Traveling back in time to Liu Feng, starting with rescuing soldier Guan Yu.

Chapter 102 Treating Sun Quan as a Japanese

Before Ma Liang could finish speaking...

The most spirited of them all, Shamoke, was already rubbing his hands together, taking a step forward and shouting in a gruff voice, "My lord! My Five Streams Warriors are fast in the mountains and can fight well by the water. Leave Yiyang to me, and I guarantee that those Wu dogs won't even be able to drink a drop of the Zi River!"

He was about to go and muster his troops when Liu Pan grabbed him.

Liu Pan forced a smile onto his dignified face, but his grip on Sha Moke's hand was like an iron clamp. He laughed and said, "Commander, don't be impatient."

"Yiyang City is the most suitable place for me. My lord knows that when I was campaigning in Changsha Commandery, I frequently traveled along the Zi River. I can count on my eyes which ferry crossings are shallow and which passes are easy to defend."

He turned to Liu Feng, his expression becoming very solemn. "My lord, I will only lead three thousand of my own troops; I am confident I can hold Yiyang."

Although Kou Wei did not speak, he took half a step forward, clasped his hands in a fist and stood there, looking steadily at Liu Feng, as if he wanted to ask for battle.

Kou Wei's intention was quite clear: if Liu Feng appointed him as a general, he would not refuse.

Liu Feng raised his hand, signaling everyone to take a break.

He didn't make a decision immediately, but turned to look at Ma Liang, who was standing to the side. Ma Liang hadn't spoken, but had been quietly waving his feather fan, listening to the generals volunteer. When he saw Liu Feng's gaze fall on him, he gently tapped his feather fan into his palm.

"The generals are all brave and the army is of high morale. This is a blessing for the Han Dynasty and for you, my lord. However, I have another candidate in mind for guarding Yiyang City."

After speaking, Ma Liangzhi's gaze fell on Guan Yinping, who was standing in the hall.

Liu Feng followed Ma Liang's gaze and saw Guan Yinping, his expression shifting slightly.

"Is Mr. Ji Chang referring to Tan Zhi?"

A slight smile appeared between Ma Liang's white eyebrows.

"Exactly!"

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Ma Liang continued unhurriedly, "When General Guan intercepted Pan Zhang, he commanded with composure and skill, demonstrating his ability to lead troops independently. Moreover, General Guan had previously fought alongside Lord Guan and was quite familiar with the banners, organization, and tactics of the Eastern Wu army."

Ma Liang paused slightly in his speech.

"At present, General Guan is still stationed in Linyuan, and the situation in Wuling has stabilized. There will be no major battle in Linyuan in the short term. We can send a messenger on horseback to order General Guan to lead his troops to garrison Yiyang nearby. At the same time, we can order the Po Shuo Flying Army to move south from Yidu, with Xi Zhen taking over the defense of Linyuan. Ding Feng will lead the elite Po Shuo Flying Army to accompany General Guan to Yiyang. General Guan will face the enemy head-on, while Ding Feng, who is skilled in naval warfare, will assist him. Yiyang can be kept safe."

After hearing this, Liu Feng's gaze lingered on Guan Yinping for a moment. He was not surprised that Ma Liang recommended Guan Ping.

Guan Pingzhi's growth, from Xiangyang to here, has been witnessed by everyone. He needs an opportunity to take on a major responsibility, and Yiyang is the perfect stage for him.

Liu Feng pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded and said, "Tanzhi is suitable for this position."

Liu Feng's gaze swept around the hall, finally landing on Guan Yinping, who had been standing quietly in the corner.

Guan Yinping, dressed in light armor, stood by a pillar with her hand on her sword, listening intently to the discussion when she suddenly noticed Liu Feng looking at her and was slightly taken aback.

"Silver Screen".

Liu Feng said, "I order you to ride a fast horse to Linyuan. The general has instructed you to personally inform Tanzhi. Tell him that Yiyang is the key to the success or failure of this battle. Holding this city will be the greatest achievement. Also, you and your siblings should reunite to save him from worrying all the time."

At this point, Liu Feng's voice slowed down slightly, a rare occurrence.

A glint flashed in Guan Yinping's phoenix eyes. She strode to the table, clasped her hands in a fist salute, and replied, "Yes, sir!"

As she turned, the dagger dart swung lightly at her waist, her steps quick and powerful.

She and Guan Ping were very close siblings. Since they went on the expedition with Liu Feng from Xiangyang, they had been separated for long periods of time. Guan Ping stayed behind in Linyuan, while she followed Liu Feng around with the army. She had not seen her brother for quite some time.

Liu Feng saw her off as she hurried out of the hall, a rare gentleness flashing in his eyes.

Immediately, Liu Feng withdrew his gaze and returned it to the map.

Southern end of the map, towards Jiaozhou!

Liu Pan followed Liu Feng's gaze and immediately understood Liu Feng's meaning. He stood up abruptly, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My lord, leave Lü Dai to me."

Liu Pan spoke calmly, as if stating an indisputable fact.

"Back then, I confronted Taishi Ci for a long time in Ai County. I knew every mountain path, every pass, and every dense forest where an ambush could be set up like the back of my hand. Lü Dai only had eight thousand troops, and his intention was to contain him, so he dared not go too far. I led my own three thousand men to garrison Hengyang City. If Lü Dai attacked, I only needed to hold the pass from the high ground, and he would be unable to move an inch. If he did not come, I would threaten his supply lines from the flank, making him feel like he had a thorn in his side, unable to advance or retreat."

