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

North of Shangyong City, the Shu Han military camp.

The camp was built against the mountain and beside the water, with heavily guarded gates. Patrol soldiers moved back and forth, and scouts would occasionally ride back from outside the camp gates to scout out the surroundings. The camp was divided into two smaller camps, left and right. Liu Feng's soldiers were stationed in the left camp, while Meng Da's troops were mostly stationed in the right camp.

The officer on duty in the camp tonight was none other than Meng Da's nephew, Deng Xian. He paced anxiously back and forth in his tent, the iron plates of his armor clanging crisply. At dusk, Meng Da sent a messenger with military orders, instructing him to be diligent in his duties and not to neglect his responsibilities. Meng Da was known for his strict discipline, and even though Deng Xian was his nephew, he dared not be negligent, personally donning his armor and standing guard in the central command tent.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves was heard outside the tent. A scout dismounted and went straight into the tent.

"Reporting back to the captain, several dozen horsemen are heading towards the camp from the southwest. The leader is dressed in crimson robes and black armor; judging from the banners, it seems to be Deputy General Liu Feng himself. They should arrive at the camp gate in less than half an hour!"

"Liu Feng. What is he doing at the military camp so late at night? Could it be... that something has happened in the city? Did you see General Meng's banners accompanying him?"

"I have not seen General Meng's banner."

Deng Xian frowned, a sense of crisis rising within him. He tightened his armor and ordered, "Go and invite Lieutenant Li Fu here; I have something to discuss with him. Also, call all the brothers in the old camp to their feet, don their armor, and form ranks behind the main tent."

Several miles outside the military camp.

Liu Feng led dozens of his personal cavalrymen straight toward the main camp. Kou Zun rode behind him and said in a deep voice, "Brother Feng, this trip is too risky. Why not let Ziwu lead the clan army ahead to enter the left camp and join forces with our army to show off our power, and then surround the right camp to force Deng Xian and Li Fu to surrender?"

"Zirong, you've got a good idea. As the saying goes, speed is of the essence in war. Although our clan's army is elite, it mainly consists of heavily armored infantry. While their formation attacks are certainly unstoppable, they will suffer heavy losses if they encounter the archers and cavalry of the northern kingdoms. This is the strategy of using speed to overcome slowness!"

"Indeed. When I accompanied my brother on a campaign years ago, the elders of the clan reminded me of this. However, Jingnan is short of horses, and an ordinary warhorse costs over a hundred gold pieces. It took the entire Kou clan's wealth to assemble an armored infantryman, and there was no money left to purchase warhorses."

"We can figure out a solution for warhorses later. The situation is urgent right now. If we travel with the clan army, we might not reach the camp until dawn. If the news leaks out and Meng Da's troops are on guard, we'll inevitably have to fight. Our goal is to unite the tribes of Shangyong and march south to Jingzhou. How can we afford to fight first and waste our strength?"

Kou Zun's resolute face showed worry. He was about to continue trying to dissuade him when Liu Feng brandished his long spear, laughing loudly, "Years ago, I followed my father in the campaign against Hanzhong, serving as the vanguard general, regarding Cao Cao's more than 100,000 troops as nothing. Now that Meng Da has been beheaded, how dare Deng Xian and Li Fu, mere mortals, harm me in my camp? I will enter their camp, seize their commander, and take over their army!"

As they spoke, the outline of the Shu Han military camp began to emerge in the vast night.

"Light the torches to illuminate my banner!"

At Liu Feng's command, dozens of riders behind him lit their torches. In the flickering firelight, a crimson banner fluttered in the wind, proclaiming the seven large characters "Liu, Deputy General of the Great Han Army," their strokes bold and menacing. Liu Feng, clad in crimson robes and black armor, rode ahead, reining in his horse before the gate and shouting, "I am Liu Feng, the Crown Prince of Hanzhong, Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of the three commanderies of Shangyong, Deputy General of the Great Han Army! Who is on duty tonight? Open the gates!"

The original owner, Liu Feng, had followed Liu Bei for many years and was always brave in battle. He was the vanguard in the Battle of Hanzhong and was highly respected in the army.

Upon hearing this, the captain on duty atop the stockade quickly ordered his soldiers to open the gates and welcome Liu Feng and his dozens of cavalrymen into the camp. Liu Feng, however, did not dismount. Instead, he lightly tapped a drummer on the head with his long spear and laughed, "Beat the drums, sound the horns! I intend to hold a military review here!"

In an instant, the rapid sounds of war drums and bugles resounded throughout the entire Shu Han army camp. The two small fortresses on the left and right immediately began to boil and churn.

Inside the central command tent of the right camp, Li Fu lifted the tent flap and strode into the tent. "Captain Deng, have you heard the sounds of war drums and bugles?"

"I'm not deaf, how could I not hear such a loud noise!" Deng Xian said irritably.

Li Fu was secretly puzzled and asked, "Who was beating the drums to gather the generals in the dead of night?"

"Deputy Army General Liu Feng."

Li Fu looked surprised and suspicious, then asked, "Did Zijing Gong come with the army?"

"The scouts clearly saw no banners from my uncle, only the deputy general leading several dozen riders."

"In that case, something might be going wrong in Shangyong City!"

"I agree, Lieutenant Li. My uncle has treated you well. If things don't go smoothly, would you be willing to join forces with me to storm Shangyong City and rescue my uncle?"

"This... Lord Zijing once said that although the deputy general is arrogant and domineering, he would not dare to kill a general without authorization. Such a crime is not something that an adopted son can bear. The situation may not be as dangerous as Commandant Deng predicted."

Deng Xian hesitated for a moment, remaining silent. Inside the camp, the urgent sound of the war drums had already rang out three times.

