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

Chapter 106 Appointing Generals at Yueyang Tower

Deng Ai did not answer immediately, but turned around and whispered a few words to his personal guard. The guard ran down the platform and soon returned with a thick scroll of bamboo slips.

Deng Ai spread the bamboo slips out on the stone steps under the eaves. It was a detailed map of the mountains and rivers of Jingxiang, more thorough and detailed than any military map Kou Zun had ever seen.

Deng Ai pointed to a marching route that started from the Danshui River Valley, went south through Shangyong, and then turned southeast.

"General Kou, please take a look."

Deng Ai traced a very narrow waterway in the Jing Mountains with his finger.

"I can lead my army south from the Danshui River Valley and enter the Jingshan Mountains along the Zhushui River Valley. On both banks of the Zhushui River are old post roads left by Liu Biao when he governed Jingzhou. Although they have been abandoned for many years, the roadbeds are still there. There are also several basins in the Jingshan Mountains where Liu Biao once stored grain, leaving behind several old granaries. I have already ordered people to fill them with grain in advance, which can be used along the way, saving the pressure of transporting grain."

"After the army leaves the southern foothills of Jing Mountain, it will reach the Yi River. If it travels eastward along the Yi River, it will advance straight to Wuling and enter the northern border of Changsha Prefecture. This route is at least four hundred li shorter than the main road, and it has many river valleys and plateaus along the way, which is conducive to the army's march."

Deng Ai had clearly thought things through for a long time, and when he spoke, although he spoke very slowly, he rarely stumbled over his words.

Kou Zun carefully examined the route Deng Ai had described. After a while, his brows gradually relaxed, but he still had doubts and asked, "Shi Zai, how do you know this road is passable?"

Deng Ai rolled up the bamboo slips and said calmly, "In the past two months, while we were farming, I ordered people to survey every mountain path around the valley."

Among them were several newly surrendered mountain hunters who served as guides. They had hunted and gathered herbs in the mountains for generations and knew every mountain path in the Jing Mountains intimately. "Brother Kou, rest assured, I personally led a group through this route; it's passable for the main army."

"How many soldiers can you muster to fight?" Seeing that Deng Ai had thought things through, Kou Zun felt somewhat relieved and then asked.

Deng Ai turned and looked back at the three thousand militiamen on the training ground who were shouting in unison and changing formations. A smile appeared on his dark face.

"The righteous people's allied army that you entrusted to me on that day numbered over 30,000. In the past two months, I have weeded out the weak and kept the good, dispersing the weak and assigning them to farmland; those who were unruly and repeatedly refused to change their ways were punished according to military law; and those who were weak-willed and afraid of hardship were organized into auxiliary troops to be responsible for transporting provisions. Finally, I selected 13,000 men and trained them daily. These men are hardworking and obedient. Every day at dawn, they roll call, practice array formations with swords and spears in the morning, engage in actual combat in the afternoon, and at night, the squad leaders gather together to learn to read and recognize flags."

"This humble general dares not say that they are already elite troops, but at least they can be led out and are willing to go to the battlefield. I will lead these thirteen thousand men south, leaving Wei Zheng to lead the remaining troops to continue farming and guarding the Dan River Valley."

After hearing Deng Ai's words, Kou Zun was greatly relieved, and even his anxiety upon hearing that Sun Quan's army of 100,000 was marching south eased.

He clasped his hands in a salute to Deng Ai, his face grave, and said, "Since Shi Zai already has a plan in mind, I will say no more. After I return to the city, I will allocate grain, fodder, and military equipment from the Nanxiang County granary for your use."

Deng Ai returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute: "Thank you, General Kou. There is no time to lose. I will muster the troops and make the register tonight, and we will set off in two days."

Late that night, when Kou Zun rode away from the Danshui River Valley, the campfires in the valley had gradually died down, only the lamps in Deng Ai's tent remained lit.

From a distance, the military tent looked like a firefly fallen into a valley, shining alone yet stubbornly.

