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

Lan Yu pointed at the diagram with his scabbard and said in a deep voice:

"Xie Jing has just sent back confirmation that the old man from Nan'an has issued a proclamation tonight, announcing his rebellion, and he will launch a decisive battle against our army within the next two days!"

"He also set a trap for me, having Xie Jing ambush me with 10,000 elite cavalry on the northern slope of Panshan Mountain, intending to use his own 35,000 troops as bait to lure me into the official road of Panshan Mountain, and then attack me from both sides and swallow my central army in one gulp."

Upon hearing this, some generals sneered, some shook their heads, and some showed anger.

Feng Ziying said with a strange expression:

"Their commander in charge of the ambush is one of our men. This battle is really interesting..."

What's the point of fighting? I've never fought such a lucrative battle in my entire life!

Shi Lang then slammed his fist on the table and said:

"That old dog has a clever plan! General, why not turn the tables on him? Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, let's finish this quickly, and then report our victory to the Duke!"

Lan Yu chuckled:

"That's what I think too. These few bastards in Nan'an are not very capable, but they are very bold. We don't need to get entangled with them. If they want to dream of a great rebellion, I'll give them a happy ending."

Immediately issue the following order:

First, the entire army should immediately break camp, carrying only three days' worth of rations, and march lightly and without stopping. They must reach the west of Jizhou City by the afternoon of tomorrow.

Nan'an is a suspicious man by nature. As long as we bring our troops to the city gates tomorrow afternoon, he will not have time to change his plans.

If we get one step ahead of him, his entire game will fall apart.

Second, immediately dispatch a light cavalry force of one thousand men to quietly break away from the main force, disguise themselves as a routed army, and circle around to the rear of Xie Jing's army from the north.

At dawn, they attacked the camp, joining forces with Xie Jing to launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside, wiping out Xie Jing's old generals and veterans.

Xie Jing has already sent people to assist in this matter. If we don't take his hundreds of heads, those ten thousand elite cavalry will not be ours.

Third, tomorrow the entire army will cross the Panshan official road. Bows should be strung and swords drawn. Do not panic in the event of trouble.

When the old man from Nan'an comes out to engage in battle, the vanguard can gain a slight advantage, the central army will remain unmoved, and the rearguard will spread out to the left and right.

Remember, don't hit him too hard all at once; slowly lure him into your ambush!

Fourth, another 5,000 elite cavalry under Shi Lang were dispatched to bypass the city of Jizhou from the direction of Sanhe and travel 20 miles south to hide and await orders, thus cutting off their escape route to the south.

Feng Ziying led 3,000 cavalrymen from the main force of the Guoyong Battalion northward to block the small path leading out of the mountains on the northern slope of Panshan.

If you encounter the Prince of Nan'an on any road, don't care what he shouts, just capture him alive. If you can't capture him, he'll be dead.

Fifth, all other generals shall follow my central army in formation and shall not engage in battle without my command.

When the time is right, we will advance from the east, north, and south, leaving only one opening on the west side so that they can escape into the mountains.

There are no more ambushes in the mountains, only our crossbowmen. Don't let a single one escape.

As Lan Yu issued his order, all the generals immediately responded in unison.

After the tents were closed, a deep bugle call sounded throughout the camp, waking the army from their slumber.

Tens of thousands of people broke camp under the moonlight, dismantling tents, loading vehicles, with supplies moving first, and each camp moving in order.

The bright moonlight shone on the soldiers' armor, reflecting a cold, silvery light.

On the official road, the sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps gradually merged into a vast, deep, and resonant river, flowing rapidly toward Jizhou City.

……

August 15th, afternoon.

Lan Yu's central army has approached the west of Jizhou City.

Thirty thousand vanguard troops lined up on the open field west of the city, their banners obscuring the sun and their swords and spears like a forest.

As the sun began to set, its rays slanted across the armored vehicles surging from the direction of Tongzhou, casting a cold, sharp light upon them.

The walls of Jizhou were already filled with garrison troops, and horns on the city towers sounded one after another.

As the city gates opened, the Prince of Nan'an led 35,000 troops out in single file and formed a battle formation outside the west gate.

The central military banner stands tall, with the large character "霍" (Huo) fluttering in the wind.

The Prince of Nan'an stood on his chariot, fully armored and with his hand on his sword. He was surrounded by a group of military officers, including Ma Shang, Chen Ruiwen, and Qi Jianhui. Their faces were ashen, yet they exuded an aura of menace.

Upon seeing this, Lan Yu spurred his horse to the front of the formation, brandished his long sword, and the tens of thousands of troops behind him formed three ranks like a surging tide.

The central army flag waved from side to side, and the drums thundered.

The Prince of Nan'an shouted loudly from his carriage:

"Lan Yu, you little brat! You are but a nobody, yet you dare to offend my Jizhou! Jia Jing is acting against the will of Heaven, and you are aiding and abetting his evil deeds; your death is imminent!"

His voice was loud and clear, full of energy, and he had quite the air of a great general.

Lan Yu scoffed, too lazy to argue with such a scoundrel, and simply pointed his knife forward, coldly saying:

"kill."

Immediately, the 8,000 vanguard soldiers roared and surged out like a tidal wave.

The cavalry led the way, followed by the infantry, and charged straight at the central army of the Prince of Nan'an.

The two armies clashed, swords and spears clashed, and the shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth.

The Prince of Nan'an had made arrangements in advance. Before the vanguard had even engaged in battle for two quarters of an hour, he was ordered to retreat to the left rear while fighting.

As he led his troops in retreat, he shouted loudly, feigning weakness and exhaustion.

Lan Yu's vanguard pursued closely, while his rearguard remained stationary, only following slowly.

Chen Ruiwen looked back amidst the chaos of battle and saw that Lan Yu's central army was not pursuing. He frowned, then noticed that Lan Yu's vanguard was charging fiercely and had already created some distance between themselves and the central army.

He sneered inwardly: As expected of an unknown figure, relying on the number of soldiers, the vanguard is greedy for merit and advances recklessly, becoming separated from the rearguard.

Isn't this a golden opportunity?

The Prince of Nan'an could also see this clearly. Seeing that Lan Yu's vanguard had ventured deep into enemy territory while the main force lagged behind, he immediately laughed loudly from his chariot:

"Haha! That brat Lan Yu has fallen for our trap! Send the order for the rear guard to turn around and join us in attacking their vanguard!"