmen were shot dead the moment they poked their heads out, and even those who only poked out the barrels of their guns were suppressed by fire.

Some people still refused to believe it and wanted to wait a few minutes before firing, only to be met with a rocket or a grenade.

The actions of this unit were completely beyond the comprehension of the outlaws, or rather, they had never experienced a real battlefield.

The scene was like purgatory, and coupled with these soldiers who were more unrestrained than devils, fear finally triumphed over greed.

The outlaws began to flee for their lives. Theoretically, they should have pursued them now, but the situation was different. Their first priority was to get to the train station. This group was well aware that Prince Wendy Schreitz had lost control of the situation.

Baron Eisenheim and Colonel Monta were not too alarmed, after all, the previous scenes were much larger than this.

However, Prince Wendy Schreiter was not so calm. He did not expect that anyone in Bohemia would dare to touch him, and he did not expect that a fight would actually break out.

Although the battle was a one-sided rout, he was blinded by rage and picked up his gun to go out and fight. Fortunately, two attendants with shields blocked his way, preventing him from displaying his bravery.

When the group of over a thousand people arrived at Prague Central Station, they encountered no obstacles. In fact, an advance team had already taken care of the station's issues before the main force arrived.

Such a large procession crossing the city would inevitably attract attention, which is why the people left behind by Prince Schwarzenberg felt it was ostentatious.

In fact, Baron Eisenheim and Colonel Monta had also raised this issue, but Prince Wendy Schreiter felt that it would be more dangerous for the team to operate separately. In reality, he wanted to demonstrate his capabilities and make a statement.

It must be admitted that Prince Wendy Schretz's analysis makes sense, and this was indeed happening on their territory.

Baron Eisenheim was alright; he had long been mentally prepared for what might happen to him. However, he did not expect that the target would not only be him, but the entire investigation team.

Such a frenzied counterattack was clearly far beyond Baron Eisenheim's expectations. He thought that sending assassins or poisoning would be the limit, but instead, they directly mobilized the army.

No wonder His Majesty the Emperor sent his family directly to the West Indies; who knows what might have happened if they had stayed in the Austrian Empire.

A special train had been waiting for some time and had been scheduled before Prince Schwarzenberg arrived in Prague. Now all that was needed was for everyone to board the train to complete the mission.

The next task will be left to Heinau; in fact, tens of thousands of troops are already fully prepared. The two barracks outside Prague have received orders from Vienna to remain in place.

However, Colonel Monta and the soldiers of the Royal Guard did not intend to leave; they planned to stay at the train station and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

"Your Highness, Your Excellency, please leave here immediately."

Prince Wendy Schreiter found it somewhat incomprehensible.

"Why don't you leave? Look at the crowds scattering and running in the streets. Those lunatics won't let this go."

There's no point in staying here and sacrificing ourselves.

Colonel Monta shook his head.

"We are soldiers. The train is ready to depart, and our mission is complete. We have our honor, and as a member of the Imperial Royal Dragoon, I will never desert my post."

"Besides, it won't be so easy for those bastards to kill us all!" Baron Eisenheim understood. Colonel Monta and his men had already disarmed once to minimize the impact of the incident, which was already a stain on their lives. They couldn't possibly run away again.

"Good luck. I believe the Empire's reinforcements will arrive soon."

Baron Eisenheim was not lying; he genuinely believed that Franz would have a backup plan, even in the face of such an unexpected event.

Colonel Monta didn't say much, just returned a military salute. Not only him, but all his soldiers were inexplicably filled with confidence in His Majesty the Emperor.

To make a long story short, by the time Macrae's troops arrived at the train station, defenses had already been set up. The vanguard had been routed, and the remaining soldiers were fleeing in panic, while their fallen horses neighed in agony.

"what happened?"

General Markley was somewhat incredulous; that vanguard was his most elite cavalry force. Although most of them had never seen battle, their training was rigorous, and they couldn't possibly have collapsed at the first sign of trouble.

"General, their firepower is too intense; we simply cannot break through."

"waste!"

General Markley shoved the wounded soldier in his arms to the ground.

"Useless trash who only know how to charge blindly! What good are you!"

In fact, Macrae was clearly in a panic. If the cavalry didn't charge and exchange fire with the infantry, what was the point of having cavalry?

Things would get complicated once the two sides clashed. The previous incidents involving those desperate criminals would be easy to explain, and it would also be a good opportunity to sacrifice the entire gang for a major reshuffle.

