The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 845 Only Seris can defeat France

Vienna was in chaos, as if it were the end of the world. Many citizens fled the city in fear, taking their meager belongings with them. As a result, the normally convenient and unobstructed roads leading out of Vienna were now congested on a massive scale.

At the same time, in this chaos, the evil side of human nature, which is usually suppressed by the law, has completely erupted.

Taking advantage of the chaos, a large number of thugs and ruffians robbed people. They broke into the homes of many wealthy families they had long coveted and gang-raped the women.

They would even kidnap and sell many little girls. At that time in Europe, young ladies of noble families or modest families, aged ten to fourteen, were very popular.

At the same time, the looting also involved a large number of intentional murders and other atrocities, to the point that simple robbery was no longer considered a serious crime.

"I'd rather be a dog in times of peace than a person in times of chaos!" Mo Gongze stood on the high platform outside Schönbrunn Palace, looking at the chaos in Vienna, feeling a deep sense of sorrow.

"Fortunately, China has a great emperor like my fifth uncle and a wise ruler like my elder brother, the crown prince. They will not suffer such a misfortune."

After sighing, he couldn't bear it and realized that this was an excellent plan to win people's hearts and enhance his reputation.

Mo Gongze shouted loudly to the generals around him: "All troops, take this order and patrol the entire city of Vienna. Anyone who commits a crime, no matter who it is, shall be executed on the spot!"

Chief Secretary Shen, you will lead 500 soldiers to the most crowded city gates to clear the way for the people.

"Left Commander (Rakoc Zog), you will lead three hundred cavalry to gather all the Hungarian cavalry in Vienna and order them to patrol outside the city and maintain order."

"The nation is facing such difficult times; let's not allow the people to suffer any more!"

"Your Majesty is so benevolent that you do not forget the people even at this moment. The Hungarians should support you as the King of Hungary!" After the troops received their orders, the cavalry commander, Zog (Rakócz Zog), couldn't help but say.

"Why be the King of Hungary? I think Your Majesty should be the Emperor of the Empire. Only then will Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia have hope, and only then will the Habsburg family have hope!" Liu Guoqing, the usually very composed commander of the Left Guard, suddenly spoke up in agreement with Zuo Ke's words.

These generals, who had followed Mo Zirong and Mo Gongze for over a decade, were well-versed in this European system. Seeing the imminent collapse of the Austrian Empire, they even began to fantasize.

Mo Gongze couldn't help but glare at them a few times, "This is no time for such talk, get to work!"

After saying that, Mo Gongze walked into Meiquan Palace, and his mood suddenly became a little heavy.

Mo Gongze never expected that the Austrian Empire could be so weak and the French Empire so powerful.

The war had dragged on for so long that Mo Gongze could almost sense that he would soon become one of the two heads of state of the empire.

After thinking for a moment, Mo Gongze did not enter the Schönbrunn Palace. Instead, he went outside the city and summoned Liu Rongqing, the commander of the Central Guard, who had just arrived from Transylvania.

The brothers Liu Rongqing and Liu Guoqing were from Jiangyan, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province. Historically, the two brothers were both awarded the title of "Martial Arts Champion," a rare occurrence that made them very famous.

Liu Rongqing achieved great success in martial arts. The so-called Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Saber and Tai Chi Two Elements Fist, which were later adapted into numerous martial arts novels, are his signature skills.

Even without any embellishment from novels in this time and space, Liu Rongqing was still praised in the Great Yu army as having "the strength of a thousand pounds in his arm and the power to control a bowstring without fail."

In terms of martial arts alone, he had few rivals in the army. Even General Dong Jinfeng of the Imperial Han Dynasty admitted that he was far inferior to Liu Rongqing after they had a match.

"Brother Liu, do you still remember how you came to this place thousands of miles away?" Mo Gongze was anxious about something, but he still managed to recall the past to deepen their relationship.

Liu Rongqing was five feet five inches tall, with a broad face and wide mouth. He looked like a very tall and typical loyal and fierce general. When he heard Mo Gongze ask this question, he immediately realized that the Prince of Lu might want him to do something important. He immediately clasped his hands in response.

“In the past, when the army quelled the rebellion in Shaanxi and Gansu, my brothers and I were young and ignorant and repeatedly disobeyed our superiors. We could not stay in the army. Your Majesty could not bear to bury our talents, so you selected us to go west to serve Your Majesty and the Crown Prince.”

