Chapter 787: The Great Victory in Lombardy
Milan
Inside Baron Tremelloni's villa, where he was recovering, Beaulieu read the report just delivered by Leptay.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips as he turned to an officer beside him.
—Tell Colonel Leptay he can agree to the French demand not to destroy the bridges—use this to stall for two more days.
—We'll still need those bridges when we move toward Alessandria later.
—In less than two weeks, reinforcements from Genoa will arrive. Have Colonel Leptay withdraw to the Ticino River…
Before he could finish, the doors suddenly burst open.
A breathless officer stumbled inside, his voice filled with panic.
—Marshal! We've spotted French troops in the southern suburbs! At least three to four thousand men—and they have cavalry!
Beaulieu sprang to his feet, his face turning pale.
He instinctively crossed himself.
—My God…!
The curse was back!
Leptay had just reported 10,000 French troops holding the riverbank—so where had these thousands of men come from?!
Are the French rabbits?
Do they just pop up from underground whenever they please?!
His face drained of color as he signaled for his aide to bring his uniform.
Then he turned sharply to another officer.
—Quick, have Major Martinelli prepare for battle—
Halfway through his sentence, he slumped in despair.
Milan had only 400 soldiers in total.
—150 were his personal guard.
—The rest were lightly wounded men who hadn't been able to join Leptay at the Po River defenses.
There was no way to hold Milan.
He turned back to the officer who had sounded the alarm.
—How far are the French from here?
—They left Lodi at dawn. By now, they should be six miles away.
Six miles—less than 10 kilometers.
At their pace, the French would be here within half a day.
Beaulieu hesitated for a few seconds before fastening his coat.
Then he gave the order:
—Tell Major Martinelli to gather the troops. We are retreating to Mantua.
Mantua was a fortress east of Milan, guarding the route between Lombardy and Austria.
The Austrians had spent years reinforcing it, using the difficult terrain to build an impregnable stronghold.
If he could reach Mantua, he would be safe—no matter how many French troops pursued him.
Once Melas returned with the main army, they could turn the situation around.
Outskirts of Milan
—The terrain southeast of Milan is flat and open, ideal for cavalry maneuvers.
Napoleon pointed at the map spread across his saddle as he spoke to Grouchy.
—The grenadiers will hold the flank to block any enemy forces coming from the city. You need to—
A hussar lieutenant suddenly approached and saluted.
—Commander, sir! A negotiator from Milan has arrived! Count Reale!
—A negotiator? —Napoleon narrowed his eyes.— From Milan… not the Austrian garrison?
The man in black formal attire bowed deeply.
—Noble and valiant Commander, I bring the most sincere and humble greetings from the Milan City Council—on behalf of all its citizens…
Napoleon's gaze sharpened.
—Where is the Austrian garrison?
—Ah… Marshal Beaulieu left Milan four hours ago.
Cheers erupted from the French soldiers.
—The cowardly Austrians have run! We've won!
—Aha! Milan is ours!
—Did you hear that? It was Beaulieu! Ha-ha!
—I was hoping to teach them a lesson…
Napoleon gestured to Grouchy.
—Take some men and confirm it.
—Yes, Commander!
An Hour and a Half Later
Standing outside Milan, Napoleon could already see crowds of citizens lining the streets.
They held bouquets of flowers, waiting to welcome him.
As Italian nationalism grew stronger, Austrian rule in Lombardy had become increasingly unpopular.
Now that the French had driven out the Austrians, the Milanese felt liberated.
They rushed to greet their new "saviors."
Of course, history tells us that France would soon annex Milan, and the people would quickly turn to anti-French resistance instead.
Grouchy turned to Napoleon.
—Commander, should I pursue Beaulieu?
Napoleon shook his head.
—He's already far away. It will be hard to track him down.
—Then… shall we enter the city?
—No. —Napoleon frowned and looked west.— We still have unfinished business.
—Colonel Victor.
—Here, sir.
—Leave four companies behind to secure Milan.
—The rest, follow me—we're going after Leptay.
Victor and Grouchy exchanged surprised glances.
After leaving four companies, they would only have 2,600 soldiers left.
Meanwhile, Leptay's corps had over 6,000 troops.
Right now, fortifying Milan seemed like the safest option.
But Buonaparte wanted to attack instead!
Noticing their hesitation, Napoleon raised his voice.
—Leptay has no idea how many troops we have.
—He will fear being caught between us and Marmont.
—As soon as he hears that Milan has fallen, he won't try to retake it.
—He will retreat to Alessandria instead.
Victor and Grouchy both nodded.
—So we return to Valenza?
—No. Beaulieu has probably already sent word to Leptay. He won't be in Valenza anymore.
Napoleon gestured for his aide to unfold the map.
—I'm not sure if Marmont has pursued him southward.
—We go to Pavia!
Pavia was right where the Po River made its L-shaped bend.
If Leptay wanted to reach Alessandria, he would likely cross the river there.
Napoleon glanced back at Milan.
Then, calmly, he said:
—I'll be back soon.
The Next Afternoon
4 kilometers east of Pavia
Two hussars galloped up and saluted.
—Commander, sir! We've spotted a large Austrian force near the riverbank!
Napoleon nodded.
Turning to his exhausted soldiers, he raised his hand.
—A great victory is right before us!
—March these last four kilometers with me, and Lombardy will be completely free of Austrian troops!
—Once we return to Milan, you'll be paid your full reward—immediately!
The soldiers cheered and pushed forward.
But just as they had marched barely a kilometer, cannon fire erupted from the south.
Napoleon frowned.
—Did Leptay spot us?
He turned to Grouchy.
—Take the cavalry. Engage them.
—Yes, sir!
However, just ten minutes later, another scout returned.
—Commander! Major Marmont's forces are already engaging the enemy!
A smile spread across Napoleon's face.
—Well done. Victor, let's go give him a hand.
But when they reached the riverbank, they found Marmont's troops standing among hundreds of captured Austrian soldiers.
In the distance, piles of weapons, flags, and drums were stacked like a small mountain.
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