From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

July 8, seven days after the Corsican army landed on Sardinia from the town of San Mare.

To the surprise of Lieutenant General Ethel and Governor Bertrand, the Corsican army did not immediately advance towards Cagliari after landing on Sardinia.

"Are you saying that the Corsican army did not directly go south to capture Cagliari, but took the initiative to divide its forces to occupy various local towns?"

In the meeting hall of the Governor's Palace in Cagliari, after receiving the latest information, Lieutenant General Essel and Governor Bertrand discussed matters of resisting the Corsican army again.

Although the relationship between the two people is already tense, such major matters still require the two of them to make decisions together. At least in name, Lieutenant General Ethel still needs the assistance of Governor Bertrand.

The two of them had just received the news that the Corsican army did not march straight towards Cagliari after landing, as Lieutenant General Essel had imagined.

Lawrence Bonaparte's army instead took the initiative to slow down its advance, divided its forces to occupy every town along the way, and ensured complete control of every occupied town.

In the view of Lieutenant General Ethel, this is undoubtedly good news. After all, if the Corsicans were coming straight towards Cagliari, the army should have arrived at the city two days ago.

Judging from the Corsican's current advancement speed, it will take at least a week for them to approach the surrounding areas of the capital Cagliari. This naturally gives Lieutenant General Essel more time to organize forces to resist Corsica. army's attack.

"Hahaha, it's God's blessing. As a result, the Corsican army's attack on Cagliari was delayed by more than ten days than expected. Sure enough, Lawrence Bonaparte, that yellow-haired boy, doesn't know anything about military affairs. He must be busy in various fields. Let the towns plunder their treasures.”

Lieutenant General Ethel was obviously in a happy mood. He looked down on the barbarians in Corsica and had no regard for the combat effectiveness of their army. The reason why the nearly ten thousand advance troops were completely wiped out in Corsica , he just thought it was the damn French who were causing trouble.

Now with more preparation time, Lieutenant General Essel felt that he could not only defend Cagliari, but also have a chance to counterattack and push the front back to Corsican territory.

As for why the Corsican army did not take Cagliari directly, Lieutenant General Ethel was not interested at all. He just thought that Lawrence Bonaparte was busy burning, killing and looting, and wanted to avenge the siege of Ajaccio. And he didn't care at all how many Sardinian towns were plundered.

Governor Bertrand's focus was completely different from Lieutenant General Ethel. He frowned and asked the officer who reported the news:

"How many towns have so far been plundered by Bonaparte's troops? What damage has been done to the towns they have captured?"

As a nobleman from Sardinia and the governor of the island, Governor Bertrand was obviously more concerned about intelligence other than military affairs, and also cared more about the losses suffered by the people of Sardinia in this war.

The officer hesitated for a moment, as if he himself was very surprised by the next words:

"No, Your Excellency the Governor, we have not received reports of towns being looted so far. The Corsican army basically only liquidated landowners and nobles in various places. Part of the property obtained was used as trophies for the soldiers, but the larger part was used as trophies for the soldiers. It was distributed directly to the local people.”

Governor Bertrand was stunned for a moment and asked repeatedly:

"You mean they didn't attack Sardinian civilians?"

"We can't draw a conclusion yet. We can only say that we have not received relevant information so far."

The officer also felt that the style of this army was different from the rumored brutal and brutal Corsicans, but in the face of Lieutenant General Ethel's gloomy face, he still gave a very tactful explanation:

"And the Corsicans not only implemented military occupation of towns, they also tried to implement domestic reform laws in the occupied areas, redistributed the land and property of landlords and nobles to civilians, and issued new tax laws, In addition to announcing that the mining rights in various places would be returned to the Corsican state, Bonaparte did not seem to seize more. They even dissolved the local governments and announced that each municipality would elect a group of municipal officials. Officials can take up their posts directly as long as they are appointed by him.”

"Hmph! Who does he think he is? His Majesty the King of Sardinia?! If the Corsican army came straight to Cagliari, I would still feel a little troubled. I didn't expect this idiot to waste time in those countryside. On Mr. Nomura.”

Lieutenant General Ethel snorted disdainfully. In his opinion, it was stupid for Bonaparte to waste his precious time on these towns. As long as the war was over and the Kingdom of Sardinia took over Sardinia again, all his Our reforms and efforts will then be in vain.

