Bloody Battle of Ticino River

Laszlo and Ester were advancing side by side at the forefront of the Imperial Guard. One of the Hungarian light cavalry scouts, who had been sent out to reconnoiter the enemy, returned to the marching column, bringing intelligence to the Emperor.

"You said the enemy forces have all retreated to the west?"

Laszlo was surprised by the enemy's decisive response. The Imperial Army's vanguard was less than half a day's march from the French-Swiss allied forces. If they had hesitated any longer, they wouldn't have been able to leave.

Even now, Laszlo would not let them escape. If they were to cross the Ticino River and reach Novara, the Imperial Army would be forced into a tactically passive position.

Laszlo immediately ordered the vanguard of the army, the Austro-Hungarian Army and the Italian Army, to accelerate their march, ensuring they caught up with the enemy before they could cross the Ticino River.

Upon receiving the order, Karl immediately led a cavalry detachment to clear the way, with the Wagenburg closely following, marching at their fastest possible speed.

Ludovico II's Italian Army was far behind the Austro-Hungarian Army. Under the urging of the Emperor's overseers, he dared not delay and led his troops to advance rapidly.

Hoofbeats pounded the ground like a dense war drum.

The soldiers, burdened with heavy equipment, struggled forward, their steps urgent and powerful.

Although winter had ended, the chill had not dissipated. Their breaths materialized into plumes of white mist in the cold air, intertwining with the rising dust.

The majestic military banners flapped in the wind, with the double-headed eagle emblem specially authorized to incorporate the Austria-Hungary composite shield in its center, a symbol of their glory.

The soldiers showed no signs of fatigue. Days of marching without combat had left them with ample energy.

Everyone knew they bore a difficult mission and the Emperor's high hopes—they had to catch up with the French and Swiss, then tie them down until the main army arrived.

Perhaps many of them would fall in the subsequent battle, but there was no fear or worry in the soldiers' eyes. Instead, a burning desire for combat, without any thought of retreat, consumed them.

As the Imperial Army gradually approached the enemy, more and more traces left by the enemy appeared on the ground, and the air was filled with tension.

Scouts galloped back, bringing news of the French-Swiss allied forces.

Karl immediately gave orders, and the army quickly adjusted its formation. The orderly marching column instantly transformed into a battle formation.

Cavalry gathered and moved to the flanks of the column, while infantry left the Wagenburg and began to form multiple squares, accompanying the Wagenburg on both sides as they continued to advance towards the enemy.

Finally, they caught sight of the French-Swiss allied forces.

At this point, the French vanguard had already crossed the bridge over the river and reached the opposite bank. The French still uncrossed and the Swiss acting as rearguard immediately spotted the Imperial Army.

Waldmann immediately organized a portion of the Swiss infantry into a compact square to prevent the Imperial Army's cavalry from charging the bridgehead.

Karl immediately saw through his intentions and promptly ordered his cavalry to maneuver away from the riverbank, beginning to charge the enemy's rearguard. The Wagenburg also arrived on the battlefield at this moment, quickly forming a barrier by aligning themselves horizontally not far from the enemy. The crossbowmen on the Wagenburg began to continuously fire at the Swiss in front of them.

Jean de Dunois, the French commander, seeing that the Imperial Army's infantry was already approaching the battlefield, immediately realized that they would not be able to easily cross the Ticino River today.

He immediately ordered the army to deploy, recalling some of the troops that had already crossed the river, and the entire army quickly formed a battle formation perpendicular to the riverbank.

The Swiss Army was on the far right flank, close to the riverbank. The French conscripted infantry and Italian mercenaries were in the center, with Jean Bureau's artillery in front of them. On the far left flank were large numbers of Ordonnance companies, noble knights, and squire cavalry.

Karl's harassment was quickly forced back by the Swiss squares. Seeing that his objective was achieved, he no longer rushed to attack, but instead had his army maintain a stalemate with the enemy, relying on the protection provided by the Wagenburg.

The French-Swiss allied forces initiated the attack first. The Swiss pike squares continuously pushed back the Imperial Army infantry defending the flanks of the Wagenburg, and even the crossbowmen's fire could not slow their advance.

