After the banquet ended, a salon exclusively for members of the Anning Faction seamlessly commenced.
Lazar swept his gaze over everyone in the hall and suddenly said, "I was wondering why something seemed missing. After thinking it over, I finally realized—it's Davout's bald head! It feels odd to gather without seeing Davout's bald head!"
As a newcomer to the group, Bernadotte was dismissive of Davout's military exploits, and he sneered, "Davout has been besieging Mantua Fortress in Italy for nearly a year now. Is he not skilled at siege warfare?"
Anning responded, "He has defeated Austria's several relief efforts against Mantua, performing exceptionally well. At times, the Austrian relief forces were twice the size of his troops.
"Currently, Mantua Fortress has not yet fallen. Perhaps Davout intends to keep the fortress surrounded, starving those inside while waiting to see if the Austrians will attempt another relief."
