The following day, in the afternoon.
"How is it?" Qin Ze asked the approaching scouts as the Yan army marched on.
Wu Sihai wiped the frost off his eyebrows and said, panting, "Your Majesty, we have captured three people and, after interrogating them separately, we obtained roughly the same information."
"These defeated soldiers are heading to their military base, called 'Heinrich,' which is located at the foot of the Enzos Mountains."
Qin Ze raised an eyebrow: "They want to join up with their main force. It seems they are preparing to amass troops for a major battle with us."
"As it stands, yes, Your Majesty, that should be correct. If they only wanted to escape, they would have vanished without a trace long ago."
“The leader of the fleeing soldiers was a guy named ‘Tachino.’ According to the Goths who were interrogated, Tachino had previously given false orders to lead them to escape from the military factory, but now he was forcing them to go to the military base, so they ran away,” Wu Sihai said.
"But wasn't he a deserter himself?" Qin Ze asked, puzzled.
"No, Your Majesty, the soldiers said that Tachino wanted to continue fighting and hoped to redeem himself through meritorious service."
"That's why he took these people to the military base. It wasn't to take them to court, but these deserters were too afraid to fight again."
Upon hearing this, Qin Ze chuckled.
"They've already slunk away and chosen to desert, yet they still think about continuing to fight in an attempt to turn defeat into victory?"
"I don't know if it's the large number of troops at this military base that gives him his confidence, or if he's just a genius."
Wu Sihai replied, "I don't know, but I think it shows that there are quite a few troops inside that military base."
Qin Ze nodded slightly and said, "It seems that our obstacle is the army inside this military base."
"Just as I suspected, they have a firm grip on the entrance and exit to the Nzos Mountains."
"What happened to those Goths we captured?"
"They covered it up with weeds after they killed them, so we can't get any valuable information out of them anymore. They were just ordinary soldiers," Wu Sihai replied.
Qin Ze touched his face: "Alright then."
"However, now that we know there is a large army of Goths waiting for us ahead, we cannot blindly rush through. There is absolutely no need for unnecessary casualties."
"I think we should find someone to guide us, otherwise, once we enter the mountains, there will be ambushes everywhere, which would be too difficult to handle."
"Then... Your Majesty, shall we go and capture some more deserters?"
"There's no need to catch the small fry. To catch the thieves, you have to catch the king first. Once you catch their leader, things will be much easier."
"These defeated soldiers are now completely disorganized and have become a pack of stray dogs. It won't be too difficult to crush them, and their leader may not be a man of principle."
“I think it’s worth a try. But whether we can capture them or not, scattering this rout shouldn’t be a problem. Before reaching the Nzos Mountains, we can’t go wrong by eliminating as many enemy troops as possible. Without dealing with this rout, we won’t be able to scout ahead.”
Qin Ze made up his mind, so the next morning he dispatched a light cavalry force of three thousand men. He believed that no more troops were needed for a group of defeated soldiers.
However, if an unexpected situation arises, such as the defeated troops being merely bait, the cavalry unit will immediately retreat.
——
Unaware of this, Tachino led his troops back to the military base early this morning. The snow had stopped last night, but the chill it brought had not dissipated, as it was a cloudy day.
The gloomy weather made Tacino even more depressed. The soldiers were moving too slowly, but there was nothing that could be done about it. The road was completely covered with snow, and the snow had been trampled and melted by too many people, making it wet and slippery. The ground was muddy and difficult to walk on. The soldiers were mostly infantry, and without horses, they had no way to speed up.
By 2 p.m., the army had only advanced twelve kilometers.
Tachino was dejected. The sun would set in three hours, which meant that today's march would be even less than yesterday's, as they would have to set up camp before sunset.
It was just past four o'clock.
Tachino knew he couldn't go any further, so he led his army to set up camp on the spot. He also sent some people to cut down trees and start a fire, as the cold night was approaching and the fire that would burn all night would help them get through the cold night.
After 5:30, the sun had completely set, but several campfires had already been lit in the camp. Tacino sat in front of one of the campfires, warming his hands, and occasionally glancing at the main road.
At this moment, his deputy, Barney, said, "Sir, we should receive the news soon."
A few days ago, Tacino, who had not received any news, sent several communications soldiers to scout ahead and find out where the support troops were, what their current status was, and why they had not yet come to meet them.
But they still haven't returned, which makes Tacino increasingly anxious. His troops urgently need help, not only warm clothing and food, but also horses. The marching supplies that were urgently brought out from the military factory have been almost used up.
But Barney's words of comfort only fueled Tachino's resentment:
"It's been days! That's so slow!"
“The weather is having a huge impact; it will take much longer to get there and back,” Barney said, looking at him.
"It's all an excuse!!" Tachino glared at him fiercely.
Barney, having made a fool of himself, cursed Tachino in his heart as a good-for-nothing who only knew how to put on airs and bully his own kind.
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