I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 785: The Army Arrives at Milan
Victor immediately shook his head and said, “No, this would waste the opportunity we created by crossing the Great St. Bernard Pass.

"Our biggest advantage right now is that the enemy has not yet realized that their soft underbelly is exposed to our guns.

"We should attack Milan immediately, which is the core of the entire battlefield.

“I believe that Milan should not have many enemy defenders at this time.

"As for General Dimopin, we should believe in his command ability. He will definitely be able to defend Genoa!"

Marmont raised his voice and said, "The Italian front will soon run out of supplies. No matter how brave they are, they can't repel the enemy on an empty stomach!"

The two men began to argue, but neither of them mentioned Turin. In the minds of the French officers, Sardinia was basically a gift. Who would go to such lengths for a gift?

After a moment, they both looked at Napoleon.

Colonel Buwanaba's strategic planning ability is obvious to all, and he has to make the final decision.

Napoleon looked between Genoa and Milan. After a moment, he stood up, put his arms around the shoulders of his two men, and said with a smile: "Why do we have to choose? I will not give up either Milan or Genoa."

"This, how is this possible?"

"Commander, I'm afraid we may not make it in time..."

Napoleon picked up the stick and pointed at Milan: "What do you think Melas will do if our army captures Milan?"

Victor thought: "They should send troops back to support us."

"That's right." Napoleon nodded. "This way, the pressure on Genoa will be greatly reduced. We can choose multiple locations to intercept Melas' reinforcements and gain the initiative on the battlefield in one fell swoop!"

Marmont said cautiously: "But it is difficult for General Dimopin to obtain supplies..."

Napoleon shook the stick in his hand. "The quartermaster will get the necessary supplies for the general from the citizens of Genoa. I think he will have no problem holding out for two months."

In fact, he could not speak out the idea deep in his heart, that is, if Dimobin died in battle or was captured, he would rightfully become the commander-in-chief of the Italian Front.

After the war is won, all the credit for the Italian campaign will belong to him. By then, he will be promoted to major general at least, and it is not impossible for him to be promoted directly to lieutenant general.

Seeing that Marmont still seemed to be hesitant to speak, Napoleon continued: "The number of enemy troops besieging Genoa may seem large, but there are 20,000 Sardinian troops among them. You have seen their fighting power in Toulon, so you don't need to worry about them at all.

"Once Melas transfers some of the Austrian troops back to Milan, General Dimopin will even have a chance to break out. All problems will be solved."

As he spoke, he swung the small wooden stick in his hand vigorously, as if it were a sharp sword: "Well, let the soldiers rest for an afternoon, and tomorrow morning we will set off for beautiful Milan. Countless wealth and girls are waiting for us there!"

……

In the city of Milan.

Beaulieu shook his head and spent several minutes trying to recall if there was a time when he had not prayed devoutly enough because he felt that he was cursed...

Otherwise, why would the French always suddenly appear in front of him, as if they were emerging from the ground?

This is definitely a terrible curse!

Yes, half an hour ago, the Hussars reported to him that more than 1 French troops were rapidly approaching Milan, only 20 miles away.

Ever since he was defeated several times in Toulon by the French army that appeared out of nowhere, the importance of reconnaissance has increased several times, and there is always a cavalry squadron scouting around.

But this French army still showed up strangely! This is Milan, the rear area!

Apart from the Alps, there are only the Austro-Saharan coalition forces around. Where did these French come from?

He crossed himself, interrupting his own wandering thoughts, turned to look at the map on the wall, and then looked at the officers beside him.

Several officers lowered their heads. The room was silent.

Milan did have more than 8 soldiers, but they all knew that these soldiers had just experienced the disastrous defeat at Toulon, their morale was very low, and even a small half of them had not yet completed the reorganization.

Such an army could not guarantee its combat effectiveness when facing the numerically superior French army, perhaps the same ones who defeated them not long ago.

At the French marching speed, they would launch an attack on Milan, the core city of the empire in Italy, in three days at most.

At this moment, a tall colonel stood up and said loudly: "Marshal, it is the flood season of the Po River. As long as we hold the Valenza ferry, we can effectively stop the French army.

“Even if Valencia falls, we can still retreat to the Ticino River. Although there is no dangerous terrain here, if we destroy the ships along the coast in advance, we can still slow down the French advance.

"I think it is entirely possible for us to hold out for 20 days until reinforcements arrive from General Melas."

Beaulieu did not expect that all the generals under his command were dejected at this time, and this cavalry colonel named Leptai was the only one full of fighting spirit.

He considered Leptai's plan carefully, and it seemed that the only solution now was to send troops forward and defend the river.

You can't just abandon Milan and retreat. Then the Emperor will definitely throw me into prison without hesitation, without even a military court trial.

He took a deep breath and said to Leptai, "Then you will be fully responsible for the defense of the Valencia Ferry. The infantry regiment and the skirmisher regiment will also be under your command."

"Yes, Marshal!" Leptai stood at attention. "Thank you for your trust. I will hold on until the reinforcements arrive!"

West bank of the Po River.

Napoleon looked at the turbulent river rushing past him, bent down, picked up a small branch and threw it into the river.

As soon as the branch touched the river surface, it was bounced back and forth by the strong current and disappeared in a few seconds.

He couldn't help but frown slightly.

The reconnaissance troops that had just forced their way across the river reported that the Austrian army had set up artillery positions on the opposite bank and were ready to blow up the bridge at any time.

He was confident that if he launched a strong attack with appropriate artillery bombardment, he would be able to capture the ferry on the other side of the river in three to five days.

But that would certainly result in serious casualties.

It was not that he sympathized with the soldiers, but if the casualties were too great, he might not have enough troops to fight him when Melas came to support him.

Napoleon carefully observed the Austrian troops on the other side of the river through a telescope, and suddenly turned to his staff and said, "Let the soldiers line up in front of the river bank, and keep the drums beating. Oh, and be careful to stay out of the range of the enemy's artillery."

The latter inquired: "Which regiment do you mean?"

"All the soldiers," said Napoleon, "except the cavalry battalions and the grenadiers. Try to look as impressive as possible."

(End of this chapter)