Lavati is located south of Santiya, a day's journey away. On the wide and flat carriage road connecting Lavati and Santiya, a team of two hundred cavalry and three hundred infantry escorted more than two hundred fully loaded carriages.

Carriages carrying food supplies, military supplies, and ordnance were heading north in a mighty manner.

The commander of this large force was Angus Doyle, the deputy commander of the Welsh Army.

On the day that Santía was captured, Angus personally led the cavalry and elite mounted infantry southward, and took advantage of the fact that the heavy baggage battalion behind the Lombard Guard Army could not respond before decisively attacking.

The Welsh Army went south to fight, and the war wasted a lot. However, until now, they have not been able to transport food and grass supplies from the rear of Wales. A large number of weapons and equipment were seized in the Battle of Rock Castle, and a lot of food was also harvested in the enemy camp in the market town.

Baggage, now that Fon Bilen's Patriot Army has been defeated, the food baggage of thousands of Patriot troops in the baggage camp in the north of Lavati City has naturally been collected. Fighting to support war is the benefit of fighting in enemy territory.

Angus also encountered sporadic resistance along the way south from Santia, especially those strong fortresses dotted on the Po River plain that always had a few hard stones.

Angus was anxious to go south to seize the baggage that von Bilen had left outside the city of Lavati, but he really didn't have the time or energy to collect it one by one.

However, the Po River plain was flat enough. Angus captured two small castles with empty defenses along the way, and then bypassed the solid castles where most of the troops were stationed. Anyway, the Lombards who were huddled among them did not have the courage to leave the city to stop them.

Due to some detours, by the time Angus led his army to the main transport camp of the Patriot Army outside Lavati City, the hundreds of miscellaneous soldiers left behind had basically fled, leaving only a few greedy guys who were looking for money.

He tried hard to carry the valuables in the military camp, but was killed by Angus's cavalry.

"It's a pity that the military pay and valuables have been swept away by those deserters, otherwise we could have gained hundreds of thousands of pfennigs." Lucy, the commander of the cavalry company, followed Angus on horseback and followed Angus with a sword.

Niang sighed with regret.

Angus glanced at the wheat, bread, bacon, wine, livestock feed, tents, tools and other items piled high in the carriage behind him. In fact, the harvest was rich enough.

"Now we are not short of money and food. What we need most is sufficient soldiers. After taking the city of Santia, more than 20 castles and countless villages and manors in six counties on the Po River plain became our occupied area. Such a large area

How many soldiers are needed to guard and govern a piece of land?"

"That's why your Excellency will spread safety notices widely and try to contain enemy soldiers..."

Angus stopped his horse and turned to look behind him, "Lusignan, let Jafar lead a team of cavalry to drive away the tail behind you. Don't let these worms follow for too long, it will make people sick."

"In addition, ask Weitz to send two squadrons to carry enough food and supplies to reinforce the two castles captured yesterday. I guess you will go south again soon. These two castles guard the southward traffic arteries.

Just be on the safe side..."

............

As the team headed north, a group of more than 20 cavalry followed them until they were driven away by dozens of light cavalry rushing out of the team.

That was the sentinel sent from Lavati City.

When it was learned that hundreds of Burgundians were approaching Lavati on horseback, this autonomous city that had been quiet for a hundred years fell into extreme panic.

Lavati is an autonomous city with a high degree of autonomy in justice, administration, commerce and even military. The wealthy businessmen in Lavati used tens of thousands of pounds of gold to buy the city's autonomous area from the Duke of Lombardy, except every year.

In addition to the symbolic payment of commercial taxes to the Lombard court, this place has almost become a state within a state in Lombardy for a hundred years. This is why they dared to ignore von Bilen's call-up order and even refused to allow the Patriot Army to enter the city.

But now they were scared. How could they have imagined that a group of barbarians who sprang out from the northern mountains could easily defeat thousands of von Bilen's Patriot troops.

Now that Santiya has been lost, Rawati has become the front line of fire facing the enemy.

Just when the city seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, the hundreds of Burgundian cavalry only occupied the main baggage camp of the Patriot Army outside the city and took away all the baggage, but did not attack Lavatiqiu.

This is Yate's strategy. Lavati is different from ordinary Lombardy castles. It is not only an autonomous city-state of the Lombardy Principality, almost independent of the entire principality, but also the closest commercial city-state to the Province of Wales on the Po River Plain.

It is an important commercial hub for transactions between the southern coast and the interior.

In order to establish a trade route that connects the north and the south, Ater must completely preserve this city-state and take it into his own hands...

............

In the Wells Corps garrison camp, a unique prisoner of war interrogation is underway in a tense and lively manner.