But Governor Bertrand's eyes lit up, especially when he heard that Laurence Bonaparte had abolished the existing local governments and asked the towns to independently elect a new set of government teams. Countless thoughts flashed through Zhong Geng.

According to the current situation in Sardinia, if each locality holds its own elections, the newly appointed municipal officials will not be the Savoyans who are deeply hated by the islanders, but native Sardinians.

In other words, if the intelligence is correct, then in the areas occupied by the Corsican army, the Sardinians are likely to have regained administrative power from the Savoy nobles and achieved a certain degree of national autonomy.

And this is exactly what Governor Bertrand has been dreaming about - a Sardinia governed independently by Sardinians.

Although the Corsican Army still controls the highest power in the occupied area, for Governor Bertrand, the Corsicans can be regarded as compatriots of the Sardinians, and Laurence Bonaparte's reputation has long been It was widely spread in Sardinia that the governance of that lord must be better than the ruthless exploitation and oppression of the Savoy people.

The two major reforms carried out by the Corsicans in the occupied territories also made Governor Bertrand more convinced of his views.

Although he himself was also a nobleman and owned a manor, judging from the relationship between the Sardinian and Savoy factions, he knew that these two major reforms could greatly enhance the social status of the Sardinian people. with wealth.

Thinking of this, Governor Bertrand ignored Lieutenant General Ethel's dissatisfaction, restrained the excitement in his heart and asked:

"What do the people think of the actions of the Corsican army?"

The officer's expression immediately became solemn, thinking that the Governor was worried about his own morale:

"The situation is a bit serious. As the news spread, Sardinians in many towns welcomed the arrival of the Corsican army. Two days ago, a Savoy municipal official in the center planned to organize a militia to resist Bonaparte. As a result, the local militia dared to start a rebellion and killed the mayor, and then actively sent people to request the Corsican army to take over. Even in Cagliari, the city is full of storms and people's hearts are floating. "

After hearing this, Lieutenant General Ethel felt irritable and immediately punched the table impatiently. He ordered in anger:

"This group of traitors, have they just believed in Bonaparte's trick and forgotten His Majesty the King's grace?! Without the kindness of the Kingdom, they are not even shit, this group of wolf-hearted things! Come on, tell the story I order that from now on, anyone who discusses matters in the occupied areas in private, whether in the military or in the city, will be punished with treason!"

Governor Bertrand glanced at the general with dissatisfaction. It was obviously not within the power of Lieutenant General Ethel to issue such an administrative order, but he did not say anything. The governor's mind had already drifted elsewhere.

Lieutenant General Ethel was still angry and cursed at Governor Bertrand:

"Hey, Bertrand, don't leave me idle. It just so happens that the Corsicans gave us the opportunity to organize a counterattack. If you delay the battle, I will still use military law to deal with you; the recruitment of farmers must be accelerated. , In addition, I also allocate a sum of money from the finance. I want to hire a mercenary group. The conscripted militiamen are of no use at all. They can only be used to increase the momentum. It still has to be done by my own soldiers and soldiers. Mercenaries serve as the main force.”

Governor Bertrand frowned and complained:

"We just paid a large sum of money to the Genoa mission not long ago. How can we have any spare money to hire another mercenary group? After all, that expenditure should not be borne by us at all."

"Then you want to surrender directly to Laurence Bonaparte? Give Cagliari to them?!"

Lieutenant General Ethel had no interest in listening to Governor Bertrand's complaints, so he opened his mouth and cursed mercilessly:

"Stop talking nonsense. The financial problem is nothing more than opening a few more tax items to make the Sardinian people suffer. If you can't come up with the money, then I will let the army find a way."

As for the method Lieutenant General Ethel said, it didn't take much thinking to know that he was going to swing the butcher's knife at those Sardinian pariahs in their eyes.

Governor Bertrand suppressed the anger in his heart, but suddenly an idea flashed in his mind.

He thought for a few seconds, looked at Lieutenant General Ethel solemnly, and looked extremely embarrassed:

"You...! Oh, okay, but leave the communication with the mercenary group to me. You, a rough guy who has no idea about finance, probably won't even notice when someone asks for a high price. Besides..."

