From Corsica to the Fourth Rome.

Almost at the same time, outside Turin, in an engineering camp nearly ten miles upstream along the Po River,
This camp was originally just a small village with a population of about a hundred people on the outskirts of Turin, but in just two weeks, the Corsican army expanded it into a fortified camp capable of accommodating thousands of people.

More than 3,000 Corsican soldiers and more than 2,000 highly hired Piedmontese farmers were stationed around the camp, working in two shifts almost day and night.

Even in the dead of night, when everything was quiet, the echo of woodcutters' axes hitting tree trunks and the thump of hammers on anvils could be heard inside and outside the brightly lit camp.

The fortifications built by the Corsican army at the cost of such huge manpower and material resources were naturally not the river crossing bridge predicted by the Sardinian army in Turin.

Instead, it is an astonishing wooden dam that is more than 300 feet long and cuts the entire Po River in half, as well as a large canal that is 40 feet wide and 7 feet deep and directly connects to the Slavic River.

When the dam was built, farmers downstream of the Po River quickly noticed something was wrong.

This late summer and early autumn period should be the flood season for the Po River. After several heavy rains, this usually gentle and calm river should have shown its turbulent and fierce side.

However, in recent days, the water volume in the lower reaches of the Po River has obviously decreased, which seems like an abnormal dry season.

Several branch rivers even dried up. There was no water flowing in the huge river, only piles of silt deposited in it.

No one knows what exactly happened in the upper reaches of the Po River, and no one can even conclude whether it was a natural disaster or a man-made disaster.

The farmers and herdsmen downstream, including the officers in Turin, could never have imagined that those stupid Corsicans had built a dam that cut the Po River in half in just fifteen days.

"Finally. It's done."

Chief of Staff Berthier stood on the banks of the Mapo River, gazing at the dam in front of him that was more than 300 feet long. His tired eyes finally felt a little relaxed.

Fifteen days ago, when the Corsican army had just arrived outside Turin and felt helpless about this impregnable and strong military town, Berthier suddenly came up with a radical plan:

It is now the flood season of the Po River. If the water of the Po River can be diverted directly to Turin, it will not be difficult to capture Turin within a month.

After all, there were not only a few thousand Sardinian soldiers stationed in Turin, but also nearly 200,000 ordinary people.

The amount of supplies consumed daily by such a large population is an astronomical figure. Therefore, the biggest problem faced by the Sardinian army is not the Corsican army outside the city, but its own logistical supply.

And if the water of the Po River could really be used to flood Turin, it would deal a devastating blow to the city's material reserves and the morale of the people.

By then, the Corsican army outside the city would not need to sacrifice a single soldier. The thousands of starving people and rebels in the city alone would be enough to force Carlo Emmanuele III to sign his name on the humiliating peace treaty.

However, the risks of this plan are also extremely huge.

If the water attack plan fails, the Corsican army will waste these precious weeks, and Prince Vittorio may lead his troops back to defend Turin at any time. The Corsican army's plan to attack Turin will undoubtedly be completely shattered.

Moreover, the construction of this dam itself is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Even if Berthier planned to flexibly mobilize the surrounding Sardinian farmers, almost two-thirds of the soldiers in the army would still have to join the project, and the remaining soldiers could not even carry out a complete encirclement of Turin.

This is also why a number of military officers initially strongly opposed this radical plan.

However, after evaluation, Lawrence Bonaparte rejected the opposition and accepted Berthier's strategy. He directly ordered Berthier to be the leader of the plan and allowed him to mobilize all soldiers and supplies in the army to ensure the implementation of the plan.

In Lawrence's view, this army deep behind enemy lines must not sit still, looking at Turin from across the Po River. They must take action immediately. Even the worst plan at the moment is better than the most perfect plan for the future.

Moreover, Lawrence had no doubt about Berthier's ability.

Despite his young age, Berthier received a good and professional surveying education since he was a child. His father was a colonel of surveying engineers in the French army. During his time at the Paris Military Academy, Berthier also majored in surveying.

Therefore, his knowledge of geography and hydrology was definitely better than that of anyone in the Corsican army, including Lawrence himself. This was why he was able to propose a strategy of attacking Turin by water in the first place by combining Turin's geographical location with the hydrological information of the Po River.

