To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 410: Dragging down the enemy's supplies!

"Immediately send someone back to the central army camp on the southern slope of Yinshan Mountain to invite Immortal Master Zhang Fan!"

Meng Tian decisively ordered, "Tell the Immortal Master the truth about the situation here, and please make a decision!"

Zhang Fan always had unexpected strategies, so Meng Tian decided to hand this difficult problem over to Zhang Fan.

"Furthermore, dispatch another urgent messenger to return to Xianyang immediately and inform His Majesty!"

Meng Tian continued, "Say that our army has won its first battle, capturing the Xiongnu royal court, killing tens of thousands of enemy soldiers, and seizing countless cattle, sheep, and supplies! Although we did not capture the Chanyu alive, the main force of the Xiongnu has been routed!"

The guards received the order, mounted their horses, and galloped south.

As the fire was gradually brought under control, the Qin soldiers began to clear the battlefield.

Although they failed to capture the Chanyu, the conquest of the Xiongnu royal court was itself an unprecedented victory.

The Xiongnu left in haste, leaving behind a large amount of supplies in the royal court, as well as fat cattle and sheep that had not been frightened and fled.

"We've captured the Xiongnu royal court!"

"Great Qin will be victorious!"

Cheers began to erupt from the ranks of the soldiers. Their tense nerves relaxed.

Meng Tian did not stop the soldiers from celebrating.

He ordered sheep and cattle to be slaughtered, and used the mare's milk wine left behind by the Xiongnu to reward the army.

Of course, there were also several whole roasted lambs that had already been roasted!

The campfire was relit on the snow, but this time it wasn't to stop the enemy, but to keep warm and roast meat.

The Qin warriors sat around the campfire, eating roasted meat to ward off the chill.

The joy of winning the first battle spread throughout the military camp.

……

At the same time.

Yinshan Camp.

Although the snowstorm has subsided, the temperature remains extremely low.

Zhang Fan sat in the warm military tent, the charcoal in the brazier burning brightly.

Fusu sat opposite him, looking down at the map.

The sound of rapid hoofbeats and footsteps came from outside the tent.

A scout, covered in snow, ran into the tent and knelt on one knee.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master and the Eldest Prince! Victory from the front! Commander Meng has led his army to conquer the Xiongnu royal court, the right flank has burned down the enemy camp, and the left flank has annihilated 50,000 ambushes at Baidao! Our army has achieved a great victory!"

Upon hearing the news of the victory, Fusu abruptly stood up, his face beaming with joy: "Excellent! Commander Meng is indeed a master strategist, and the soldiers of our Great Qin are unparalleled in bravery!"

The scout looked up, his face showing difficulty, and continued his report: "But... Touman Chanyu has escaped. The Chanyu used tens of thousands of old, weak, women, children, and crazed cattle and sheep to form a human wall, and set fire to block the roads."

Our soldiers could not bear to slaughter the old and weak, and their charge was thwarted. Taking advantage of this, the Chanyu fled deep into the desert.

Fusu's smile vanished, and he frowned: "Using the elderly and weak of the tribe as shields? This Chanyu is so ruthless and cruel!"

"Not only that!"

The scout looked at Zhang Fan and said, "Commander Meng sent a message that killing these tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children would be inauspicious, and feeding them would leave us without food, making them a burden on our army."

Commander Meng was anxious and didn't know what to do, so he specially sent a servant to consult the Immortal Master for a proper solution.

Zhang Fan remained calm after listening to the report.

He waved for the scouts to leave.

Tens of thousands of elderly, weak, women and children.

This is indeed a tricky problem.

In ancient warfare, this tactic was extremely vicious, specifically designed to cripple the enemy's logistics and morale.

"Teacher, what should we do?"

Fusu looked worried. "If we kill them, it would be against all morality. If we spare them, our army's food supplies will surely be stretched thin."

Zhang Fan didn't answer, but instead took out his phone from his pocket.

