Derisson was riding along with his winding column of troops, occasionally turning to speak with his aides when suddenly the faint sound of cannon fire reached his ears from the front left.

The entire Prussian line came to an immediate halt as the soldiers anxiously craned their necks, looking around in confusion.

Derisson's expression darkened. He had been cautious throughout the march, even though they were moving through Prussian territory. He had sent out plenty of cavalry to scout ahead. Up until now, all of his hussars had reported that there was nothing unusual ahead, so where had this cannon fire come from?

Quickly, he ordered his troops to close ranks and form defensive lines.

He turned to his aide and said loudly, "Leon, send someone to find out what's happening!"

"Yes, General!"

Before his order could even be carried out, two messengers came galloping toward him, urgency written on their faces. As soon as they spotted him, they quickly reported, "General, our vanguard was attacked! General Brecht's two regiments have already collapsed..."

"How is that possible?" Derisson frowned. "Who is attacking us?"

"It seems to be the French."

"Damn it, where did they come from?" Derisson was baffled. Logically, the cannons should have been set up to ambush him along his route, but how had his hussars missed them?

He had no way of knowing that these were the Imperial Guard's horse artillery units. They had been concealed six kilometers away until they spotted his troops, quickly moving into position to ambush his forces from the front-left flank.

"How many of them are there?"

"We... we're not sure. The artillery barrage came out of nowhere..."

Despite the chaos, Derisson, an experienced commander, quickly regained his composure and made a decision.

The enemy had artillery, so it was likely a large force. The first priority was to slow down their advance.

He immediately ordered the Fein Corps to form a defensive line on the spot and hold off the attackers. Meanwhile, the rest of his forces were to regroup near the woods to the north.

The Fein Corps consisted mostly of elite Prussian guards and moved swiftly. In just over half an hour, they began forming up south of the main force, while the rest of the Prussian line slowly shifted northward.

However, the French forces that had ambushed them clearly didn't plan to give them any breathing room.

Soon, hussars reported to Derisson that over ten thousand French infantry were advancing from the southwest.

Cold sweat began to bead on Derisson's forehead. His main force was spread out over a distance of three or four kilometers. It would take at least three hours to gather them and form a proper battle line.

He immediately took command of the two grenadier regiments at his side, directing them to join Fein in building a temporary defensive line. At the same time, he ordered Krockow to lead all twelve hussar squadrons to hold off the French, no matter the cost, buying time for the rest of his forces.

On the heights by the Oder River, Joseph watched through his telescope as nearly two thousand Prussian cavalry surged toward the Imperial Guard's infantry line.

He wasn't nervous at all. After two years of military training, Joseph could tell that the Prussian cavalry were ill-prepared—scattered and disorganized, they were launching an assault in a hurry.

This was practically suicide.

It's a common misconception that well-equipped, fast-moving, and powerful cavalry can always crush infantry. In reality, cavalry aren't meant for head-on engagements. Their strength lies in their mobility, allowing them to quickly strike at weak points before retreating. But if they clash head-on with organized infantry, especially in tight ranks, they often can't win unless their numbers are overwhelming.

Sure enough, as the Prussian cavalry charged recklessly at the French infantry, they were met with a volley of musket fire. The frontmost twenty horses fell with pained cries, tripping up those behind them.

After firing, the soldiers of the Imperial Guard planted their bayoneted muskets into the ground at an angle and knelt down. The second row fired their guns, then raised them horizontally, bayonets pointed forward.

Then the third row fired...

By the time the Prussian cavalry reached the infantry line, they were met with a wall of bayonets three rows deep. They were forced to pull on their reins, turning to split off to the sides.

The image of fearless cavalrymen plowing through bayonets, as often depicted in movies, is actually pointless— even if a few cavalrymen manage to knock down two or three infantrymen, the gaps are quickly filled. The fallen horse and rider just become obstacles, slowing down the next wave of attackers. A cavalry charge that loses its momentum turns the riders into easy targets for the infantry.

The Imperial Guard's infantry line was long enough that the Prussian hussars had no chance of flanking them. Besides, the Imperial Guard's cavalry was positioned behind the infantry, ready to protect the flanks.

The Prussian cavalry were forced to regroup at a distance. But that first, disorganized assault had already cost them at least one squadron— about 150 men.

However, Derisson had ordered Krockow to hold the French at all costs, so he had no choice but to rally his men for another charge.

After the third charge, the Prussian cavalry, having suffered heavy losses, hesitated, reluctant to attack again.

These Junker noble cavalrymen were actually performing admirably. A less motivated force would have already started to flee after the second charge.

Berthier once again suggested sending in the Imperial Guard's cavalry, and this time Joseph, seeing the weakened state of the Prussian cavalry, finally agreed.

The cavalry was the Imperial Guard's most limited resource. The cavalry inherited from the Paris Guard were highly effective in battle, while the newly trained units were mostly suited for skirmishing. As a result, Joseph was extremely cautious about using them, mourning even the smallest losses.

But now, with the Prussian cavalry in disarray, struggling even to regroup, it was time to strike.

When 700 of the Imperial Guard's hussars suddenly appeared on the left flank of the Prussian cavalry, Krockow personally led his aides in an attempt to counter them, but almost no one followed him.

The Prussian cavalry was split in two, with most fleeing north, while the rest were cut down by volleys from the advancing French infantry. Many soon abandoned their horses and surrendered.

Derisson's infantry line was still in disarray when hussars returned in retreat.

He had some of the scattered troops brought before him, where they nervously reported:

"General, the enemy is only eight or nine hundred paces away."

"General Krockow? We don't know where he is."

"The enemy's defenses are tight, and their firepower is overwhelming..."

Derisson's heart sank. He had done everything he could, yet hadn't even managed to delay the French for an hour. It seemed there were at least 30,000 to 40,000 of them.

Damn it, such a large force must have been in Oberlohn for at least two days. How had no one noticed?

(Chapter ends)

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