William straightened his chest and said to Carlo beside him. After hearing William's words, Carlo flicked the reins, and under the pull of two horses, the carriage headed towards Rome.
"Advance the entire army!"
After William's carriage was dispatched, and with an order, the sound of military music rang out from the Prussian army phalanx lined up neatly outside the city of Rome, and then the Prussian soldiers stepped on the drums of the military music and walked toward Rome.
William was led by sixty Prussian infantrymen, half of whom carried the flag of the Holy Roman Empire, while the other half carried the flag of the Kingdom of Prussia.
These soldiers were arranged in a row of ten people, forming a total of six rows to serve as the vanguard of the entire army. Behind them were William's carriage and the Prussian army.
Guarding William was a group of Royal Guards cavalry. These cavalry guarded William, their eyes full of vigilance. Although the city of Rome had been mobilized for today's triumphal ceremony, on the road along the street
There were Roman guards at high places and high places to maintain order, but for William's safety, these cavalry were still ordered to be on guard to prevent anyone from harming William.
When William's carriage drove to the gate of the Roman city, the Roman girls who had already taken their places at the city gate scattered the petals from the flower baskets in their hands to the city gate.
Many petals falling from the sky fell on William, but William did not take off the petals. On the contrary, at the moment when the petals were scattered, William raised his head and smiled at the Roman girls above the city gate.
Wave.
Seeing William's actions, a scream suddenly sounded on the Roman city wall. For these Roman girls, William is undoubtedly Prince Charming, no, William is more than Prince Charming.
Young, handsome, with great military exploits, and holding the greatest power in Europe, these words have become the most eye-catching highlights of William. For these Roman girls, William is the most perfect one among all fairy tales.
man.
Soon, the carriage passed through the city gate, and what appeared in front of William was a wide and straight street, and both sides of the street were crowded with Roman residents who came to watch the excitement. Regardless, even the people on both sides of the street
Without exception, countless heads protruded from the windows of the small buildings.
When these Romans saw William, their exclamations and screams became even louder. No wonder their emotions became so excited.
It is true that William's appearance at this moment is really too good. The golden armor and golden carriage make William look like the sun god Apollo in mythology, mysterious and great, handsome and fearless.
At this moment, William was the focus of everyone's attention. No matter where he waved his hand, he would think of louder and louder sounds.
Just when William was enjoying the glorious moment of being admired by thousands of people, there was a person behind William who was aggrieved. This person was Karl.
The throne of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire has been in the hands of the Habsburg family for hundreds of years, but now it has been taken away by the Prussians. In Karl's view, if it were not the Prussians, the protagonist of the scene in front of him should be himself.
.But now he is just a spectator.
This emotional entanglement made Karl feel ashamed and angry, and at the same time, he was also jealous and mad.
But what Karl didn't expect was that if it weren't for the Prussians, then how could it be his turn for the Habsburg family to stand up and speak? If there were no exceptions, even if it were still people from the Habsburg family who would come.
Coronation in Rome, then that person should be Franz, not Karl!
.................................................
Under the coercion and inducement of Brankov's envoy, and even threatening Bagration's entire family, Bagration had to give in.
But Bagration also made a condition, that is, if Brankov really wants him to surrender, then he must not launch an attack on Tongchuan within three days. The reason why he made this request to Brankov is precisely
It was Bagration who hoped that he could buy three more days for St. Petersburg, which could be regarded as having done his duty.
Later, faced with the conditions proposed by Bagration, the envoy was not prepared to agree. However, no matter how hard he tried to persuade him, the envoy had no choice but to give up and then returned to Lieutenant General Brankov.
Bagration's conditions were communicated to Brankov.
In addition to this condition, Bagration also has another request for Brankov.
That is, after Bagration surrenders, Brankov must allow Bagration to retain military power in his hands. Bagration will select an army of 10,000 people from his current command and then lead this army to the Caucasus.
At the same time, Brankov must also agree to set aside a territory from the Caucasus as Bagration's fief. After Brankov overthrows St. Petersburg, Brankov must immediately order the restoration of the Kingdom of Georgia and recognize Bagration.
The Dion family re-entered Georgia.
Bagration's request to retain part of the army is no exception for Brankov. After all, since Brankov's envoy can produce this letter, it means that there is already a relationship between Brankov and the Governor of the Caucasus.
tacit agreement.
In this case, if Brankov turns his back, wouldn't Bagration have no room to fight back? Bagration is not a fool. He knows the importance of military power in his hands. As long as there is an army, even if there is only
Ten thousand people are enough to make Brankov throw a bullet.
