"Sir, how's it going? Is it a sortie or a retreat? After Zhang Cheng returned to his regiment headquarters, Zhang Tao, who was rubbing his hands and pacing back and forth, hurriedly greeted the results of the inquiry. Everyone was busy packing up and preparing to retreat, but the 3rd Regiment couldn't do anything. Before the commander of the regiment who was in charge of attacking Turin City with all his strength did not have a definite order, they could only stand by on the spot.

Zhang Cheng glanced at him lightly, and he didn't look down on this kind of professional soldier. But he won't lose face, because there's no need for that. While pouring water for himself, Zhang Cheng said, "The order has been given, it is an order from the commander-in-chief of the army." Fall back. ”

"Huh~~~" After listening to Zhang Cheng's words, Zhang Tao felt that his heart hanging high had been able to let go. Zhang Tao felt that he no longer had the courage to continue to stay on the battlefield, and he had already decided to wait until he returned to the heat. Naya immediately found someone to do something, called in sick and left here. He had had enough of this violent threat between life and death these days.

Zhang Cheng took a sip of water from the water cup, looked at Zhang Tao with a happy expression, slowly lowered his eyelids, and didn't say anything more. At this moment, Zhang Cheng's heart can only be silently and coldly watched. These soldiers who protect the country are all in this kind of mentality and inaction, what else can he do?

Sighing and sitting in his chair, his glass of water clutched tightly in his hand. Zhang Cheng hung his head slightly expressionlessly, but after a moment, he chuckled. The laughter grew louder and louder, and the soldiers in the regimental headquarters all looked at each other, wondering what was wrong with him.

"It's fine." Zhang Cheng chuckled and shook his head, and whispered to himself, "Then I don't have any guilt in my heart." It's time for this old and decaying era to come to an end. ”

When the tens of thousands of main forces led by Liu Yue were broken through the core position arranged outside the town of Kivaso. This war, at least at this stage, has already come to an end.

In fact, compared to the total number of soldiers under Liu Yue's command, the losses of the Ming army on the battlefield were not very large. What really caused them huge losses was the rout of the entire front, and many soldiers fled in all directions, either as scattered soldiers or as formations. In other words, Liu Yue's subordinates were actually defeated and lost their combat effectiveness. The Sardinians captured the Ming army far beyond what they had achieved on the battlefield.

The ecstatic Sardinians now have two options, one is to take advantage of the victory and chase all the way to Milan.

Similar to Turin, most of Milan's defenders have been sent to the front line, and the garrison is not strong at the moment. Even if you add the number of defeated troops who have been contained, what should you do with their morale and fighting spirit and weapons and equipment? The various materials that should have filled the warehouse are now completely on the books, and the warehouse has long been empty. With the strength in the hands of the Sardinians at the moment, it should not be a problem to take the city of Milan.

It has to be said that the allure of Milan is too strong for the Sardinians. The wealth, the population, the industry, all of which the people of the Sardinia desperately needed. With Milan, the strength of the Sardinians is bound to increase dramatically. The simultaneous capture of Milan was of great significance to the entire Italian peninsula as well as to the entire continent of Europa.

Another option was to go south to pursue the 20,000-strong Southern Front Corps. Seize the heat in one fell swoop. Naya Harbor, completely blocked all the retreat routes of the Ming army. This had the advantage of eliminating the last viable force of the Ming army, and at the same time cutting off the entire Doge of Milan from the outside world. The Doge of Milan was bordered by the Kingdom of Sardinia to the west, Austria to the east, Switzerland to the north, Romagna to the south, and several minor principalities. These countries that declared neutrality would not allow the Ming army to pass through.

As long as the Ming army on the southern front is defeated and the heat is captured. The port of Naya, the Doge of Milan is in the bag. And even if the Ming Empire sends a large army to support, it will face an embarrassing situation where there is nowhere to speak. No more heat. The passage of Naya Port was used to unload people and supplies. Then the reinforcements of the Ming Empire can't find a place to put their mouths.

The amphibious landing war in this era is definitely a nightmare for the attackers, and to conduct a large-scale amphibious landing war without professional equipment is to seek death. Moreover, the Sardinia still had submarines, a weapon that the Ming Navy feared, and it was still feasible to negotiate satisfactorily with the Ming Empire with tens of thousands of prisoners in hand.

The commander of the Sardinian army, Count Cavour, strongly rejected the temptation of Milan and the ardent expectations of the king and his men, and after defeating the main force of the Ming army, he sent a reconnaissance force to the city. And he himself turned around with a morale-boosting army and went south to pursue the Ming army on the southern front. Naya Harbor!

"This is a request from the Navy, not an order. You can think it out for yourself. Lian Qinglin looked at Zhang Cheng with a strange expression, the telegram in his hand.