He unlocked his screen and made a video call to Zhu Feng directly.

"beep……"

The video call connected, and Zhu Feng appeared on the screen, with the busy command center in the background.

"Zhang Fan, any results from the front lines?" Zhu Feng asked.

Zhang Fan nodded: "A great victory in the first battle. Meng Tian captured the Xiongnu royal court and annihilated the main force. However, Touman Chanyu used tens of thousands of old, weak, women and children as human shields to block the pursuit and escaped himself."

"Now these tens of thousands of women and children are in our hands. Meng Tian dares not kill them, nor can he afford to support them. He's asking me what to do. Commander, what do the experts and think tank in the bureau think?"

Zhu Feng turned his head and made a gesture to the staff member next to him.

Soon, an elderly man wearing glasses walked in front of the screen.

He is an expert in ancient strategy and economic warfare specially hired by Bureau 749.

"Comrade Zhang Fan, the think tank has already conducted a rapid simulation regarding the handling of these prisoners." The old man adjusted his glasses, his tone serious.

"First and foremost, we absolutely must not kill them."

The old man said, "The massacre of women and children will incite the entire grassland tribes to unite against a common enemy, completely driving the originally loose Xiongnu tribes to the brink of destruction, making them fight the Qin army to the death. This will greatly increase the casualties in subsequent battles."

"Secondly, you absolutely cannot keep them."

The old man continued his analysis, "The logistics of an army of 300,000 is a red line. Taking in the old and weak from the enemy state will cripple the Qin army's supply lines."

Zhang Fan looked at the screen: "Then what should we do?"

The old man's lips curled up slightly, revealing an extremely sharp look in his eyes.

"Let them go. But do it strategically!"

The old man explained, "The grasslands are currently experiencing an extreme cold 'white disaster'! Large numbers of cattle and sheep from the various Xiongnu tribes have frozen to death, and food is extremely scarce. These tens of thousands of elderly, weak, women, and children were originally burdens abandoned by Touman Chanyu!"

"The think tank suggests providing these women and children with three days' worth of food rations!"

Don't give them too much; just enough for them to travel for three days.

Then, they were driven north, so that they could join the fleeing Xiongnu tribes.

As Zhang Fan listened, his eyes gradually brightened.

The old man continued to analyze their strategic intentions: "In modern times, this is known as 'economic warfare' and 'logistical attrition warfare'!"

The remnants of the Xiongnu were already short of food, and now tens of thousands of mouths to feed had suddenly flooded in, mostly the elderly and weak who were unable to fight.

"If Touman Chanyu and those tribal leaders accept them, these tens of thousands of mouths will consume the Xiongnu's remaining food in a short time, directly crippling the Xiongnu's entire winter economic system and causing them to collapse due to internal strife."

"If Touman Chanyu refuses to accept them, or even orders their expulsion or slaughter..."

The old man paused for a moment, then said, "In that case, the Chanyu's prestige within the Xiongnu will be completely destroyed. The various tribes will see his cruel nature, become disloyal, and the Xiongnu will collapse without a fight!"

After listening to the expert's analysis, Zhang Fan gasped.

wonderful!

That's great!

Use the enemy's people to destroy the enemy's food reserves and political foundation.

A calculated scheme!

A calculated scheme that would lead to the destruction of Touman Shanyu no matter which choice he made.

"clear!"

Zhang Fan nodded at the screen, "This 'using the enemy to defeat the enemy' move is too powerful! Please thank the experts in the think tank for me."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Fan put it away.

Fusu sat to the side. Although he didn't hear the specific content of the phone call, he knew from the expression on Zhang Fan's face that a solution had been devised.

"Teacher, is there a way to solve this?" Fusu asked.

Zhang Fan stood up and straightened his cloak.

"Got it!"

Zhang Fan looked at Fusu, "Let's go, prepare the horses. We're heading to the front lines!"