Chapter 35: Below the Walls of Amsterdam
Midway along the Champs-Élysées, 600 meters from the Tuileries Palace, with the Louvre Palace visible to the south.
Before Joseph stood a jewelry store with a facade spanning about twenty meters. Its doors were half-closed, and the Nagelt Jewelry Store sign was still hanging.
According to Eman's findings, the owner of this store had married a Spaniard and intended to sell the property to move to Spain.
Joseph went inside to take a look. The store was quite new, with two floors, each roughly 500 square meters. It featured thick oak flooring, and all corners and stair railings were sheathed in brass. The decor was remarkably refined, exuding a subtle yet exquisite beauty.
Without further delay, he quickly reached an agreement with the owner's proxy, purchasing the store for 36,000 Livres.
For Paris's most bustling commercial street, this price was quite fair.
Eman went to finalize the transaction while Joseph surveyed the surroundings, addressing the accompanying architect, "Mr. Archide, I'll need your help to make some adjustments to this store."
Indeed, the Crown Prince's personal retinue always included an architect, who usually had nothing to do, but today, he finally had a purpose.
"Please give your orders, Your Highness."
"Replace all these wooden display cases. Commission some glass display cabinets about a meter tall. In the future, products will be displayed directly on top of them, allowing customers to touch them freely.
"The lighting also needs changing. Use the crystal chandeliers like the ones in my reception hall. Absolute illumination is essential; every corner of the store must be brightly lit.
"Paint the exterior walls in fresh, soft tones..."
Archide diligently noted everything in his book until Joseph turned to ask him, "That's essentially it. How much time and money will these modifications require?"
The architect quickly flipped through his notes, hesitating. "About half a month, and it should cost around 3,000 Livres."
Joseph nodded. "I'll give you 5,000 Livres. Can you complete it within a week?"
"Yes, Your Highness, I will certainly do my utmost to complete it." Archide pondered for a moment, then added, "Your Highness, forgive my presumption, but even if Angel Water were sold in a general store near Pont Neuf, it would still sell out instantly. This shop is already quite good; why spend so much more money renovating it?"
Joseph smiled faintly. "Because besides Angel Water, the shop itself is also a product."
Archide looked surprised. "You plan to sell this store too?"
"No, I'm referring to a different kind of product. Consider this store a sample."
...
The Netherlands.
In a military camp about four kilometers south of Amsterdam.
An elder, dressed in a long green military uniform, with thinning gray hair and a slightly crooked jaw, frowned at the map. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "I believe we should abandon Amstelveen for now, retreat south of Amsterdam, and use the waterways as a barrier..."
The middle-aged man beside him, clad in a dark white uniform, immediately interrupted him loudly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Colonel Wolster, my lads and I didn't travel all this way to the Netherlands just to watch your army practice 'evading the enemy' tactics."
Wolster was absolute in the Dutch army, but facing a man with only a Captain's rank, he dared not get angry. He merely emphasized, "Mr. Dubois, the Prussian vanguard is only fifteen kilometers from Amstelveen, and the entire town has no fortifications to defend. Are we simply to wait here to die?"
Amstelveen was a town immediately south of Amsterdam. If it fell, Amsterdam would be entirely exposed to the Prussian army.
The French Captain continued his taunts. "Fortifications? Your grand army couldn't even hold a fortress as strong as Utrecht. Even if Amstelveen had ten fortresses, I doubt it would be of any help to you."
Wolster's face flushed crimson. "What good is talking about that now? The most important thing is to decide how to confront the enemy!"
"Attack!" Dubois declared loudly. "French soldiers have always crushed their enemies with offense!"
A nearby Dutch officer quickly interjected, "Mr. Dubois, with our hastily recruited soldiers, we only have just over 9,000 men. The opposing Prussian army, however, numbers more than twenty thousand. To attack in such a situation would be tantamount to suicide."
Dubois chuckled. "Twenty thousand is the total strength of the entire Prussian army. Their vanguard that can reach here certainly won't be that many.
"More importantly, thanks to your initial rapid retreat, the Prussian army has been pursuing at high speed for over ten days. And with the dense waterways in the Netherlands, their artillery will most likely not be able to keep up with the vanguard.
"Yet we have over ten cannons at our disposal!"
Wolster stared at him, wide-eyed. "Are you actually going to attack the Prussian army?!"
"Why not?" Dubois retorted, looking back at him. "The Prussian army will surely not expect the constantly retreating Dutch forces to suddenly counterattack, leaving them unprepared. This is our chance."
Wolster felt uncomfortable under his gaze and lowered his head. "Even if your soldiers are exceptionally brave, and even if they are equipped with cannons, launching such a reckless attack..."
Dubois shook his head. "No, not my soldiers. Yours."
"My... my men? How can that be..."
Dubois interrupted him again. "Your men, specifically your new recruits, will attack the Prussian vanguard. Then have them feign a rout... Oh, they will almost certainly rout.
"My men and your main force will wait in the narrow area between the Sibela River and Abcoudermeer for the Prussian army to catch up. All my cannons will be positioned here."
Upon hearing this, several Dutch officers' eyes lit up. Images of the Prussian army caught in a sudden ambush, fleeing in disarray, flashed through their minds.
They hadn't won a single battle since Prussia intervened in the Netherlands and now yearned desperately for victory.
Wolster, however, frowned and shook his head. "Even if we truly defeat the Prussian vanguard, it will be useless. Their main force will arrive soon, and we won't be able to hold out then either.
"The States General tasked me with holding for five days."
Dubois corrected him. "Before holding for five days, you need a victory to repel a Prussian attack. Otherwise, if you retreat all the way to Hoorn, you could 'hold out' for more than a week."
As he spoke, he looked at the young officer standing rigidly by, with curly hair and a nose as sharp as a sword. "Andre, how long do you think it will take for the main Prussian force to reach Amsterdam?"
The young officer stood tall and replied, "Sir, if left unchecked, they could pass through Amstelveen before nightfall tomorrow. But if we can harass their supply lines, that time will be significantly delayed."
"Excellent." Dubois cast an approving glance. "Then this mission is yours to complete."
"Yes, sir!"
Wolster exclaimed in surprise, "Second Lieutenant Davout has only sixty-odd cavalry under his command. How can he possibly attack the Prussian supply lines?"
"No, not just sixty men." Dubois smiled and shook his head. "Also your six hundred and fifty cavalry."
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