As the English cavalry approached the French forward artillery positions, Joseph Bonaparte's face shifted rapidly through expressions of bewilderment, disbelief, and regret. He glanced at Napoleon with palpable anxiety.
Joseph Bonaparte's lips moved. "Now..." he began, addressing Napoleon.
Before Joseph could finish, Napoleon waved his hand, signaling a messenger. "Order the forward artillery to immediately retreat to the second defensive line. Abandon all cannons and ammunition on the forward positions to those damned English Rosebeefs. This is an order, and I will not tolerate any questioning! Execute it at once!"
After the messenger hurried off, Napoleon turned his gaze back to Joseph. "Listen, I will order the infantry to feign a retreat. As for you, get yourself to the artillery positions on the second defensive line and ensure they are prepared."
Joseph looked at Napoleon, utterly bewildered. "But... without infantry protection, the second artillery positions will also be..."
Napoleon let out a cold sneer. "Do you truly believe you could hold the second defensive line's artillery positions even with infantry protection? Or perhaps you think I'm sacrificing your gunners to preserve the infantry's strength?"
Joseph was confused. When Napoleon had first issued the order, Joseph had indeed assumed Napoleon intended to sacrifice the artillery to buy time for the infantry to retreat. However, after Napoleon's two pointed questions, Joseph began to feel something was amiss. He considered the cost of recruiting and training an infantryman, the price of a musket, and then, the cost of a cannon, an entire artillery position, and its ammunition.
Seeing the bewilderment on Joseph's face, Napoleon sighed in exasperation. "You imbecile, don't forget, we are brothers!"
"A hundred or so cannons are nothing; we can buy more later. But those Rosebeefs' warhorses are different; they are worth more than the cannons on the forward artillery positions. Now, get to the second defensive line's artillery positions. When those Rosebeefs occupy the forward artillery positions, unleash all your ammunition onto them. Understand?"
Joseph Bonaparte finally grasped Napoleon's plan. As the French infantry began to feign a retreat, forced to abandon the forward artillery positions under the threat of the English cavalry, the English Rosebeefs, lacking sufficient cannons and ammunition, would undoubtedly surge forward to seize the French artillery. They would expect the French artillery to have left behind a considerable amount of ammunition due to the hasty retreat, and even the English cavalry would likely focus on protecting the captured shells. All of this was part of Napoleon's strategy.
As the Rosebeefs advanced to occupy the abandoned French artillery and ammunition, Napoleon's pre-positioned cannons on the second defensive line would unleash a barrage of shells onto the forward artillery positions now occupied by the English Rosebeefs. Faced with the overwhelming artillery fire from the second line, the abandoned ammunition on the forward positions would inevitably detonate. The ensuing explosions would signal the doom of the English army!
With his understanding complete, Joseph Bonaparte gave Napoleon a thumbs-up. "Brilliant! You are truly brilliant! Had you not prepared the second defensive line in advance, this battle might have ended in our defeat."
Napoleon let out a cold snort. "This is nothing. During my studies at the Great Ming Military Academy, I heard a saying: Zhuge Liang was always cautious in his life. This means that no matter the situation, one must always be prepared. Even if we know English artillery is inferior to ours, we must still establish a second defensive line to deal with any unforeseen circumstances."
After offering a brief explanation, Napoleon frowned and barked, "Hurry up and go!"
Joseph Bonaparte eagerly rushed towards the artillery positions on the second defensive line. Napoleon then summoned another messenger. "Convey my order: all infantry are to retreat to the second defensive line immediately!"
Before the messenger could depart, a single cavalryman from the English lines emerged, carrying a white flag, slowly approaching the French positions. Upon reaching Napoleon, the English cavalryman stated directly, "Esteemed Napoleon Bonaparte, our English Prince of Wales, His Highness Prince George, requests that both sides cease fire immediately. Furthermore, he very much wishes to have a discussion with you?"
Napoleon gave a cold laugh and retorted, "Discuss what?"
The English cavalryman was momentarily stunned. Discuss what? Of course, they wanted to discuss peace and an end to hostilities, not engage in idle chatter about the weather.
While the English cavalryman was still in a daze, a smile suddenly appeared on Napoleon's face. "However, if you wish to discuss, we can do so here. I will have the French soldiers withdraw, leaving only one guard by my side. Request your Prince of Wales to also bring a single attendant for the discussion."
The English cavalryman gave Napoleon a deep look and took a breath. "I will relay your response to His Highness the Prince of Wales, but I cannot guarantee whether His Highness will agree."
Napoleon replied indifferently, "Of course, this is a game of courage. You can tell the Prince of Wales that as an outstanding graduate of the Great Ming Changshan Military Academy, I swear to God that I will strictly adhere to chivalric principles and will not ambush a single soldier within a kilometer radius."
"Of course, if your Prince of Wales's courage is no bigger than a quail's, he is welcome to refuse."
"However, the moment he refuses, it means he is willingly accepting the label of a coward."
The English cavalryman again looked deeply at Napoleon before taking his leave.
Upon hearing Napoleon's response, Little George's face darkened considerably. To go meant potential risk. To refuse meant becoming a coward in the eyes of the world. And what right would a coward have to inherit the English throne?