"Your Excellency, Marshal, Bagration is simply going too far! In addition to retaining military power, he also wants territory. He doesn't even consider whether he is worthy of negotiating terms with us!"
The rebel general Nikolaevich stood next to Brankov and said with a dissatisfied look on his face.
For these rebel generals, Bagration's request is excessive. After all, Bagration has never helped Brankov, and now he is just surrendering. He actually wants to retain military power and want to
Territory, this is simply treating the rebels as a piece of fat and asking for random prices.
But unlike Nikolaevich, the Marshal did not show the slightest dissatisfaction on Brankov's face.
"Nikolavich, this Bagration is not a simple person. Just imagine that before, he was able to pacify Estonia and Latvia with less than 20,000 troops under the dual pressure of Kutuzov and the Swedes. This is
We can already see Bagration’s ability!
Our top priority now is to capture St. Petersburg. Only by capturing St. Petersburg as soon as possible and then rectifying our own name can we effectively rule the country in the future. Compared with this goal, although Bagration's request is a bit excessive.
.But it’s not unacceptable!”
As he spoke, Brankov pondered for a moment and then said:
"But an army of 10,000 people is too much. The Caucasus governor currently only has an army of more than 10,000 people. If Bagration is really allowed to lead an army of 10,000 people to the Caucasus, I am afraid that the Caucasus governor who has just moved closer to us will
The Governor will immediately become restless."
Just as Brankov was thinking about how to respond to Bagration's request, suddenly an officer hurried to Brankov's side. Then he whispered a few words in Brankov's ear.
sentence.
After the officer finished speaking, the expression on Brankov's face changed drastically.
"These are all true"
"It's absolutely true, Your Majesty Marshal, if we hadn't made arrangements a long time ago, I'm afraid we wouldn't have known this news at all!"
After the officer finished answering, Brankov's breathing became a little heavier.
Then he immediately called the envoy who had been sent to communicate with Bagration and said:
"You immediately go to Tongchuan and tell Bagration that I can accept his conditions. But he must make way for me now. Otherwise, even if he returns to Georgia with 10,000 troops in the future, I have enough means to let him
Finished with his family!
Wait a minute, bring this to Bagration."
As he spoke, he took a pen and started writing on a piece of paper. After a while, Brankov put the piece of paper into an envelope and handed it to the messenger.
After receiving the envelope, the envoy quickly bowed to Brankov and then immediately left the military tent.
"Your Excellency Marshal, this??"
Nikolaevich, who was standing in the military tent, asked Brankov with some confusion.
After hearing Nikolaevich's question, Brankov, whose expression had not returned to calmness, said angrily:
"That boy Alexander really tricked us. We were all fooled by this boy. It turned out that the calmness he showed in St. Petersburg was all fake. According to the intelligence, Alexander had begun secretly transferring Romanov in St. Petersburg.
The property of the family and the assets of the St. Petersburg treasury!”
After Brankov finished speaking, Nikolaevich was stunned for a moment and then, like Brankov, his expression changed drastically.
"Your Excellency, Marshal, Alexander must not be allowed to run away with those properties. Those are the fruits of the blood and sweat of the people of the entire Russian Empire!"
There is no doubt that Brankov is a man with great ambitions. The current Russian Empire has become impoverished and desolate due to the protracted war. Even in those areas where there was no war, the situation is not as good as
How good is a war zone?
Under such circumstances, Brankov did not want the Russian Empire he would get to be a country that had been completely reduced to ruins. Especially after the war, whether it was establishing a national government or spreading his rule across the country, these were
It requires a lot of money.
Although Brankov made a fortune after capturing Moscow, there is not much money left so far. Under such circumstances, Brankov's eyes naturally set his sights on St. Petersburg.
.
Compared with Moscow, St. Petersburg is undoubtedly richer. This wealth does not only refer to the income of St. Petersburg residents and urban construction. The wealth that Brankov believes is the large number of nobles in St. Petersburg, the treasury of the Russian Empire, and the Romanovs.
The family’s century-old savings.
Previously, Brankov had been sending people to keep an eye on what was going on in St. Petersburg. What he was afraid of was Alexander transferring his property in advance. After all, the property that the Romanov dynasty had collected over the past century was not a small amount, and even this property could help clothe the Soviet Union.
Lankov realized his ambition faster.
Previously, Brankov had learned that Alexander had never transferred his property. This news made Brankov quite relieved, but now the situation has changed. If Alexander is allowed to transfer the wealth in St. Petersburg, then Brankov will
What Lankov gets will be greatly reduced. Even according to Brankov's previous assumption, after the capture of St. Petersburg, the rebels' bounty and military pay will be looted from the city of St. Petersburg.
