Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The Imperial Guards approached the ridge of Mont Sainte-Jean in neat formations. Their orderly ranks were so impressive that any other army would likely have been intimidated.

However, considering that the British are generally afraid of their superiors' whips, this is probably not a big deal, since it only has any effect when you get close.

Wellington's approach was to concentrate the sharpshooters among the Cold Creek Guards and light infantry to deliver a fatal blow to the Guards.

The real crisis now is that Blücher is approaching, and whichever side sends reinforcements first will likely have a better chance of survival.

However, what no one expected was that those Vendée troublemakers who moved from the far left to the far right plunged the Prussian vanguard into endless skirmishes.

After all, it was this same group of people who went to Wangdai to freeload, eating the villagers' chickens, taking away the villagers' horses, and even their wives and daughters.
Because of this military discipline, the Vendée people have been able to fight every Prussian they've encountered in the past sixty years.

Their fighting spirit is exceptionally high.

Therefore, although the Prussian army joined the battle early on the front, it was constantly bogged down and made little progress.

In the end, Wellington still had to rely on himself.

After seeing the guards approaching, Wellington finally gave the order for them to rise and fire, starting from the last rank.

This tactic of crouching in the grass caused considerable losses to the front-line guards, but the French did not retreat immediately after being fired in turns.

They were bound to fight again, but the Imperial Guards changed their tactics, and they began to fire on the British troops on the ridge in shifts.

Moreover, the firepower density was no less than that of the British army, and it was particularly accurate.

What happened next was even more dangerous: after firing, the French opened the chamber, loaded the bullets, and were able to fire a second round quickly.

The British were greatly shocked. In previous battles, they might have encountered sporadic French skirmishers equipped with these weapons, but in Spain, the British had hardly encountered any.

During the years when the Russians were donating weapons, because the British ambassador was involved in the assassination of the Tsar, Alexander gifted two weapons to each of the monarchs of the European continent, including the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, but never to the British.

There are always some things that need to be kept technically confidential.

By the time the French were about to steal it, Russia had probably already produced quite a bit.

The British, on the other hand, knew that Russia had a new invention and that they understood its principles. The only problem they couldn't solve was the patent for the paper cartridge.

Therefore, they learned about it and were very disgusted with this rifle, which was probably another Ferguson rifle.

Today, the British are reaping the bitter fruits of their actions.

After suffering heavy losses in the front ranks, the French Guards' counter-fire also inflicted significant casualties on the British.

The French then launched a bayonet charge, and for a moment the British would not organize another firing, thus throwing the Guards into chaos.

Having Davout command these guards is probably quite different from having other marshals.

Because Marshal Mortier was ill and unable to join the battle, the position of Supreme Commander of the Imperial Guard had been vacant for a long time.

In Dawu's hands, these people were still able to play a significant role.

"Your Majesty, it seems to be having some effect."

"The time is ripe to get Ney's cavalry to join the battle."

Napoleon's actions were partly driven by a gambler's mentality.

He did this in order to quickly defeat the enemy.

Even if the Prussian army was stopped by the Vendée rebels, and Grouchy was about to join the battle, it was still inevitable that he would have such a speculative mentality.

That's how the emperor always makes his decisions.

Following the emperor's instructions, Soult then relayed the new orders.

When these cuirassiers, who were not deployed to the battlefield, joined the fight, their impact was terrifying.

During the fierce battle between the two sides' guards, the French cavalry's flanking maneuvers threw many British squares into chaos.

Although they could still fire at the French cavalry outside to hinder their advance, as more and more French cavalry, including superhuman monsters like the carbine cuirassiers, had already arrived, the "mad horse effect" had become a trick for breaking through enemy lines in small areas.

There were too many cavalrymen, and the battlefield was too narrow.

As long as the French don't trample each other, they will continue their assault.

No matter how well-trained the British phalanx was, it could not withstand such an impact.

As a result, many square formations also collapsed. The British troops that were hit in the chaos, with only a few infantry battalions still in formation, managed to barely hold off the attack of the cuirassiers who charged up the ridge.

Even Wellington himself, seeing this situation, had no choice but to organize the several infantry battalions around him and to throw in the remaining British cavalry who could still join the battle to counterattack.

But the French cuirassiers, unless they encountered fortified positions, were always able to tear apart the enemy's lines with their mere flesh and blood.

If it were Borodino's time, the more powerful cuirassiers would probably have inflicted even greater losses on the English army.

Unfortunately, due to Napoleon's stubbornness, many experienced generals, officers, and veterans were swallowed up by the mountains of Spain, the hills and plains of Germany, and the plains of Russia.

But even with these reduced capabilities, their combat power is still considerable.

Wellington was already short of cavalry, and the losses suffered by the Combined Brigade and the Scottish Grey Horsemen were too great, making it difficult for him to launch a counterattack in the short term.

Once the French Guards reached the ridge, they engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the British troops.

The fighting was extremely fierce; the British did not retreat even when faced with bayonet charges from the Imperial Guard.

There was nowhere to retreat now; the French cavalry attacking from the flanks were almost behind them.

Aside from dying in battle, becoming a prisoner, or repelling the enemy, there were no other options for the time being.

The British troops put up a fierce resistance, which surprised even Davout when he saw it.

Over the years, he had experienced dozens of fierce battles. Among those who had fought to the death against the Imperial Guard, he had probably only seen these British people and the Russian troops in Elau.

As for Borodino, he did not witness this scene because Napoleon did not deploy his guards.

Using bayonets in close combat will only mean more serious casualties.

Napoleon was also anxiously watching the battle situation ahead. He had turned into a gambler, determined to win back his losses with the capital he had.

He didn't have time to take care of the situation with the Prussians.

