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

Ma Liang's white brows furrowed even deeper. He glanced at Zhao Lei, whose expression was solemn, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, there are rumors circulating in the army that Lu Xun of Eastern Wu has launched a surprise attack on Jiangling, and that Generals Fu and Mi have already surrendered to Eastern Wu. The supplies haven't arrived yet; could this be related to those rumors…?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu paced slowly in his tent, then stroked his beard and laughed loudly, "Hahaha! This must be Xu Huang deliberately spreading rumors to sow discord among our troops. Lu Xun is nothing but a mere child, a weak scholar. Just a month ago, he wrote to me saying he dared not match me. How could he possibly have the audacity to attack Jiangling?"

Ma Liang was about to offer further advice when he heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves outside the tent. Guan Yu's eldest son, Guan Ping, galloped in to report, "Reporting to Father Commander, the Wei general Xu Huang is personally leading several thousand troops in a fierce attack on our left flank camp at Weitou. The enemy is extremely brave and fierce; they must be Cao Cao's elite troops!"

Guan Yu glared angrily at Guan Ping, rebuking him, "Nonsense! Our army has already thoroughly investigated. Xu Gongming (Xu Huang's courtesy name) commands mostly new recruits, while Cao Cao's elite troops have already been defeated by us. Where can we find elite troops in such a short time?"

Guan Ping reluctantly replied, "Reporting to Father Commander, I personally went to the front lines to fight, and the Cao army is indeed formidable; it is not an exaggeration on my part!"

Before he could finish speaking, another rider galloped up and reported, "My lord, our right flank's Four Mounds camp was suddenly attacked by Cao Cao's main force. Cao Cao's army came with overwhelming force, and our men could not withstand them. The Four Mounds camp has fallen into Cao Cao's hands!"

Guan Yu's anger grew even stronger. He immediately donned his armor and went into battle, ordering Zhou Cang to bring over Red Hare and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade. He then mustered the elite soldiers in the camp, commanding Ma Liang to guard the central camp, while he himself led 5,000 elite troops to meet Xu Huang, determined to recapture the right camp.

Guan Yu had used his navy to cut off the Han River, thus dividing and besieging the cities of Xiangyang and Fancheng, while he personally led the main force to attack Fancheng. Guan Yu deployed his troops north of Fancheng, with the left and right camps stationed at Weitou Sizhong, and the central army positioned to the south, directly facing Fancheng. This allowed him to send reinforcements from the central army regardless of which of the left or right camps was attacked. Guan Yu used this formation to attack Fancheng while simultaneously repelling Xu Huang to the north.

With the right camp captured and the battle formation broken, how could Guan Yu not be enraged? Guan Yu, along with Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, and 5,000 elite infantry and cavalry, rushed to the Four Mounds camp, only to find it engulfed in flames, with most of the camp ablaze. The ground was littered with the bodies of fallen soldiers, both Shu Han and Cao Wei, their corpses still intertwined and piled up, clearly indicating a fierce battle before their deaths.

The deer antlers and chevaux-de-frise that had once stood in the camp had all been knocked down, and Wei army banners fluttered in the wind. Guan Yu, enraged, brandished his Green Dragon Crescent Blade and roared, "Where is Xu Gongming? Come out and fight me!"

Xu Huang rode out and bowed before the enemy lines, saying, "Lord Guan, it has been several years since we last met. Your hair and beard have turned white." His tone was calm, as if he were not on the battlefield but reminiscing in his hometown of Hedong. "I remember when we were young and followed each other, I received much guidance from you, and I will never forget it."

Seeing that Xu Huang remained unchanged, Guan Yu's anger subsided slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "My friendship with Gongming is very deep, unlike that of others. Why have you seized my camp and forced me to this point?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang's expression changed drastically. He turned around, looked around, and shouted sternly, "Whoever obtains Guan Yu's head will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold!"

Guan Yu was both shocked and furious, and shouted, "Gongming, what are you saying!"

Xu Huang turned his horse, raised his axe, and said in a deep voice, "Today is a matter of national importance, and I dare not let personal feelings interfere with public duty!" Before he finished speaking, he swung his axe straight at Guan Yu. Guan Yu was furious and met the attack with his Green Dragon Crescent Blade. The two generals then clashed on the battlefield. Blades and axes clashed, sparks flew, and they fought for more than eighty rounds without a clear victor.

