396: Chapter 396 Zhang Liang's Ingenious Strategy to Ambush the Canglang Tribe

Zhang Liang retorted, "Why not?"

"We should launch our troops directly while the Canglang Tribe is unaware of our strength and take them down."

His eyes glimmered as he said, "Once we can take down the Canglang Tribe, our influence will be greatly enhanced!"

Zhang Liang had his own calculations.

A group of elders had seized power through an ambush; the warriors of the Langwo Tribe were certainly unconvinced.

At this moment, shifting the focus of the conflict would reduce the difficulty of ruling the Langwo Tribe.

Of course, he only had to win against the Canglang Tribe. If he succeeded, his prestige would rise to another level, but if he lost, he would likely lose control over the Langwo Tribe.

"Chieftain, I have something to say."

Gudu stood up once again.

"Speak."

Zhang Liang looked at Gudu and nodded, signaling for him to speak.

An old man in the family is like a treasure; at seventy or eighty years old, Gudu was wise and experienced, often raising critical questions.

Therefore, Zhang Liang was happy to listen to his opinions.

Seeing Zhang Liang encourage him to speak, Gudu felt a warmth in his heart.

Not all leaders are willing to hear the truth from their subordinates.

Just as good medicine tastes bitter, honest advice often grates on the ears.

Honest advice is often unpleasant to hear.

However, Gudu still had to say it.

This concerned their campaign against the Canglang Tribe.

Gudu frowned slightly and said to Zhang Liang with a worried expression, "Chieftain, as you know, we Xiongnu people usually choose to cease hostilities in the winter."

"The reason for this lies primarily with our warhorses. Warhorses are the lifeline of us Xiongnu people, and they require large amounts of forage and soybeans to maintain their strength. But in the middle of winter, obtaining forage and soybeans is truly too difficult!"

He paused and continued, "Even if we keep the warhorses in the stables for the winter, that alone requires consuming a large amount of forage and soybeans. Not to mention letting them make a long-distance raid to fight. You are also aware that the Langwo Tribe is over six hundred li away from the Canglang Tribe."

Gudu raised his head, his eyes filled with helplessness as he looked at the blizzard outside the yurt, then continued, "In the winter of the Northern Desert, the ground is completely covered by heavy snow, and there is simply no forage along the way to replenish our warhorses."

"Our current forage reserves are already limited. If we were to launch a long-distance raid, we would likely consume all our forage on the way."

"Even if we reached the territory of the Canglang Tribe, our warhorses would have no forage to replenish their energy, and we would become a spent force."

"Conversely, the Canglang Tribe would be fighting on their home turf, resting while we tire ourselves out. Their warhorses have sufficient forage supplies and are full of energy. Fighting them under such circumstances is truly too disadvantageous for us."

Gudu's voice grew heavier, his face full of pessimism.

"It is very difficult for us to defeat the Canglang Tribe. If we are defeated, with our forage exhausted, even retreating would be a problem."

"By then, not only will the warriors be in danger, but the future of our entire tribe will also be in jeopardy."

"Furthermore, spending the night in the wild during winter is too cold!"

"We simply cannot withstand it!"

Gudu sighed slightly at this point and said with a firm tone, "Therefore, Chieftain, I do not recommend launching an attack in winter; the disadvantages are simply too great. We Xiongnu people have always rarely fought in the winter."

Zhang Liang nodded understandingly. It wasn't just the Xiongnu people; even they, the people of the Central Plains, rarely launched wars in the winter, usually waiting until after spring, once spring plowing was finished, to start fighting.

The reason he wanted to launch a surprise attack in winter was precisely to strike when the Canglang Tribe thought no tribe would attack them.

Their probability of defeating the Canglang Tribe would be higher.

Otherwise, with the Canglang Tribe being a large tribe of over ten thousand people, it was not something a medium-sized tribe like the Langwo Tribe could defeat.

"I have already considered everything you said."

Zhang Liang said with a smile.

If he hadn't come up with a solution, he wouldn't have thought about annexing the Canglang Tribe in the winter.

"I wonder what brilliant strategy the Chieftain has?"

