Descending On France 1780
Chapter 285 - 278 Praise from Bernadotte

Chapter 285: 278 Praise from Bernadotte

On this day, Anning had a long talk with Grand Duke Carl.

He felt that he had opened the door to a new world for Grand Duke Carl; the rest was up to his own fate.

If the reform could not be carried out, it was still possible for him to be removed by his brother Franz, but stepping back ten thousand steps, if Austria eliminated its only capable general, Carl, for themselves, that would be a good thing too!

Perhaps with a little work, this could be spun into a story that Frost convinced Austria to give up their martial prowess in three sentences.

That evening, Grand Duke Carl did not retire to his prepared guest room until late into the night, content and satisfied.

The next day, Bernadotte also hurried to headquarters from Verdun.

As soon as he entered, Bernadotte, like Napoleon, immediately noticed the Eagle Flag in the corner against the wall and was momentarily stunned.

Anning instantly remembered that Bernadotte was a staunch Republican and quickly said: "This is a gift from FouchE; I have no intentions of becoming a dictator."

Bernadotte was even more confused: "Ah? What dictator?"

Well, he hadn’t thought of that until I brought it up.

Anning hurriedly covered his tracks: "Aren’t you looking at the Eagle Flag? Seeing it, one might think of Caesar, think of an Emperor. I am a staunch Republican; I won’t become a dictator."

Bernadotte: "Of course, you are, you are even the founder of the Republic. Why mention this?"

Anning: "It’s nothing, it’s good you didn’t think so. I was just afraid you might misunderstand. Now, report the situation at Verdun Fortress!"

Bernadotte nodded: "The fortress has been defended for nearly four months. The enemy’s best attempt reached the north wall of the fortress but was recaptured by us. However, prolonged combat has caused some damage to the outer walls of the fortress, and the covert bunkers in the trench have also been destroyed by the coalition, so we need to readjust the position of the bunkers to prevent the enemy from returning."

In this era, outside of the forts, there were special hidden rooms and bunkers, like the covert bunkers in the trenches of Verdun Fortress hiding several such installations, armed with cannons capable of firing solid bullets in a sweeping motion at the enemy as they charged toward the other side of the trench, causing massive casualties.

These bunkers could not have tunnels leading into the fortress–that would be like handing the enemy a direct way to bypass the fortress’s sturdy walls and attack from within.

Therefore, the entrances to these bunkers were outside, and once exposed, the entrances would be quickly found and assaulted.

It was likely that the daredevil troops guarding Verdun Fortress’s bunkers had all gloriously given their lives for their country.

Anning: "You will get the military engineering experts you need. Also, list for me the names of those who manned the bunkers; I want to grant an honorarium to their families."

Bernadotte immediately pulled out a stack of documents: "Here they are. Should be all of them. I mean all from my unit."

Anning solemnly received the list and spoke gravely: "These individuals have made extraordinary contributions to the Republic; the Republic will not forget them!"

Seeing this, Napoleon awkwardly touched his head: "Uh, I didn’t bring any staff officers with me. I came running here directly with a few Guards, so... sorry, Andy, I have no documents to give you."

Anning glanced at Napoleon: "I know."

Napoleon wasn’t adept at handling these meticulous matters; in real history, it was mostly Bertier who looked after day-to-day affairs and divided his battle plans into several parts.

Bernadotte was different.

Perhaps their different personalities were also the reason behind their future discord.

While Anning thought about this, Bernadotte had already begun to scold Napoleon: "Isn’t this the kind of thing you should always carry with you? Letting the Command Department know how many troops you have left and how many enemy attacks you can withstand is important..."

Napoleon: "I know it’s important, I never said it wasn’t. I just saw the enemy retreat and I was so excited that I ran to find Andy. It’s just a small oversight!"

Bernadotte: "By the time failure occurs because of this oversight, it would be too late!"

Anning watched Bernadotte finding faults in Napoleon, and thought to herself, could it be that these two are destined to be foes in every universe?

Napoleon snorted, "I have just won a battle and even captured the brother of the Holy Roman Emperor, and what about you? You only managed to keep the fortress secure, what right do you have to lecture me?"

Bernadotte: "This has nothing to do with whether you won a battle or not... I am reminding you to ensure that every detail is attended to..."

Anning: "Alright now."

The two, like fighting cocks, stopped and both turned to look at Anning.

"A great general may not fuss over the trivial matters, that’s something for a qualified Chief of Staff to worry about. I cannot think of everything in great detail myself, I rely completely on Bertier for that."

Bertier suddenly heard his name being mentioned and was somewhat surprised: "Ah? Me?"

Anning: "I am praising your work."

"Uh, I should." Bertier appeared to be deeply moved by this, because not long ago Anning had been reprimanding him for a mistake that almost led to a major defeat for the French Army at Babi Village, and yet now he was praising him unreservedly; anyone would be moved by this.

Bernadotte observed Bertier’s expression, then probed: "I heard that because of Colonel Bertier’s mistake, you punished him by..."

Anning: "I made him wear a maid’s outfit for a day! From now on, in my troops, anyone who commits a blunder that doesn’t warrant corporal punishment will have to wear a maid’s outfit!"

Bernadotte, frowning: "Is that... also true for us?"

"You had better hope that when you make a mistake, what awaits you is a maid’s outfit, and not the guillotine." Anning shrugged, "But when you do well, I will not skimp on my praise, just as I did just now. Good work is good work, and mistakes don’t hinder you from doing well."

Bernadotte uttered an "Oh," and praised: "I always heard that you manage your troops with method, and now I see it’s indeed true."

Anning accepted the compliment with a smile.

Bernadotte was not yet considered part of her inner circle, so his praise was seen as a third-party compliment, making it even more precious.

Afterwards, they chatted for a bit more, and then the envoy from the coalition arrived.

The envoy, holding a white flag, was led into headquarters.

"I am Frost. What important messages do the Duke of Brunswick and Marshal Alvizi from the coalition have?" Anning asked the ill-at-ease envoy.

The envoy kept glancing at the Eagle Flag at the corner of the wall.

Anning thought to herself, it’s done for, my own charge under the Eagle Flag has found its evidence, and she dared not imagine how much more exaggerated the rumors would become.

Anning coughed, and the envoy, whose attention had lingered on the Eagle Flag, came to his senses: "Uh, the thing is, Marshal Alvizi and the Duke of Brunswick have sent me with a letter, mainly concerning the matter of prisoner exchange."

Anning: "I believe there shouldn’t be many prisoners on our side in need of exchange, right? Is ’exchange’ really an appropriate word to use?"

The envoy was silent for a few seconds, then corrected himself: "Then... redemption. When shall we arrange for the redemption of prisoners? Naturally, we are the ones redeeming."

Anning turned to look at Bertier: "Why don’t you handle the arrangements?"

Bertier: "Shouldn’t we contact the National Assembly before making a decision?"

"Hmm..." Anning raised an eyebrow, glanced at Bernadotte, "Alright, let’s consult the National Assembly’s opinion, after all, I’m not a dictator."