Chapter 492: Issuing the Proclamation, Purifying the Ruler

The Prince of Nanan's finger traced a heavy line across a hilly area west of Jizhou City, and he said solemnly:

"Lan Yu travels from Tongzhou to Jizhou; the whole route is open plain, only the hills around Pan Mountain west of the city rise and fall."

"Pan Mountain's terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east; the slopes on both sides are gentle, appearing open but actually ideal for ambushes—this is our chance to win!"

Evidently, the Prince of Nanan knows the surrounding terrain inside out and already has a strategy!

Chen Ruiwen thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly:

"Your Highness means… to set an ambush on Pan Mountain?"

"Correct." The Prince of Nanan walked to the map, pressed his finger heavily on a point west of Jizhou City, and said:

"Pan Mountain lies over thirty li from Jizhou City; the official road winds through the southern side of the mountain, and although the slopes are not steep, they are sufficient to hide troops."

"If Lan Yu comes from Tongzhou, he must take this road; we will set ambushes on both sides of the official road south of Pan Mountain to catch him off guard."

The Prince of Nanan's gaze swept over the crowd, then fixed on Xie Qing, burning with intensity, and said:

"Brother Xie, you have long endured the battlefield, possessing both courage and strategy; you are truly a talent of this age!"

"My plan is to assign you ten thousand elite cavalry; tomorrow you will lead them out of the city, head northwest to bypass Pan Mountain, and conceal yourselves in the pine forest on its northern foothill."

"When tomorrow or the day after Lan Yu's army presses toward Jizhou City, I will personally lead the main force out of the city to meet them, then feign defeat and retreat slowly, luring them onto the official road of Pan Mountain."

"When Lan Yu's army pursues into the ambush zone, you will lead the ten thousand elite cavalry out from the northern foothill, strike directly into their rear, and cut off their retreat."

"I will lead the main force back to counterattack; Ma Shang and Chen Ruiwen will each command their units from the left and right flanks to encircle from three sides and crush from all four, ensuring they have no way back!"

"What do you think of this plan?"

The Prince of Nanan did not choose a direct ambush; instead, he intended to enter the fray himself and lure the enemy deeper, showing that although he outwardly despises Lan Yu, he actually places great importance on him!

Those beside him, including Chen Ruiwen, felt a twinge of envy upon hearing this.

The Prince actually assigned the city's only ten thousand elite cavalry to Xie Qing, indicating the high trust placed in him!

If this battle goes smoothly, Xie Qing will surely surpass them in the future!

Xie Qing felt a chill in his heart, realizing the plan was set; without hesitation he clasped his fists and said:

"Your Highness, this plan interlocks perfectly and is truly brilliant! However, if we are to ambush, I wish to assemble the troops tonight and depart the city."

"First, marching in daylight risks detection by Lan Yu's scouts; better to move north under cover of night now and reach the northern foothill of Pan Mountain before dawn to set the ambush."

"Second, this also gives us more time; should Lan Yu arrive faster than expected, we will already have ample preparation!"

"Brother Xie, your considerations are thorough, well done! Speed is of the essence, so you must set out through the night!" The Prince of Nanan nodded, his eyes filled with pleasure.

"I will certainly not disgrace the command!" Xie Qing clasped his fists and said.

"I will keep five thousand elite troops to guard the city, while the remaining thirty‑five thousand main forces will follow me out to meet the enemy."

"Brother Xie, this ten thousand elite cavalry is the decisive strike of this battle; they must be hidden in the Pan Mountain ambush before Lan Yu arrives. If this battle succeeds, you will claim the foremost merit!" the Prince of Nanan said solemnly.

Xie Qing's face flushed red, his demeanor extremely agitated, and he raised his fists, shouting:

"I am willing to give my life for Your Highness!"

The Prince of Nanan nodded, then turned to Mu Chen and said gravely:

"Honorable nephew, you are in charge of defending Jizhou. All city‑defense matters are handed to you tonight. Thus, if the battle turns unfavourable, there will still be troops in the city to provide support."

"But remember, the city gates leave only a small passage on the south side; the other three gates are sealed with sandbags. If Lan Yu retreats, you must not exit lightly;"

"If I am defeated… you shall lead men to break out through the south gate, head southeast to raise troops; we still have some foothold there."

Although the Prince of Nanan is confident, he considers defeat before victory.

At the same time, entrusting the fallback to Mu Chen also shows the Prince's trust in him!

Mu Chen rose to respond, his expression solemn.

The Prince of Nanan finally surveyed everyone, his voice deep and steady as iron:

"Gentlemen! A true man makes his mark today! Tomorrow or the day after, once Lan Yu's great army reaches Jizhou, we will fight him to the death."

"If we win, Guard Posts across the realm will surely rise in response, and Shenjing will be as easy as reaching into a bag."

"Today I swear here: I will share wealth and honor with all of you; anyone who earns merit in this battle shall be granted a princely or dukedom title, hereditary and unalterable, and will rest with the nation! Should anyone break this oath, heaven and earth will not tolerate it!"

