I am the Crown Prince of France

Chapter 332: The Great Victory at Luxembourg

In large-scale army battles, when the frontline begins to collapse repeatedly, it inevitably leads to massive chaos.

Blücher, personally commanding the third infantry line and committing all of his reserves, still couldn't restore order among his soldiers at the front.

Soon, a flood of Prussian soldiers, now in full retreat, were being herded by the Imperial Guard back toward the last defensive line.

The Prussian artillery, which had initially secured good firing positions, now found themselves unable to find clear targets amid the chaos of intermingled French and Prussian troops.

On the other hand, the French Imperial Guard's mounted artillery quickly repositioned to a higher ground on the western side and, under the protection of cavalry, began shelling the Prussian infantry lines from behind.

Blücher watched his troops, now scurrying like ants from a destroyed nest, with the deafening roar of French cannons echoing in his ears. He knew this battle was lost.

His hand clenched tightly around his riding crop, the veins bulging on the back of his hand as he struggled to give the order to his adjutant: "Order Colonel Maximilian to hold the line here and keep the French at bay until five in the afternoon. The artillery regiment will stay behind to assist in the defense."

This infantry line was the only hope of delaying the French advance, and with the artillery's slow movement, retreating them smoothly would be difficult. So, Blücher left them in the capable hands of Colonel Maximilian, hoping to withdraw as many troops as possible.

As long as they could retreat to Liège, they could regroup with the Southern Netherlands insurgents there, reorganize the forces, and... hold out until reinforcements from Potsdam arrived.

Blücher knew that after this crushing defeat, the Prussian army in the Southern Netherlands wouldn't be able to challenge the French head-on for some time. But this setback was only due to the French catching him off guard with their sudden appearance.

With sufficient reinforcements and his full effort in commanding, Blücher was confident he could defeat these damned Frenchmen and wash away the shame of today's defeat!

He sighed deeply, turned away, and gave his final order to the adjutant: "All other units are to retreat to Winseler immediately. Also, inform Altman and Dietlinde to cancel their missions and proceed to Winseler as quickly as possible."

"Yes, General!"

On the heights 1.5 kilometers to the southeast, Berthier received the report from the hussars and turned to Joseph: "Your Highness, it seems the Prussians are trying to retreat. If we commit the reserves to strengthen our frontal assault and coordinate with the cavalry to strike from behind, there's a good chance we can break through their final defensive line before they manage to withdraw from the battlefield."

In the current chaotic situation, retreating would be no simple task for the Prussians. Even just passing the retreat order down to every lower-level officer would take at least 40 minutes. Then, gathering the troops and forming even the most basic formations to move towards Winseler would take at least another hour and a half.

As for retreating without forming up? That would be a rout, not a retreat. Most soldiers would end up hiding in nearby villages. By the time they reached Winseler, if Blücher had 1,000 men left, it would be a miracle—perhaps a special blessing from Jesus himself.

Joseph, however, smiled and shook his head: "Oh, no, no. If you do that, you might just capture the Marquis of Blücher."

Berthier was about to say, "That would be excellent," but then he recalled the Prince's earlier mention of "letting them go." He hesitated and asked, "You mean... let them escape?"

"Exactly." Joseph smiled at his chief of staff. "As long as that marquis keeps retreating, he remains France's best friend."

Seeing Berthier's puzzled expression, Joseph decided to share his strategy for the Netherlands with him: "We're not here to fight Austria's battles for free."

He pointed to the northwest: "We aim to reclaim Wallonia through this war."

Yes, "reclaim." Although France had only ruled Wallonia for a few decades, from that time on, Wallonia was considered French territory.

He continued, "But if our army were to rashly enter the Southern Netherlands, it would surely provoke strong opposition from Austria. So, we need a solid reason—like Blücher's army rampaging through the Southern Netherlands..."

After Joseph briefly explained his plan for the Southern Netherlands, Berthier was full of admiration, nodding repeatedly: "You truly are the most outstanding strategist, Your Highness. This way, even Emperor Joseph II will be grateful to France..."

"Indeed." Joseph moved over to the map. "Now, you need to prepare the plans for the final stage of this battle. The Prussian rear guard needs to be wiped out as much as possible while minimizing our casualties."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Berthier immediately got to work, quickly issuing a series of orders based on the battlefield situation.

...

Blücher glanced at his dejected soldiers but felt a sense of relief.

The French had halted their frontal assault, allowing him to gather his scattered troops and ultimately withdraw nearly 7,000 men.

Now, he was less than four kilometers from Winseler. If Altman and Dietlinde's forces could successfully return, he would still have 14,000 troops under his command, enough to face the French once more.

"These pampered Frenchmen," he sneered. "They were probably so exhausted from the earlier fighting that they had to stop for a drink of wine before continuing. That's why they'll never defeat the iron-willed Prussians..."

He was muttering to himself when his aide approached on horseback, reporting the latest reconnaissance from the hussars: "General, it seems the French intend to bypass Colonel Maximilian. They're advancing westward through the villages of Roussymbourg and Vaulille while keeping their cavalry in place."

"Bypass?" Blücher scoffed. "That route adds another kilometer..."

He paused, realizing something. The French weren't aiming to pursue him—they were planning to encircle Maximilian!

He sighed heavily. Maximilian had always been a sacrificial pawn. As long as Altman and Dietlinde's forces could return, the losses would be acceptable.

But just as these thoughts crossed his mind, another messenger arrived, looking anxious as he reported: "General, Colonel Altman is being pinned down by Leo's Austrian forces. The situation is critical—they're requesting your support!"

"What? Did you say Leo's army?!"

Ten kilometers to the east, on the battlefield, Lefebvre was leading his thin line of infantry in a fierce attack on the Prussian flank. Meanwhile, Leo's soldiers, inspired by the Imperial Guard, had finally mustered some fighting spirit and were exchanging fire with the Buckhaus regiment.

(End of Chapter)

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