According to the military law of Shu Han, the generals were to be summoned by beating the drum in the camp. Anyone who had not arrived by the end of the three drumbeats would be punished with twenty strokes of the cane by the camp's captain. In front of the camp gate, Liu Feng sat upright on his horse, his gaze sweeping over the dozens of generals and officers who rushed over. He had inherited the memories of the original owner of Liu Feng and recognized the faces and names of most of the generals and officers. He saw that all the generals and officers in the camp were present, except for Deng Xian and Li Fu.

Liu Feng sneered inwardly, a cold glint in his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Where are Colonels Deng and Li? I came to the camp myself to summon the generals by beating the drum. They haven't arrived after three drumbeats; is this not a sign of disrespect for my authority?"

The officers and soldiers fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, they heard the sound of horses' hooves behind them. Turning around, they saw Deng Xian and Li Fu galloping towards them, dismounting, and bowing deeply. Li Fu said, "We, your humble servants, greet the Deputy General. A fight broke out among the soldiers in the camp, resulting in some deaths. We, Commander Deng and others, were greatly alarmed upon hearing this and rushed to quell the disturbance. That is why we are late. Please forgive us, Deputy General!"

"Oh? Soldiers fighting each other, killing people! Is that really true?"

"Absolutely true. We dare not deceive the Deputy General." Li Fu glanced at Liu Feng, feeling uneasy, but had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue making up the lie.

Liu Feng smiled noncommittally and said, "If that's the case, the two captains' lateness is understandable, but military law is as solid as a mountain and cannot be disregarded. Captain Li, do you understand what I mean?"

"This humble general understands and is willing to accept twenty strokes of the cane."

"Alright! Then, Captain Deng, what should we do next?"

Upon hearing Liu Feng mention him, Deng Xian said in a deep voice, "This humble general...this humble general is Lord Meng's nephew and has always been under Lord Meng's command. If I were to be subjected to the military law of the deputy general, I'm afraid it would be...unpleasant for Lord Meng. Please forgive me, General."

Liu Feng's expression suddenly darkened, and he shouted sternly, "Brothers in the camp, listen carefully! I am Liu Feng, the heir apparent of the King of Hanzhong, ordered by the King to command the troops in Shangyong. I have entered the camp tonight for only one matter: Meng Da secretly plotted to surrender to Wei, and I have already executed him in the city. Deng Xian was an accomplice of Meng Da and should have been punished as well. However, considering that you soldiers are all under the command of the King of Hanzhong and are unaware of the inside story, I will only execute the ringleader; the rest will be spared!"

Before the words were even finished, Kou Zun threw the heads of Meng Da and his son before Deng Xian. Deng Xian looked up and saw the two bloody heads rolling before him, his face turning deathly pale. He shouted, "Don't listen to his nonsense! General Meng is utterly loyal, how could he surrender to Wei? It's clearly Liu Feng who murdered a general and plotted a mutiny... Brothers of the old camp, follow me to kill Liu Feng and avenge General Meng!"

Before he finished speaking, Liu Feng had already spurred his horse and brandished his spear. With a swing of his long spear, blood gushed from Deng Xian's chest, and he swayed and fell to the ground.

Liu Feng loudly proclaimed, "Meng Da and Deng Xian plotted a rebellion and have now been executed. We have seized a secret letter from Meng Da's entourage here. I received a secret order from the King of Hanzhong to punish the traitors. Meng Da's officers and soldiers were unaware of this. I will report this to the King of Hanzhong, explain the situation, and request that you be pardoned."

When the officers and soldiers of Meng Da’s original troops saw that Meng Da, Deng Xian and others were all dead, and heard that Liu Feng had pardoned everyone’s crimes, and saw Liu Feng’s imposing presence and the dozens of riders under his command who were like tigers and wolves, they were all terrified and knelt down on the ground, not daring to move.

Liu Feng looked at Li Fu and asked, "Lieutenant Li, I've heard that you've followed Meng Da for many years and are known for your loyalty and bravery. Do you have anything to say about today's events?"

Li Fu, trembling with fear, kowtowed and said, "This humble general is a general of the Han Dynasty, not a retainer of the Meng family. This humble general receives the salary of the King of Han, not a guest of the Meng household. Now that Meng Da intends to rebel, the Deputy General has been ordered by the King to suppress the traitor, and this humble general dares not have the slightest objection. If any of my men dare to disobey, I will personally twist off their heads!"

"Very well. Since Lieutenant Li is so understanding and righteous, then the twenty strokes of the cane shall be recorded for now. All of Meng Da's former troops shall now be under Lieutenant Li's command. I will personally petition the King of Hanzhong to promote Lieutenant Li to the rank of Lieutenant General. General Li, please take good care of the troops and keep them in check, lest you disappoint me!"

Liu Feng suddenly raised his voice, his gaze sweeping over the generals and officers in the camp, and proclaimed loudly: "I have good news to tell you all. General Guan Yu, the Marquis of Hanshou, led a fierce army to attack Xiangyang and Fancheng. He flooded the seven armies, captured Yu Jin, and beheaded Pang De. His might shook the land! I intend to personally lead a large army to support General Guan Yu. This is the time for men to establish their merits. When we break through Xiangyang and Fancheng, take the Central Plains, return to the old capital, and pay homage to the imperial palace, may the Han army be mighty!"

Such a great victory gave the entire camp a shot in the arm, boosting morale, which had been low due to the deputy commander's betrayal and the power struggle within the camp.

Kou Zun, Li Fu, and other officers seized the opportunity and joined Liu Feng in shouting angrily, "The Han army is mighty! The Han army is mighty!"