The two sides clashed. Cao Cao's army stretched for miles, their armor gleaming and banners fluttering like a forest—these were fresh troops who had rushed to the aid of Cao Cao from the Central Plains overnight. Zhu Gai's six battalions of veteran soldiers, unaccustomed to flooding or the hardships of siege, were all in high spirits, their swords and spears gleaming.

Guan Yu's five thousand men had been fighting fiercely north of Fancheng for months, capturing cities and strongholds day after day, and were utterly exhausted. When news of the fall of the right camp arrived, many were dozing against the palisades, but were awakened by the urgent military order, hastily donned their armor, and rushed with their commander to the rescue. By the time they reached Sizhong, they were drenched in sweat, their heavy armor soaked through, and their steps unsteady.

But Guan Yu waved his command flag, and the Jingzhou soldiers fought with unwavering resolve. The two sides clashed in the open area in front of the camp. The Jingzhou soldiers, with their spearmen as the vanguard, attempted to hold their ground, but the Wei army's shield formation stood firm as a mountain. At Xu Huang's command, the cavalry on both flanks surged forward, heading straight for the Jingzhou soldiers' flanks and rear. Hooves shattered the frozen earth, blades flashed, and the moment the cavalry charged into the ranks, the muffled thuds of flesh and bone shattering and screams of agony erupted simultaneously.

The Wei army's advantage lay in its superior numbers and, more importantly, its abundant energy. Xu Huang's soldiers took turns advancing, with the front ranks weary and the rear ranks filling in, their swords dulling as they were replaced with hammers. Meanwhile, the Jingzhou soldiers, having marched rapidly and engaged in battle for nearly two hours without rest, found their arms growing heavier and their parries slower. Initially, they managed to hold their own against the Wei army, even briefly recapturing half of the gate, but as time passed, their lines began to falter.

A Shu Han soldier's throat was parched, and he hoarsely shouted "Hold on!" before a stray arrow pierced his neck, and he collapsed into a pool of blood. The soldiers around him watched their squad leader fall, and then looked at the dark mass of Wei troops surging ahead. Finally, some began to retreat.

The retreat spread like a plague.

Guan Yu attempted to stabilize the army by beheading several deserters in the central command, but it was all in vain. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the left flank of the Jingzhou army collapsed first. Hundreds of soldiers threw down their weapons and fled south in a frenzy.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Wei army launched a fierce attack, and the breach quickly widened into a situation of dam breaking. Zhou Cang brandished his iron spear and charged back and forth among the fleeing soldiers, killing more than ten people in his attempt to stop the fleeing soldiers who were like a dam breaking. However, the fleeing soldiers bypassed him, pushed him aside, and even dragged him away to the south.

Xu Huang, mounted on his horse, stood on a high slope, watching the Jingzhou troops fall into disarray. He ordered in a deep voice, "The entire army must pursue them without stopping!"

The main force of the Wei army surged out like a tide. Xu Huang took the lead, leading his elite troops into the fleeing army, disregarding the dangers of the camp's palisades and trenches, and drove straight in.

The fleeing soldiers charged ahead, breaching the barricades and palisades they had erected along the way. The Wei army followed closely behind, trampling over the corpses of the fleeing soldiers as they passed through line after line of defense. From the Four Mounds to Guan Yu's main camp, the fortified camp was surrounded by layers of moats and ten layers of palisades, which should have made it impregnable. But now, with the fleeing soldiers trampling each other, these defensive works were reduced to rubble. The Wei army seized the opportunity to charge in, as if entering an empty field.

Just then, the north gate of Fancheng suddenly opened.

Cao Ren had been standing atop the city wall observing for some time. Seeing the Wei army's great victory outside the city and Guan Yu's army in complete disarray, he knew the time had come. He immediately donned his armor, mounted his horse, and led the elite troops from the city out to attack. The Wei army attacked from two sides, throwing the Jingzhou troops into chaos.

Guan Yu led his remaining troops in a desperate retreat, fighting their way south back to the central camp. Along the way, routed soldiers surged like a tide, their cries and screams echoing through the air. Xu Huang's army pressed on relentlessly, their torches like dragons, their battle cries deafening.

The gates of the central army camp were now in sight. Ma Liang, who was already standing on the watchtower, saw the flames surging in the distance and his own flags fluttering down, and knew that defeat was inevitable. He hurriedly ordered the soldiers guarding the camp to push open the gates and let the defeated soldiers in, and ordered the archers to climb the palisade and form a battle formation to prepare for the pursuing troops.

