Descending On France 1780
Chapter 53 - 53 049 Little Follower

53: 049 “Little Follower 53: 049 “Little Follower Napoleon nodded, “You and I are on the same page.

Corsica needs not a sergeant, but a real officer.

So what do you think I should study?”

Anning said firmly, “Artillery!

With your excellent math skills, it would be a waste not to study artillery.”

“As I thought you’d say,” Napoleon responded with a smug expression, “I knew you’d make that suggestion!

What about you then, will you also join the military academy?”

Anning replied, “Of course I’ll join, and I will also study artillery.”

Anning had this plan not just to cozy up to Napoleon, he had another consideration: the safety of the artillery.

In this era, the main target of artillery wasn’t the enemy’s cannons, because back then the accuracy of the cannons was too poor to effectively target the enemy artillery with any reliable hit rate.

Hence in warfare, both sides’ artillery units would make the enemy infantry their primary target, and since the artillery didn’t have to charge into battle, being an artilleryman was relatively safer compared to other branches of the military.

Anning feared death; he had no intention of joining the infantry where officers had to lead the charge at the front of the formation.

Furthermore, officers were the first target of the enemy skirmishers and hunters.

Anning did not want to become a bullet magnet on the battlefield.

Therefore, being an artilleryman was good, safe, and suitable for someone like Anning who wanted to skive off in future battles.

But Anning couldn’t tell the truth.

So he spoke passionately to Napoleon, “Artillery is the decisive arm of the future, even capable of determining the outcome of battles!

That’s why I must become an artillery officer.

It has a much greater impact on the war than those infantry officers leading charges.

“Even if as an infantry officer you could break through the enemy’s line at the first go, there would be countless more, which won’t change the situation on the battlefield.”

Even in this era, the British ‘thin red line’ would definitely not field a formation that’s only one layer deep; they would have reserve lines of infantry.

The Russian army would even line up their ‘beasts’ all over the hills – breaking through the first line of defense was pointless, as another wave would come charging with bayonets raised.

So, Anning’s words were also an excuse for his own fear of death.

Napoleon, however, heard another implication: “The decisive factor of war victories, you’re so right, we must become individuals who can determine the outcomes of wars!”

Then Napoleon suddenly sighed, “Alas, if only you were Corsican, I would truly wish to invite you to join the cause for Corsica’s liberation!”

Inwardly, Anning criticized: You better drop your Corsican liberation cause already; what’s so great about that rocky island?

It’s just mountains.

But on the surface, Anning said seriously, “Independence, that kind of thing, can only be precious if it’s earned through one’s own struggle.

Independence handed down by others can never last.”

Historically, after the Great Revolution, Napoleon still coveted Corsican independence.

He even returned to his homeland, attempting to incite an uprising similar to the Storming of the Bastille in Paris, but kept failing.

Later, he fell out with Corsica’s national hero, Pauli, and was backstabbed before he finally gave up on the dream of Corsican independence, leaving Corsica with his mother, resigning to be a Frenchman.

It seemed that despite Anning’s considerable standing in Napoleon’s heart, he still couldn’t make him abandon his lifelong ideal.

He needs to be knocked by reality a bit more before he would change.

Not long after this conversation between Anning and Napoleon, Napoleon, due to his excellent grades, received a recommendation to the Paris Military Academy to study artillery.

And Anning himself wrote to the Duke of Orleans, thus, with the Duke’s recommendation, gained admission to the Paris Officer’s Academy.

Napoleon took the initiative to ask to start the journey to Paris with Anning: he wanted to save the carriage fare to Paris.

This is how Napoleon put it to Anning, “It’s lucky for me that I can hitch a ride on your dear friend’s carriage; otherwise, I would have to walk to Paris.”

Anning laughed off this remark as a joke on the surface, but he knew Napoleon actually would do it.

After all, according to Napoleon’s biography, later on, when he went to joint his regiment, he ended up walking for most of the way.

Yes, this guy, because of poverty, walked across a great part of France.

Moreover, Anning’s trip was not actually at his own expense; he was in fact hitching a ride in Christina’s carriage.

Christina had also graduated from Briena, and unlike the graduates who only received a sergeant’s rank, she was directly given the rank of lieutenant and, along with other noble ladies, was assigned to the Versailles garrison, becoming part of the Queen’s Royal Guard.

Yes, the Queen really did have a garrison unit composed entirely of poor noble ladies, who were all officers.

It was said to be because the Queen thought the officer’s uniforms looked more beautiful and suited her aesthetic.

As a result, the Versailles court had to pay officer salaries to an entire troop of female knights, on top of the daily maintenance and care of their horses – yet another huge expense.

