Lan Tian had always been unfathomable in his dealings. Mi Fang, Hao Pu, and the others stood where they were, exchanging bewildered looks.
Lan Ji, who had remained silent throughout this time, stepped forward and voiced everyone's confusion. "Lu Fan is advancing from Yichun toward Liling. The Great Ridge east of Pingxiang is the only route he must take. Father should be laying an ambush at the foot of the ridge. At the very least, he should be defending the city. Why are you instead giving up the city?"
There was no sand table set up in the camp, so Lan Tian had Song Chen spread a map across the table. Pointing at Pingxiang's terrain, he said to them, "Look. Doesn't Pingxiang's terrain resemble a basin? The land around the county seat is broad and open, suitable for stationing troops, while farther out, high mountains surround it on every side. Isn't this the finest place for a decisive battle?"
Seeing that no one understood, Lan Tian continued, "A great ridge lies between Pingxiang and Yichun. If we defend beneath the ridge, Lu Fan's main force will inevitably halt in the valley to the east. If the standoff drags on, thoughts will breed change—they may retreat, or take another route forward. That could easily expose the Trap-Breaking Army in Luling."
"Sir means to trap Lu Fan in Pingxiang?" Song Chen was the first to understand.
Lan Tian nodded. "Precisely. This is inviting the gentleman into the urn. Pingxiang is a great urn between Heaven and Earth. Its open terrain and abandoned county seat are better than the valley east of the ridge no matter how one looks at it. And when the people relocated, they took all their supplies with them. Everything the Eastern Wu army eats and uses must be