Guan Yu spurred his horse and charged into the camp. When he dismounted, his armor was covered in blood, a horrifying sight. Looking around, he saw that there were only about two thousand soldiers in the camp, most of them wounded, some sitting, some lying down, panting heavily.

The sound of Xu Huangjun's drums outside the village grew closer and closer.

"Guan Ping, take stock of the troops and reorganize the ranks!" Guan Yu shouted sternly, his voice hoarse yet still carrying an undeniable authority. "Follow me to fight Xu Huang again!"

As he spoke, Guan Yu was about to draw his sword and spur his horse forward when Ma Liang rushed down from the watchtower, grabbed Guan Yu's reins, and cried out urgently, "My lord, you mustn't!"

Guan Yu glared angrily: "Does Ji Chang intend to obstruct me?"

Ma Liang's face was pale, but his words were clear: "My lord! Our army is exhausted, with five or six out of ten men gone. Xu Huang's fresh troops outnumber ours several times over, and we are also being attacked from both sides by Cao Ren within the city. How can we possibly win? If we continue fighting, this central camp will surely fall, and our entire army will be wiped out. How can we continue the siege of Xiangyang then?"

Guan Yu's chest heaved, and the veins on his hand gripping the sword bulged. He knew, of course, that what Ma Liang said was true, but Guan Yu was unwilling to accept defeat. He had fought bitterly for months, flooded the seven armies, and his might had shaken the land. It seemed that Fancheng was within reach, but now all his efforts had been in vain?

Suddenly, shouts of battle erupted outside the camp. From the watchtower came the roar of a sentry: "Cao Cao's army is three miles away! Xu Huang's banner is in front!"

Seeing Guan Yu still hesitant, Ma Liang suddenly raised his voice: "My lord! As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. The north bank has fallen, but the navy is still here! As long as we retreat to the south bank of the Han River, with the navy blocking the river, Xiangyang will still be a sitting duck. If you die in battle, my lord, the army and navy on the south bank will be leaderless, the siege of Xiangyang will be lifted without a fight, and months of effort will be wasted!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. Guan Yu suddenly looked up, his gaze passing through the stockade wall to the distance—that was the direction of the Han River, where hundreds of warships, ten thousand elite naval troops, and the Shu Han camp in Jiangnan remained.

Guan Yu remained silent for a long while, then slowly loosened his grip on his sword hilt. "Order the entire army to abandon the camp and retreat towards the Han River ferry. Zhou Cang will lead the archers to cover the rear, and Guan Ping will protect the flanks. Do not linger in battle."

Ma Liang breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run off to relay the order. The gates of the stockade opened wide again. The Jingzhou soldiers filed out and rushed toward the Han River ferry. Xu Huang's vanguard cavalry had already reached the front of the stockade. Zhou Cang led his archers in a volley of fire, felling the dozens of riders at the front. Taking advantage of the Wei army's slight setback, they also turned and fled.

Looking back at the north bank of the Yangtze River, Guan Yu saw that all the camps at Sizhong and Weitou had fallen into the hands of the Wei army. The encirclement he had painstakingly built over several months had collapsed, and he was filled with grief.

However, the Wei army was hot on their heels, allowing no room for hesitation. He led his remaining troops to the Han River ferry, where a naval force was already waiting to meet them. The elite Jingzhou navy was still intact, with large ships arrayed along the riverbank and archers densely packed together, unleashing a volley of arrows at the Wei army on the shore. Arrows rained down, slightly slowing the Wei army's pursuit. Guan Yu boarded a ship and looked back at the north bank, only to see smoke and dust filling the sky, Wei army flags everywhere, and the siege of Fancheng lifted.

Xu Huang reined in his horse on the riverbank, watching Guan Yu's fleet gradually disappear into the distance, remaining silent. The soldiers beside him wanted to fire arrows in pursuit, but he raised his hand to stop them, watching as the captain's ship of his fellow countryman from Hedong gradually became a dot on the river's surface, finally disappearing into the vast twilight.

In this battle, Xu Huang beheaded thousands. However, Cao Wei lacked a navy. Although the siege of Fancheng on the north bank of the Yangtze River was lifted, Guan Yu's army still blocked the Han River, besieged Xiangyang, and confronted the allied forces of Cao Ren and Xu Huang across the river!