This is the pre‑battle bestowal of titles and vows, meant to inspire the troops!

"I am willing to die fighting alongside Your Highness!"

"Swear to follow Your Highness to death, serving Heaven to quell the turmoil!"

"Being able to accomplish such great deeds with Your Highness makes this life worthwhile!"

"Burn the boats, fight to the death!"

"I'll do the same!"

The crowd shouted in unison, their voices shaking the roofs.

That night, Jizhou City readied troops and horses, and all four gates were shut.

On the city walls, dark shadows loomed, the garrison patrolled back and forth, and torchlight made the parapets flicker intermittently.

Orders flew out from the military office, and messengers galloped their horses down the silent main street, startling a few barks.

Xie Qing assembled the ten thousand elite cavalry and slipped out of the city from the north; the cool night breeze rustled the large 'Xie' banner behind him.

He glanced back at the city walls of Jizhou; torchlight flickered on the towers, and the Prince of Nanan stood at the highest point, watching him depart.

Xie Qing withdrew his gaze, spurred his horse, and led his troops into the deep night.

Meanwhile, atop the city tower, the Prince of Nanan spread out the proclamation he had personally drafted titled 'Purify the Ruler's Side'.

He stood amid the flames, facing the troops gathered below through the night, and read it aloud.

The proclamation listed, in great detail, Jia Jing's dozens of crimes such as 'using force to dominate literature, harming meritorious elders, sowing discord between ruler and ministers, and plotting treason.'

It concluded with a single line: 'Raise righteous troops, purify the ruler's side, punish Jia Jing, and secure the realm.'

Below the city, tens of thousands raised torches in response, and the shouts rose like a tide.

Twenty li west of Jizhou City, the pine forest on the northern foothill of Pan Mountain rustled in the night wind.

Xie Qing's elite cavalry vanished like a phantom, disappearing without a trace.

……

Lan Yu's great army set up camp sixty li east of Tongzhou, right in the middle section of the official road leading to Ji Zhou.

It was near the latter half of the night; a full moon hung high in the sky, its clear light like frost, illuminating the entire camp in stark black and white.

The campfire burned a dark red, occasionally popping "pop" with a spark, startling the warhorse tethered outside the gate to snort loudly, its hooves kicking up a rustling of soil.

At this moment, Lan Yu stood with his sword on a watchtower built of wooden frames at the western corner of the camp; the tower was no higher than three zhang, a temporary structure of rough timber erected when the vanguard camped, and from atop it one could see the entire camp and the wild fields on both sides of the road.

Lan Yu gazed toward Ji Zhou, his eyes like dark brows over a mountain peak, his electric‑cold stare filled with a solemn hue.

The night wind blew from the east, carrying the dry, withered scent of autumn grass, rustling his black‑collared cloak.

Suddenly, a man in the rank of major removed his waist badge, silently climbed the watchtower, knelt on one knee two steps behind Lan Yu, and lowered his voice to say:

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

Lan Yu, of course aware of Xie Qing's affairs, did not turn his head at the words, but simply extended one hand.

The major hurriedly presented a short note wrapped in oil paper with both hands.

Lan Yu unfolded the letter and, by the moonlight, examined it closely, seeing the handwriting hurried and brief, evidently written by Xie Qing on horseback.

The letter contained only three sentences:

Nan An has issued a proclamation tonight, raising troops to purge the ruler's side!

Nan An treats me as a special force, ordering an ambush on the north foot of Round Plate Mountain to lure the general in, attacking from front and rear.

Hope the general will play into the plan, I will turn against him before the battle, helping the general achieve this great feat!

Lan Yu pinched the letter, his mouth slowly curving into a smile, letting out a light laugh as he muttered:

"Old Nan An, with such meager skill you still dare to oppose those in power! Very well. Since you intend to treat me as a fish, I'll let you know who the cutting board really is!"

Lan Yu folded the letter, set it alight by the campfire, watching it curl into ash and drift away in the night wind.

He then turned and said to the major:

"Does Xie Qing have any further instructions?"

The major whispered:

"General Xie says that although his ten thousand elite cavalry are temporarily under his command, each unit still contains former Nan An generals and several Guard Post household heads; if they are not at the front line, he dares not act rashly."

"General Xie asks Commander Lan to dispatch a squad of elite cavalry, under the pretense of a night raid tomorrow morning, pretending to loot the camp; he will use the opportunity to push all the unreliable ones to their deaths, leaving the rest for his use!"

Lan Yu heard this and couldn't help but laugh heartily, saying:

"That old Xie Qing fellow is truly amusing! Very well, I shall send him a favorable wind."

He strode down the high tower, treading moonlight on the ground toward the central army's main tent, where his personal troops had already lined up at the sound.

Upon entering the main tent, Lan Yu ordered a tallow candle to be lit and spread out the map.

The generals arrived in armor, each looking spirited and without a hint of sleepiness.