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

The rear garden of the governor's mansion.

Man Chong sat by the window, reading the scroll of "Records of the Customs and Traditions of Jingzhou" by the sunlight. He had turned to the last page of the bamboo slips, which recorded the ferry crossings and bridges along the Han River. It was dry and rigid, but he read it very carefully—after being imprisoned for more than ten days, if he didn't find something to do, he would be driven crazy by the silence.

Footsteps sounded at the threshold.

Man Chong raised her head. The person who came was very young, wearing black armor, with a long sword at his waist. His face was mostly obscured by the backlight from the window, and only the outline of his jaw and a pair of calm eyes could be seen.

He stood at the door for a moment, then stepped over the threshold, took off his helmet and placed it on the table, and sat down opposite Manchong.

"Man Boning," he said, his voice low.

Man Chong's fingers tightened slightly as he held the bamboo slip.

"Is Deputy Commander Liu here to kill me, or to persuade me to surrender?" Man Chong's voice was calm as he placed the bamboo slips on the table. "If you wish to kill me, so be it. If you wish to persuade me to surrender, there's no need to waste your breath; Lord Guan came by the day before yesterday."

"I've heard about it," Liu Feng said. "Your Excellency treats you with sincerity and has reserved a place for you."

"I will always remember your magnanimity, my lord. But I have not agreed to your request, nor will I agree to it, Vice Commander Liu's." Man Chong spoke calmly and deliberately.

"The King of Wei has shown me great favor over the past twenty years, from a county official to the governor of Runan, and from a mere scholar to a military advisor under the General Who Conquers the South. This kindness cannot be erased with just a few words."

Liu Feng did not respond immediately.

He took out a wine flask and two earthenware bowls from his sleeve, slowly filled both bowls with wine, and pushed one bowl to Man Chong.

Man Chong glanced at the bowl of wine—it was the same style as the wine bag Guan Yu had brought the day before, a vintage wine from a prominent family in Xiangyang.

He didn't move.

"Man Boning," Liu Feng picked up his bowl of wine and took a sip, "You say Cao Cao has shown you kindness and favor. But has Cao Cao shown any kindness or righteousness to the people of Wancheng?"

Man Chong frowned slightly.

"Last year, the people of Wancheng, unable to endure the suffering of enslavement, rose up and occupied the city. These people were simply seeking a way to survive!" Liu Feng's voice was flat, as if stating a basic geographical fact. "But Cao Ren, after he captured Wancheng and killed Hou Yin and Wei Kai, what did he do in Wancheng?"

Man Chong did not answer. He knew the answer, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"If you won't tell, I'll tell you for you. Cao Ren allowed his troops to plunder Wancheng, burning down houses and slaughtering civilians. Wancheng originally had ten thousand households, but after the war, less than three thousand remained. Prefect Man couldn't possibly be unaware of this."

Liu Feng put down his wine bowl and met Man Chong's gaze.

"When you governed Runan, some soldiers within your territory forcibly abducted women, and you sentenced them to immediate execution. Cao Cao personally wrote a letter pleading for the man, saying that he was a member of the Cao clan and had made outstanding military achievements. You placed Cao Cao's letter on your desk and executed him without hesitation. Prefect Man will surely remember this incident."

Man Chong's fingers trembled slightly.

"You killed that man, and Cao Cao didn't pursue the matter. Not only did he not pursue it, he also promoted you, making you the governor of Runan. You think this shows the magnanimity of the King of Wei, and his kindness in recognizing your talent. But have you ever thought about—who can the families of the thousands of people who were massacred in Wancheng appeal to for justice?"

Liu Feng took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his bosom and unfolded it, placing it on the table. The bamboo slips were densely covered with writing. Man Chong looked down at it, and his gaze suddenly froze.

That was the list of victims of the Wancheng looting.

It wasn't official statistics; it was the names of the survivors, recorded verbally by each household.

Each line has a name, age, and cause of death.

"Wang, aged thirty-seven, died in a fire."

"Old Liu, 63 years old, with a knife wound."

"Chen, aged nineteen, threw herself into a well."

The handwriting was messy yet forceful, as if the scribe was carving each word with gritted teeth. The bamboo slip was long; it rolled on the table, revealing the total number in the last line—more than four thousand two hundred people.

"Your benefactor is Cao Cao. Fine. What about Cao Ren? Man Boning, are you willing to manage accounts for such a person? To calculate his provisions, devise his strategies, defend Fancheng to the death, and even starve yourself to death after being captured?"

Liu Feng stared intently at Man Chong, "For whom were you keeping your vows during those two days of fasting and abstaining from food and drink? Was it for Cao Cao, or for that insurmountable obstacle in your own heart?"

Man Chong's lips moved, but no sound came out.

"If you think I'm wrong, you can refute me now." Liu Feng pushed the bamboo slip forward. "But Man Boning, I want to tell you. I know you are resolute in your heart. No one in this era understands the law better than me."

Man Chong closed his eyes.

"Alright." His voice was hoarse, like sand grinding through rough pottery. "No need to say anything more."

Liu Feng did not stop.

