"Mm, I'll remember you." Marquis Talavera nodded, only to see Black still standing there. "Is there anything else?" Joaquim Black said cautiously:
"Well, if you want to take the towns of Alentejo, I do have an idea."
Talavera revealed a disdainful expression.
"You? An engineer battalion commander wants to meddle in battle plans?"
Black's face reddened slightly, and he turned to leave.
Marquis Talavera thought for a moment, then raised a hand to stop him.
"Wait. There's nothing else to do anyway, so let me hear your plan."
Black halted, drew a deep breath, and said:
"Commander, you needn't have so many concerns. Just lead all your troops across the Mondego River and seize Góis. After that, whether you continue south to Évora or attack Lisbon directly is entirely up to you."
Marquis Talavera burst into laughter.
"It seems you truly are only good at putting up pontoon bridges.
"The moment my army leaves this place, the English will pounce on Mortágua. Before we reach Góis, the Anglo-Portuguese Army will already be attacking Guarda. After that, even Salamanca will be threatened!"
Black immediately said:
"You are right, which is precisely why colonel Junot will notice this grave problem. That is also why I suggested you take all the corps with you—it will make him decide more quickly."
Marquis Talavera froze. Possible scenarios raced through his mind—
Junot would suddenly discover that the troops from Spain on the Coimbra front had all vanished, while thirty thousand Anglo-Portuguese soldiers stood directly before an empty Mortágua, with Gouveia, Guarda, and other towns behind it equally undefended.
At that point, he would have only one choice: send all French troops to Coimbra at once and block the Anglo-Portuguese Army's counterattack.
Marquis Talavera frowned. What if Junot simply abandoned everything and retreated to Salamanca?
He