More than a decade ago in Shaanxi and Gansu, the brothers Liu Rongqing and Liu Guoqing were generals valued by Mo Zibu. However, they were very disgusted with the actions of Xia King Li Xianwen, Huang Han General Dong Jinfeng, and top-level cruel official Deng Chenchang in the Northwest.

It wasn't just repeated defiance; it was repeated disobedience. If it weren't for Mo Zibu's protection, Li Xianwen would have chopped off his head long ago.

Otherwise, it would have been nothing more than a matter of arguing with his superiors, which would never have led to him being forced to leave the army and be exiled to Europe.

The two brothers survived because Emperor Mozibu personally intervened in military law, but in order to uphold military discipline, they had no choice but to come to Europe to make a living.

Over the course of more than a decade, the soldiers and generals on the side of Prince Lu, Mo Zirong, changed nine times, but the Liu brothers never left, and that was the reason.

The reason they defied Li Xianwen and others was simple: the Liu Rongqing brothers were unwilling to carry out the policy of basically exterminating everyone that Li Xianwen had ordered at the time.

This is understandable. Taizhou is located in the Jiangnan region and is a first-class prosperous place. The two brothers came from a family of martial arts masters and local powerful clans. Naturally, they had to study a lot of classics and historical texts. Their cultural level was probably a bit too high among the Northwest Army at that time.

They were unwilling to do things that indiscriminately kill people indiscriminately, regardless of age. This was not a bad thing in terms of personal integrity, but it was certainly not a good thing for the country as a whole.

Therefore, the two brothers' futures were ruined, and they were exiled to Europe for more than ten years without being able to return home. This can be considered the price they paid for their personal perseverance.

"Have you regretted it all these years?" This was the first time Mo Gongze had heard Liu Rongqing mention this matter, so he couldn't help but ask.

Liu Rongqing sighed, and after a long while nodded, "Back then, I had just come of age and was a disciple personally selected by His Majesty, a martial arts scholar. I was hot-blooded and arrogant, and I couldn't tolerate the slightest imperfection in my eyes."

In retrospect, the fact that the Northwest is now at peace, and even that the surviving Han and Hui people can return to their ancestral roots, demonstrates that the strategies of His Highness Prince Xia, General Dong, and Governor Deng were correct.

Mo Gongze patted Liu Rongqing on the shoulder sympathetically. Back then, many people in the Northwest Army were promoted to high positions, such as Governor-General, Admiral, Governor, and Commander-in-Chief.

With Liu Rongqing's abilities, if this incident hadn't happened, he would have been able to easily become a second-rank provincial military commander, and he certainly wouldn't be stuck here in this humiliating situation thousands of miles away with me.

"The past is gone. Now we are about to establish our careers in this western land. Brother Liu, are you willing to lend me your assistance? If we succeed, we will be worthy of His Majesty's grace in saving us, and our descendants will enjoy wealth and honor for generations to come."

Upon hearing this, Liu Rongqing immediately knelt on one knee. "Please give your orders, Your Highness. Even if it means going through fire and water, this humble general will not flinch!"

Mo Gongze reached out and pulled Liu Rongqing up, his expression extremely serious. "Previously, our Lu Fan Army would not fight a bloody battle for the interests of the Holy Roman Empire, nor did the Holy Roman Empire believe that we should fight a bloody battle for them."

This mindset is the last chasm that separates us from them. Now that I, Mo Gongze, want to achieve great things and become the vice emperor of the post-war Austrian Empire, I need to change this mindset.

However, the 30,000 troops of Lu Fan, especially the 17,000 Han soldiers, are my capital, Mo Gongze's capital. These soldiers are my blood relatives and comrades-in-arms; I cannot sacrifice them casually.

With Mo Gongze's help, Liu Rongqing stood up. Before Mo Gongze could finish speaking, Liu Rongqing understood.

"It seems the Crown Prince intends to take me to protect Emperor Franz. It looks like we're going to have to fight France to the death this time."

Mo Gongze nodded. He had originally asked Liu Rongqing's younger brother, Liu Guoqing, to select three thousand men to follow him and play a minor role on the battlefield.

If the Russo-Austrian coalition wins, they'll try to gain some credit; if they lose, they'll take the opportunity to return to Hungary and wait for the Hungarians to suffer losses before coming to their aid.

