I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 708 Going to Death
The herald took the order and left. A cavalry officer with a beard and a curved nose passed him and entered Korezhnikoff's office. He stood at attention and said, "General, I have expanded the search area to 8 versts as you said, but still haven't found the Polish army."

Korezhnikov waved his hands irritably: "Colonel Bagration, send more people in the direction of Moscow, there should be gains."

"Yes, General."

Bagration stood up and responded, then hesitated and said, "But the enemy was still in Bryansk the day before yesterday. It should be impossible for them to get close to Moscow. I have searched all places repeatedly, except... the direction of Sivilia."

Korezhnikoff chuckled. "Unless the Poles are crazy, how could they go south? Their target is obviously Moscow."

"General, I mean... maybe we can try..."

Korezhnikov tapped his forehead. "Use your brain, Peter. Both Sivilia and Relisk are endless black forests, and there is the Kursk Fortress ahead. What are they going to do? Hunt wild boars?

"If they really go south, I'm relieved. They will starve to death if they can't get out of the Mirkwood."

South of Bryansk is a sparsely populated dense forest area. The Relisk Province, which is about the same size as the Southern Netherlands, has a population of only 3.

Even Kursk and Kharkov further south were extremely barren, and it was difficult to get enough supplies.

It is not until Krasnoyarsk, 400 miles to the south, that one sees any human habitation.

Even if they marched quickly, it would take nearly two months to get there. The Polish army, lacking logistical supplies, could never hold out for so long in an uninhabited area.

Bagration came out of the office somewhat frustrated, wondering carefully where the Poles had gone.

After a while, he shook his head and said to himself: "No matter what, I have to go and confirm it."

That afternoon, a thousand cavalrymen from the Russian Royal Holm Cavalry Battalion quietly left the barracks and galloped towards Sivilla.

They were the troops brought out from Kiev by Bagration and were not originally under the command of Korezhevsky, so they were able to be transferred privately without the latter's approval.

Brasovo is the southernmost town in Bryansk.

Two rangers caught up with Dombrovsky and said anxiously, "General, a group of Russian cavalry appeared behind us. We didn't dare to conduct close reconnaissance, but we estimate that there are at least 6 squadrons."

Kosciuszko frowned immediately: "Are they chasing us?"

"They are three miles to the west. They should not have found us yet."

Dombrowski said: "But with so many cavalrymen, we will be discovered sooner or later."

Kosciuszko fell silent.

Once the Russians figured out his intention to move south, even if they were unable to mobilize a large army to stop him in a short period of time, sending a small number of cavalry to harass him would seriously delay his march.

In addition, the Kursk Fortress will also increase its defensive strength.

His own army would most likely starve to death in front of the fortress!
Donbrovsky obviously thought of this as well. He waved his whip and said, "I will lead the cavalry to defeat them."

"Wait!" Kosciuszko held out his hand to stop him. "The fleeing cavalry will surely attract more Russian troops."

The cavalry regiment and the winged cavalry under Dabrovsky had a total of only 1 people, and it was impossible for them to annihilate all six squadrons, or nearly 5 Russian cavalry.

"Then what should we do?"

Kosciuszko looked at the soldiers passing by him for a long time before he said to the herald with great difficulty: "Order the entire army to turn northeast immediately and pretend to march towards Odief."

"Yes, General!"

Dombrowski asked in surprise: "What are you going to do?"

"Let the Russian cavalry think we are going to go around from Odyssey to the south of Moscow." "Think?" The cavalry commander immediately shook his head, "But we have to continue to move south, and we will still be discovered by those cavalry."

Kosciuszko looked down at his saddle and said, "So, someone needs to stop the Russian cavalry."

Dabrovsky understood it instantly. As long as he could stop the cavalry behind him for two or three days, they would think that the army was still advancing northeast, while his army had already turned south.

As long as they can keep these cavalrymen away for five or six days, once they get into the dense forests of Siville, it will be difficult for them to track them down.

Dombrowski said: "Then I will go and catch those 'tails'."

He said it very easily, but everyone knew that once they were separated from the main force, they would soon be surrounded by the approaching Russian troops.

"The cavalry regiment cannot do without you." Colonel Anthony Madarinsky rode over and saluted Kosciuszko. "Please leave this task to me. I only need 1300 soldiers to hold back the Russians for more than three days."

Kosciuszko thought for a moment, nodded silently, stepped forward and patted his arm vigorously, and said in a low voice: "Poland will always remember your name, as well as every brave soldier who fought with you."

"Look at what you said." Madalinsky smiled, "The battles you and General Dombrovsky will face later will definitely be more dangerous than mine. I just can't wait to beat the Russians as soon as possible."

The next day.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Next to the river valley on the western outskirts of Odief.

Colonel Madarinsky looked at the 37th Infantry Battalion of the Royal Army and the two squadrons of Winged Hussars in front of him, pointed to his chest and said, "Everyone should already know the mission we are responsible for.

“I have no right to ask anyone to sacrifice themselves.

“But I still do it at this point.

"Because, apart from this, I really can't think of any other way to save my country.

"For the survival of Poland, and for our descendants to be free from the enslavement of invaders, I ask you to join me in soaking the land beneath our feet with blood!
"Please forgive me for my self-assertion. I will repent to you all forever in hell.

“But before that, we will tear all our enemies to pieces!

"Victory will eventually belong to Poland!"

The 1300 Polish soldiers fell into a long silence.

Suddenly, someone slapped his chest hard and shouted, "I am willing to die with you!"

The soldiers immediately burst into roars: "Let's die together!"

"Tear the enemy apart!"

"For Poland!"

No one backed down in the slightest.

At noon.

The Russian cavalry tracking Kosciuszko discovered from a distance that there was a line of infantry blocking the narrow area between the river valley and the woods on the north side.

The Russian officer in charge looked at the flag of the Polish Royal Army through the telescope and hesitated.

The next morning, after confirming that the Polish soldiers numbered only a thousand and had no intention of leaving, he finally gave the order to attack.

(End of this chapter)