Chapter 7 Chapter VII

At the same time as those events were taking place in Petersburg, the French army was passing through Smolensk and was drawing closer and closer to Moscow.Napoleon's historian Thiers, like other Napoleon historians, tried to defend his hero by saying that Napoleon was lured to Moscow involuntarily.He is as right as all historians (who look for the explanation of historical events in the will of a great man), and he is as right as the Russian historians (who assert that Napoleon was lured to Moscow by the cunning of Russian commanders. ).Here, the law of reverse (backtracking) holds that everything in the past is regarded as a preparation process for the realization of a certain event, but in addition, there are interrelationships that confuse everything.A good chess player, after losing a game, sincerely believes that his failure was caused by a mistake of his, and he looks for the mistake at the beginning of the game, forgetting to find the mistake in every move of his chess, and in the whole process of the game. There are mistakes, so that no chess move is good.The defeat he noticed was found because it was exploited by the opponent.The game of war under certain conditions of time is much more complex, in which instead of the will of one man leading those inanimate machines, everything arises from countless conflicts of arbitrary actions.

After Smolensk, Napoleon first sought a battle near Vyazma, west of Dorogobzh, and then near Tsarevo-Zaymihi, but in the end, due to numerous conflicts of the situation, The Russians remained silent until they reached Porokino, only 120 versts from Moscow.Napoleon ordered from Vyazma to march directly on Moscow. Moscou, lacapitaleasiatiquedecegrandemBpire, lavillesacreedespeuplesd'Alexandre, Moscouavecsesinnombrableseglisesenformedepagodeschinoises. ① This Moscow did not quiet Napoleon's mind.Napoleon rode a fast light chestnut-coloured clip-tailed horse, accompanied by guards, bodyguards, squires, and adjutants, from Vyazzi to Tsarevo-Zaymihi.Chief of Staff Berthier stayed to interrogate the Russian prisoners caught by the cavalry.Accompanied by the interpreter Lelormed'Ideville (Lelogne Diderville), he galloped up to Napoleon and reined in the horse's head with a happy face.

-------- ①Moscow, the Asian capital of this vast empire, the sacred city of Alexander's subjects, has countless churches in the style of Chinese towers. "Ehbien (er, what to do)?" asked Napoleon. "Uncosaque de Platow (a Platov Cossack) says Platov's corps is joining the main force, and Kutuzov is in command. Tresin-telligentetbavard (he is clever, but a garrulous). Napoleon smiled, and ordered a horse to be brought to the Cossack at once.He wants to talk to him personally.Several adjutants rode up, and an hour later Denisov gave to Rostov's serf, Lavrushka, in an orderly's jacket, on a French cavalry horse, with a cunning, drunken, Jolly faces come to meet Napoleon.Napoleon told him to walk alongside himself and began to question him.

"Are you a Cossack?" "Cossack, my lord." "LecosaqueignorantlacompagniedanslaquelleilsetrouvaitcarlasimplicitedeNapoleonn'avaitrienquiputrevelerauneimaginationorientalelapresenced'unsouverain, s'entretintaveclaplusextremefamiliaritesdesaffairesdelaguerreactuelle." Thiers narrates this episode.Indeed, Lavrushka had been drunk the night before, had not prepared supper for his master, had been whipped, had been sent into the country to buy chickens, and had been captured there by the French for his intoxication with robbery.Lavrushka was one of those rough, shameless, well-informed servants who made it their calling to do things in a base and cunning manner, who were ready to do anything for their masters, and who cunningly speculated about his master's evil intentions, especially It's vanity and petty things.

-------- 1 The Cossack did not know with whom he was now, and since Napoleon's simplicity did not give the Oriental imagination the possibility of discovering the Emperor's presence, he spoke of the present state of the war most naturally. Falling among Napoleon's men, Lavrushka easily recognized Napoleon in person, was not at all alarmed, but did his best to serve the new gentlemen from the bottom of his heart. He knew very well that this was Napoleon himself, and that being in the presence of Napoleon did not disturb him any more than in the presence of Rostov or the quartermaster with the cane, because neither the quartermaster nor Napoleon could take anything from him.

