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

Chapter 421 May the world be filled with snow and white hair!

Luan Diyun immediately asked the practical question she had pondered: "Immortal Master, when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy is exhausted, we attack. If the Qin army knows our intentions, forms a dense defensive circle to protect our supplies, and stops pursuing, how should we 'attack' them?"

Furthermore, the Qin army is numerous. If they divide their forces into multiple routes and simultaneously encircle our army, where should we retreat to?

These are all purely battlefield micro-management issues.

Ji Dan had never commanded cavalry in battle before. He had no idea how to break through a shield formation on the snowy plains, nor did he know how to retreat when surrounded.

His brain was working at lightning speed, trying to scrape together vocabulary from the various books he had read.

A moment later, Ji Dan cleared her throat.

"The princess's question is too fixated on formations."

Ji Dan said, "The change in battle formation lies in its unpredictability. If the Qin army forms a circular formation and defends to the death, its formation will be sluggish and its march will be slow."

You only need to leave a small number of troops to fire arrows and roar around the perimeter to keep them from having a good time, while the rest of the main force can bypass the circular formation and cut off their weaker supply convoy behind them!

This is a strategy of avoiding the enemy's strength and attacking their weakness!

He paused for a moment, then continued, "As for the Qin army dividing its forces to encircle them, military strategy says, 'If ten times their strength, surround them; if five times, attack them.'"

If the Qin army were to divide its forces, the strength of each individual force would inevitably be weakened!

The princess has 30,000 light cavalry, which can be concentrated to quickly wipe out the small group he has spun out, and then immediately retreat!

"It's better to cut off one finger than to injure all ten."

Ji Dan mechanically applied some common-sense phrases from Central Plains military books and concluded: "The core of this sixteen-character formula lies in the word 'movement'!"

Do not engage the enemy in prolonged battles, and do not be greedy for killing!

Maintaining composure and adapting to changing circumstances is the right path.

Luan Diyun stood still, listening to Ji Dan's explanation.

She frowned slightly.

As the one in charge of the troops, she noticed some problems with Ji Dan's words.

For example, bypassing the Qin army's circular formation to intercept their supplies was no easy task, especially on the vast snow-covered plains where finding the Qin army's supply convoy was no easy task.

For example, if you concentrate your forces to wipe out a small part of the Qin army, which numbers as many as 300,000, even a small part might still have 10,000 men and be well-equipped. It would be extremely difficult to wipe them out quickly.

The immortal master's explanation sounded reasonable, but it lacked practical consideration of the grassland terrain and climate, making it seem somewhat vague and theoretical.

This was the lingering doubt in her mind.

However, Luan Diyun did not reveal this doubt.

She looked at Ji Dan sitting there and quickly felt relieved.

The Immortal Master is a highly skilled individual from the Central Plains, adept at strategizing the overall situation and direction of the world.

This sixteen-character mantra, capable of changing the course of battle, is proof of the Immortal Master's strategy.

As for the specific tactics for leading troops in the snowfield, how to break through enemy lines, and how to march, those were issues that should have been resolved by her as a frontline general.

If everything needs to be taught by the immortal master, what's the point of having her as the commander?

Having figured this out, Luan Diyun's doubts about Ji Dan dissipated, replaced by a stronger admiration for him.

The people of the grasslands worship strength, not only in terms of military force, but also in terms of intelligence that enables them to strategize and plan.

This masked man was able to offer a sixteen-word mantra and make her father listen to his every word, which was enough to win her favor.

"I have learned from the Immortal Master's teachings. I have remembered the principles of avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, and adapting to circumstances."

Luan Diyun bowed again, his eyes filled with more respect.

Seeing that Luan Diyun was no longer pressing the matter, Ji Dan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and slightly raised her hand: "The princess is brave and will surely return in triumph."

Luan Di Yun turned to face Touman Chanyu: "Father, the military situation is urgent. The Qin army is still advancing, and I cannot delay any longer. I will lead the troops south now."

