French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 124 Meeting of the Commanders of the Two Legions (Seeking first subscription, collection and follow-up reading)

When the train arrived in Cornwall, the steam locomotive's whistle could be heard from afar, and everyone in the station rushed towards the platform upon hearing the noise.

As the locomotive slowly came to a stop, billowing white steam, Conrobert, dressed in a crisply pressed dark blue marshal's uniform and leaning on his saber, stepped down from the carriage, accompanied by a group of staff officers and military police.

Upon seeing Bourbaki approaching, the two men were of similar rank, but Bourbaki was called a general because he did not reach the rank of marshal; he was merely a lieutenant general in France.

Logically, Bourbaki should have saluted Conrobel, but Conrobel, knowing the importance of maintaining harmony among colleagues in this situation, saluted Bourbaki instead.

After Bulbaki returned a military salute, the two shook hands and began discussing business.

"General Bulbaki, you have had a hard journey. His Highness has been waiting for news from you. After learning that you had successfully broken through, he specifically instructed me to come and meet you in person."

"Thank you for remembering us, Your Highness. Marshal Cornelius... Paris..."

'

After thinking for a moment, Bourbaki, still hoping to find out the specific situation in Paris, asked questions as he and Camrobelle walked outside, unable to contain their curiosity.

The questions were mostly about Paris, and Camrobelle, who had arrived in Marne earlier than Paris, could only answer what he already knew.

Conrobel was also happy to chat with Bourbaki, a marshal known for his loyalty and high level of action, who wanted to get some information about the Prussian army from Bourbaki.

However, Cornelius didn't come just for a chat; the train that brought him there was full of all sorts of supplies and materials.

After such dramatic ups and downs, including Napoleon I's surrender and the collapse of the front lines, it's hard to say how much the soldiers' morale could be maintained.

In order to restore the Northern Route Army as soon as possible, Conrobel first went to visit the wounded soldiers of the Northern Route Army.

Sure enough, in the hospital in Lance, due to the large number of wounded soldiers and the fact that Lance was not a material transfer center, many wounded soldiers faced the predicament of lacking medical care and medicine.

Having anticipated this situation and made preparations in advance, all for the sake of showing off his abilities and winning people's hearts, Conrobel quickly had the medicine he brought unloaded.

In front of a large crowd of soldiers, Conrobbert promised that the supplies would be given to the wounded first, and said that he had arranged for a medical train to transport the seriously wounded back to hospitals in Paris for treatment that afternoon.

The train carried supplies beyond just medical equipment. After visiting the wounded, Cornwall went directly to the temporary barracks in Reims where the Northern Route Army was being housed.

"Give each soldier two pounds of bread and a portion of cured meat as a starter."

All the supplies on the train had been moved to the open space, and Cornelius waved his hand, ordering the supplies to be moved.

For example, boxes of Chassepot rifle bullets piled on the ground, hard bread wrapped in waterproof cloth, medicine boxes containing quinine and bandages, and even dozens of boxes of thick woolen military overcoats were all distributed.

It was summer, but in September in northern France, some areas had already started to experience cool rain. The uniforms of the Northern Route Army soldiers were mostly torn and tattered during the breakout, and many were still wearing only a single layer of clothing.

These generous supplies were distributed to the soldiers below.

Thanks to the efforts of the logistics soldiers and the women temporarily recruited from the Reims region, each soldier was able to receive two hot loaves of bread and a serving of stewed potatoes.

Even though the supply of materials to the rear had improved, it was clear that people couldn't eat very well during wartime.

Reims has a large population. Although it is not a transit point for goods, the Reims government has some reserves of the most basic food items.

Now, these reserves, combined with the supplies brought by Cornelius, truly provided a sumptuous dinner for the soldiers of the Northern Route Army.

It caused a lot of people to suffer. There was nothing they could do; they hadn't had a hot meal in the past few days while they were trying to break through the encirclement.

