The great victory at Luxembourg

In large-scale military operations, if a series of collapses occur on the front lines, it will inevitably lead to enormous chaos.

Blücher personally commanded the third Infantry Line and committed all the reserves, but he still could not restore order to the soldiers at the front of the battlefield.

Soon, large numbers of Prussia soldiers, driven by the Royal Guard Legion, turned and surged toward their last line of defense.

The Prussia cannons, which had originally occupied a good firing position, were now unable to find any targets to attack in the face of the French and Prussian soldiers who were entangled together.

Instead, the Royal Guard Legion's Horse Artillery quickly moved to a higher position on the west side and, under the cover of the cavalry, began bombarding the Prussia Infantry Line behind them.

Blücher watched the Prussia soldiers scurrying about like ants whose nest had been destroyed, and heard the deafening roar of the France cannons in his ears. He knew that the battle was over.

He bent his riding crop hard, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and said with difficulty to the Orderly Officer, "Order Maximilian command the Infantry Line to hold the France here until five o'clock in the afternoon. The Artillery battalion will remain to assist in the defense."

This Infantry Line was currently his only hope of holding off the France, while the Artillery was moving slowly and it was estimated that a smooth retreat would be difficult. So he entrusted these tasks to Lieutenant Colonel Maximilian, who was skilled in defense, in order to withdraw as many troops as possible.

If they can retreat to Liège, they can join Southern Netherlands Rebel Army there, regroup, and then... hold out until Pozztan sends reinforcements.

Blücher knew that after this major defeat, the Prussian Army in the Southern Netherlands would certainly be unable to challenge the French Army head-on for a short time. However, this was just a matter of the France suddenly appearing and catching him off guard.

With sufficient reinforcements and his full commitment to commanding the battle, he will surely defeat these damned France and wash away today's shame!

He turned and sighed, then waved to the Orderly Officer one last time. "The rest of you, retreat to Winceler Town immediately. Also, notify Altman and Dietlinde to cancel their mission and proceed to Winceler Town as quickly as possible."

"Yes, General!"

On a hill 1.5 kilometers to the South, Berthier received a report from the Hussars and immediately turned to Joseph, saying, "Your Highness, the Prussia seem to be trying to flee."

"If we commit our reserves to reinforce the frontal offensive and coordinate with our cavalry to flank and snipe from behind, we have a good chance of breaking through their lines before they withdraw from the battlefield. That's their last line of defense."

Given the current chaotic state of the Prussian Army, retreating is not a simple matter of a single sentence. For one thing, simply relaying the retreat order to every rank-and-file officer would take at least 40 minutes. Then, the officers would need to regroup their troops and perform basic formation work; it would be at least another hour and a half before they could move towards Winceler.

As for running away without forming ranks? That wouldn't be a retreat, it would be a rout. Most soldiers would eventually find a nearby village to hide in. By the time they reached Winceler Town, Blücher would have 1,000 men under his command, even if he was usually quite devout and Jesus had given him special treatment.

Joseph smiled and shook his head, "Oh, no, no, by doing this you might capture Marquis Blücher."

Berthier was about to say, "That would be wonderful," when he suddenly remembered His Highness's earlier statement about "letting them go," so he paused, then hesitated, and asked, "You mean, let them go?"

"That's right." Joseph smiled at the Chief of Staff, "As long as that Marquis doesn't stop his pursuit, he will be France's best friend."

Seeing Berthier's bewildered expression, Joseph simply explained his Netherlands strategy to him, "We're not here to fight for Austria for free."

He pointed northwest. "We will reclaim Wallonia through this war."

Yes, that's right, it's "recapture". Although France only ruled Wallonia for a few decades, Walloon has been France territory ever since.

He continued, "But if our troops rashly enter the Southern Netherlands, it will inevitably provoke strong opposition from Austria."

"Then we need a compelling reason, such as Blücher's army wreaking havoc in the Southern Netherlands..."

After he briefly explained his plans for the Southern Netherlands, Berthier was filled with admiration, nodding repeatedly and unconsciously. "You are truly a brilliant strategist, Your Highness. In this way, His Majesty Joseph II will be very grateful to France..."

"Indeed." Joseph approached the map. "Now, you need to prepare for the final battle."

"The Prussian Army left to cover the rear must be eliminated as much as possible, while minimizing our own casualties."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Berthier immediately got into position and quickly issued a series of orders based on the battlefield situation.

Blücher glanced back at the dejected soldiers beside him, but felt a sense of relief.

The French Army had just suspended its frontal assault, which allowed him to calmly gather his routed troops and eventually withdraw nearly 7,000 men.

He has now retreated to a point less than 4 kilometers from Winceler. If Altman and Dietlinde's two corps can return safely, he will still have 14,000 troops at his disposal, enough to World War I the France.

"These pampered France," he scoffed, "Are probably tired from the previous fighting, so they stopped to wait until they'd had their fill of Wine before continuing."

"Therefore, they could never defeat the Prussia, whose willpower was incredibly strong..."

As he was muttering to himself, his staff officer rode up and reported the Hussars ' reconnaissance findings, "General, the France seem to be trying to bypass Lieutenant Colonel Maximilian. They're heading west from the villages of Ruximbourg Village and Volier Village, leaving their cavalry behind."

"A detour?" Blücher sneered. "It'll add a mile to the journey by going through those two villages..."

As he spoke, he suddenly realized something and frowned. The France weren't pursuing him; they were surrounding Maximilian!

He sighed helplessly. Maximilian was meant to be sacrificed; as long as Altman and Dietlinde's legions returned safely, the losses would still be within acceptable limits...

However, just as his thoughts were racing, another Messenger arrived, his face filled with anxiety, and reported, "General, Lieutenant Colonel Altman has been bogged down by Leo's Austrian Army. The situation is critical. We request your assistance!"

"What? You mean Leo's Army?!"

On the battlefield 10 kilometers to the east, Lefebvre was commanding his thin Infantry Line launch a fierce attack on the Prussia flank, while Leo's soldiers, inspired by the Royal Guard Legion, were finally showing some fighting spirit and were exchanging fire with Backhaus Regiment.