"I'm willing to obey orders." Zhang Cheng pursed the corners of his mouth, a subtle joy flashed in his eyes, and he nodded in response.

The Sardinians did not choose to take the city of Milan, but had a great appetite to eat the Ming army on the southern front and capture the city. Naya Port. They quickly moved south, easily recaptured the town of Bura, and then pounced on the port of Savona, ready to chase the ass of the Ming army to heat. Naya.

At this time, the navy's preparation for the salvage of the Yancheng had just been in the preliminary preparatory stage, and the navy alone could not stop the attack of the Sardinians. The Navy could not accept the humiliation of having its ships sunk and falling into the hands of the enemy. Such a 10,000-ton giant ship represents the face of the Navy at this time. has already slapped the left cheek hard, and the navy is unwilling to continue to pass the right cheek over!

In this case, the Navy Command approached the Army to coordinate and asked the Army to help hold the port of Savona.

The army's reaction was very strange, they first demanded that the Ming army on the southern front must hold on to the huge heat of throughput capacity. Naya Harbor to ensure that the expeditionary force that has begun mobilization can have a place to settle on the battlefield. In addition, the army felt very dignified about the rare request for help from the navy, and said that it could leave a regimental unit to help garrison the port of Savona. The choice of the navy is Zhang Cheng, who is the strongest and has also dealt with the navy.

In the eyes of all, this is definitely a very dangerous thing to do. Even if the Navy urgently mobilized the Marines from Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria and other places to support, plus Zhang Cheng's troops, there were only more than 10,000 people. And they will face a morale-boosting Sardinian army of seventy or eighty thousand. And also fighting on enemy soil. No matter how you look at this matter, it is a matter of the navy letting the soldiers die for the sake of face.

But Zhang Cheng doesn't see it that way.

That's right, the disparity between the strength of the enemy and the enemy is huge, and the form looks extremely unfavorable. But it's not a dead end without a glimmer of opportunity. The area of the port of Savona is not large, and the garrison force does not need much. The port is surrounded by mountains, and the only way to enter the port is to climb the mountains and mountains. In terms of terrain, it is definitely very advantageous.

The second is that Savona is a port, and the Ming navy rules the seas. In other words, Zhang Cheng was able to get a steady stream of reinforcements from the sea. This is not a desperate fight to the death.

The most important thing is that if this battle is won, it will be of great significance to Zhang Cheng.

Now this war has attracted the close attention of the whole world, and countless eyes are watching here. Whoever is able to stand out will inevitably get the attention of the whole world, which will play a decisive role in improving the reputation. If you want to get ahead, you can become famous in one fell swoop.

This operation was the main request of the Navy, which means that the Navy owes a favor. To be able to make the world's most powerful Ming Navy owe favors, what else is not worth doing?

After the baptism of this war, Zhang Cheng's mentality has undergone a great change.

Zhang Cheng could clearly feel the hostility of the whole world towards the Ming Empire, and a large-scale all-out war was inevitable. And when the enemies of the whole world are lying on their backs and trying their best to conquer the world. What is the Ming Empire doing? Zhang Cheng no longer had hope in them, and he was determined to give up his previous plans. What can be done with the power of a colony alone? Could it be that some new weapons can be developed to fight the whole world? Zhang Cheng knew he needed more power.

Faced with an imminent all-out war, Zhang Cheng knew he had no time to start over. He is determined to go directly to the heart of the Ming Dynasty to transform the empire. For Zhang Cheng, the upcoming battle of Savona is his stepping stone. Zhang Cheng now can't wait to go to the distant homeland and return to that haunting land.

Lian Qinglin raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhang Cheng with complicated eyes. What Zhang Cheng thinks, he can roughly understand one or two. To be honest, even he himself is very excited, but unfortunately he is not willing to take risks. He's no longer young, and he's thinking about too much, too much.

"Then you can do it yourself." Lian Qinglin sighed lightly, shook his head and left Zhang Cheng's headquarters.

Lian Qinglin's figure is a little lonely, this is more like the end of an era, and it is also the beginning of an era

"I won't say much more nonsense." In the temporary headquarters in the port of Savona, Major General Yunmo looked at Zhang Cheng with a cold face, "I am named, and you command." When the navy goes ashore, it will listen to the army. ”

"Yes." Zhang Cheng saluted calmly, without a trace of hesitation and politeness.

"Any plans?" After setting the tone, Major General Yunmo began to inquire about specific defense plans. Although he is a nominal commander, he still needs to know the basics.

Zhang Cheng didn't say much nonsense, he directly spread out the map and stretched out his hand to the vicinity of Savona, and said in a deep voice, "The area here is not large, and the surrounding area is full of mountains." The core of the defense is to be placed on the surrounding hills. Once the hill is lost, let the Sardinians set up artillery positions and observation posts, then there is no need to fight. ”