Governor Bertrand paused and continued to demand:

"The recruitment of peasants is also the responsibility of my administrative officials. The army recruiters are eager to drag all three-year-old children into the army. If this continues, I am afraid that Cagliari will not be here before the Corsicans arrive. People are already panicking.”

"Okay, I guess you can still be of some use."

Although he was a little surprised by Bertrand's active cooperation, Lieutenant General Ethel agreed to the other party's request after pondering for a moment.

The general also knows that Governor Bertrand still has a good prestige in the hearts of the Sardinian people. It will indeed be much better if he recruits soldiers, and he is indeed not proficient in the hard work of bargaining with mercenary leaders. It was also handed over to the Governor's Mansion for completion.

After receiving the agreement, Governor Bertrand finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his rapid heartbeat slowly calmed down. He knew that this might be the closest he got to realizing his lifelong dream.

The actions of the Corsican army were slower than Lieutenant General Essel expected. They were not in a hurry to attack Cagliari, but focused on controlling and maintaining stability in various local towns.

Bureaucrats from the Corsican Ministry of Finance are also pushing forward the reform process in full swing. Although the time is very tight, these bureaucrats have completed their tasks outstandingly based on their practical experience in Corsica.

Most of the population in the occupied areas have completed household registration, and land surveying and mapping are also in progress.

The local city halls also completed emergency elections under the supervision of Corsican soldiers, allowing a group of Sardinians with local authority and support for the Corsican Army to take over nominal administrative power.

As the supreme commander of the Sardinian garrison, Lieutenant General Essel did not order the army to block the advancement of the Corsican army.

Due to Colonel Bartland's failure in Corsica, Sardinia's defensive strength was already very empty. Lieutenant General Essel had no interest in the area outside the capital, and did not have the extra troops to take care of it. He had decided to The key to victory or defeat lies in the defense of Cagliari.

Also thanks to Lieutenant General Essel's strategy of shrinking the capital, the Corsican army's advance in Sardinia encountered almost no obstruction.

Those towns that had received news from the north were not only not afraid of the arrival of the Corsican army, but were very much looking forward to it, hoping that the group of relatives from the northern islands would really be able to do what Lawrence Bonaparte said. That brings them unprecedented liberation.

Although a few Savoy nobles and officials organized some sporadic resistance, these buck-the-trend behaviors could not stop the prairie fire coming from the north.

The Sardinians in the occupied area chanted Bonaparte's name and celebrated their liberation and rebirth, while the islanders in the south looked eagerly to the north, anxiously waiting to bathe in the sea with their compatriots. The day comes under the same light.

On August 10, 1771, nearly five weeks had passed since the Corsican army landed on Sardinia and controlled nearly two-thirds of Sardinia.

By now, not only the soldiers on both sides, but also the farmers in the countryside can vaguely feel the tension in the air. People know that a battle that will determine the fate of Sardinia may be about to begin. Corsi The Jia army had already assembled and started marching towards the capital Cagliari.

Upon hearing the news that the final battle was about to begin, even the most ungrateful Sardinians flocked to churches to pray for their nominal enemies.

Although it was only a little over a month, they had already tasted the sweet taste of freedom and liberation and were unwilling to return to the slavery and whipping of the Savoy masters.

Carrying the faith of thousands of Sardinians, Laurence Bonaparte began to gather his troops and march south towards Cagliari. On the evening of August 10, he entered the plain of Sestu in the north of Cagliari - here It was only fifty miles away from the capital of Sardinia.

That evening, the night was getting darker.

Lawrence was discussing the attack plan on Cagliari with a group of officers in the marching command post. They had also just received news about the enemy's movements from the scouts:

After Lieutenant General Essel realized that the Corsican army was about to launch a general offensive, he immediately led a mixed army composed of mercenaries, levies and the general's personal soldiers to march north and stationed in advance on the Sestu Plain. Prepare for war.

According to the intelligence information of the reconnaissance force, the distance between the camps of both sides is less than twenty miles. Once tonight reaches dawn, it will probably be the decisive moment for the armies of both sides.

