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

Jiangling.

When Lü Meng received the military report from Rangcheng, he was having breakfast in a side hall of the Jiangling Prefect's residence. He unfolded the bamboo slips, read them once, and put down his chopsticks. He read them again, then stood up and walked to the window.

Guan Yu retreated to Xiangyang.

Guan Yu did not continue south to Maicheng, nor was he surrounded by Pan Zhang's troops at Linju. Instead, he turned north and retreated into Xiangyang.

The city he had fought for half a year without success has now become his refuge.

The shelter was provided by Liu Feng.

Lu Meng gazed at the street scene of Jiangling City outside the window, remaining silent for a long time. His expression did not change much, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the bamboo slips had turned white.

"Let the tiger return to the mountain."

He finally spoke, his voice low and deep, as if crushed from the depths of his chest, "It took so much effort to force him into a corner. Crossing the river in white, Mi Fang surrendering the city, psychological warfare to undermine his army's morale, driving him south step by step. Just when it seemed he was about to walk into the encirclement, Liu Feng—"

He didn't continue.

A young and steady voice came from behind: "Grand Commander."

Lu Meng turned around. Lu Xun stood at the entrance of the side hall, dressed in a plain robe, holding a military report in his hand, clearly having received the same message.

His expression was much calmer than Lü Meng's; there was neither anger nor regret between his brows, only a calm and almost indifferent prudence.

"Boyan," Lü Meng gestured for him to come in, "are you already aware of the military report?"

Lu Xun entered the side hall and sat down at the table. He placed the military report in his hand on the table and gently smoothed the binding rope on the bamboo slip with his fingertips.

"Yes. Guan Yu retreated into Xiangyang, Cao Ren is dead, and Xiangfan has changed hands." His tone was flat, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"The governor just said that the tiger was being released back into the mountains. I think that while the tiger has indeed returned to the mountains, it has already been injured."

Lu Meng looked at him.

Lu Xun continued, "When Guan Yu retreated from Fancheng, he took 30,000 men with him. By the time he reached Dangyang, he had less than 10,000. Even if Liu Feng gathered the remnants of his navy and added his original forces, he would only have a maximum of 20,000 men. With the newly surrendered cities of Xiangyang and Fancheng, the surrendered soldiers were not yet organized, and the people's hearts were not yet settled. Even if Guan Yu wanted to launch a counterattack on Jiangling, it would take him at least several months to reorganize."

He paused, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"Several months later, the foundation of our Eastern Wu in Jiangling was firmly established."

Lu Meng nodded slowly.

Lu Xun's analysis was as calm and precise as ever, devoid of any emotion. This was precisely what Lu Meng valued most about him. This young man was far more experienced than his age, and his judgment was never swayed by appearances.

"Although Guan Yu has retreated, he is not a concern for the time being," Lü Meng said. "However, the fall of Xiangfan into Liu Bei's hands will ultimately be a major threat."

"Xiangfan is not a problem," Lu Xun interrupted him, his tone still calm, but the content sharp as a knife, "Liu Feng is the problem."

Lu Meng frowned slightly.

Lu Xun took out a silk map from his sleeve and unfolded it on the table. It was a map of the entire Jingzhou region, more detailed than the one Ma Liang had drawn in Xiangyang. Every waterway and every city, from Hanzhong to Jiangxia and from Jiangling to Chaisang, was clearly marked.

"Please take a look, Commander." Lu Xun's finger landed on Xiangyang. "Liu Feng took Xiangyang and Fancheng not by force. He used the pretext of transporting grain to hide his elite troops in the ship's hold, deceiving Cao Ren and taking Fancheng in one fell swoop. On the same day, an inside agent in Xiangyang set fire to the city. Lü Chang was unable to attend to both ends, and Xiangyang fell overnight."

His finger moved upstream and stopped at Nanxiang.

"Prior to this, he had ordered Kou Zun to lead the righteous people south to occupy Nanxiang and Rangcheng, controlling the upper reaches of the Han River. Shen Dan was originally the garrison commander of Shangyong, but Liu Feng persuaded him to go east to Nanxiang to block Xiahou Shang from the direction of Wuguan. By this time, the entire Han River basin, from Nanxiang to Xiangyang, was under his control."

The finger continued moving upstream and landed in Hanzhong.

"The grain supplies from Hanzhong can reach Xiangyang in ten days by sailing downstream. He doesn't need to requisition grain locally or transport it over a thousand miles. If Cao Cao wants to counterattack Xiangfan, transporting grain overland from Wancheng, only six out of ten shi of grain will reach the front lines. But Liu Feng is sitting in Xiangyang; even if he gets one shi of grain from Hanzhong, it will still be one shi by the time it reaches him. How can Cao Cao fight this battle?"

Lu Meng's brows furrowed even more.

Lu Xun's finger moved downstream along the Han River from Xiangyang, stopping at Jiangxia.

