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

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

In the depths of spring, the breeze from the Han River blows through the carved window frames, causing the edges of the map to flutter slightly.

Ma Liang had copper paperweights placed at the four corners to secure the map of Jingzhou to the table. The ink marks on the map were no longer the same as when he first drew it—the areas along the Han River, including Nanxiang, Danshui, Rangcheng, Fancheng, and Xiangyang, were all outlined with red circles using a vermilion pen.

Each red circle represents a city that has changed hands. All eyes were fixed on the map.

Guan Yu sat at the head of the table, his left shoulder bandage now replaced with a new one, his ruddy face gleaming like a piece of tempered iron under the lamplight. Guan Ping stood beside him, his hand on his sword, his posture ramrod straight.

Ma Liang sat to Guan Yu's right, with a blank bamboo scroll spread out in front of him, pen and ink ready, prepared to record at any time.

Liu Feng sat to Guan Yu's left, calmly gazing at the map of Jingzhou, though his thoughts were unknown.

Guan Yu was the first to speak.

"Jiangling".

He pointed his finger at the city on the north bank of the Yangtze River, his fingertip pressing slightly into the silk of the map. "Until Jiangling is recaptured, our army's foothold in Jingzhou cannot be firmly established. Lü Meng's position in Jiangling is still unstable, and the surrendered troops of Mi Fang and Fu Shiren are filled with suspicion and fear. I am truly uneasy if we cannot take advantage of this opportunity to march south. If we could advance by both land and water..."

Guan Yu didn't finish his sentence.

Ma Liang put down his brush. The movement was so light that the sound of the bamboo brush resting on the brush holder was almost inaudible, but Guan Yu stopped speaking.

Having guarded Jingzhou together for many years, the two had become so close that they didn't need to finish their sentences or even express their opposition; a single gesture was enough.

"Ji Chang has something to say." Guan Yu's tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Ma Liang bowed slightly.

"What you say, my lord, is absolutely true. Lü Meng's position in Jiangling is indeed unstable, and the surrendered soldiers of Mi Fang and Fu Shiren are indeed filled with suspicion and fear." He paused, "But which route did you take when you returned to Jiangling from Fancheng?"

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.

Ma Liang's finger landed on the map, drawing a line south from Xiangyang, passing through Dangyang, and reaching Jiangling.

"By land. If Your Majesty attacks Jiangling, you can only do so by land. However, the Eastern Wu navy has blockaded the entire Yangtze River. My Jingzhou troops have just suffered a defeat, and although our navy is still elite, I fear it is no match for the Eastern Wu's skilled navy! Therefore, Your Majesty's strategy of advancing by both land and water is tantamount to using our weakness to attack our strength."

A moment of silence followed in the back hall. Guan Yu remained silent.

The Eastern Wu navy was renowned for its elite and skilled naval forces. Although Guan Yu was confident in his superior naval command abilities, he dared not presume to believe he could defeat the Sun family, who had dominated Jiangdong for many years, with his navy.

Ma Liang's finger moved eastward from Jiangling and stopped at Jiangxia.

"Nan Commandery, Jiangxia Commandery, and Yidu Commandery—these three commanderies along the Yangtze River will be heavily guarded by Eastern Wu. Lü Meng is stationed in Jiangling, Lu Xun in Yidu, and Zhu Ran's navy is also in Jiangxia."

"These three prefectures are like three nails driven into the Yangtze River. If you march south from Xiangyang, you will face the superior naval power of Eastern Wu no matter which one you attack. A direct assault would be unwise!"

Ma Liang spoke calmly, as if stating a piece of geographical common sense, but it was precisely this calmness that made every word sound exceptionally heavy.

Ma Liang withdrew his finger and looked up at Guan Yu.

"My lord, Lü Meng now controls the entire middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. He only needs to lay his navy across the river, and your might will be unmatched. Our infantry can only look on from the north bank and sigh in despair."

Guan Yu remained silent for a long time. His fingers were still pressing on Jiangling, his knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

Ma Liang was telling the truth. The Yangtze River had already been occupied by Eastern Wu, and a direct attack would be unwise.

"In Ji Chang's opinion, Jiangling can't be taken back?" Guan Yu's voice was very low.

"Let's fight," Ma Liang said, "but not from Xiangyang."

His finger moved westward from Xiangyang, along the upper reaches of the Han River, stopping at Shangyong. Then, from Shangyong southward, it drew an arc through the mountains, finally landing on—

Wuling County.

Guan Yu's gaze followed Ma Liang's finger, and the previously somber light in his phoenix eyes suddenly flickered.

"Wuling?"

"Indeed, Wuling."

At this moment, Liu Feng finally took over the conversation.

He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to the location of Wuling County.

That area appeared exceptionally vast on the map, with crisscrossing mountains and sparse markings.

"Wuling Commandery is one of the four commanderies south of the Yangtze River. Unlike Nan Commandery, Jiangxia Commandery, and Yidu Commandery, Wuling is not located near the Yangtze River." He drew a line between Wuling and the Yangtze River with his finger.