For Lawrence and the officers in the marching camp, this night was destined to be long and torturous. Everyone was discussing the deployment plan for this battle with serious faces, although the Corsican army did have a considerable amount of territory. advantage, but before officially attacking Cagliari, no one could easily say that they had achieved a complete victory in Sardinia.

"According to the existing intelligence, the opponent's army may not be smaller than ours, and its main force is deployed in three highlands here."

In the camp, Major Serulier placed several simple and crude war games at corresponding locations on the map, and explained his analysis of the battlefield situation to everyone.

Although Major Serrurier is a new member of the Knights, and he is not a member of the Charles Gang in the Paris Military Academy, as the biggest contributor to the siege of Ajaccio, he quickly won a position within the Privy Knights. With respect from everyone, the staff officers in the camp were also listening with rapt attention at this moment:

"However, most of the enemy's army is composed of temporarily trained conscripts. What really needs attention is the enemy general Lieutenant General Ethel's bodyguards and the several Genoese mercenary groups he hired. These should be the enemy's The core strength of the army.”

"Genoa Mercenary Group? It's a bit strange." Lawrence frowned slightly and repeated softly.

Serurier explained ably:

"Our scouts have just confirmed that the soldiers stationed on the edge of the enemy camp, with obviously different uniforms and organizations, are mercenaries from the Republic of Genoa. It is roughly estimated that there are six battalions in size."

Berthier on the side also realized that Lawrence seemed to be very concerned about these mercenaries, and added:

"It's not surprising. Genoa is a wealthy but sparsely populated commercial republic. Their mercenary business is already very developed. I heard that mercenaries from all over Europe can be found in Genoa's St. George Port."

"No, what I care about is their size." Lawrence slowly shook his head:

"Being able to recruit six battalion-sized mercenary regiments in such a short period of time cannot be achieved by relying on financial resources alone. I am afraid that the official assistance of Genoa is indispensable."

Berthier also immediately realized that although he still lacked experience, he was actually extremely talented:

"Are you saying that the Genoese government also secretly intervened in this war? Do those short-sighted businessmen still have any thoughts about Corsica?"

Lawrence held his forehead and thought for a while, but he couldn't come to a firm conclusion yet, so he shook his head and put the matter aside for the time being:

"Forget it, no matter what the Genoese people have in mind, I will soon go to the Genoa Governor's Palace to ask clearly with a gun and a sword. Since these vampires have fled Corsica with their tails between their legs, they'd better pray not to let me I find that they are still looking back at this land, so let’s discuss the battle plan against the Sardinian army tomorrow morning.”

The officers nodded. The top priority right now is to defeat the enemy as soon as possible, officially enter Cagliari, and completely capture Sardinia. The Sardinian army currently lying in front of everyone is really a force that cannot be underestimated. It must be Make plans carefully.

Just as the officers were preparing to discuss tomorrow's combat deployment, a guard outside suddenly walked into the tent and respectfully reported:

"Prime Minister Bonaparte! We arrested a suspicious man outside the camp. He was riding a fast horse alone. He claimed to be from the enemy camp and said that he had something important to discuss with you personally."

On the eve of dawn on August 11, a burst of fish belly white appeared on the eastern horizon. In more than an hour, the rich and fertile Sestu Plain will be bathed in bright sunshine, and by then the dazzling golden light will also become a symbol of the two armies. A tacit signal to start war.

In the Sardinian army camp, Lieutenant General Ethel rubbed his sleepy eyes. In order to cope with the offensive of the Corsican army, he almost stayed awake all night, waiting for the moment of decisive battle with those damn Corsican barbarians.

Seeing the arrival of dawn, Lieutenant General Ethel took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time, and his words were full of confidence:

"These cheap Corsican idiots, I'm going to show them in two hours that I'm nothing like that useless piece of shit like Bartland."

Although he was leading a temporary army, relying on the combat power of the Guardsmen and Genoese mercenaries, Lieutenant General Essel was still confident that he could block the Corsicans outside the city of Cagliari.

As long as Cagliari, an extremely important port city, can be defended, reinforcements and supplies from the mainland will continue to arrive, and then a counterattack against the Corsicans will be completely possible.

Thinking of the praises he heard in the enemy-occupied areas for the Corsican army and Laurence Bonaparte these days, Lieutenant General Ethel became even more angry and looked forward to the day of the counterattack day and night. .