"Go."

Touman Chanyu instructed, "Remember the sixteen-character military order: preserve your troops and cut off their supply lines!"

Luan Diyun nodded, turned around and walked out of the royal tent.

The wind and snow blew on his face as Luan Diyun strode back to the training ground.

Thirty thousand light cavalrymen were already lined up in the snow, waiting.

She mounted her horse, drew her curved sword from her waist, and pointed it straight at the southern sky.

The army set off, and 30,000 cavalrymen quickly disappeared into the vast expanse of snow, heading towards the Qin army.

……

at the same time.

North of Yinshan Mountain lies the central camp of the Qin army.

The sky outside had completely darkened, and although the blizzard had subsided slightly, the cold wind was still biting.

Even ordinary soldiers, wrapped in thick fur coats, had to stay by the campfire, constantly rubbing their hands and stamping their feet.

However, inside one of the tents, a completely different scene unfolded.

Lifting the leather curtain, a wave of heat rushed out, shutting out the harsh cold outside.

Smokeless charcoal braziers were placed in the four corners of the tent, making the entire tent very warm.

In the center of the tent was an iron grill, on which a whole, cleaned and skinned prairie lamb was being turned over and over.

Oil dripped onto the charcoal, causing white smoke to rise.

Zhang Fan, dressed in a single garment, sat back on a soft couch covered with leopard skin.

Beside him, Luo Ying and Luo Li knelt on either side.

The two women were wearing gauze dresses and had beautiful faces.

Luo Ying reached out and gently massaged Zhang Fan's shoulder with moderate force, relieving the soreness he had from wearing heavy armor during the day.

Luo Li used a small silver knife to slice off pieces of meat from the roasted lamb, dipped them in seasoning, and then used a silver skewer to feed them to Zhang Fan.

Zhang Fan opened his mouth and swallowed the roasted meat, chewing it with satisfaction, feeling completely relaxed.

This doesn't feel like a war in a harsh, cold place; instead, it exudes a sense of peaceful tranquility.

On the other side of the fire stand, Mo Feng sat cross-legged on the carpet.

He was holding a roasted lamb leg in his hand, eating with his mouth full of oil.

Beside it was a horn-shaped wine sachet, filled with mare's milk wine seized from the Xiongnu royal court during the day.

"It smells good! It smells fucking good!"

As Mo Feng tore into the mutton, he picked up the wine flask, took a swig of mare's milk wine, and sighed, "The mutton from the grasslands is so firm and chewy, much better than the fat sheep raised in Xianyang!"

Facing Mo Feng, Fu Su sat upright.

Fusu, dressed in a fox fur cloak, held a ceramic bowl filled with roasted meat, his expression conflicted and helpless.

Listening to the sound of wind and snow outside and looking at the scene before him, Fusu put down the pottery bowl.

"teacher……"

Fusu glanced at Zhang Fan and sighed, "Didn't we come to the front lines to fight? The roads in Yinshan are blocked by heavy snow, and the 100,000 vanguard troops are still on guard against a Xiongnu counterattack. If word gets out that we are enjoying ourselves in the central camp, it will probably damage the morale of our army."

Fusu received a classical Confucian education from a young age and emphasized sharing weal and woe with his soldiers.

He felt a little guilty that while soldiers were patrolling outside and the snow was falling heavily, they were eating roasted lamb and drinking mare's milk wine.

Upon hearing Fusu's words, Zhang Fan remained silent, but Mo Feng, who was dealing with the lamb leg, was already displeased.

"Young master, you're mistaken!"

Mo Feng wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, pointed to the roasted lamb on the rack, and said, "This lamb is a spoil of war that we snatched back from the Xiongnu royal court. The Xiongnu people ran away quickly, leaving behind these lambs and wine!"

"It's cold; if we leave it piled up in the snow unattended, it'll go bad in a few days!"