In the camp where ordinary surrendered soldiers were detained, five dilapidated wooden tables moved from the market town were lined up. Behind each wooden table sat an official holding a quill. In front of the wooden table, five long teams stood crookedly.

They queued up in a long queue, waiting for inquiries from officials.

"...Did any Burgundian soldiers be killed in the battle the day before yesterday? Did any relatives or friends die in the battle?" The official asked a question in fluent Lombardy, and then raised his head.

Staring at the thick-limbed Lombard soldier in front of him.

"No~ no killing, sir. I was forced to the battlefield by the lord. I didn't dare to kill. I just knocked over a Burgundian gentleman's horse with a hammer. I didn't dare to kill. Well~ I'm in the army

I have no friends here, they all dislike me for eating too much and hate me."

The official nodded with satisfaction and wrote after the name of the surrendered soldier, "He is physically strong, has not killed our troops, has no personal grudges, is a little dull, and can be classified as second class."

The official asked Jiang Bing to stretch out his palm and draw a circle on the palm of this simple-minded Jiang Bing with well-developed limbs. "Okay, go to the kitchen and show this pattern to the soldiers, and you can get a large piece of bread."

The big man Jiang Bing took back his palm and looked at it in disbelief. He couldn't understand why the circle in his hand could be exchanged for a piece of bread.

"Next one."

"What's it called?"

"Hammer Marlin."

"Have you ever killed Burgundian soldiers? Have any relatives or friends been killed by Burgundian soldiers?"

"I encountered a heavy iron barrel and couldn't kill the Burgundians. However, one of my comrades was killed by you. However, mercenaries always ask for food with their heads raised, and they have no choice but to live or die."

"Sixty pfennigs a month, with food and lodging in charge, are you willing to join us?"

"You are very capable, and the treatment is good. I have no reason to refuse."

The official lowered his head and began to write after "Iron Hammer Marin" "Mercenary, with murderous intent and no personal hatred, can be classified as a first-class person."

The clerk asked Marin, the hammer, to stretch out his hand and draw a cross on his palm. "It will bring you good luck. Don't wipe it off in a hurry. Show this to the kitchen staff and you will get a delicious meal."

Lunch and a big glass of Welsh beer…”

"Quick, next one..."

............

"...the task of screening and selecting prisoners of war has ended. After statistical classification by Chinese army officials, there are 465 people suitable to be incorporated into the Welsh Army as front-line combatants. Most of these people have some combat ability.

, many of them even participated in several battles.”

"There are a total of 896 people who can be incorporated into the second-line army to assist us in garrisoning and ruling the occupied areas. Most of these people are civilians, young and relatively simple. They do not have much hatred against us and express their willingness to be loyal to the Wells family and serve the Wells family.

Baron restores family honor and lands."

"There are more than four hundred people who are treacherous, cowardly, harboring hatred and unwilling to be loyal. Half of them are von Bilen's personal soldiers, and the rest are just dirt."

"The situation is roughly like this, please show me."

Bob, the secretary of the Wells Army Corps, closed the papyrus in his hand and waited for Art's next words.

"There is nothing to arrange. The first group of people were handed over to Kazak, and he was asked to form a Lombardy branch of the Welsh Army immediately after a little training. He selected some veterans from the first branch to serve as officers, and then assigned them to

Several interpreters who understand Lombardy."

"Obot is about to lead the reserve regiment to fight south. He will select 400 stronger men from the second batch to give to the reserve regiment to strengthen their strength. The remaining troops from the second batch will be handed over to the political officer named Ian.

, he seems to still hold the military title of captain of the garrison flag. These more than 500 Lombard soldiers are suitable to serve as garrison troops in the occupied areas, and are dispersed to various places to control the occupied areas for us. With Lombard soldiers to control the Lombard people, the resistance will be small.

Some."

"In addition, there is a group of Christopher's tribe in Obote's reserve group. Those people are all Lombardy people who fled north. They are loyal and brave enough and can speak Lombard. Let Obote transfer a few to Ian to help him control the new people under his command.

Organized surrender troops."

"As for those who refuse to be loyal or are not useful, let Obote send someone to escort me back to the Wells Valley and punish them as war slaves."

"By the way, are there any nobles and officers under von Bilen who are willing to be loyal?"

"There are five junior officers who are willing to serve you, and the rest~just..."

"Very good, all five officers will be promoted to one level and incorporated into the Lombardy Division as officers. The rest who are unwilling to cooperate will be brought back to Wales together with von Bilen and temporarily imprisoned. If they are unwilling to cooperate, then let them

They bleed."

Bob quickly wrote down Art's military order on the papyrus paper.
Chapter completed!