At a critical moment, the Italian army led by Ludovico arrived on the battlefield, almost driven by the Independent Army's pikes and greatswords.

The Italian Army and the Independent Army then successively entered the battle. Ludovico's troops went to support the Austro-Hungarian Army's defensive line, struggling to resist the Swiss advance.

The Independent Army, on the other hand, was about to face the attack of a large number of French infantry.

"Raise your guns! Raise your guns! Quickly check powder and shot!"

The commander of the arquebus company, riding on horseback, urged the arquebusiers, who were advancing in a line and had reached their suitable positions, to maintain formation and conduct a final check.

The Genoese crossbowmen and hand cannoniers among the French light infantry marched at the very front of the column. As the distance between the two sides gradually shortened, they were the first to begin firing at the Imperial Army.

"Fire!"

With a roar, a tremendous sound erupted on the battlefield, and white smoke enveloped the area.

The dense volley of bullets instantly inflicted significant casualties on the advancing French soldiers. Of course, the greater blow was psychological.

Although France was the most experienced nation in Europe in the use of firearms, many French conscripts had never seen such a dense volley of arquebus fire.

Moreover, the accuracy and power of these arquebuses far exceeded that of hand cannons.

Another volley, and many fell wounded. Fear spread through the army.

At a critical moment, the Duke of Bourbon personally came to the front line, waving the French military banner and encouraging them: "Advance or die! For France!"

"For France!" The French, encouraged, roared and charged towards the enemy.

Gunter immediately led the Independent Army infantry to meet the enemy's charge.

Compared to the well-trained and orderly Swiss, the formations of these old French peasants could be described as full of holes.

The two sides engaged in close combat, and the battlefield instantly descended into chaos.

The deafening clash of weapons, the soldiers' battle cries, and the painful screams intertwined, playing a cruel symphony of war.

The Swiss infantry were almost on the verge of breaking through the flanks of the Wagenburg, and some Imperial Army units, having suffered too many casualties, were forced to withdraw from the battle.

Just as the two sides were locked in a fierce struggle, a thunderous sound of hooves suddenly erupted from the flank of the battlefield.

It was the Hungarian cavalry, led by Hunyadi Laszlo, like a sharp dagger, thrusting directly into the allied forces' rear flank.

Their warhorses exuded steaming heat, and the soldiers held their sabers high, their cold glint flashing, advancing with overwhelming force directly towards the French cavalry on the left flank.

Over a thousand well-equipped heavy cavalry and more than two thousand squire cavalry were preparing to launch a devastating charge from the flank to completely rout the Imperial Army infantry, who were struggling to resist.

The appearance of the Hungarian cavalry interrupted their plan, and the two torrents intertwined, resulting in a fierce collision.

From time to time, men were knocked off their horses by lances, or struck unconscious by blunt weapons and fell from their steeds.

Jean de Dunois had almost no reserves. With an overall numerical disadvantage, he had to concentrate his forces to create a local numerical superiority.

As long as they could defeat the Imperial Army's vanguard first, their chances of victory would greatly increase.

Unfortunately, Laszlo personally commanded the Imperial Army's reinforcements to the battlefield.

At the central juncture of the Imperial Army's line, countless warriors fell beneath the Swiss pikes. The Italian Army had long since collapsed, almost completely dispersed, and Ludovico himself, with a few attendants, withdrew from the battlefield.

Only Karl remained, struggling to resist with the remaining infantry.

Due to the breakthrough on the flank, the Imperial Army was forced to abandon the Wagenburg, allowing the Swiss to occupy these connected wagons.

Laszlo ignored his attendants' pleas and rode to a hundred meters behind the front line, observing the battlefield at close range.

The Imperial Army's left flank was already tottering, the central section was fighting evenly, and a large number of French cavalry on the right flank were attempting to outflank them.

Fortunately, the main force of the Imperial Army had arrived in time, and Laszlo calmly and coolly gave orders.

"Sound the horns, prepare for a counterattack!"

The heavy sound of horns drifted through the sky. The remaining Imperial Army units successively entered the battlefield from various directions, and the Imperial Guard was directly committed to the fierce confrontation with the Swiss.