Baqiu City, Yueyang Tower.

This building was constructed by Lu Su when he was stationed in Baqiu. Facing Dongting Lake and backed by the Yangtze River, it boasts flying eaves and bracket sets, exuding a magnificent aura. From the top of the building, one can gaze into the distance at the vast expanse of Dongting Lake, where the water and sky merge into one, and countless water birds rise and fall among the reeds.

Today, the area around Yueyang Tower is filled with elite Jiangdong soldiers in gleaming black armor, standing at attention with halberds in hand, their banners fluttering in the lake breeze.

On the surface of Dongting Lake outside Baqiu City, the warships of the Eastern Wu navy were densely packed like clouds. Fighting warships shuttled among them, while towering ships and giant warships stood as still as mountains, their flanks and crossbows gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The military camps stretched from the lakeside all the way to the foot of Baqiu City, with banners obscuring the sun and the sounds of men and horses filling the air.

The grain and fodder were continuously transported to the docks along the Yangtze River, and the laborers carried bags of military rations off the ships while chanting work songs.

Sun Quan has mobilized almost his entire force, betting everything he has in Jiangdong on the gamble of Jingnan.

Sun Quan stood with his hands behind his back before the railing of the highest level of Yueyang Tower, the lake breeze gently ruffling his purple beard. He wore a black brocade robe, a sword at his waist, and gazed at the warships that blotted out the sky on the lake with his blue eyes, his eyes gleaming with an irrepressible heroic spirit.

Since the Battle of Red Cliffs, Jiangdong had never launched an expedition of such scale. Sun Quan suddenly recalled that in the third year of Jian'an 2, Zhou Yu led his troops to counterattack Cao Cao's warships on the Yangtze River at Red Cliffs; he also recalled the turbulent years when Lu Su built a tower here and confronted Guan Yu across the river.

Now both of them are gone, but Sun Quan still stands here, with a fleet larger than before and a more powerful army, ready to take over the entire territory of Jingzhou.

A series of steady footsteps came from downstairs, and the sound of armor plates colliding grew louder as they approached.

Sun Quan turned around, and all the generals had already ascended the tower.

Han Dang was leading the way.

This white-haired, veteran general from Jiangdong, clad in heavy armor, moved with a powerful stride, exuding the chilling aura of a seasoned warrior. He was a veteran general from Sun Jian's era, having fought alongside three generations of the Sun family for nearly forty years, and his prestige in the army was unmatched.

Following closely behind was Zhou Tai, who was not tall but had broad shoulders and a thick back. The old knife scar on his face, which ran diagonally from his forehead to his chin, turned slightly white in the lake breeze, and his eyes were as calm as a deep pool.

Zhu Ran and Zhu Huan entered side by side. Both came from the Zhu family of Wu County. Zhu Ran was calm and composed, while Zhu Huan was fierce and powerful. Both were pillars of the Jiangdong navy.

Sun Huan walked behind Zhu Ran, his hand on his sword, his armor gleaming, his face radiating a spirited eagerness. Beside him was Quan Cong, a general from the Quan clan of Wu Commandery whose demeanor was the complete opposite of Sun Huan's. He wore a plain robe and a belt, his face handsome, making him stand out among the armored generals.

Yu Jin was the last to enter the building.

This former one of Cao Wei's Five Elite Generals had a thin face, but his back was still ramrod straight. He silently stood at the very end of the group of generals, maintaining a perfect distance from everyone.

"Greetings, my lord!" The generals clasped their hands in unison.

Sun Quan raised his hand, indicating that everyone should dispense with formalities.

