Chapter 144: The Comical Austrians

This was evident from the recent debate; in times of crisis, lower-ranking officers dared to confront those of higher rank.

Colonel Boris seemed to be caught in hesitation.

"Gentlemen, you should know what fate awaits our families in Austria if we surrender to the French," Colonel Boris inquired.

Emperor Franz II harbors great disdain for defectors, often condemning them to death by hanging. Their families would also suffer, facing exile to the most desolate places or even execution. Boris' reminder sent shivers down the spines of those considering surrender, momentarily easing the atmosphere.

"With so many of us, surely His Majesty wouldn't be so cruel? Besides, we only seek to preserve our lives; it was they who abandoned us. We're not truly betraying the Empire. After the war, we can continue to serve His Majesty," one Austrian officer argued.

The other officers nodded in agreement. They didn't want to miss this chance; after all, there's safety in numbers. With such a large group surrendering together, surely the Emperor wouldn't punish them individually!

"Very well, tomorrow we'll send a representative to negotiate with the French. If they can guarantee our lives and property, then we'll surrender. As for our families, I'll write to His Majesty, pleading for his mercy," Colonel Boris sighed. Deep down, he also desired surrender; otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken as he did earlier. His aim was to stir up unrest among his subordinates, allowing him to surrender half-heartedly.

This way, even if he were to face trial by the Emperor later, he could argue that he was coerced by his subordinates and evade responsibility. Boris himself had no intention of perishing like this; he longed to return to Venice alive. Even if his military career ended here, he could live comfortably in Venice with the wealth he had accumulated over the years.

The next day, as the sun had just risen above the horizon, a group of Austrian soldiers carrying a white flag cautiously left their positions and approached the French lines. Every few steps, they would halt and wave their white flag, signaling their identity to avoid being shot by trigger-happy French soldiers.

"Halt! Who goes there?" Soon, a cavalry sergeant noticed the peculiar movement of the Austrian soldiers and quickly took action. They rode their horses to surround the Austrian group and sternly questioned them.

"I am Colonel Toral, an Austrian officer. I wish to meet your highest commander; I have matters to discuss with him," a man in an officer's uniform from the Austrian group stepped forward confidently and addressed the French soldiers.

"You want to see the First Consul, Napoleon?" Several French cavalrymen exchanged glances upon hearing Toral's words.

"Take them away!" After a brief hesitation, the cavalry captain ordered. Subsequently, a detachment of cavalry "escorted" the Austrian soldiers into the French headquarters.

Inside the headquarters, Napoleon had already been informed. He stood waiting for the arrival of the Austrian soldiers, curious about why they would come to negotiate with him at this time. Could they be surrendering?

"Come in. This is the First Consul of France, Napoleon!" Led by a dozen French soldiers, Toral approached Napoleon.

"Your Excellency, it's an honor to meet you. My name is Colonel Toral, an Austrian officer. I come here to negotiate on behalf of General Boris," Toral said humbly. Faced with a powerful figure, even proud Austrian officers had to show deference.

"Very well! I'm glad to meet you. Please, go ahead. What is it that you wish to discuss?" Napoleon nodded, his expression unchanged. After all, Toral was just a mere Austrian colonel and did not warrant much of his attention.

"Your Excellency, I am here to represent the surrounded Austrian forces. We hope that you can offer us a way out," Colonel Toral said.

"Of course, I am very willing to do so. To be honest, I have already killed many Austrian soldiers, and I feel reluctant about it too. So, what do you want me to do next?" Napoleon smiled.

When he heard that a group of Austrians was found by his soldiers, he already knew that the Austrians were mostly likely to want to surrender. Now, after listening to this Austrian officer, Napoleon was even more certain of his judgment

Upon hearing this, Colonel Toral couldn't help but twitch. This French commander was indeed too arrogant. He knew that Napoleon had killed many Austrian soldiers, and yet here he was, pretending to sympathize. If he could, Toral really wanted to punch him in the face. But doing so would likely result in him being shot on the spot by the French.

"Sigh! The situation is stronger than people, and I can only yield," Toral thought to himself.

"Your Excellency, we hope to cease hostilities with the French army. Of course, we cannot intervene in the wars between the two governments. But the soldiers trapped in Venice no longer wish to continue fighting. We hope to end the state of war with the French," Toral continued.

Napoleon nodded and said, "Go on, what are your specific ideas?"

"We are willing to surrender to your army, but we request to retain our weapons and the right to continue to hold Venice. At the same time, according to international conventions, I hope your army can provide us with food aid," Toral said calmly.

"Pfft! Hahaha!"

Upon hearing Toral's words, Napoleon first froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. The other French generals beside him did the same. They all looked at Toral as if he were a fool.

Colonel Toral clearly felt the mockery. His face immediately turned ugly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just that your Excellency's joke was really funny. Keeping your weapons and continuing to hold Venice? Are you planning to surrender? This is the first time I've heard of surrender with so many conditions," Napoleon managed to control his emotions after laughing wildly for a while. Despite that, tears were still in his eyes from the laughter caused by this Austrian.

"Napoleon, we haven't been defeated, so please don't mock and insult us like this. It's very disrespectful," Toral couldn't bear it any longer, watching the French generals laughing uncontrollably. He reminded Napoleon coldly.

"You haven't been defeated? Then why are you here? Isn't it because the Austrian troops inside the city couldn't hold out?" Napoleon looked at Toral and asked with a smile.

Toral's face turned red instantly upon hearing this. He suddenly realized that he had oversimplified everything, and these Frenchmen in front of him weren't as easy to deal with as he thought.

"We still have tens of thousands of men. If we resist to the death, you will pay a heavy price to eliminate us," Toral gritted his teeth, feeling deeply powerless at this moment.

"Is that so? Then there's nothing more to discuss. We will launch an attack in five days. However, I'm curious to see how many of you will still be standing after starving for five days," Napoleon said indifferently.