He had already decided in his heart that on the day he recaptured Sardinia and counterattacked Corsica, the first thing he would do was to bloodbath Ajaccio, and then eliminate all the disloyal elements in Sardinia.

After looking around at the officers in the tent, Lieutenant General Ethel was about to order the deployment, but suddenly frowned:

"Wait, why hasn't Governor Bertrand arrived yet?"

The officers looked at each other, but no one could answer this question. They had not seen the governor himself all night long.

Lieutenant General Ethel became even more angry when he saw this, and punched the table hard:

"That damn Sardinian, it's time! Guards, find Governor Bertrand and bring him here!"

Although Lieutenant General Ethel did not want Governor Bertrand to get involved in war affairs, at this juncture, he still needed the Governor himself by his side.

After all, Governor Bertrand has a high prestige among the recruited Sardinians. His presence can greatly boost morale, and those Genoese mercenaries are all directly hired by the Governor himself, and they can only Follow Governor Bertrand's orders.

And just as Lieutenant General Ethel was stamping his feet, beating his chest, and getting furious, he saw the curtain of the camp tent being gently opened:

"Sorry General, I'm late."

Lieutenant General Ethel was about to get angry, but when he turned to look at the door, he was instantly stunned. Not only him, but also all the officers in the tent suddenly turned pale and their expressions changed drastically when they saw this.

The visitor was indeed Governor Bertrand, but right behind him were hundreds of fully armed mercenaries. The muskets in the hands of these mercenaries were obviously loaded, and they were aiming directly at the tent. Lieutenant General Ethel and a group of officers.

Even Governor Bertrand himself held a silver-plated pistol and pointed the crosshair at Lieutenant General Ethel in front of him.

Since the general's own guards had been deployed on the front battlefield to prepare for the battle, the number of guards around the camp was very limited. Faced with this sudden change, they were instantly panicked and were attacked by these menacing servants without any resistance. The soldiers took control.

Lieutenant General Ethel swallowed hard. Although he tried to pretend to be calm, the slight trembling in his voice showed that this experienced general was confused and completely at a loss:

"Bertland, what on earth do you want to do!"

"I have only one request, surrender to the Corsican Army, General." Governor Bertrand said solemnly, and took two steps closer to Lieutenant General Ethel's position with a gun.

"Surrender? You traitorous bastard! Traitor!"

Lieutenant General Ethel's eyes widened, and he cursed painfully to cover up his fear and panic:

"The kingdom does not care about your origin and promoted you to the high position of governor. This is how you repay the kingdom? What benefits did Laurence Bonaparte give you?!"

This series of roars could not cause a single ripple on Governor Bertrand's face. He had not held a gun for a long time, but at this moment he was unprecedentedly calm and composed:

"My status does not come from the promotion of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but from the support of the people of this land. I will not be loyal to this country that oppresses my compatriots. I am only loyal to the people who protect me." ; Facts have proven that Laurence Bonaparte’s governance is in the interests of millions of Sardinians!”

"You bastard who deserves to go to hell!" Lieutenant General Ethel clenched his fists tightly, and his nails were already embedded in his flesh.

"Make your choice, General."

"You want me to surrender? Don't even think about it!"

The two were facing each other, and even the air around them was so tense that it seemed to be on fire.

Although the two sides have had many conflicts and differences in government affairs before, this is the first time that they have faced off like this in a life-or-death situation.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of rapid horse hooves coming from ahead.

I saw a messenger riding a fast horse and rushed to the camp. Although he was frightened by the formation in front of him and was a little overwhelmed, the messenger still walked to the camp and announced loudly:

"General! Your Majesty the Governor! The Corsican army has begun to attack our position. They charged directly and will soon engage in a firefight with our army!"

This announcement made Lieutenant General Ethel, who was already pale, even more embarrassed. He gritted his teeth and finally squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth:

"It just so happens that at this time, Bertrand, you and Laurence Bonaparte have colluded, right?"

As a general who has experienced hundreds of battles, Lieutenant General Ethel is completely despairing at this moment.

He fully understood that if Governor Bertrand insisted on defecting to the Corsican army, then the Genoese mercenaries and a large number of Sardinian soldiers who followed Bertrand would join the rebel team. At this time, the Corsican army was still After launching a full-scale charge, his own army had no chance of winning.