"What's even more terrifying is this direction. If he sails down the Han River, advancing by both land and water, he could reach Jiangxia within ten days. Jiangxia is the western gateway of our Eastern Wu's Yangtze River defense line. If Jiangxia falls, Chaisang will be shaken, and Jianye will be in turmoil."

He raised his head and met Lü Meng's gaze.

"From taking Nanxiang, to capturing Rangcheng, to the surprise attack on Fancheng, to the internal support for Xiangyang, and then to recruiting Shen Dan and incorporating the navy, none of these steps were isolated. It was as if he was playing a game of chess, calculating ten moves ahead before each piece was placed. The governor was only twenty-four years old."

A moment of silence followed in the side hall.

The city of Jiangling outside the window gradually became noisy, with the cries of vendors, the footsteps of soldiers patrolling the streets, and the boatmen's chants from the distant ferry crossing all blending together. At this moment, these sounds all seemed very distant, as if they were from another world.

Lu Meng spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"Boyan means that Liu Feng is more difficult to deal with than Guan Yu."

"Guan Yu is a blade," Lu Xun said. "Incomparably sharp, unmatched by ten thousand men. But a blade is a blade; you know where its edge lies, and you know how to avoid its edge."

"Liu Feng is not a knife."

"Liu Feng was the one holding the knife. When he stood behind Guan Yu, everyone only saw Guan Yu. Now that Cao Ren is dead and Guan Yu has retreated, he has stepped forward—only then did the Commander see this hand."

He paused.

"Cao Cao is in Xuchang, and he probably saw it at this moment as well."

A guard appeared at the entrance to the side hall, kneeling on one knee and presenting a thin bamboo tube with both hands. The tube was sealed with sealing wax, and the surface of the wax bore the fish-shaped mark of a spy from Eastern Wu.

"General, a secret report from Xiangyang."

Lü Meng took the bamboo tube, broke the seal, and pulled out a thin strip of silk. The writing on the silk was extremely small and densely packed; it was firsthand intelligence sent by spies from Xiangyang.

His gaze swept quickly across the area before stopping.

He handed the silk strip to Lu Xun.

Lu Xun took the silk strip and looked down at it. The silk strip recorded the military situation in Xiangyang City in recent days, including Guan Yu's entry into the city, Ma Liang's efforts to pacify the people, and the expansion of the water fortress.

But that wasn't what Lü Meng showed him. He pointed to a line of small characters at the end of the silk strip.

"On the naval warship, Liu Feng declared to the crowd: 'I order Zhou Cang to lead the navy down the Han River in a few days, directly attack Jiangxia, and cut off the retreat route of Eastern Wu.'"

Lu Xun's gaze lingered on that line of small characters.

He stared at it for a long time, so long that Lü Meng thought he was pondering something repeatedly. Then he put down the silk strip and looked up.

"What does the Governor think?"

Lu Meng pondered for a moment and said, "Jiangxia is a place I must defend. If Liu Feng really goes down the Han River and attacks Jiangxia, he will be buying time for Guan Yu. Guan Yu can reorganize his troops in Xiangyang, while Liu Feng can hold back our main force in Jiangxia. Once Guan Yu has recovered his strength, we can attack from both sides—"

He shook his head: "We can't let him succeed. Jiangxia must be reinforced."

Lu Xun didn't reply. His gaze remained fixed on the small print, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were deep in thought. After a moment, he suddenly spoke, saying something that surprised Lü Meng.

"General, Liu Feng said he wanted to attack Jiangxia, but that may not be his true intention."

Lu Meng looked at him.

Lu Xun's finger moved across the map, from Xiangyang down the Han River, through Jiangxia, then turned west, finally stopping at a location on the south bank of the Yangtze River.

Jiangling.

"He said he was going to attack Jiangxia, but he did it on purpose for the spies to hear." Lu Xun lowered his voice, but his tone became more and more certain. "Liu Feng has a unique way of using troops—he never tells anyone in advance where he really intends to attack. Cao Ren didn't know he was going to attack Fancheng until the grain ships were turned into warships. Lü Chang didn't know he was going to take Xiangyang until the city was ablaze with flames."

He withdrew his finger and looked at Lü Meng.

"If he really wanted to attack Jiangxia, he would never announce it publicly from his warship. He would do what he did when he took Fancheng, waiting until his warships were already at the gates of Jiangxia before the enemy knew."

Lu Meng's pupils contracted slightly.

"you mean--"

"A feint to the east while attacking the west." Lu Xun's voice was as calm as still water. "He says he's attacking Jiangxia, but his real target is Jiangling. He wants to draw our attention to Jiangxia so we can move our troops eastward. Once Jiangxia's defenses are strong, Jiangling's defenses will be weak. At that point, Guan Yu will march south from Xiangyang, and Lu Xun will turn from the Han River into the Yangtze River, launching a two-pronged attack on Jiangling."