After these attempts to win him over ended, Cornwall accompanied Bulbaqi back to the camp, discussing the current situation as they walked.

"The Prussian army lost an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 men in the Battle of the Meuse. The two corps are still resting in the Verdun area and have not launched any operations. I estimate that they will not be able to launch a large-scale offensive for at least the next few days. We have plenty of time to reorganize our troops."

"Well, in terms of numbers, including the Paris Legion, we have an advantage over the enemy, but in terms of combat strength..."

""

Those who know, know. The Northern Route Army has just finished a high-intensity battle, and the Paris Army is full of new recruits, although the opposing Prussian army is also not doing well.

However, the enemy is currently on the defensive. Given the situation of the Northern Route Army and the Paris Army, if they were to launch a hasty counterattack, the outcome would not be good.

Therefore, at the military conference that afternoon, Conrobel, as the highest-ranking officer, successfully succeeded Bourbaki and began to lead the conference.

At the meeting, Cornwall announced directly to everyone the new government, or rather, the order from His Highness.

Eugene demanded that a new Northern Route Army be formed as soon as possible, based on the 50,000 remnants of the Northern Route Army led by Bourbaki, and by gathering the scattered defeated soldiers who broke out from the Central and Southern Route armies.

This Northern Route Army, which inherited the remains of the Xia Long Legion, was directly commanded by Bulbaqi, and its defense zone was set up along the line from Lance to Monmedi.

The Northern Army Corps constructed fortifications in some old fortresses and surrounding hills outside the city of Toran, forming a vantage point with the main force of the Paris Army Corps along the Marne River, blocking the northern route for the Prussian army to return to Paris.

"I have already arranged for dozens of cavalry reconnaissance teams to search towards Verdun. We will bring back any survivors who have retreated alive. They are all veterans who have fought hard battles, and we cannot lose a single one."

Knowing that Prussia needed to rest and could not pursue deserters on a large scale, Cornelius had already sent thousands of cavalry to the front to rescue the deserters.

These were all valuable forces to fight against Prussia, which was exactly what Eugène hoped to see. By setting the battlefield on the Meuse River, he aimed to prevent the Prussian army from completely blocking the French army's retreat, thus giving the French army the possibility of preserving more manpower.

"With cavalry support, the Northern Army should be able to expand to 70,000 to 80,000 men in 10 days at most. Ammunition and new recruits will be continuously sent from Paris. You just need to hold the line."

After giving instructions to Bulbaqi, and seeing the soldiers who had developed a bit of phobia from the beating, Conrobel announced that Eugene would return to the front lines to oversee the situation.

However, he also knew that the other party might harbor resentment towards Na Yi, mistakenly believing that he had come to seize military power.

Okay, while he did have that idea, Eugene, who wasn't stupid, wouldn't overstep his authority to command the army. On the battlefield, moving a machine gun five meters to the left was absolutely unacceptable.

"Within three days at most, His Highness will personally oversee the battle at the Marne front and will then come to Reims to inspect the Northern Route Army. His Highness said that you were able to bring out more than 50,000 comrades despite being surrounded by a large force, and you are all heroes of the Empire. The land, pensions, and medals of honor promised to the soldiers will all be provided."

To put the soldiers at ease and let them know that he was not there to boss them around.

Eugene only asked Conrobel to say some promises; the rest could wait until he arrived.

However, after saying all this, Conrobel turned his gaze to the person Eugène had specifically instructed him to mention.

"General Vinoya, the new government is forming the Royal Army in Tours and urgently needs experienced generals to oversee the training of new recruits. The cabinet has decided to transfer you back to Paris and then to Tours to assume your post. Pack your things today, and you can go back on the transport train tomorrow."

He was now a legion commander and could even go to the rear, but something just didn't feel right. Looking at the triumphant Bulbaqi, and then at himself, Vinua didn't know why he felt so uneasy.