He recounted everything that had been chattered among the orderlies.Some of them are real.But when Napoleon asked him what the Russians thought and whether they could beat Bonaparte, Lavrushka narrowed his eyes and mused. He saw the subtle cunning in this sentence, as Lavrushka always sees cunning in all kinds of things, so he frowned and remained silent for a while. "Well, if there's a battle," he said thoughtfully, "and soon, then that's the right thing to say. Well, if there's another three days, if after that day, then, that is to say, the battle itself will drag it down."

The translation for Napoleon reads: Silabatailleestdonneeavanttroisjours, lesFrancaislagagnBeraient, maisquesielleseraitdonneeplusstard, Dieusaitcequienarriverait, Lelormed'lderBille. (Lelogne Diderville) conveyed it with a smile.Napoleon did not smile, though he was clearly in a good mood, and ordered to repeat it. -------- ①If the battle had broken out three days ago, the French would have won it; if it had been three days later, only God knows what would have happened. Lavrushka noticed this and, to please him, pretended not to know who he was. "We know you have a Bonaparte who beat everyone in the world, but with us it's different..." he said, not even knowing himself, and at the end, somehow and with pompous air. Here comes patriotism.The interpreter relayed his words to Napoleon, omitting the ending, and Bonaparte smiled. "LejeunecosaquefitsouriresonpuisantinBterlocuteur," said Thiers.Napoleon walked a few steps in silence, and turning at once to Berthier said that he wanted to test this enfant du Don that he was talking to the Emperor himself, the one who wrote the name of the immortal victor in Egypt. The emperor on the pyramid. What effect will surcetenfantduDon2 have,

These words were conveyed to him. -------- ①The young Cossack makes his mighty interlocutor smile. ②To this child of the Don. Lavrushka (who knew that he was doing this to embarrass him, and that Napoleon thought he would be startled), in order to please the new gentlemen, immediately feigned surprise, puffed up his eyes, and put on a face. His usual look when he was being led to be flogged. “Apeinel'interpretedeNapoleon，”梯也尔说，“avait—ilparle，quelecosaque，saisid'unesorted'ebahissementneproferaplusuneparoleetmarchalesyeuxconstammentattachessurceconquerant，dontlenomavaitpenetrejusqu'alui，atraverslessteppesdel'orient．ToutesaloBquacites'etaitsubitementarretee，pourfaireplaceaunsentimentd'admirationnaiveetsilenBcieuse．Napoleon，apresl'avoirrecompense，luifitdonner—laliberte， commeaunoiseauqu'onrendauxchampsguil'ontvunalAtre."①

-------- ① As soon as Napoleon's interpreter had finished speaking, the Cossack was immediately stunned in astonishment, unable to utter another word, and continued to ride like this, staring at the conqueror, and his fame spread across the eastern grasslands to his ears. side.The Cossack's chatter was abruptly interrupted, and was replaced by innocent, silent ecstasy.Napoleon rewarded the Cossack and ordered him to be set free, like a bird is freed to fly back to its native fields. Napoleon rode on, thinking of the Moscow that had fascinated him, while l'oiseauqu'onrenditauxchampsquil'onvunartre (the little bird released back into the fields at home) galloped to the outpost, inventing in advance that there was actually no What happens is what he wants to tell his own people.He didn't want to talk about what he actually experienced, because he didn't think it was worth talking about.He went in search of the Cossacks, found out where the regiment belonging to Platov's column was, and in the evening found his master, Nikolay Rostov, who was stationed at Yankovo, just mounted, and was going to join Ilyin. Take a walk in the surrounding countryside together.He gave Lavrushka another horse and took him with him.