The side hall was quiet for a moment.

Lu Meng suddenly felt a chill rise up his spine. He had fought for half his life, from Huainan to Jingzhou, from land battles to naval battles, and had seen countless opponents.

But he rarely saw young people like Liu Feng, who always stepped into the blind spots of their opponents' thinking.

"Boyan," Lü Meng's voice deepened, "in your opinion, how should we respond?"

Lu Xun zoomed the map closer to himself, his gaze moving westward from Jiangling, past Yiling, and stopping at the exit of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.

"General, Liu Feng is certainly someone to be wary of, but there is something more urgent right now."

His finger pressed heavily on the outlet of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.

"Zigui. Yiling. Yidu."

These three place names are like three nails, driven into the vital passage where the Yangtze River flows out of Sichuan.

"When Liu Bei hears of Guan Yu's defeat and the fall of Jiangling while he is in Chengdu, he will surely lead the troops of Shu eastward, taking the Yangtze River to reclaim Jingzhou. To leave Sichuan, he must pass through the Zigui, Yiling, and Yidu line. If we block this line, Liu Bei's 100,000-strong army will be stuck in the Three Gorges and unable to get out."

Lu Xun raised his head and met Lü Meng's gaze.

"If this line is lost, Liu Bei will march out of Sichuan, Guan Yu will head south from Xiangyang, and Liu Feng will advance east from the Han River—a three-pronged attack, and Jiangling will become a dead city."

Lu Meng remained silent for a long time. He gazed at the strategic point on the map where the Yangtze River flows out of Sichuan, his eyes moving from Zigui to Yiling, and then from Yiling to Yidu.

Lu Xun is right.

No matter how flashy Liu Feng's actions in Xiangyang were, they were ultimately just one piece of the game. What truly determined the fate of Jingzhou was whether Liu Bei could emerge from Shu.

If Liu Bei cannot come out, Guan Yu will be an isolated force in Xiangyang, and no matter how capable Liu Feng is, he will not be able to shake the foundation of Eastern Wu in Jingzhou on his own.

"Yidu," Lü Meng said, "I will personally go and defend it."

Lu Xun shook his head.

"The Commander-in-Chief cannot leave Jiangling. Jiangling is the heart of Jingzhou. Mi Fang has just surrendered, and the people in the city are not yet settled. If the Commander-in-Chief leaves, Jiangling will surely be thrown into turmoil." He stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lü Meng, and said, "I request permission to take command of Yidu County."

Lu Meng looked at Lu Xun. The young man's face appeared exceptionally handsome in the morning light outside the window, and his brows showed no passionate fervor, only a deep-seated composure.

Lu Meng suddenly recalled what Sun Quan had said when he first recommended Lu Xun to him: "This man is not good at speaking or socializing, but when it comes to military affairs, no general in Jiangdong can surpass him."

"Alright." Lü Meng stood up and placed his hand on Lu Xun's shoulder. "I'll leave Yidu to you. I'll leave you 10,000 elite troops, plus the garrison at Yiling, enough to block the exit of the Three Gorges. Even if Liu Bei sends out his entire army, he won't be able to step out of the Three Gorges."

Lu Xun clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and turned to leave. But as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned back.

"Commander, there is one more matter."

Lu Meng looked at him.

"Liu Feng is a man who doesn't follow conventional military tactics. Today he can feint to the east while attacking in the west, and tomorrow he can relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao. The commander-in-chief is in Jiangling, and must keep a close eye on the movements in the Xiangyang direction." Lu Xun paused, "especially the Han River. The Han River is Liu Feng's lifeline, and also his passage."

He didn't finish his sentence. Lü Meng already understood what he meant.

"I will keep an eye on the Han River."

Lu Xun nodded, turned and walked out of the side hall. The morning light cast his shadow on the door frame, making it long before it disappeared in a flash.

Lü Meng stood alone before the map, his gaze returning to the location of Xiangyang.

He suddenly realized that although Lu Xun's analysis was accurate, he had made a mistake in one aspect.

Lu Xun said that Liu Feng was the hand wielding the knife, and Guan Yu was the knife.

But in Lü Meng's view, Liu Feng was not just wielding Guan Yu's sword. Liu Feng was wielding several swords at the same time—Kou Zun was a sword in Nanxiang, Shen Dan was a sword in the direction of Wuguan, Tian Yu was a sword in Rangcheng, Zhou Cang and Liao Hua's navy was a sword, and even Ma Liang's pacification of the people and the donation of grain from aristocratic families to aid the army were all his swords.

This young man turned everyone into pieces on his chessboard.

Lu Meng withdrew his fingers and stood with his hands behind his back. Outside the window, Jiangling City was bathed in the morning light, and the Han River flowed ceaselessly in the distance, merging into the Yangtze River. That was the direction Liu Feng was heading.

"Liu Feng," he murmured the name, "I'll be waiting for you in Jiangling."