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

Zhou Cang narrowed his circling eyes.

Liu Feng pointed to the largest warship outside the ferry. The ship was three stories high and was the flagship of Guan Yu's navy. It could accommodate hundreds of people on the deck, with an iron-clad bow and crossbow windows on both sides. It was practically a mobile fortress on the Han River.

"General Zhou and I are aboard this ship. We shall weigh anchor and set sail immediately, heading north to Xiangyang. I, Liu Feng, shall stand at the bow and accompany General Zhou. If we reach the walls of Xiangyang and the banners of Cao Cao's army are still flying, General Zhou may cut off my head on the spot and present it to Lord Guan to claim credit."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Zhou Cang's round eyes.

"If the banners flying atop the city walls belong to our Han army, and you, my lord, are safely garrisoning the city—then what crime should General Zhou be punished for offending his superior and holding his commander hostage with a knife?"

Zhou Cang was stunned.

He hadn't expected Liu Feng to propose such a wager. They were on the same boat, with nowhere to escape on the water. If Liu Feng's words were false, reaching Xiangyang would be like walking into a trap, and Zhou Cang could take his life with a single halberd strike.

If what Liu Feng said is true...

Zhou Cang gritted his teeth, tucked the two hand halberds into his waistband, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "If General Liu's words are true, Zhou Cang has offended the deputy general and is willing to accept one hundred lashes!"

"Very well." Liu Feng turned to Liao Hua. "What does General Liao think?"

Liao Hua sheathed his sword and gave Liu Feng a deep look. His gaze was different from Zhou Cang's; it contained no doubt, only scrutiny.

After a moment, he nodded slightly.

"We will do as Deputy Commander Liu said."

As the warships weighed anchor and set sail, the Han River was bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.

Zhou Cang ordered someone to bring a chair to the bow of the boat and invited Liu Feng to sit down. He himself stood two steps behind Liu Feng, with two hand halberds tucked into his waistband, his eyes fixed intently on the back of Liu Feng's head.

He neither sat down nor left; he just stood there, like a door god cast in black iron.

Liu Feng did not turn around to look at him.

He sat at the bow of the boat, the river wind whipping against his face, making his crimson battle robe flutter loudly. The warship cut through the waves, its hull slicing through the surface of the Han River with a deep, continuous sound.

The fields, villages, and reed beds on both banks receded slowly, and occasionally a few water birds were startled by the fleet of boats and fluttered into the depths of twilight.

Liao Hua stood on the second floor of the ship's deck, leaning on the railing and looking at the two people at the bow. His gaze lingered for a moment on Zhou Cang's stiff back, then moved to Liu Feng's motionless back of the head, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Brother Yuanjian," a lieutenant general leaned closer and whispered, "Do you think what Deputy Commander Liu said is actually true?"

Liao Hua did not answer. He gazed towards the upper reaches of the Han River, his eyes distant. After a long silence, he spoke softly.

"Something is hoped for."

The fleet traveled day and night.

The Han River flows swiftly downstream but slowly upstream. The multi-storied boat, propelled by the combined efforts of its sails and oarsmen, traveled for three days and three nights, finally arriving at the Xiangyang waters at dusk on the third day.

Zhou Cang stood on that chair for three days and three nights.

Liu Feng tried to persuade him twice to sit down and rest, but Zhou Cang only shook his head and remained silent.

He was determined to keep an eye on Liu Feng.

If Liu Feng was truly a fraud, then Zhou Cang was the first person to see Cao Cao's army flags atop Xiangyang City, and also the first to cut off Liu Feng's head.

As dusk fell, the outline of Xiangyang slowly rose from the horizon.

First came the eaves of the city gate tower, then the battlements of the city wall, and finally the flags fluttering atop the city walls. The setting sun shone from behind, bathing the entire city in a dark red light.

The flags fluttered in the evening breeze, their colors difficult to discern at first glance.

Zhou Cang narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the flag.

The ship moved forward several hundred paces. The colors of the flags finally became clear.

It's not the black of Cao Cao's army.