"No, there's one more thing. You served under Cao Cao for over twenty years, rising from a minor official in Yanzhou to a governor in Runan. You were strict in enforcing the law, impartial, and fearless of powerful figures."

"I've heard that the powerful clans of Runan have given you a nickname, calling you 'Iron Hedgehog.' But how did you get that nickname? It's because you've offended too many people. Cao Cao could keep you in check while he was alive, but what if Cao Cao were to pass away? Cao Pi, Cao Xiu, Xiahou Shang—who among them would have the vision and courage to protect you? Who would dare to protect you!"

Man Chong opened his eyes and looked at Liu Feng. There was no anger or fear in his eyes, only a kind of weariness that came from having his deepest secret revealed, a weariness that he was too lazy to even hide anymore.

"You have no one to back you up. The law is the knife in your hand, but who will you offend when you wield it?"

"They are relatives of the Cao family, members of the Xiahou clan, and those military generals who have conquered cities and territories and whose achievements have overshadowed the emperor. If you kill one, you will make a bunch of enemies. If you kill ten, the entire court will be your enemy."

"Do you think Cao Cao promoted you because he appreciated you? Maybe he did, but he was also using you as a tool. After he's done using you, you'll be the one who offends people, and all the grudges will be on your head. You know better than anyone what will happen to you the day he stops protecting you."

Liu Feng picked up the wine bowl, drank the last drop, and slammed the bowl down on the table.

"Follow me. From now on, I will be your pillar of strength!"

Man Chong stared at Liu Feng for a long time.

This young man spoke in a way unlike any other ruler he had ever met. He didn't make empty promises, talk about lofty ideals, or spout platitudes about restoring the Han dynasty.

He calculates the pros and cons with you, like a seasoned businessman laying out two accounts clearly on the table, and then says—you choose.

"Deputy Commander Liu," Man Chong's voice was hoarse, "you're talking about interests, not principles."

"Interest and self-interest are the greater good."

Liu Feng said, "Man Boning, you've believed in the law your whole life. What is the law? It's about ensuring that good people aren't bullied and that evil people pay the price. Could you have done that under Cao Cao? Cao Ren massacred Wancheng, could you have stopped him? Cao Ren allowed his soldiers to eat human flesh, could you have stopped him? Cao family members broke the law, could you have executed one or two, but could you have executed them all?"

"The scales in your heart have never truly been balanced by Cao Cao. Now, I will give you a chance to balance them."

He stood up and slowly drew his long sword from his waist. The blade gleamed coldly in the dim light, and Man Chong's pupils contracted slightly.

Liu Feng flipped the knife over, with the tip pointing towards himself and the hilt towards Man Chong.

"If you think what I've said is all nonsense, then you may stab me now, or take me with you and flee Xiangyang."

Man Chong did not move.

"If you feel that I, Liu Feng, am worthy of your service,"

Liu Feng extended his sword hilt half an inch forward. "From now on, all you need to do is find that incorruptible Man Boning. I, along with tens of thousands of elite troops, will back you up!"

The room remained quiet for a long time.

The branches of the old plum trees outside the window swayed gently in the river breeze, making a soft, continuous sound as they brushed against the window frame.

Man Chong stared at the shiny rope on the hilt of the knife, and at Liu Feng's hand holding the knife—that hand held the knife very steadily, with thick calluses on the tiger's mouth, and the knuckles slightly deformed from years of holding the reins.

This is not a hand that strategizes from behind a screen; it is a hand that has personally killed people and attacked cities.

Man Chong reached out and grasped the hilt of the knife. Instead of slashing at Liu Feng, he slowly turned the knife over, tip down, and held it flat with both hands, returning it to Liu Feng.

"Deputy Commander Liu."

His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have been pressing deep in his chest for a long time, finally being pried open a crack: "In this life, what I fear most is not death. It's standing in the wrong place and doing the wrong thing."

"Some of the things you just said I have thought about, and some I dare not think about. But the general is right about one thing—Man Boning believed in the law, but he never balanced the scales with the King of Wei."

He raised his head and met Liu Feng's gaze.

"If you can be my loyal servant, then why can't I be your sharp blade?"

Liu Feng took the long sword and sheathed it.

Then he reached out and helped Man Chong up from the couch. Man Chong's hand was very cold, and in Liu Feng's palm it felt like a stone that had been washed by the river for many years.

But once he stood up straight, his back did not bend down again.

"Ma Jichang had already organized and archived the military and political documents of Xiangyang before he left. He had already done the work of appeasing the people and winning over the powerful families. As for the rest, Mr. Jichang said, you will do even better than him!"

Man Chong paused for a moment, then understood, a smile appearing on his lips. "Vice Commander Liu and Ma Liang understand me!"

"Let's go." Liu Feng turned and walked towards the door.

Man Chong followed behind him, and as he stepped out of the side room, he subconsciously shielded his eyes with his hand.

More than ten days later, this was the first time he had stepped out of that room. The river breeze from the Han River blew in from afar, carrying the scents of water plants and wood.

Man Chong stood on the path in the back garden of the governor's mansion and took a deep breath. Then he lowered his head, straightened his clothes, and walked forward.