Lieutenant General Ethel lowered his head and could not say anything. He never thought that the Governor of Sardinia, whom he had despised for more than ten years, would stab him at a critical moment.

The officers in the camp obviously no longer have the determination of the general. They also know that they have no chance of winning the battle with the Corsican army. There is no need to let themselves die miserably in front of them for a battle that is bound to be lost. Under a hundred muskets.

Therefore, under the leadership of a lieutenant colonel, the officers present unanimously accepted Governor Bertrand's request to surrender, and immediately went to each unit to inform all soldiers to lay down their weapons.

Lieutenant General Ethel remained silent, but now no one would ask for his advice.

Less than an hour later, the Corsican army took over the Sardinian army's camp without any resistance and temporarily detained all Sardinian soldiers.

There are no obstacles on the road to Cagliari.

On the morning of August 11, Lawrence officially led his army into this prosperous and wealthy ancient seaport city. The de jure capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia fell into the hands of the Corsicans less than two months after the war began.

The citizens of Cagliari did not feel panicked by the arrival of an enemy army. On the contrary, many citizens spontaneously poured into the streets and greeted the Corsican soldiers walking through the streets without hesitation. sent their cheers.

In the past month, Lieutenant General Ethel squeezed the citizens of the city to the extreme in order to maximize the formation of an army to fight against the Corsicans.

Recruiting officers and tax collectors roamed the streets of Cagliari day and night, snatching the last coins from the hands of the poor and the children from their mothers' arms, in the name of protecting their homes. There is no way of knowing how many corrupt officials and officials there are taking advantage of the opportunity to line their own pockets.

Before the Corsican army arrived in Cagliari, the people of the city were already miserable and struggling to survive.

Especially after hearing the rumors about the areas occupied by the Corsican Army, the citizens of Cagliari were eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the Corsican Army. Only a handful of Savoys who had vested interests The nobles insisted on resisting to the end.

At the front of the entire procession, Governor Bertrand was personally walking on foot to lead the way for Laurence Bonaparte's horse.

He did not feel that his betrayal was shameful, especially when he heard the deafening cheers of the citizens along the two roads, he was even more convinced that his choice was correct.

Soon, under the welcome of the citizens, Governor Bertrand led Lawrence and his party into the Royal Palace.

This magnificent building has been the official residence of the rulers of Sardinia since the Kingdom of Aragon. It is a symbol of the ruling power of the entire island of Sardinia. There is no doubt that this official residence will also be used from today on. Welcome a brand new owner.

The accompanying officers and attendants enjoyed their celebratory banquet in the banquet hall, while Lawrence himself met alone with Governor Bertrand in the political hall.

"Congratulations, Prime Minister Bonaparte, at least for this moment, the jewel of Sardinia has been set in your scepter."

Governor Bertrand picked up a glass of sherry and took a sip. The smile on his face was very plain and not flattering:

"I also hope you still remember our agreement last night."

Lawrence also took a sip of sherry, tasting the fragrance in his mouth while looking at the calm man in front of him, and did not respond in a hurry.

It was last night that Governor Bertrand came to the Corsican army camp alone and proposed a cooperation to Lawrence:

He would counterattack on the battlefield the next day and completely eliminate the last obstacle to the Corsican army. In contrast, Governor Bertrand hoped that Sardinia would be under the rule of the Kingdom of Corsica in the future. people get the rights they deserve.

At least Governor Bertrand did not want to see the Kingdom of Sardinia's oppression of this island also appear under the rule of the Kingdom of Corsica.

Lawrence also accepted the deal after careful consideration. It would be great to be able to capture Cagliari without any bloodshed, and he had originally planned to govern Sardinia as a core territory and grant full citizenship rights to the people of Sardinia. It is also a matter of course.

"Of course I still remember, Your Excellency the Governor, Sardinians and Corsicans are blood relatives. I have no reason to create barriers between blood relatives. I can publicly promise this."

Lawrence smiled and responded:

"In addition, there are not many leaders like you who understand the overall situation and take the overall situation into consideration. There are even fewer who dare to take a risk for the benefit of the nation and bear the infamy. With outstanding talents like you, I think I can still be a leader in the future. The administrative affairs of Sardinia are left to you.”