It was the crimson of the Shu Han dynasty. A large character "Han" was embroidered on the flag, next to which was a slightly smaller general's flag embroidered with—

"close".

Zhou Cang's body swayed suddenly.

He had already recognized the general's flag.

That was Guan Yu's banner. He fought under that banner for over a decade, from Xinye to Jiangling, and from Jiangling to Fancheng. He remembered every crease and every scratch on that banner clearly.

Tears welled up in Zhou Cang's round eyes without warning. This burly man from Guanzhong, with his dark face and bushy beard, was like a stone pillar that had been blown by the wind for too long, suddenly crumbling.

He knelt down on the deck with a thud, his hands on the ground, his shoulders shaking violently, and he managed to squeeze out incoherent sounds.

Liu Feng stood up from his chair, turned around, and looked down at Zhou Cang, who was kneeling on the deck.

He didn't speak. The sounds of the ship rubbing against the shore, the oarsmen's chants as they pulled in their oars, and the soldiers' shouts on the shore all seemed very far away.

Zhou Cang knelt for a moment, then suddenly raised his head, tears streaming down his face. He ripped open his battle robe, revealing his back, and raised two hand halberds high above his head, his voice hoarse as if sand scraping against an iron plate.

"Zhou Cang has offended the general! One hundred strokes of the military rod, please carry out the punishment!"

The ship has come to a stop.

The gangway was lowered, and a number of soldiers and Guan Ping and others had already gathered on the shore to welcome them.

All eyes were drawn to the scene at the bow of the ship—a burly man, bare-backed, kneeling on the deck, holding his weapon in both hands, his face streaked with tears.

Liu Feng looked down at Zhou Cang. He reached out, but instead of taking the halberd, he grabbed Zhou Cang's wrist and pulled it upwards forcefully.

"stand up."

Zhou Cang refused to get up. He knelt on the ground as if rooted to the spot, his eyes bloodshot, his voice muffled: "Deputy General, one hundred lashes, not a single one less. Zhou Cang accepts his loss."

Liu Feng released his wrist and took a step back.

"One hundred lashes, I've got it." His voice wasn't loud, but everyone around him could hear it clearly. "But I won't punish you today."

Zhou Cang looked up at him, his eyes full of confusion.

Liu Feng's gaze swept past Zhou Cang, across the naval soldiers aboard and on the warship, and finally landed back on Zhou Cang's face. A confident smile appeared on his lips.

"Zhou Cang, I'll put this hundred lashes on your record. We'll see you on the day we counterattack Eastern Wu—"

He suddenly raised his voice so that all the naval soldiers on and off the warship could hear him.

"On that day, you, Zhou Cang, will personally lead this navy down the Han River, straight to Jiangxia, and cut off Lü Meng's retreat! In that battle, you will be the vanguard. If you fail to capture generals and flags, you will be punished for both crimes and your head will be taken. If you can achieve the merit of being the first to scale the walls—"

Liu Feng paused, his voice suddenly turning deep, carrying a strange solemnity.

"If you can achieve the feat of being the first to scale the walls, I will spare you the hundred lashes on your behalf, and I will even treat you to a drink!"

There was a moment of silence on the deck.

Then Zhou Cang suddenly kowtowed, his forehead hitting the deck heavily with a dull thud.

He straightened up, and the tears in his eyes were replaced by a new light—the look of someone who had been pardoned from the death penalty and suddenly given a new mission.

"Your humble servant obeys!" His voice was deep and fervent. "My life is meant for the attack on Jiangxia!"

Liu Feng nodded, turned around and walked down the gangway.

Liao Hua followed closely behind, stopping as he passed Zhou Cang. He reached out and patted Zhou Cang's bare shoulder, whispering, "Put on your clothes and get ashore."

As Liao Hua followed Liu Feng down the gangway, his gaze remained fixed on the young man's back.

He saw further than Zhou Cang.

On the surface, Liu Feng's words were about pardoning Zhou Cang and boosting morale, but Liao Hua astutely grasped the most crucial information in them—"Go down the Han River and head straight for Jiangxia."