"Wuling is separated by mountains. No matter how strong the Eastern Wu navy is, its warships cannot reach the city of Wuling."

Liu Feng's finger continued to move southwest, stopping at the eastern border of Yizhou.

"This is Yizhou. If we send troops from Chengdu, we can go through Fuling and directly enter Wuling. If we send troops from Shangyong, we can take the mountain road that Meng Da used to attack Shangyong and also go south to Wuling."

He gently tapped the location of Wuling with his finger. "Wuling is the closest of the four commanderies in Jingnan to Yizhou. It is also the only commandery that the Eastern Wu's Yangtze River navy cannot reach."

Guan Yu gazed at the vast mountainous region of Wuling, stroked his beard, and remained silent for a long time.

Guan Yu wasn't hesitating; he was calculating. He was mentally rehearsing the marching route from Xiangyang back to Shangyong, and from Shangyong south to Wuling, calculating the supply lines, distance, and troop deployment. He was a man who had fought for forty years; such calculations were almost instinctive for him.

"Wuling," Guan Yu finally spoke, "and then what?"

Liu Feng's finger moved north from Wuling and stopped at Yidu. "Wuling is directly south of Yidu. If we capture Wuling, our army can then advance uphill from south to north, attacking Yidu."

"At the same time, the King of Hanzhong led his troops from Chengdu eastward along the Yangtze River to attack the west side of Yidu."

The two arrows converge in Yidu.

"Your Excellency is in Xiangyang. Lead the main force south from Xiangyang to attack the northern flank of Yidu." Liu Feng drew the final line south from Xiangyang, which would then converge with the other two arrows at Yidu.

"A three-pronged attack. From the west, south, and north. Yidu is under attack from three sides. Even if Lu Xun is a genius, he cannot withstand the three-pronged attack."

Silence fell again in the back room.

This silence was different from the previous ones. The previous silences were stalemates, a confrontation between Guan Yu's obsession and Ma Liang's composure.

The silence at this moment is a shockwave from being struck by a new idea.

Guan Ping stood behind Guan Yu, his gaze shifting from the map to Liu Feng's face. His eyes held a burning intensity unique to youth—the involuntary admiration that arose from hearing a truly brilliant strategy.

Guan Yu finally removed his finger from Jiangling, raised his head, and met Liu Feng's gaze with his phoenix eyes.

"Attack Wuling, then Yidu, but ultimately, we must recapture Jiangling?"

"good."

Liu Feng did not evade the question, "but not by attacking Jiangling directly from Xiangyang. We will first remove the outposts around Jiangling one by one, eventually trapping Jiangling in an isolated city. Then—"

Before Liu Feng could finish speaking, Guan Yu nodded in agreement.

"By then, Lü Meng will be the second Cao Ren."

Guan Yu's voice was not loud, but it was like the blade of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade gliding across a whetstone, carrying layers of solid, sharp edge.

Ma Liang picked up his brush again and wrote the two characters "Wuling" on the blank bamboo slip, and then wrote the three characters "Wuxi Man".

After finishing writing, he put down his pen and looked up. "There is a matter in Wuling County that you, Lord Marquis, and Deputy Commander Liu should already know. Although Wuling County has a prefect appointed by the imperial court, the real power in Wuling does not lie with the government."

He looked at Guan Yu, then at Liu Feng.

"In the Wuxi barbarians."

Wuxi Barbarians.

There are five streams in Wuling County: Xiongxi, Manxi, Chenxi, Youxi, and Wuxi. The barbarian tribes living in the Wuxi River basin were collectively referred to by the Han people as the Wuxi Barbarians.

These barbarian tribes have lived in the Wuling Mountains for generations. They are fierce and warlike, and their settlements are scattered throughout the area, not under the direct jurisdiction of the government.

Whoever controls Wuling City is the so-called Lord of Wuling in the eyes of the imperial court. But whoever gains the support of the Five Streams Barbarians is the true Lord of Wuling.

When Liu Biao governed Jingzhou, he adopted a policy of appeasement towards the Wuxi barbarians, providing them with salt, iron, and cloth annually in exchange for their non-disruption of the prefectures and counties. After Cao Cao took Jingzhou, he was unable to exert his influence over Wuling, and the Wuxi barbarians were left in a semi-independent state.

Liu Bei had been managing Jingnan for nearly ten years, consistently employing Liu Biao's policy of appeasement. Although Wuling City now had a governor appointed by Sun Quan, the Wuxi barbarians did not respect Eastern Wu's authority.

"To take Wuling, we must first take the Wuxi barbarians." Ma Liang's voice was calm and resolute. "If the Wuxi barbarians help Eastern Wu, even if our army captures Wuling City, we will be bogged down in the quagmire of mountain warfare. If the Wuxi barbarians help our army, Eastern Wu will not be able to hold a single city in Wuling."