At the same time, considering Berthier's outstanding and unparalleled organizational and coordination skills, Lawrence was very confident in handing over this huge project to Berthier.

When Japan's Toyotomi Hideyoshi was attacking Takamatsu Castle by water, he built a 3,000-meter-long dam in just twelve days.

Although the difficulty of building a dam in the Po River was undoubtedly higher this time, with Berthier's ability and higher level of engineering technology, Lawrence had no doubt that he could complete the task within two weeks.

Looking at the impenetrable wooden embankment in front of him that towered over the Po River, Lawrence was glad that he had not made a mistake.

"Berthier! How is the dam?"

Not far away, Lawrence and a group of officers rode along the banks of the Po River and waved to Berthier.

This morning, Lawrence received a letter from Berthier at the residence, stating that the dam and the canal leading to the moat of Turin have been completed and the plan can be implemented at any time, so he came to inspect in person.

When the officers of the Corsican Defense Force witnessed the dam with their own eyes, they could not hide the surprise on their faces. They found it hard to believe that this young man, who was about the same age as Prime Minister Bonaparte, could achieve such a level.

You know, just managing and coordinating the more than 3,000 soldiers and more than 2,000 farmers in the engineering camp was an extremely strenuous job, not to mention building the planned dam in just two weeks. The officers present asked themselves honestly that no one could do what Berthier, who was only 18 years old, did.

"Your Excellency Bonaparte!"

Berthier ignored the officers' shock. He dismounted and saluted. Since there were also high-ranking officers of the Corsican Defense Force present, he also used a respectful title for Lawrence:
"The project has been basically completed, and the water of the Po River has been locked in Lake Tolka upstream."

Lake Torca is a medium-sized lake not far upstream of the Po River. When Berthier cut off the Po River, the lake served as a reservoir to store the water of the Po River.

"Has the canal leading to the Slavic River been completed?" Lawrence nodded and asked.

The Slavon River is a small river directly connected to the Turin moat. In Berthier's plan, he wanted to cut off the Po River and divert its flow so that its surging water would flow directly into the Turin moat. The Turin moat is connected to the city's sewer system, so that the water of the Po River can flow directly into the city of Turin.

"It's all done."

Berthier rubbed his temples a little tiredly, but his words were still clear and concise:
"As long as the sluice gates are opened, the water level in Turin's moat will rise rapidly. According to the principle of communicating vessels, the city will be immediately flooded by the river. Moreover, Turin is located in a depression, with hills to the east and the Alps to the west. There is nowhere to release the floodwater. In less than a week, the entire city will become an ocean."

The officers subconsciously turned their heads to look at the outline of Turin city in the distance. Even though they had witnessed Berthier's masterpiece with their own eyes, it was really hard for them to imagine the scene of this majestic city being flooded.

Lawrence nodded with satisfaction, once again feeling that he was worthy of being Napoleon's chief of staff, so he personally dismounted and stepped forward to brush off the mud on Berthier's shoulders:

"Thank you for your hard work. If we can capture Turin, I will personally report your and Andre Davout's achievements to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

After hearing this, all the officers immediately cast envious eyes towards Berthier. This young man already had a good personal relationship with Prime Minister Bonaparte and Crown Prince Louis. Now he had proved his ability in the Siege of Turin. It was a foregone conclusion that he would be reused and promoted in the future.

Of course, no officer would feel the slightest bit jealous of Berthier. After all, if they were asked to lead the construction of the dam, they would have no confidence that they could take over such an important responsibility.

Berthier looked at Lawrence with great gratitude, but did not say much. He did not dare to slack off before Carlo Emanuele III signed the peace treaty.

Lawrence's expression also became more serious. While following Berthier to inspect the levee, he synchronized the latest battle situation with his chief of staff:
"Yesterday, Davout's troops in the south sent a letter saying that they would attack Nice to the west and contain the main force of the Sardinian army by defending Nice. At this moment, I'm afraid they are already under siege by the main force of the Sardinian army."

"Attacking Nice? This is a risky and unexpected move. Andre Davout is truly extraordinary. No wonder he is confident that he can tie down the enemy's main force for more than a month."

After a moment's thought, Berthier immediately understood Davout's intention and praised his colleague's wisdom without hesitation. He then made a careful analysis:
"It seems that we have to race against time. If Nice is captured but Turin is not, Davout's army will undoubtedly be in a desperate situation. The enemy's main force will then outflank us from the rear, and our army will be in an equally embarrassing situation."

