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

Chapter 111 Hao Pu's head is displayed in the four prefectures.

The eight hundred iron cavalry of the Fengzi Battalion responded with a thunderous roar.

Liu Feng nodded, said no more, turned his horse around, and galloped south.

Eight hundred iron cavalrymen rode with hooves thundering, shattering the thin mist outside Linxiang City. From Linxiang to Quanling City, the seat of Lingling Prefecture, it would take three days even for light cavalry and fast horses.

But the military situation was urgent, and Liu Feng could not wait three days.

After a period of searching and accumulation, the elite cavalry of the Fengzi Battalion now possess many fine steeds. At this moment, each of the eight hundred elite cavalrymen rides two horses, taking turns on the horse. They do not set up camp or light fires along the way, eating their dry rations and drinking their water from their sacks on horseback.

That night, the cavalry changed horses and rested for half an hour at the foot of Mount Heng. Liu Feng sat on a large rock by the roadside, took out a water bag from his waist, drank a couple of mouthfuls, and then casually ate some dry rations to replenish his strength.

Kou Xun dismounted, his resolute face now showing signs of exhaustion. He squatted down beside Liu Feng and whispered, "My lord, the brothers can still hold on, but this relentless march will wear down our horses. Even if we can change horses along the way, half of them will be exhausted by the time we reach Quanling City."

Liu Feng frowned and turned from the light to the Jade Lion Horse standing to the side. At this moment, it was still full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue.

But not all warhorses are thoroughbreds.

"Zilu, at our current marching speed, how long will it take to reach Quanling City?"

Kou Xun pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "At this rate, we won't reach Quanling until tomorrow afternoon!"

Liu Feng nodded, put the water bag back on his waist, stood up, patted Kou Xun on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "Tell the brothers not to be stingy with their horses. We must reach Quanling before sunset tomorrow. Hao Pu is sure we won't be able to spare any more resources, so he's probably waiting in Quanling for Sun Quan's official seal right now."

A cold smile crept across Liu Feng's lips.

"I would personally deliver this generous gift to him."

The elite cavalry of the Fengzi Battalion mounted their horses, and Kou Xun clasped his hands in agreement. The group of soldiers continued towards Quanling City.

The following evening, at the north gate of Quanling City.

The spring sun lazily shone on the newly erected banner bearing the character "Hao" atop the city wall. The guards leaned against the base of the wall, yawning, while several civilians carrying loads slowly entered and exited the city gate.

Lingling County is located at the southernmost tip of Jingnan, far from the front line. The city's garrison numbered only a few hundred, and most of them were local veterans.

Although news of Hao Pu's defection to Wu had spread, the Jiangdong army was still 500 li away, Liu Feng's main force was tied up in the north, and even Liu Pan, who had been stationed in Changsha in Jingnan for a long time, had gone south to deal with the troops in Jiaozhou.

Quanling City can rest easy. At least, that's how Hao Pu sees it.

At this moment, Hao Pu is hosting a banquet for several local nobles at the county temple.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...

This time, he was determined to surrender to Eastern Wu. The fact that Liu Feng hadn't killed him on his previous two occasions made him feel incredibly lucky.

With Sun Quan personally leading an army of 100,000 south, how could Liu Feng possibly resist? He was barely able to protect himself, so how could he have the time to care about a small city like Lingling?

At the banquet, Hao Pu was in high spirits, and when he talked about the messenger's report and the seal of a lieutenant general that Sun Quan had promised him, his face was beaming and he laughed heartily.

Several heads of aristocratic families surrounded Hao Pu, offering him toasts. One of them flattered him, saying, "Lord Hao is a wise man who understands the times. With the arrival of the Jiangdong army, the four prefectures of Jingnan will surely submit to him. Lord Hao is a shrewd and capable man who knows how to seize opportunities. General Sun will certainly give him an important position."

Hao Pu laughed heartily and raised his wine cup high: "Gentlemen, drink this cup to the brim! Once the Jiangdong army arrives, I, Hao, will certainly put in a good word for you all before General Sun, so that your family businesses may not be lost!"

Everyone was delighted to hear this. They quickly raised their cups and said to Hao Pu, "In that case, thank you very much, Lord Hao—"

Before the words were finished, everyone heard a muffled rumbling sound coming from the north of the city.

The sound was extremely distant and deep, like muffled thunder on the horizon in summer, or like countless iron hammers striking the rammed earth at the same time.

At the banquet, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Someone hesitated and said, "That sound...could it be thunder?"

Hao Pu's hand, holding the wine glass, hovered in mid-air.

He listened intently for a moment, then his face suddenly changed color. The sound grew louder and closer, and the ground of the entire prefectural temple seemed to tremble slightly.

Fear gradually crept across Hao Pu's face.

Having fought in wars for half his life, he was naturally better able to distinguish the sound than the local aristocratic families of Quanling.

That wasn't thunder, but the sound of horses' hooves—the sound of hundreds or thousands of warhorses galloping at the same time.

Hao Pu was so shocked that his face turned ashen. He smashed the wine cup in his hand on the blue brick with a crash, and the wine splashed onto his brocade robe.