It’s no wonder she was known as the Debt Queen.

On a day in May 1785, Anning and Napoleon boarded Christina’s carriage together, embarking on their journey to Paris.

Vanni took another carriage along with Christina’s personal servant.

As the carriage started moving, Christina leaned against the window, gazing sadly outside at the estate: “It’s over, just like that.

These five years have flown by in the blink of an eye.”

Anning: “Are you reluctant to leave?”

“A bit,” Christina sighed.

“These have been the most liberating years of my life since I was born.

Every day was fulfilling, very joyful.”

Anning: “At least you experienced five years of freedom and joy, which you earned through life-and-death battles on the battlefield.”

Christina laughed: “It was you who helped me win those, not me.

It was you who went through life and death.”

Anning: “I didn’t do much…

just carried you and ran away, that’s all.”

“Didn’t you defeat the robbers who tried to rob us?

Have you forgotten?”

“Merely robbers.” Anning shrugged his shoulders.

Christina went on: “Alexandra is so obsessed with that story and the tale of your duel with the Marquis’ descendants.

She’s been dying to see your heroism in person, yet you haven’t fought anyone in five years.”

Anning raised an eyebrow: “Is Alexandra that lady who likes to wear blue dresses?

The one with the big chest?”

“Yes, the one with flaxen hair.

She was so excited after dancing with you; she said you kept staring straight at her breasts.

That evening, she kept waiting for you to ask her to dance again, turning down invitations from everyone else.”

Anning was shocked.

He had such an effect?

He recalled he had only danced once with Alexandra and had stepped on her feet several times.

Anning: “Was she really waiting for me?

I thought she couldn’t move because I had stepped on her feet and that’s why she stayed seated all night.”

Christina laughed: “I knew you’d think so!

After that, whenever there was a ball, Alexandra kept hoping you’d come, but you never did.”

Anning: “Why should I go?

To step on another lady’s feet?”

In fact, if it weren’t for his poor dancing skills, Anning would’ve liked to go to balls every day.

The reason was simple: the dresses worn by the young ladies of this era were all low-cut.

Even if he didn’t want to take advantage, opportunities just presented themselves at the dances; it was delightful.

Anning was a worldly man who couldn’t detach himself from base pleasures.

He had intended to learn how to dance from Vanni, but after several attempts, Vanni refused: “You’re going to break my feet!

How am I supposed to work if you do that?”

So, five years passed by, and Anning never mastered the art of dancing.

This was not the case with his swordsmanship.

As an officer cadet from Briena, Anning had received comprehensive swordsmanship training.

He had now learned numerous fencing techniques and was no longer just a newbie who relied on system-generated counters and could not attack.

Perhaps it was precisely because Anning had made such significant progress in swordsmanship that none of the cadets who trained with him dared challenge him to a duel.

Moreover, they had developed the habit of steering clear whenever they saw a glove in Anning’s hand.

Christina didn’t know any of this.

She looked at Anning with a mix of amusement and asked: “What do you think of Alexandra?

She’d be thrilled if you wrote to her.”

Anning tried to remember what Alexandra looked like, but all he could think of were her impressive pectoral muscles — he couldn’t even remember her face clearly.

Christina sighed: “It seems you really can’t remember.

Poor Alexandra, she’s fallen for such a heartless man.”

At that moment, Napoleon, who had been quietly looking out the window, suddenly spoke up: “Andy isn’t heartless; he’s just ambitious.

You probably can’t imagine how grand his visions are.”

Christina glanced at Napoleon and smiled: “It seems your little sidekick admires you a lot.”

Anning was shocked.

How could you call the future Emperor a little sidekick!

If anything, I’m his sidekick!

But Napoleon didn’t seem offended at all.

He spoke seriously: “It seems that way, but Andy and I are comrades with shared aspirations.

I even wanted to invite him to join the Corsican independence movement, but he told me that independence has to be won on one’s own, not reliant on others.”

— Just forget about your dream of Corsican independence!

Anning chuckled: “Napoleon is obsessed with Corsican independence.

He dreams of severing his homeland from France.”

Napoleon frowned: “It’s not about severing.

Corsica was never part of France to begin with, so there is no question of severing.

Rather, it’s about restoring things to their original state.”

Christina asked puzzledly: “But as far as I know, Mr.

Bonaparte, you are a certified noble of France by the selection office.”

Napoleon seemed a little embarrassed: “That…

that’s a temporary measure.

For the independence of Corsica, I had to learn from the strengths of my enemy.”

Christina laughed: “I see.

Andy, your little sidekick is quite cute.”

Anning felt like facepalming.

Hopefully, the future Emperor of France would forget this minor transgression by the Duke of Orleans’ daughter…

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