The sky was still dark when the vanguard troops set out.
Two standing army battalions and another of militia led the way, with Jeska's battalion doubling as the supply and rearguard units, and a company of Piaoqi cavalry providing support—such was the full strength of the vanguard.
Their responsibility was to confirm the route, construct camps, clear any potential enemies, and prepare in advance for the arrival of the main force.
The sun had not yet risen, so it was very cold, cold enough to make one's chest tremble involuntarily.
Some soldiers with clever hands had sewn hats resembling helmets for themselves, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed.
Those without needlework skills could only endure the cold, their noses, mouths, and ears all red from freezing, the white mist of their breath frosting their eyelashes.
Other soldiers cut the Herders' robes into pieces to improvise as scarves, or haphazardly found some scraps of cloth to use as bandanas.
