Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

The Prince of Nan'an drew a heavy line with his finger across a hilly area west of Jizhou City, and said solemnly:

"From Tongzhou to Jizhou, Lan Yu traveled through open plains, except for the hilly terrain around Panshan Mountain to the west of the city."

"The terrain of Panshan is high in the west and low in the east, with gentle slopes on both sides. It seems open, but it is actually very easy to set up an ambush. This is our chance to win!"

Clearly, the Prince of Nan'an had a thorough understanding of the surrounding terrain and already had a strategy!

Chen Ruiwen pondered for a moment, then asked hesitantly:

"Does Your Highness mean... to set up an ambush at Panshan?"

"Not bad." The Prince of Nan'an walked to the map, pointed heavily to the west of Jizhou City, and said:

"Panshan is more than 30 li away from Jizhou City. The official road winds through the south side of the mountain. Although the slopes on both sides are not steep, they are enough to hide troops."

"If Lan Yu comes from Tongzhou, he will definitely take this route. We will set up an ambush on both sides of the official road south of Panshan Mountain to catch him off guard."

The Prince of Nan'an's gaze swept over the crowd before settling on Xie Jing, his eyes burning as he said:

"Brother Xie, you are a seasoned veteran, courageous and resourceful, truly a military genius of our time!"

"I intend to give you 10,000 elite cavalry. Tomorrow, you will lead them out of the city, first heading northwest around Panshan Mountain, and then hiding in the pine forest on the northern slope of Panshan Mountain."

"When Lan Yu's army approaches Jizhou City tomorrow or the day after, I will personally lead the main force out of the city to meet them in battle. Then, we will feign defeat and slowly retreat, leading them into the Panshan official road."

"Once Lan Yu's army has entered the ambush zone, you will lead 10,000 elite cavalry to break out from the northern foothills, strike directly at their flank and rear, and cut off their retreat."

"I will lead the main force back to counterattack, while Ma Shang and Chen Ruiwen will each lead their troops to attack from the left and right flanks, encircling them on three sides and strangling them from all sides. We will ensure they never return!"

What do you think of this plan?

The Prince of Nan'an did not choose to ambush directly, but instead wanted to personally enter the fray and lure the enemy in. This shows that although he spoke of disdain for Lan Yu, he actually valued him quite a bit!

Chen Ruiwen and the others standing nearby were somewhat envious upon hearing this.

The prince actually assigned the city's only 10,000 elite cavalry to Xie Jing, which shows how much he trusted him!

If this battle goes well, Xie Jing will surely surpass them in the future!

Xie Jing's heart tightened, knowing the plan had succeeded. Without hesitation, he clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Your Highness's plan is ingenious, with each step meticulously planned! However, if we are to launch an ambush, I would like to muster the troops tonight and leave the city."

"Firstly, marching during the day might be discovered by Lan Yu's scouts. It would be better to take advantage of the night to secretly head north and reach the northern foot of Panshan Mountain to ambush them before dawn."

"Secondly, it gives us more time. If Lan Yu arrives sooner than expected, we can be well-prepared!"

"Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, Brother Xie! Speed ​​is of the essence in war, so I'll trouble you to set off tonight!" The Prince of Nan'an nodded, his eyes filled with delight.

"This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission!" Xie Jing said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"I will leave 5,000 elite troops to guard the city, and the remaining 35,000 main force troops will all follow me out of the city to meet the enemy."

"My esteemed brother, these ten thousand elite cavalry are the most crucial element of this battle. They must be hidden in Panshan and laid in ambush before Lan Yu arrives. If this battle succeeds, my esteemed brother will be the greatest contributor!" said the Prince of Nan'an solemnly.

Xie Jing's face flushed red, and he appeared extremely excited. He clasped his hands and shouted:

"This humble general is willing to die for Your Highness!"

The Prince of Nan'an nodded, then turned to Mu Chen and said in a deep voice:

"Nephew, you will remain in charge of guarding Jizhou. All city defense matters are entrusted to you tonight. That way, if... the battle goes against you, there will still be soldiers in the city to provide support."

"But my dear nephew, remember this: only one narrow path remains on the south side of the city gate; the other three gates are sealed off with sandbags. If Lan Yu is defeated, you must not venture out lightly."

"If I fail... you should lead your men to break out through the south gate and head southeast to raise an army. We still have some foothold there."

Although the Prince of Nan'an was very confident, he worried about defeat before he could win.

At the same time, entrusting Mu Chen with his future also shows the trust that the Prince of Nan'an has in Mu Chen!

Mu Chen stood up and replied, his expression solemn.

The Prince of Nan'an surveyed the crowd one last time, his voice deep and resonant:

"Gentlemen! This is the day for a true hero to make his mark! Tomorrow or the day after, once Lan Yu's army arrives in Jizhou, we will fight him to the death."

"If we win this battle, all the garrisons in the land will surely rise up in response, and the capital will be as easy as taking candy from a baby."

"I hereby swear that I will share wealth and honor with you all. Those who have rendered meritorious service in this battle will be granted the titles of king or duke, hereditary titles, and will live and die with the nation! If I break this oath, may Heaven and Earth condemn me!"