This is not only a military order, but also a strategic direction.

If Shu Han were to attack Jiangxia next, then traveling down the Han River from Xiangyang by water would be the fastest route.

Liu Feng's words just now were tantamount to announcing the next direction of attack in front of hundreds of naval soldiers on the warship.

Liao Hua frowned slightly.

He didn't know whether Liu Feng's words were intentional or unintentional. If they were unintentional, then it was just a general's casual boast when encouraging his subordinates.

If intentional—

Liao Hua quickened his pace to catch up with Liu Feng. He didn't ask. Some things shouldn't be asked on the deck.

On the warship, Zhou Cang put his battle robe back on and tucked the two hand halberds back into his waistband. His eyes were still red, but his back was straight again. He strode down the gangway and waved to the naval soldiers gathered on the shore.

"What are you looking at! Disperse! Back to your ships, tidy up the hold, and check your weapons!"

The soldiers scattered in a panic.

Zhou Cang glanced back at the towering superstructure of the warship, then at Liu Feng's departing figure. His hand unconsciously tightened around the halberd at his waist.

Jiangxia. He silently repeated these two words in his mind.

In the back hall of the governor's mansion in Xiangyang City.

Ma Liang has already settled the remaining troops led by Guan Yu.

Although Guan Yu was injured, the first thing he did after entering the city was not to rest, but to climb the watchtower and inquire about the city's defenses, the location of the granaries, and the progress of the water fortress.

Ma Liang accompanied him for the entire afternoon until Guan Yu finally nodded in satisfaction, at which point he ordered someone to help him back to his room to rest.

When Liu Feng entered the governor's mansion, Ma Liang was waiting for him in the back hall.

The lights are just coming on.

The map still hung on the screen, showing the Han River winding its way from west to east. Ma Liang stood before the map, holding a cup of tea, but did not drink it.

His gaze fell on Jiangxia, the lower reaches of the Han River.

Footsteps sounded. Liu Feng stepped into the back hall, placed Guan Yu's bronze token on the table, unfastened the long sword from his waist, and stood before the map.

"The Jingzhou navy has been brought back," he said. "Zhou Cang and Liao Hua, with more than 10,000 naval troops and more than 200 warships, can be incorporated into the Xiangyang naval camp tomorrow."

Ma Liang nodded, but didn't respond to the question. He put down his teacup, turned around to look at Liu Feng, and his eyes held a probing look.

"Deputy General, my men at the ferry reported that you spoke to Zhou Cang on the warship, saying that the next step is to take Jiangxia?"

Liu Feng sat down at the table, poured a bowl of water, tilted his head back and gulped down half of it, before looking up at Ma Liang.

The light flickered in his pupils, but his expression was as calm as a stagnant pool.

"good."

Ma Liang took a step closer and lowered his voice.

"Deputy General, are you really going to attack Jiangxia?"

Liu Feng put down the bowl of water, dipped his finger in the remaining water, and drew an arc on the table. That was the course of the Han River, extending downstream from Xiangyang, passing through Jiangxia, and finally flowing into the Yangtze River.

His finger tapped the Jiangxia location, then continued downwards, sliding to a spot on the south bank of the Yangtze River.

He didn't speak, but simply pressed lightly on that spot with his fingertip.

Ma Liang looked down and his pupils suddenly contracted.

That location is Jiangling.

Liu Feng withdrew his fingers and casually wiped away the water stains on the table. He raised his head, his voice so low that only Ma Liang could hear it.

"Mr. Ji Chang, what information do you think the spies Cao Cao and Sun Quan planted in Xiangyang will send back to Jiangling right now?"

Ma Liang was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

The smile was calm, like a flag fluttering in the night wind atop Xiangyang city walls—fleeting yet profoundly meaningful.

He did not answer Liu Feng's question, but walked to the table, picked up the teacup again, and raised it to Liu Feng.

"Deputy General, the wind in Xiangyang is blowing southeast tonight."

Liu Feng also smiled.

"Then let it blow."