"Quickly! Order men to close the city gates—close the city gates now! Prepare for battle!"

Hao Pu shouted hoarsely and stumbled toward the door.

But it was all too late!

On the official road north of the city, eight hundred cavalrymen of the Fengzi Battalion were approaching Quanling City.

The Jade Lion Horse, like a white lightning bolt, charged ahead. On its back, Liu Feng wore black armor and a crimson robe, with a long spear held horizontally in front of the saddle.

The soldiers on the city wall saw dust rising in the north, and the deep, thunderous sound of hooves seemed to beat like drums in their hearts.

The soldiers on the city walls were all in a panic. Some rushed to blow the horns, but only two blasts were heard. Before the drawbridge could be raised, the Jade Lion Horse had already crossed the wooden bridge over the moat.

Liu Feng took the lead, his spear pointing forward, and his voice booming like a bell at the city gate: "I am Liu Feng, the General of the Later Han Dynasty!"

Hao Pu betrayed the Han and defected to Wu; his crime deserves death! We originally intended to only execute the ringleader, and spare the rest! Those who open the city gates will be spared!

The guards at the city gate were already dissatisfied with Hao Pu's fickle nature. Now, seeing the iron cavalry pressing in, they dared not resist and dropped their weapons, kneeling on both sides.

The eight hundred iron cavalrymen encountered almost no decent resistance before charging into the gates of Quanling City.

Hao Pu staggered out of the county temple, his robes still stained with wine. He could hear the sound of hooves coming from the direction of the north gate. The sound of hooves was getting closer and closer, and it was clear that the iron cavalry had rushed into the city.

Hao Pu didn't have time to think. He turned and ran wildly toward the south gate. Several of his entourage followed behind, running even faster than him.

When he reached the south gate, he was panting heavily and was about to shout loudly to order the guards to open the gate.

Then came the deafening sound of hooves behind him, like a death knell. Hao Pu turned around and saw an extremely magnificent white horse galloping from the end of the street. The rider on the horse was clad in black armor and a crimson robe, with a strong and powerful figure. He held a long spear in his hand and galloped towards his direction.

Hao Pu saw the man's imposing presence and knew it must be Liu Feng. His heart sank, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Liu Feng reined in his horse, and the Jade Lion, gleaming at the night, reared up in the middle of the street, its two front hooves pounding heavily on the bluestone slabs. He looked expressionlessly at Hao Pu, who was slumped on the ground, dismounted, and slowly walked to Hao Pu.

"Hao Pu".

Liu Feng spoke in a low voice, yet it immediately silenced all the surrounding noise.

"You surrendered three times. The first time, Lü Meng threatened your mother's life, and you opened the city gates and surrendered. I considered that you were forced by your loved ones and did not pursue the matter. The second time, I sent generals to recapture Lingling, and you confessed your crimes and expressed your willingness to atone for them through meritorious service. I also gave you a chance, allowing you to continue serving as the governor of Lingling."

Liu Feng paused slightly, then expressionlessly drew the sword from his waist, its blade gleaming.

"This is the third time. The first two times I didn't kill you, not because you were lucky, but because Lingling had just been pacified, and killing you would not be conducive to winning over the people. However, today you have betrayed me in the face of battle. If I don't kill you now, those in the four commanderies who have the will to do the same will follow suit! Sun Quan will also laugh at me for not daring to kill people."

Hao Pu's face was ashen, and his lips trembled as he tried to say something.

Liu Feng had no more interest in listening to Hao Pu's words. He raised his sword high, and with a flash of the blade, Hao's head rolled to the ground.

Liu Feng sheathed his sword, bent down to pick up Hao Pu's head, and handed it to the guard beside him.

"Put them in a box and preserve them with lime. Show them to all the counties in the four prefectures, so that everyone can see what happens to those who betray the Han."

Liu Feng turned to Kou Xun and said in a deep voice, "Zilu, pass down the order: the surrendered soldiers in the city will be pardoned, Hao Pu's confidants will be arrested, and the rest will be left unpunished."

He pointed to the banner with the character "Hao" in front of the prefectural temple gate, "Tear that banner down. From today onwards, Lingling will no longer have a prefect, and Mr. Ji Chang will concurrently serve as its governor."

The eight hundred cavalrymen of the Fengzi Battalion stayed in Quanling City for less than two hours. Liu Feng ate some dry rations in the prefectural temple and then put on his armor and mounted his horse again.

Before departing, Liu Feng ordered Kou Xun to lead two hundred cavalrymen to stay behind in Quanling, to strengthen the city's defenses, and to await the arrival of the new official sent by Ma Liang from Linxiang. He himself led the remaining six hundred cavalrymen to set off again.

Hao Pu's head had been placed in a wooden box and carried by a guard, which was then sent on horseback to the four counties.

As the sun set, the Jade Lion Horse, gleaming in the twilight, resembled a white shooting star, followed closely by six hundred iron cavalry, their hooves echoing across the western bank of the Xiang River in the dusk.

Liu Feng rode at the forefront of the army, his face grim. Quanling, this thorn in their side, had been removed; next up was Laodao River.