But if these soldiers directly engaged in combat with the enemy, they would have torn off all pretense of civility. They thought the enemy would still have some reservations like last time, but it seems that Prague has become no different from a battlefield.

"Tell His Highness the Prince that the rebellion has been quelled and ask him to return to the Governor's Mansion to continue overseeing the situation."

The adjutant was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. He approached, waving a white flag, and shouted.

“I am General Markley’s adjutant.”

Before he could finish speaking, a bullet pierced his forehead with pinpoint accuracy, followed by several more bullets that made him dance in the dead of night.

At this moment, the once aggressive crowd, instead of feeling sorry for each other, felt a sense of despair.

There was no doubt that the other party had no intention of negotiating, and everyone looked at Mark Rey.

"What should we do?"

"Stop looking at me! I didn't come up with the idea!"

Markley turned to ask Chairman Ger for advice on what to do next, but the old fox was gone, along with Hašek's dog, and even Count Cherny was nowhere to be found.

"When did I become the leader?"

Markre was filled with remorse, but the morale of this rabble was on the verge of collapse. If he were to expose his weakness now, the entire team would crumble instantly.

"General, we're going to die anyway, so let's rebel!"

"Yes! If they won't let us live, we'll fight them to the death!"

"This is not a rebellion! This is a revolution! We want to be independent like the United States! This is our Czech Republic's land!"

Marco Reis was somewhat embarrassed by the olive branch extended to him by his staff, because he was a pure German. However, he couldn't worry about that now. If independence was achieved, he would be the father of the nation!

"For independence! For freedom! For Czechoslovakia! Charge!"

The battle did not last long. Macley had clearly underestimated the strength of the Imperial Guard inside the train station. The difference in strength between the two sides became apparent in just a brief exchange of fire.

Marco's hastily assembled rabble was no match for the Royal Guard.

Fortunately, the cannons finally arrived.

Looking at the dark muzzle of the cannon, Marco Rey couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. He believed he was no less capable than anyone else, but he was never given a prominent position.

In the end, he had no choice but to return to his hometown and fawn over those nobles and merchants, but now his chance has come and Markley is going to prove he is not a good-for-nothing.

"Listen, my cannons are in position. You have no chance of winning, so surrender now!"

Suddenly, a sharp whistle blared from afar.

"A train actually pulled into the station at this time? That's really unlucky."

However, Marco Rey had no intention of stopping. He wanted to annihilate the troops in front of him and force Prince Wendyschreitz to rebel with him, so that he could take control of the army in Prague.

Then telegrams were sent to the other garrisons in Bohemia, suggesting that if the entire Bohemia united, it might not be unable to resist Vienna.

If a peasant like Jan Hus could fight the entire Holy Roman Empire for so many years, is Marquez inferior to a peasant?

In fact, Mark Rey had just come up with a complete plan: he would form an alliance with France and then apply to join the German Confederation.

MacRae believed that many countries within the Confederation wanted to weaken Austria at this time, and as a general of the Austrian Empire, he was well aware of the threat Austria posed to the German Confederation.

With these two major boosts, Mark Ray believed he still had a good chance of success. If all else failed, as long as he could gather his team, he could simply escape to England like Kossuth.

If that doesn't work, try France; if that still doesn't work, try Russia. There's always a country that will accept you.

However, as the train slowly pulled into the station, a sharp, piercing screech of brakes followed, and what came into Mark Rey's view was a real steel behemoth.

The steam locomotive spewed thick smoke and sparks, trailing behind carriages covered in thick steel plates, studded with rivets and firing ports, and an exaggeratedly large-caliber train cannon.

The entire train gleamed with an unsettling, cold light; this was the first time this monster had left the laboratory in Vienna.

It completely contradicts Austrian aesthetics; there is not a single embellishment on it for comfort or beauty. Every steel plate and every rivet serves only one purpose—war.

Even the battle-hardened Imperial Guards were stunned at this moment; they had never seen such a terrifying weapon of war.

Although I have never witnessed his power, I feel fear from the bottom of my heart.

It's actually incorrect to say that this armored train was unadorned, because the lack of adornment itself is a form of adornment, and the purpose of doing so is to amplify people's fears.

It awakens deep-seated fears in people's genes of ancient monsters and supernatural phenomena, yet everyone knows it is actually a man-made machine.

Anyone who sees it will feel their knees go weak, but that almost split perception makes you want to kneel down and run for your life at the same time.