But now no one expected the Austrian Empire to suffer such a crushing defeat, unable to even hold Vienna. Under these circumstances, if Austria continues to fail, the country might very well collapse.

To avoid this situation, and in order to expedite his ascension to the position of Vice-Emperor of Austria, Moggenberg was prepared to make some sacrifices.

He slowly said to Liu Rongqing, "Although the Empire suffered a terrible defeat at Ulm, it still has more than 100,000 troops, and the army of Tsar Alexander of Rus' has also arrived."

The Rus' were half responsible for this disastrous defeat for the Empire, and I suspect the young Tsar Alexander must feel humiliated and will be determined to win back his pride in the upcoming battles. Meanwhile, the French, having penetrated deep into Austria, would be isolated if they chose to occupy Vienna and continue the pursuit. Such a long supply line, coupled with the harsh Austrian winter, would severely weaken the French army's fighting capacity.

Therefore, I predict that a major battle will break out in the next two or three months, a battle that will determine the fate of three countries.

In this battle, I will request that the Lu army guard a key position, so that all Europeans can see the fighting power of our Han people!
Moreover, I have ordered General Reisstein to move the rest of our troops to Bratislava, which is not far from Vienna.

If the French are defeated, we will immediately pursue them relentlessly, and in one battle we will become the most powerful force in Europe.

Mo Gongze revealed his entire plan, which was also the reason why he chose to use his elder brother Liu Rongqing instead of Liu Guoqing.

Liu Guoqing was a fearless and daring general who dared to charge forward fiercely. He was the most suitable person to pursue the retreating French army.

His elder brother, Liu Rongqing, was a calm and steady man who was strict in managing his troops and could win the hearts of his soldiers. He was able to hold key passes and withstand the main attack of the French army. No one in the Lu army could do better than him.

However, Mo Gongze's plan was quite ambitious, but he underestimated the fighting power of the French army. Given the current situation in Europe, it would be impossible for the Seres Empire not to take action to defeat France.

Of course, Mo Gongze was unaware of all this. After arranging the battle plan, he immediately rode his horse at full speed into Meiquan Palace.

Meanwhile, the Schönbrunn Palace was in complete chaos, with many palace servants, maids, and even some palace guards and nobles having fled.

On his way in, Mo Gongze encountered several groups of audacious thieves who had entered Meiquan Palace to steal.

When he finally met Emperor Franz I, the man was so frightened that he turned pale and was completely disoriented.

However, for the sake of his reputation, Franz I did not want to leave now; he did not want to become the first Habsburg monarch to lose Vienna.

"No, I can't leave, I really can't leave. The Ottoman Empire was so powerful more than a hundred years ago, but it couldn't force us to abandon Vienna. France can't do that now either. Perhaps we can negotiate."

Franz I repeated these seemingly inspiring platitudes over and over again, but he couldn't come up with any effective way to defend Vienna, and he didn't even know how to deal with the complete loss of control within the city.

Mo Gongze sensed the weakness and insincerity in Franz I's words, and seeing the fear and evasive look in his eyes, he immediately knew what he had to do.

"No!" Mo Gongze shouted so that the Austrian nobles and ministers in the midst of the chaos could hear him.

“My brother, you must leave, for you bear the fate of the entire empire on your shoulders. Vienna is the capital of the empire, but it is not the whole of the empire. We cannot lose the future of the entire empire for the sake of a part.”

Before Franz I could react, Mogongze shouted to the surrounding nobles and ministers, "What are we waiting for? Let's escort the Emperor out of Vienna, to Moravia (the Czech Basin), to the Carpathian Mountains!"

Upon hearing this, the nobles realized the logic and immediately helped or carried Franz I out of Schönbrunn Palace.

Franz I had never seen this common Chinese custom before, and he was so frightened that he couldn't react at all.

Mo Gongze quickly whispered in Franz I's ear, "My brother, you are determined not to leave Vienna."

Yes, I'm determined not to leave Vienna!
Upon hearing this, Franz I immediately realized what was happening and began to struggle with measured steps, shouting that he would never leave Vienna.

11 month 9 day.

Emperor Franz I of Austria, escorted by three thousand men under the command of Mogongsze, left Vienna, the core base of the Habsburg family, and fled north to Moravia, which is now part of the Czech Republic, until he reached Zlín, which is close to Slovakia, before stopping.

This was the first time the Habsburg family had truly lost Vienna, a huge blow to the morale of the Austrian Empire and the prestige of the Habsburg family.