This was a pre-battle promise of official titles to boost morale!

"I am willing to fight to the death with Your Highness!"

"We swear to follow the Prince to the death and to quell the rebellion in accordance with Heaven's will!"

"To be able to accomplish such a great feat under the Prince's guidance, my life has been worthwhile!"

"Let's burn our bridges and fight to the death!"

"Me too!"

The crowd roared in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

That night, the city of Jizhou was fully prepared with troops, and all four gates were tightly closed.

Dark shadows loomed atop the city walls as soldiers patrolled back and forth, their torches casting flickering light on the battlements.

Military orders flew out from the military headquarters, and messengers rode their horses across the quiet street, startling a few dogs into barking.

Xie Jing mustered 10,000 elite cavalry and quietly left the city from the north. The night breeze was cool, and the large banner with the character "Xie" on it fluttered behind him.

He glanced back at the city walls of Jizhou, where firelight flickered on the towers, and the Prince of Nan'an stood at the highest point watching him depart.

Xie Jing withdrew his gaze, spurred his horse, and led his army into the deep night.

Meanwhile, on the city tower, the Prince of Nan'an had already unfurled his personally drafted proclamation, "Purge the Emperor's Ladies from His Side."

He stood in the firelight, facing the troops who had gathered overnight below the city, and recited aloud.

The proclamation was lengthy and detailed, listing more than a dozen major crimes committed by Jia Jing, including "using force to control civil officials, harming veterans, sowing discord between the emperor and his ministers, and plotting rebellion."

In conclusion: "Raise a righteous army, purge the court of corrupt officials, execute Jia Jing, and secure the nation."

Tens of thousands of people below the city lit torches in response, and for a moment the shouts were like a tidal wave.

Twenty miles west of Jizhou City, the pine forest on the northern slope of Panshan Mountain rustled in the night wind.

Xie Jing's elite cavalry had vanished like ghosts, disappearing without a trace.

……

Lan Yu's army camped sixty li east of Tongzhou, which was the middle section of the official road leading to Jizhou.

As the night drew to a close, a full moon hung high in the sky, its clear light like frost, illuminating the entire camp in stark contrast between black and white.

The campfire in the camp had burned a dark red, occasionally popping out a spark, startling the warhorses tied outside the gate, which snorted and pawed at the ground with a rustling sound.

At this moment, Lan Yu stood with his hand on his sword on a wooden watchtower in the western corner of the camp. The watchtower was no more than three zhang high and was temporarily made of thick wood when the vanguard set up camp. Standing on it, one could see the entire camp and the fields on both sides of the official road.

Lan Yu gazed towards Jizhou, his thick, mountain-like eyebrows concealing a deep, cold gaze filled with concentration.

The night wind blew from the east, carrying the dry, withered scent of autumn grass, making his black cloak flutter loudly.

Suddenly, a man who looked like a junior officer removed his waist badge, silently climbed the guard tower, knelt on one knee two steps behind Lan Yu, and said in a low voice:

"Commander Lan, there is a letter from General Xie."

Lan Yu naturally knew about Xie Jing's matter. Upon hearing this, she didn't turn her head but simply stretched out one hand.

The junior officer hurriedly presented a short letter wrapped in oiled paper with both hands.

Lan Yu unfolded the letter and examined it closely by the moonlight. She saw that the handwriting was hasty and short, clearly written by Xie Jing on horseback.

The letter contained only three sentences:

Nan'an has issued a proclamation tonight, announcing an uprising to purge the court of corrupt officials!

Nan'an used me as a surprise force, ordering me to set up an ambush around the northern foot of Panshan Mountain, luring the general deep into the area so that we could attack from both sides.

I hope the general will use this plan against me, and I will defect on the battlefield to help the general achieve this great feat!

Lan Yu held the letter in her hand, a slow smile curving her lips as she chuckled softly and muttered to herself:

"Old man from Nan'an, is that all you've got? You dare to oppose your superiors! Very well. Since you want to treat me like a fish, I'll show you who's the chopping block!"

Lan Yu folded the letter, lit it over the campfire, and watched it curl into ash and drift away in the night wind.

He then turned to the junior officer and said:

"Did Xie Jing say anything else?"

The junior officer reported in a low voice:

"General Xie said that although he was temporarily in charge of his 10,000 elite cavalry, there were still former generals from Nan'an and several heads of household guards in each unit. He dared not make a rash move unless he was in battle."

"General Xie requests that Commander Lan dispatch an elite cavalry force to launch a night raid tomorrow morning at dawn, ostensibly to seize the camp. He will use this opportunity to send all the unreliable cavalry to their deaths, leaving only the rest to be used!"

Upon hearing this, Lan Yu couldn't help but laugh heartily:

"That old bastard Xie Jing is really interesting! Fine, I'll give him a helping hand."

He strode down the tower, walking towards the central command tent under the moonlight, where his personal guards had already lined up upon hearing his voice.

As soon as Lan Yu entered the main tent, he ordered people to light tallow candles and spread out a map.

The generals arrived in full armor, each one brimming with energy and showing no signs of sleepiness.