As Yin Hong descended the mountain.
Su Hu had also finished preparing the armor, provisions, and military equipment. With his eldest son, Su Quanzhong, serving as deputy commander and Zheng Lun as vanguard general, he assembled fifty thousand elite soldiers of Ji Province and marched mightily toward the Western Qi army. Their banners blotted out the sun, their blades and armor gleamed brightly, and dust billowed along their path as they charged toward Western Qi with overwhelming momentum.
In less than two months, the Ji Province army arrived before the Western Qi forces. They set up camp, their encampments stretching ten miles, their defenses tight and formidable. War drums shook the heavens as they formed ranks from afar to face the Western Qi army. Western Qi's scouting riders had long since discovered the enemy's movements and hurried into the city to report to Jiang Ziya.
At this time, Deng Jiugong and his daughter had only recently surrendered, and the civil and military officials of Western Qi had gathered together. Upon hearing that Su Hu of Ji Province had led an army to attack, everyone began discussing it heatedly.
Jiang Ziya sat calmly in the commander's seat, stroking his beard with a smile. "Su Hu has always been kind-hearted and detested tyrannical rule. There must be some misunderstanding behind this campaign. There is no need to launch a forceful attack. We need only respond calmly, and an opportunity for his surrender will come in time." Having said this, he ordered the generals to guard the city gates closely and form ranks to meet the enemy. They were not to provoke the enemy first, and the indiscriminate killing of Ji Province soldiers was strictly forbidden.
At dawn the next day, the two armies formed ranks on the open plains outside the city.