In Brescia, Tranquility deployed the Sequoia Army recruited from the Republic of Milan.
That night, Baz, a Milanese boy, was warming up over the fire with the veterans of the army.
As Italy goes north from Rome, the closer it gets to the Alps, the colder it gets. When you get to Brescia, which is almost at the foot of the Alps, it's basically covered in snow in December.
Buzz rubbed his hands vigorously by the fire, trying to make his cold-red palms feel better. At this time, the veteran next to him handed him a cup of hot coffee: "Here, kid, cover this with your hands, it will feel better."
"
Baz said thank you, then took the coffee cup and looked at the black liquid inside.
Just by smelling it, you can tell that this stuff is horribly bitter.
Seeing Baz's expression, the veteran laughed loudly: "Son, when will you understand the beauty of coffee, you will grow up."
Buzz said anxiously: "I can drink coffee, I'm an adult!"
"Then you have a drink and see." Several soldiers who were also near the fire shouted.
Buzz's expression froze.
At this moment, someone made a "puff" sound and then mouthed in the distance.
The soldiers in Milan turned their heads together and saw a group of troops carrying golden guns covered with brass, arrogantly driving into a house on the roadside.
Someone muttered dissatisfiedly: "It's great, the French can live in houses, and we can only sleep in tents. It's freezing cold here, it's freezing to death."
The veteran Waziqiang who just gave Baz coffee curled his lips: "Stop talking, I heard that those are the troops that General Frost has high hopes for. They have brand-new weapons and can load ammunition from behind!"
"From behind the gun's butt or from behind the person's butt?" someone asked, which immediately sparked a burst of laughter.
Waziqiang smiled and said: "Of course from the back of the gun. There is a spiral wire in the barrel of that kind of gun, called a rifle wire. There is no way to load ammunition from the front, because you need to use a hammer to knock out the thread.
Go in.
"Let me tell you, I heard that that kind of gun is still accurate at a distance of two hundred meters..."
"What is rice?" Baz asked doubtfully.
Wa Ziqiang: "Don't you know? This is the unit of length set by some French metric committee. The French use this as the basic unit.
"I heard that this is also one of the achievements of the Great Revolution. This thing is quite easy to use. The conversion between two units is ten to one, which is very convenient."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone next to the fire said: "I heard that the French asked all the craftsmen in Milan to accept this unit of length, and we will not be allowed to use our own units in the future. The French also brought a one-meter ruler.
, buried in the square in front of Milan City Hall.
"At least the Austrians didn't ask us to change the units of length we're used to."
Waziqiang snorted: "Stop talking, the Austrians don't even think we are human beings, the French at least treat us as human beings."
Baz: "The French hanged the noble lord, gave our family a house, and gave my father a job. I personally am very grateful to the French, so I am here."
Someone beside the fire suggested loudly: "Honor the damn liberator."
So most people raised their glasses and drank it happily.
Buzz held a cup of scalding coffee and did not join in the toast with everyone - he really couldn't accept the bitter taste of the coffee, and he was just trying to be brave.
While the Italians were toasting, another group of troops carrying new rifles wrapped in brass entered the same building.
Someone next to the fire said: "I wonder if that gun is made of gold."
"Don't be stupid, it's just wrapped in brass. It seems to be the order of His Excellency the General. The production hours of the gun can't be reduced much. It's very laborious to produce, so His Excellency the General did the opposite and added a process.
, coating the outside of the barrel with brass to make the barrel look golden," said Wa Ziqiang.
Someone beside the fire teased: "How come you know everything, Waziqiang? Are you having an affair with a Frenchman?"
Wa Ziqiang: "You don't understand. French people are human beings too. When I was in Milan, the tavern I often went to would often have French people living nearby drinking. I was the only one who understood French. I often helped the proprietress of the tavern.
French translation.”
Someone else asked: "How do you know French?"
Vazi forced a smile: "Because I was once a seminary student. Don't you know? Although the Pope lives in Italy, the cardinals and archbishops in the Papal Hall all speak French, and the nobles throughout Europe speak French.
of."
Baz said unexpectedly: "Is that so? Is French so good?"
"Of course," Waziqiang touched Baz's head, "Even the King of Austria, the Holy Roman Emperor of Habsburg, who is currently at war with us, can speak French fluently. Not only that, but further north
In Prussia, everyone in the king's court also speaks French. Even the Russians in the wild lands to the east, their grand duchess and generals also speak French."
Baz: "Really? Why are they going to attack France?"
Wa Ziqiang: "How do I know? I just went to the seminary for a few years to study. How do I know what noble gentlemen think?"
At this time, someone in the crowd beside the fire said, "Hey, look over there."
Baz raised his head curiously and looked to the other side, only to see a maid who seemed to be his own age walking across the street carrying a box.
The person who just showed everyone over there said mysteriously: "I heard that this is the maid of His Excellency the General. The General has no orderlies and has always asked his maid to take care of him. It is said that the maid looks as young as Baz, but in fact
Already in his twenties."
"Really?" Baz was very shocked. "She even looks younger than me and the same age as my sister."
"Don't you understand? It is said that the general's maid is from Croatia and is a fairy in the story! The general himself is a great magician, so he can defeat so many enemies with inferior troops!
"The French call the general the magician of the battlefield. They have followed the general for so long, they must know something!"
Buzz: "I thought this was just a nickname, used to describe a general who is good at running an army and fighting..."
"You are so naive. In your first battle in France, General Lafayette defeated General Lafayette's more than 40,000 troops with 15,000 troops! How could it be possible without magic?" He kept talking to Baz.
The man took a big sip of wine, then shook his head and continued.
At this time, another person spoke: "No, no, I heard that the General received divine revelation from Jehovah and is a saint!"
Someone immediately retorted: "Nonsense, the General is a Frenchman, and he also confiscated the Pope's enclave in Conta and robbed the church's property. I think he should be the apostle of Satan, leading the army this time
When you come to Italy, you are going to the Holy See! He wants to turn Rome into the earthly capital of Satan!"
Baz covered the scalding coffee cup with both hands and listened to the adults beside him talking about the legendary general. He couldn't help but show respect on his face.
He murmured softly: "That's great. I wonder if I can meet that general in person."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
I went to collect materials today and I understand everything...