If Alexander transfers his property, it means that Brankov's dream will be ruined. Not only that, before sending troops, Brankov promised a lot of benefits to his soldiers.
, the loss of St. Petersburg’s income was enough to bankrupt Brankov!
"Don't camp anymore. The troops will gather for me immediately towards Tongchuan. If Bagration does not agree to surrender, then immediately attack Tongchuan for me!"
Brankov in the military tent gave the military order.
At four o'clock in the afternoon that day, the rebels who had already started camping outside Tongchuan City began to gather again in the south of Tongchuan.
After learning about the intelligence of the rebels gathering, Bagration's heart was suddenly raised. He thought that the rebels' actions were because Brankov could not agree to his request. Therefore, he asked to use force directly.
"Immediately order the army to prepare for battle, and have the generals come to my room for a meeting immediately!"
Bagration hurriedly began to convene the generals in the army for discussion. At this moment, Bagration only heard the report from his attendants. The envoy who had just left not long ago came back.
"Your Excellency General, please forgive me for not being able to salute. This is the order of my marshal. We can agree to your conditions, but I hope you can surrender immediately and get out of the way. Marshal Brankov agrees to move your hometown Kizlyar and nearby areas
The five cities as your territory!”
After speaking, the envoy handed over a document written by Brankov himself.
Based on the document, Brankov, as the governor of Moscow, rewarded Kizlyar and five surrounding cities to Bagration. At the same time, Brankov allowed Bagration to take 10,000 people from Tongchuan.
If anyone resists or blocks Bagration's march, this letter will be Brankov's token.
Governor of Moscow is an official title that Brankov added to himself after capturing Moscow. After all, if the name is not correct, the words will not be correct. Although Brankov is a rebel, he also wants to justify his rule over Moscow in name.
of.
Of course, in exchange, Bagration must immediately lead his troops to retreat from Tongchuan and surrender. This is the bottom line for Brankov to not give in. Brankov also clearly told Bagration that if he insisted,
If you don't surrender, the rebels will attack the city immediately!
Brankov clearly demonstrated his determination in this letter.
After reading this letter, Bagration gritted his teeth.
Previously, the reason why the rebels were suspended for three days was because Bagration wanted to do his last bit for St. Petersburg. After all, when faced with the choice between country and family, most people would choose home. This is why Bagration
Gradion is no exception.
If the current tsar was Paul I, perhaps Bagration would really stick to the end. Even if Brankov used his family as a threat, he would not give in. After all, it was Paul I who wanted to see him differently.
Let Bagration achieve his current achievements.
But as Brankov said, Alexander led people to kill Paul I. Bagration knew this very well, which also made Bagration not very loyal to Alexander.
After all, a person who can even attack his own father, who else can he not attack?
"General, all the officers have arrived in the conference room!"
Just when Bagration was hesitant, an attendant's words brought Bagration back to his senses.
"Okay, I accept Marshal Brankov's request! But you go back immediately and tell the Marshal that I need an hour to deal with Tongchuan's affairs. After one hour, Tongchuan's door will be open for him!"
After saying this, Bagration hurriedly left the room.
May 30, 1794, half past five in the afternoon
The gate of Tongchuan was opened from the inside, and the rebels who had been prepared outside Tongchuan City immediately filed into Tongchuan City.
Bagration and a group of generals stood at the gate of Tongchuan City to welcome Brankov's army as they entered the city. However, there were obviously fewer generals following Bagration.
These missing generals were all Alexander's trusted generals stationed in the army. After concluding his discussions with the rebel envoys, Bagration, who came to the conference room, immediately launched a purge of generals who were loyal to St. Petersburg.
"Bagration, you have done a good job. Now I allow you to lead the army to leave Tongchuan. At the same time, I also believe that there will be more opportunities for cooperation between us in the future!"
Seeing Bagration standing at the city gate to greet him, Brankov showed a smile to Bagration and said with a smile.
Subsequently, Brankov did not exchange greetings with Bagration or recuperate in Tongchuan. Instead, he immediately led the army to St. Petersburg after leaving five thousand rebels to supervise the original Tongchuan defenders.
Before Brankov led his army to leave Tongchuan, Bagration also led his trusted generals and a selected 10,000 troops to begin marching towards the Caucasus.
A war has been eliminated. For Brankov and Bagration, they each get what they need, but for St. Petersburg, they can no longer see even the last hope.