Liu Feng and Ma Liang exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

Liu Panji had been stationed in Jingnan for a long time and knew the terrain around Hengyang like the back of his hand. He was indeed the best candidate to guard Hengyang.

"Brother, your best course of action is to maintain a stable defense. Lü Dai is a seasoned general and will not take unnecessary risks. If you simply keep his eight thousand troops firmly stationed south of Hengyang, you will have accomplished a great feat."

Liu Feng walked up to Liu Pan, reached out and grasped Liu Pan's rough right hand. The two brothers looked at each other but said nothing.

Liu Feng stood before the map again, and Zi Guang moved back to Changsha from Hengyang. Both the northern and southern defense lines were now in place, but the decisive battle against Sun Quan's army at the walls of Linxiang would truly determine the outcome of the war.

Liu Feng looked at Kou Wei and Sha Moke: "Chief, Ziwu, follow me to confront Sun Quan head-on. It will probably take some time for Eastern Wu to mobilize troops and collect provisions. In the meantime, we should send out more scouts to gather information, strengthen the city's defenses, and train the soldiers."

Kou Wei clasped his hands in agreement.

Shamoke grinned, "This time, we'll slaughter those Jiangdong rats until they cry for their fathers and mothers, and they'll never dare to set foot in Jingnan again!"

The assignments were completed, and the generals carried out their orders accordingly.

Liu Feng, however, spread out a silk cloth in front of his desk, dipped his brush in ink, and began to draft a new transfer order.

Ma Liang stood beside Liu Feng, his gaze sweeping over the gradually forming characters on the silk cloth—written for Deng Ai.

Liu Feng wrote a few lines, then suddenly stopped writing, looked up at Ma Liang, and said with a hint of hesitation, "Master Ji Chang, I intend to order Deng Ai to lead the militia army stationed in the Dan River Valley to the south to provide support."

Ma Liang frowned slightly.

He pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his words, and slowly said, "My lord, Deng Shizai is indeed a talented general. However, there are three things that still need to be considered."

Firstly, those 30,000 righteous civilians had only been cultivating land and training troops for a little over two months. Two months ago, these people were still refugees, defeated soldiers, and able-bodied young men from mountain settlements. Their ranks were disorganized, they couldn't remember battle formations, and many couldn't even draw their bows. Although Deng Ai had reorganized them and their discipline had improved somewhat, the time was still too short for them to form a fighting force.

"Secondly, Shangyong is far from Changsha, with the Jing Mountains and Wuling Mountains running between them. For a large army to march along mountain roads instead of flat terrain, the transportation of supplies and low morale are the biggest problems. Of the 30,000 militiamen, probably only one or two will be able to cross the mountains and get here!"

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"Thirdly, even if everything goes smoothly, it will take at least twenty days for Deng Ai to lead his army to Changsha. If the battle is at a stalemate, this fresh force could be a game-changer. But what if something goes wrong on the way, or the battle situation changes by the time they arrive?"

Ma Liang gave Liu Feng a deep look and said bluntly, "My lord, betting the entire Jingnan region on a garrison that has never fought a major battle is a considerable risk."

Liu Feng put down his pen, but then picked it up again.

He knew, of course, that everything Ma Liang said made sense. But what came to Liu Feng's mind at that moment was another Deng Ai that Ma Liang could not know.

The Deng Ai who, in the original history, secretly crossed Yinping, traversed seven hundred miles of uninhabited and treacherous terrain, and destroyed Shu in one fell swoop.

Deng Shizai was only seventeen or eighteen years old at the time and had not yet shown his talent, but he had already proven his military ability on battlefields such as Xiangyang and Rangcheng.

"Mr. Ji Chang, you only need to send the transfer order out by messenger. Whether it goes or not, I believe Deng Ai will make his own judgment. Tell Shi Zai that the marching route can be determined by observing the enemy's and our own situation nearby, and then decide on the direction to march south. If there is a way to break the deadlock, there is no need to ask for instructions; Deng Shi Zai can make a decision on the spot."

As Liu Feng spoke, he continued writing on the silk. At the end, he added a special note to the transfer order.

"As the saying goes, a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders. This order grants Deng Shizai the authority to make decisions on the spot, with the overall situation of the war taking precedence."

After finishing writing, Liu Feng handed the transfer order to Ma Liang.

Ma Liang took the silk scroll, saw the last sentence, remained silent for a moment, then carefully folded the scroll, sealed it in a bamboo tube, and sealed it with sealing wax.

He did not try to persuade Liu Feng again, but when he handed the bamboo tube to the messenger, he added an extra instruction: "Travel day and night to deliver it to Deng Ai in the Dan River Valley, without delay."

Liu Feng stood with his hands behind his back before the map, gazing at the vast plain stretching from Jiangxia all the way to Linxiang. Numerous rivers, such as the Laodao River and the Liuyang River, flowed across the plain.

On either side, the Xiang River and the Mufu Mountains stand to the east and west respectively.

Liu Feng gazed at the rivers for a long time, a cold smile creeping onto his lips. He muttered to himself, "Sun Zhongmou, an army of 100,000. You probably wouldn't know, even in your next reincarnation, that thousands of your enemies perished beneath the walls of Changsha! Since you've come to provoke me, don't blame me for taking you down with the Japanese!"

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