After much deliberation, Little George took a deep breath and instructed the messenger cavalryman, "Go and reply to Napoleon, stating that I will meet him with one attendant, and will not bring even a single extra attendant."
However, to Little George's despair, as the messenger cavalryman rode towards the French positions once more, Edward and Richard, along with other English officers, offered no objection. Had even one of these scoundrels voiced any opposition, Little George could have easily found an excuse to refuse the meeting! Helpless, Little George could only bring an attendant and reluctantly proceed to the rendezvous.
Upon meeting, Little George stated directly, "I believe we should end this pointless war."
Napoleon looked at Little George as if he were an idiot. "Esteemed Your Highness, you must know that this war was initiated by Your Majesty King George III of England. And you, as the commander of the English army, are currently standing on French soil as an invader. Now, you tell me to stop this war?"
Little George's face flushed red, and he huffed. "I will immediately order the English army to make a full retreat, but I require your promise – that the French army will not launch an attack during the retreat of the English forces."
"Simultaneously, this war will end here. Let all that has passed fade away, and let England and France once again clasp hands in peace."
Napoleon glanced at Little George and retorted, "Do you think that's possible?"
Before Little George could reply, Napoleon reached for a flintlock rifle by his horse and pulled the trigger, aiming at Little George. "Furthermore, my esteemed Your Highness, times have changed. I do not believe in God anymore!"
"Bang!"
With the sound of the flintlock firing, the figure of England's Prince of Wales, His Highness Prince George, swayed, and then he rode away on his horse. The moment Napoleon raised the flintlock, Little George sensed something was wrong. As Napoleon aimed at him, Little George had already turned his horse to flee. Napoleon's unscrupulous shot did not inflict significant physical damage on Little George. He even had the inclination to curse as he fled, "This damned French frog! He promised to uphold chivalric principles! He even swore to God!"
However, psychologically, Napoleon's shot was devastating. It shattered Little George's hope for peace. In Little George's estimation, his surprise cavalry charge on the French artillery positions had already given him a significant military advantage, which would have allowed him some leverage in later negotiations for peace with the French. Now, with Napoleon's actions, what peace could there be?
And then to continue fighting... it seemed England's chances of winning were slim.
As Little George was lost in these scattered thoughts, a loud bang echoed from behind him. When Little George turned to look back, he saw that his attendant had fallen from his horse. Little George, already terrified, was now filled with dread. He clung tightly to his horse's back, not even daring to look back. As soon as he returned to his own lines, Little George screamed, "Find a doctor for me immediately!"
Edward and Richard were startled. Where was the promised chivalric spirit? Where were the assurances of no ambush? Two steel pellets in his left and right legs, one in his right arm – this was the so-called no ambush? And now, the esteemed Prince of Wales of England, the current Crown Prince, was injured like this during negotiations with a French frog? If this news were to get out, both Edward, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, and Richard, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, would be in trouble!
Thinking of the severe consequences, Edward let out a pig-like scream, "Doctor! Doctor! His Highness the Prince is injured!"
However, before a doctor could arrive to tend to his wounds, Little George furiously ordered, "Attack! Attack! Occupy the French frogs' positions immediately! This time, I will beat Napoleon Bonaparte to a pulp!"
It must be admitted that Little George was indeed a ruthless man. Even with three steel pellets shot into his leg and arm by Napoleon, Little George had not forgotten the ammunition on the French forward artillery positions. "Have men collect the French artillery positions' ammunition, turn the cannons, and prepare to counter any further French advances!"
Unfortunately, by the time Little George gave the order to attack, Napoleon Bonaparte had already calmly retreated with his attendant to the second defensive line of the French army, leisurely observing the movements of the English army.
Watching his leader appear unfazed, the attendant by Napoleon's side couldn't help but mutter, "Deceiving Little George like this, you have openly violated chivalric principles. If this gets out later..."
Napoleon, holding his spyglass steady, was completely unfazed by the attendant's grumbling. "Is that so? Military strategy states: deception is never out of place in war. Besides, would it be embarrassing if this sort of thing spread? And who would spread it? You? Or the dead Little George? Don't worry, the dead won't spread such things. This means that if anyone finds out about this, I'll deal with you first."
The attendant was utterly bewildered. Wait, after doing something so shameless, you're threatening me? And how confident are you that you can completely kill Little George?
As the attendant was silently grumbling in his mind, Napoleon suddenly said gravely, "Convey my order: have Joseph and the others prepare immediately!"
...
Normally, war is akin to a brawl among vibrant social groups, inherently an activity of the strong preying on the weak. However, compared to the simple and brutal nature of such group brawls, the war between two armies is always filled with calculations, unexpected events, and sometimes, even more absurdities than depicted in novels.
For instance, in the history of the Central Plains' factions, there was a monarch who suffered immense misfortune over a bowl of mutton soup. In the history of the Ourolopa factions, there was a unlucky fellow who lost a war because of a horseshoe.
As it is now, Little George, due to Napoleon's unscrupulous sneak attack, has ordered the English army to attack, completely forgetting his desire for peace. And Napoleon, too, did not expect Little George to be so naive...