What he needed now was for Grouchy to be close enough that his infantry could reach the battlefield, some of whom could be sent to support the Vendée rebels on the flanks, or for Freon's old guard grenadiers to be freed to join the fight. There was still hope for victory. A good plan, but Grouchy's men wouldn't act so quickly.

After all, apart from the cavalry personally led by Grouchy, the rest were all infantry, and perhaps some were still with Vandam.

Being able to join the battle at 6 PM is already a blessing.

A series of changes on the battlefield continue to alter things.

If Napoleon had won, the rise of the Rothschilds would probably have been delayed, or something else might have happened due to information asymmetry.

The variables that will emerge in the future are probably beyond anyone's control.

On the Prussian side, Blücher, disregarding his old and frail body and the near fall he had just taken, personally led his Prussian light cavalry to join the battle at Saint-Jean.

While Blücher was not very good at warfare, he was able to mobilize troops; at least the Prussian cavalry moved very quickly.

After being tormented by the unruly people of Vendée for an entire afternoon, the morale of the 4th Army plummeted, their physical strength was depleted, and they also lost a considerable amount of ammunition.

These elusive and unruly civilians have almost run out of bullets.

They were also unable to stop the Prussian army that was joining the battle on their flank. It was only when Dellon ordered one of his divisions on the flank to change direction and form a square to wait for the Prussian army to come up.

This is why the French flank positions were not breached by the Prussian cavalry.

Meanwhile, the Prussian infantry, which followed, had already appeared on the battlefield.

However, Saito's 1st Army suffered heavy losses and was unable to replenish its ammunition. Even some of the lightly wounded had returned to their units. Now, asking them to join the battle would probably only be to boost morale.

However, this is necessary. If the entire Prussian army arrives, it can shake Napoleon's mentality, and even the mentality of the French army on the battlefield, bringing them closer to victory.

However, for the Prussians, although they had arrived, the French army had also stormed the ridge and pushed a large section of the British positions in.

Napoleon finally breathed a sigh of relief when he arrived here.

"Well, that's good for us; the old guy has resurfaced."

"Your Majesty, the good news is that Marshal Grouchy's cavalry has arrived."

"Ah, Grouchy, Grouchy, he's finally arrived. I feel like I owe him something."

Napoleon made this remark casually, which surprised everyone.

It's not surprising, though, since Grouchy was firmly against splitting up the forces, and now it seems his judgment was correct.

Of course, Napoleon also hoped for a communication system that could be used at night, as Demid's communication method could only be used during the day and was also quite dependent on the weather.

But even when he found another nephew, it was no use.

Solovyov's communication methods were tailored to current technological conditions, requiring telegraph lines and radios, or even telephones—things that were products of the next industrial revolution, which were simply unavailable.

If we could send Napoleon telegrams and radios, who knows what he might have come up with next?
A true micro-management master is about to emerge; just think about his previous instructions on the battlefield.

On the contrary, if the coalition forces had this thing, it would be easier for them to argue back and forth, which is another matter entirely.

Grouchy himself was already not far from Napoleon's headquarters at this time.

"Your Majesty, how should we respond?"

"Send an adjutant to deliver the instructions verbally: Grouchy is to go and support Dallon, while Lobo and the two divisions that went with him are left behind. We are going to defeat that damned Englishman here. A second-rate general has made me suffer so much!"

Yes, back on Elba Island, he even praised him as an outstanding commander.

Once they got to the battlefield, they became even less polite.

Compared to that, his assessment of Suvorov as "Old Deng" as lacking "commander's mind" and possessing only "commander's courage" is already quite negative.

The only one Napoleon would likely consider worthy of his attention was Archduke Charles, though Napoleon wouldn't be too polite in his words.

Grouchy also needs to get his troops lined up to support friendly forces at the front.

If Dalron could catch its breath and allow Grouchy's fresh troops to join the battle, the situation would likely change dramatically.

Moreover, Napoleon no longer kept any guards. Apart from the Imperial Guard grenadiers who remained by his side as his last trump card, even the old Imperial Guard grenadiers under Frion's command were to join the battle.

Napoleon now saw an opportunity for a winner-takes-all scenario, so he decided to take the gamble.

Meanwhile, in Wellington, the Prussian army has finally begun its offensive.

However, we also need to consider the situation, namely that the French army already has follow-up troops that can be assembled behind the 1st Army and the Vendée.

However, Wellington also realized that the situation was not good, as he actually didn't have any reserves left.

As for the Prussian army, they would have to assess the situation before taking any action.

Reorganization within the coalition forces to get follow-up troops into battle has always been a troublesome issue.

Back in 1813, because the Allied forces were divided into units according to their respective countries, there were no major conflicts.

But when it comes to the Prussians, it's a different story.

They need time to replace some exhausted British troops and reorganize.

If the French were to come up at this point, then there would be a fierce battle.

But Napoleon didn't head for the British left flank; he had already seen the breach that Davout and Ney had made at La Hire-Saint.

So Freon returned to Davout's hands, and now the situation is different.

Although Judan is no longer here, the old guys of the 3rd Army are like assembled space robots, and there is still a process of "I will assemble the head".

The formation is quite good. Davout, Frion, and Morland work together seamlessly. They've been together since the Brun camp in 1804, and their coordination is very skillful.

Moreover, the real gamble Napoleon placed on in the end was with the old guard, not those who had been promoted.

Many of them are veterans who have served since the time of the ruling guard, and what they are about to do is deliver the final blow to Wellington.

However, Wellington had no time for regrets, such as when he bought Polina's house to use as an embassy and gave Napoleon start-up funds.

As a military commander, he was also prepared for one last desperate gamble. (End of Chapter)