Although he affirmed Governor Bertrand's talent and courage, Lawrence did not really think that he was a saint who dared to sacrifice himself for the Sardinians.

The reason why the other party came to the military camp overnight to seek refuge with him was not only because he was worried about the fate of the Sardinian people, but also probably for his own status and future.

If Sardinia completely falls, even if the kingdom takes back Sardinia in the future, Bertrand's title as governor will inevitably be removed. And if Lieutenant General Ethel defends Cagliari and even achieves the victory over Corsi Jia's counterattack, then his power and influence as the governor will be further squeezed by Lieutenant General Ethel, who has great military achievements, and become even more irrelevant.

From the perspective of his own interests, Governor Bertrand had no choice but to betray the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Although Lawrence saw that Governor Bertrand had quite a lot of selfish motives, he still decided to let him continue to perform his duties as Governor of Sardinia.

After all, for the Kingdom of Corsica, integrating Sardinia is by no means an easy task. Sardinia has a much higher population and wealth than Corsica. In this case, it wants to be the fastest and most stable. In order to complete the territorial integration, it is inevitable to win over a figure like Governor Bertrand who is quite prestigious among the Sardinian people.

After hearing this, Governor Bertrand finally breathed a sigh of relief. With Lawrence's words, at least under the rule of the Kingdom of Corsica, his position as the Governor of Sardinia was stable.

"I have one more question, Your Excellency Prime Minister."

Governor Bertrand spoke after hesitating for a moment, with obvious worry in his tone:

"You do occupy the entire territory of Sardinia now, but this is just a military occupation. The Kingdom of Sardinia will never be willing to hand over their throne to others. Do you really have the confidence to let Carlo Emanu Did Eli III sign the treaty of cession? "

"He'll sign it."

"when?"

"When my army entered Turin."

Governor Bertrand opened his mouth wide, but no words came out. In the end, he could only smile knowingly and did not continue the topic.

The private meeting between the two did not last too long.

At noon that day, Governor Bertrand put on formal attire and led bureaucrats and citizen representatives from various ministries to formally swear allegiance to Laurence Bonaparte in the political hall of the Royal Palace.

Under the attention of hundreds of people present, Governor Bertrand first gave a brief speech, stating that Corsicans and Sardinians were born brothers and sisters, undisputed family relatives. The speech was also warmly applauded by the citizen representatives present.

Later, Governor Bertrand solemnly took out a sterling silver scepter from an ancient wooden box. This scepter was made of silver produced in Sardinia and has witnessed countless incidents over hundreds of years. The princes and generals who ruled this land.

Governor Bertrand held the scepter in both hands and walked step by step towards Lawrence Bonaparte who was sitting on the marble throne. His steps were heavy and majestic, like the most devout pilgrim.

Under the gaze of everyone, he walked up to Lawrence, knelt down on one knee, first kissed the back of Lawrence's right hand, then bowed his head respectfully, and held up the silver scepter with both hands.

Lawrence took the scepter wordlessly and nodded.

Governor Bertrand stood up and returned to the queue of bureaucrats, cleared his throat, and then took the lead in swearing:

"I swear it on my life, my soul and my honor."

The bureaucrats from various ministries repeated like a choir:

"I swear it on my life, my soul and my honor."

"I will dedicate all my energy to this land and do everything I can to benefit the people of this land."

"I will dedicate all my energy to this land and do everything I can to benefit the people of this land."

"Eternally loyal to my King, His Majesty Louis XV"

"Eternally loyal to my King, His Majesty Louis XV"

"Eternally loyal to the Royal Government, to the Parliament, to the leader of the Cabinet and the Army - Prime Minister Laurence Bonaparte."

"Eternally loyal to the Royal Government, to the Parliament, to the leader of the Cabinet and the Army - Prime Minister Laurence Bonaparte."

The sound of everyone's oaths echoed in the huge political hall for a long time.

Although the Kingdom of Sardinia has not yet made any response, the people of this island have indisputably become citizens of the Kingdom of Corsica from this moment on.

The first overseas province of the Kingdom of Corsica, the Province of Sardinia, was also officially established from this moment on.