Lawrence also agreed with Berthier's judgment. The Corsican army really had no time to waste:
"I plan to launch a comprehensive siege of Turin tomorrow morning. What do you think?"

Berthier stopped and looked up at the sky covered with dark clouds. Even at noon, he could only barely see a dim halo among the layers of clouds.

Strong winds blew along both banks of the Po River, carrying moist water vapor with them, raising huge waves twenty feet high on the river surface, which slammed heavily into the wooden dam like a boiling herd of beasts.

There is no doubt that tomorrow will be another severe storm, which is very common in the Po River Plain during the rainy season:
"Tomorrow morning is a good time."

The next day, March 10

Turin, dark clouds and thunder
Heavy rain began to pour down on the land at night, and the pouring rain extended from the sky to the ground, and the air was filled with the fragrance of soil.

In the Royal Palace of Turin, Carlo Emanuele III was lying on the bed in the back garden, listening quietly to the crisp crackling sound of rain hitting the glass and enjoying this nature concerto in a good mood.

It’s a rainy day, another beautiful rainy day. It would be great if this rain could continue for a month.

The old king thought so. Although the humidity from the rainy day would further aggravate his joint pain, being in the besieged city, every drop of rain that fell made Carlo Emanuele III feel extremely at ease.

His Majesty the King, who once led the army personally, knew very well that every rainy day was basically a day off for the soldiers in the army. Most commanders would not order the troops to march in the rain despite the soldiers' complaints, let alone let them fight the enemy in the rain waving muskets like fire sticks.

The same was true for the Corsican army. Every time a rainstorm came, the Corsicans were forced to stay in the camp, staring at the towering walls of Turin. Even their few small artillery pieces turned into a pile of scrap metal.

Thinking of this, Carlo Emanuele III couldn't help but hum a cheerful tune, even putting aside the pain in his legs and feet.

Attacking Torino in the rainy season was definitely a stupid choice.

With continuous heavy rains and strong city defenses, the Sardinian army in Turin undoubtedly had the best of time and place.

Just as the old king was about to get up feeling tired, the trusted general in charge of the city's defense walked into the back garden.

The general walked at a moderate pace, not as relaxed as usual, but not at all flustered. He came before the king, bowed, and reported:

"Your Majesty, the Corsican army outside the city has begun to gather. They have completely surrounded Turin and completely blocked all the city gates."

Upon hearing the latest developments of the Corsican army, Carlo Emmanuel III chuckled and didn't take it seriously at all:
"More than half a month has passed, and their bridge has finally been repaired? They are only beginning to besiege the city at this time."

In the past two weeks, the Corsican army did not have enough troops to completely blockade Turin because the construction of dams and canals required a large number of manpower.

For the Sardinian defenders in the city, although the supply convoys were still unable to enter the city, at least they could still keep in touch with the outside world, especially Prince Vittorio's troops, through messengers during these two weeks. This also made the Sardinian defenders feel confident in their defense.

When the experienced Carlo Emanuele III heard that the Corsican army only began a full blockade two weeks later, he suddenly felt ridiculous and felt that Lawrence Bonaparte was just in name only.

The general then reported some details to Carlo Emmanuele III, but the sleepy and bored king was obviously not interested in listening to these trivial and irrelevant things.

When the trusted general finished his report and was about to leave and return to his post, Carlo Emmanuel III yawned out of boredom and called the general:
"It's a tiring job to go back and forth between the palace and the fortress in such heavy rain. Why don't you stay and play a couple of games of chess with me? Your chess skills have improved rapidly recently."

The general stopped immediately, his face instantly filled with a flattering smile. Compared to staying in the dark and damp bastion to monitor the Corsicans, it was undoubtedly much more comfortable to drink tea and play chess with His Majesty the King in the palace garden. Many people dreamed of getting close to His Majesty the King.

"Hahahaha, no matter how much my chess skills improve, I can only bow down to your majesty."

The general took off his military coat, laughed and sat down opposite the king. The alert servants quickly brought teacups, snacks and an ivory chessboard.

The rain was pouring down. It was such a quiet and peaceful morning. In such a heavy rain, how much trouble could those Corsicans cause? (End of this chapter)