He walked to the huge map of Jingzhou in the building and traced a line on it with his finger: "Gentlemen, Gongjin once burned Cao Cao's hundreds of thousands of troops at the Battle of Red Cliffs. Later, Zijing built a tower here and confronted Guan Yu across the river for many years. Today, I am gathering generals here for no other reason than that Liu Feng, a brat, took advantage of our Eastern Wu's unpreparedness to launch a surprise attack on the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou, killing my soldiers and seizing our cities. This grudge must be avenged, and this land must be taken back. My personal expedition this time is to finish the job in one battle, to wipe out the four southern commanderies of Jingzhou in one fell swoop, and to eliminate future troubles forever."

Sun Quan's blue eyes swept over the generals present.

"You are all pillars of Jiangdong, and have fought alongside me for many years. This battle concerns the very foundation of Jiangdong. If we win this battle, most of Jingzhou will be in our hands. If we fail, I will have no face to return to the elders of Jiangdong."

A solemn silence filled the building.

Han Dang was the first to clasp his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like thunder: "This old minister has followed the Sun family for three generations, and these old bones can still fight on the battlefield for my lord!" Zhou Tai didn't speak, but simply slammed his fist heavily on his breastplate, producing a dull, metallic sound. Zhu Ran and Zhu Huan exchanged a glance and simultaneously clasped their hands in a fist salute. Sun Huan couldn't contain himself any longer and shouted, "This humble general is willing to be the vanguard!"

Sun Quan nodded in satisfaction and gestured for everyone to gather around the map.

The military council officially began.

"Gentlemen, our army cannot abandon the strengths of the navy on this expedition."

Sun Quan's gaze fell on the winding blue waterway south of Dongting Lake on the map.

"The Xiang River is the backbone of southern Jingzhou. Whoever controls the Xiang River can control Changsha. I intend to use the navy as the vanguard of the entire army, to sail south along the Xiang River, clear the crossings on both banks, and pave the way for the subsequent land forces."

The generals all nodded in agreement.

Han Dang stroked his white beard and said, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. Our navy is the best in the world. If we abandon the water and go to land, we will be crippling our military prowess. The Xiang River is wide enough to accommodate warships side by side. Before the land battle, we should use the navy to control the waterways. This is the best course of action."

Sun Quan turned his gaze to Zhu Ran and said, "Yi Feng (Zhu Ran's courtesy name), I hereby order you to lead your 20,000 naval troops as the vanguard. Take over all the crossings along the Zi River and Xiang River, seize Yiyang City, and eliminate the threat to our flank."

Zhu Ran clasped his hands and stepped forward.

As a veteran general of Jiangdong, he was also familiar with the hydrology of the Xiang River. He stepped forward, pointed to the location of Yiyang City, and said loudly, "My lord, Yiyang City guards the confluence of the Zi River and the Xiang River, serving as the vital strategic barrier to the north of Linxiang. I have already ordered my subordinate general Li Yi to lead 5,000 elite troops in 30 warships as the vanguard to advance south along the Xiang River. Speed ​​is of the essence in war; we must seize the Yiyang ferry crossing before the Shu army can react. Once we take Yiyang, the gates of Linxiang will be wide open."

Sun Quan was overjoyed upon hearing this and slammed his hand on the railing.

"Very well! I will watch Yi Feng establish his merits from Yueyang Tower!" Sun Quan looked around at his generals and began to issue military orders.

"Zhu Ran led the navy ahead to clear the Xiang River. Yu Jin led 30,000 infantrymen south along the west bank of the Xiang River to cover the flanks of the navy. Sun Huan led 20,000 elite troops to follow, providing the main force. Han Dang and Zhou Tai accompanied me to the central army. Zhu Huan and Quan Cong each led their own troops to protect the left and right flanks of the main army."

The generals clasped their hands in obeisance, their voices echoing through Yueyang Tower. Sun Quan walked to the railing, leaned on it, and gazed into the distance. On the lake, a thousand sails raced, and the sound of drums could be faintly heard.

The waves of Dongting Lake crashed against the stone foundation below, stirring up layers of white foam. Sun Quan's gaze passed over the misty waves, turning southward, towards Linxiang City, which was not yet visible at the end of the Xiang River.

>