Gudu knew that Zhang Liang was a very resourceful person, so he was very curious to see what good ideas this Sage of Strategy could come up with.

Zhang Liang smiled and kept him in suspense, "What if we don't use warhorses for the journey?"

"Ah!"

After hearing Zhang Liang say this, Gudu asked with a face full of confusion, "If we don't use warhorses for the journey, then what shall we use?"

In the minds of war-hungry people like Gudu, warhorses were the most convenient combat tool.

If they didn't use warhorses, were they supposed to walk to the Canglang Tribe? That was even more ridiculous!

Without warhorses, if they couldn't take down the Canglang Tribe, it would be very difficult to escape when they needed to retreat!

Gudu really couldn't imagine what other methods Zhang Liang had.

The people in the yurt were all high-ranking members of the Qihuo Army who were very excited about Zhang Liang.

They also looked at Zhang Liang with confusion, not knowing what good ideas he had.

Seeing everyone's intense thirst for knowledge, Zhang Liang decided not to keep them in suspense anymore.

He said, "I noticed that many people in the tribe use sled dogs to pull heavy loads."

The history of humans using dog sleds is not much later than using horse-drawn carriages. Archaeologists have discovered sleds dating back 7,800 years in the vast Siberia, along with dog harnesses and dog bones.

The Northern Desert is very close to Siberia.

Many Xiongnu people also use sled dogs to transport goods in the winter.

"This..."

Gudu and many high-ranking members of the Qihuo Army looked at each other.

Compared to sled dogs, Xiongnu people actually preferred using ponies to pull goods.

This was also because the concept of using sled dogs to transport goods was absent from their cognition.

Zhang Liang was not a Xiongnu person, and he was even less likely to be limited by such perceptions.

Through his observations, he discovered that besides moving as if on flat ground on snowfields, sled dogs were very flexible on impassable ice fields, helping the sleds avoid dangerous ice cracks.

Dogs are omnivorous animals and also like to eat meat, whereas horses require large amounts of forage.

In terms of energy per unit, meat is naturally higher energy; feeding a dog a bit of dried meat per meal is enough.

But if you use horse-drawn sleds, you have to carry a large amount of forage and dry rations for them. In the freezing cold, no one wants to travel with a heavy burden.

Zhang Liang said, "I have already prepared a large number of large sled dogs."

"Their size is only slightly inferior to ponies."

"If we use sled dogs to pull the warhorses to the Canglang Tribe, then the consumption of the warhorses on the road will not be so great."

"We can also let the sled dogs pull the yurts."

Yurts can be dismantled and reassembled at will; they are designed for easy mobility.

Zhang Liang said, "If we live in the yurts at night, our ability to withstand the bitter cold will be greatly improved!"

Hearing Zhang Liang say this, Gudu and many high-ranking members of the Qihuo Army nodded in agreement.

Zhang Liang's plan was feasible.

As long as there were enough sled dogs, this could indeed be achieved.

In the middle of winter, grass and soybeans are hard to find, but meat is plentiful.

Frozen cattle and sheep can provide meat.

"I think it's feasible."

Gudu agreed with Zhang Liang's opinion for the first time.

"I also think it's feasible."

"That's right!"

"It is indeed feasible!"

...

Other high-ranking members of the Qihuo Army nodded in response one after another.

Wutu looked at Zhang Liang with a complex gaze; he suddenly felt that his loss was not unjust—the other party's intelligence was too high.

In the face of such high intelligence, he was like someone without clothes on; the other party could easily see through his inner thoughts.

Fighting against such a person, he didn't even know how he would die.

Thinking this way, there was also a look of awe in Wutu's eyes as he looked at Zhang Liang.

And Wutu's reaction was also within Zhang Liang's peripheral observation.

He was very satisfied with Wutu having such a reaction.

This was also in his calculations; if he could take down the Canglang Tribe, which everyone thought was invincible, then his prestige in the Langwo Tribe could be greatly enhanced.

"Chieftain Wutu."

Zhang Liang looked at him and said, "Leave the work of persuading those in the Langwo Tribe who are unwilling to surrender to you."

"Understood!"

Wutu nodded in response.