Meanwhile, around Vienna, Kutuzov, relieved to see that Emperor Franz I had finally left, or perhaps fearing the wrath of Alexander I, organized a brilliant defensive battle, temporarily halting the French offensive.

But a few days later, French Marshal Louis Davout arrived in person. The Russian army dared not confront the French army, which was in high spirits. Kutuzov left Prince Balagdion to cover the rear and led the main force to escort the Austrian Emperor away.

Historically, the one who participated in the pursuit at this time was Joachim Murat, a confidant of Napoleon. He was exceptionally brave in battle and particularly skilled at commanding cavalry, but Murat's weaknesses were also obvious.

This guy is just a smaller version of Napoleon. He has Napoleon's heroic side, but in terms of overall vision and judgment, he is far inferior to Napoleon.

Historically, Murat was deceived by the Russian general Prince Balagetion with the promise of peace talks at this time, losing the best opportunity to pursue the enemy and allowing more than 100,000 Russian and Austrian troops to be successfully transferred to Moravia.

However, in this timeline, one important figure is missing from Napoleon's marshals: Prince of Moscow, the red-faced, burly man, Michel Ney.

In this timeline, Michel Ney's father, Pierre Ney, was recruited to the East twenty years ago as a former subordinate of Reinstein, and became a major European general under Mozibu.

Therefore, before the outbreak of the French Revolution, Michel Ney was taken to Dayu by his father in his youth. He is now the lieutenant general deputy commander of the Dayu Divine Lightning Guard, and his surname has been changed to Yi.

Therefore, under the butterfly effect, the one in charge of the pursuit at this time is not Joachim Murat, who always has a short-sighted mind at crucial moments, but Louis Davout, who is strict in military discipline and has great strategic acumen.

Louis Davout saw through Prince Balagdion's delaying tactic. He pretended to agree to negotiations, but suddenly led his troops to launch a surprise attack on the Russian army at dusk.

Fortunately, Prince Balaguetien was cautious and prevented serious losses, but the Russian army could not delay the French advance and had to turn back.

Louis Davout pursued them relentlessly, refusing to even enter Vienna, sticking close to the Russian army led by Prince Balagedian.

The two sides pursued each other all the way into Moravian territory, to the point that even Emperor Franz I of Austria, who was carrying a large number of nobles and treasures and could not move quickly, could hear the gunshots.

In a moment of extreme crisis, Mo Gongze dispatched 500 elite Datong cavalrymen from the Imperial Guard of the Great Yu Dynasty, along with 1,500 Russian Cossack cavalrymen and over 1,000 Hungarian cavalrymen who had joined the army, to flank Louis Davout's forces to the right.

They attacked the French logistics and supply units from the flank, killing and wounding more than two hundred French soldiers.

Louis Davout, having ventured deep into enemy territory, was unsure if his own men were following behind and was under serious threat from the three thousand elite cavalry. He then abandoned the pursuit and turned back to occupy Vienna.

This battle was so dangerous that even Mo Gongze couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, because Louis Davout didn't know that he was only about 20 kilometers away from capturing Emperor Franz I of Austria.

Of course, even without capturing Emperor Franz I of Austria, Louis Davout still gained a great deal.

Unlike in the past when Prince Balagdion, who was covering the rear, only lost a few hundred men, this time, five or six thousand of the twenty thousand Russian troops under Prince Balagdion's command were wiped out, and the entire army almost collapsed.

The losses of supplies were countless, including more than thirty artillery pieces, which made the Russo-Austrian coalition forces weaker than ever before.

Almost simultaneously, the decisive battle between Archduke Charles and Marshal Andrea Massena in northern Italy also came to a conclusion.

Archduke Charles, whose forces were twice the size of the French army, fought to a draw with Marshal Masséna, with each side losing more than 5,000 men.

However, Archduke Charles did not dare to stay in northern Italy, because he had received news that Vienna had been occupied by the French army. He had no choice but to completely abandon northern Italy and retreat to Slovenia and Croatia, which at that time belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, to hold out.

Thus, the prelude to the Third Coalition against France was completely over. The Russo-Austrian coalition forces suffered heavy losses, and the Austrian Empire was crippled.

Now, it all depends on the outcome of the decisive battle between the British and French fleets at sea, and the final battle on land after Napoleon's pursuit reaches Moravia.

(End of this chapter)