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

The battlefield in the valley has been more than half cleared.

The veterans of Wancheng Camp sorted and categorized the captured Wu army armor and weapons. The wounded were carried to the stream where medical personnel cleaned and bandaged them. The surrendered soldiers were disarmed and crouched under an old locust tree at the valley entrance, their hands clasped behind their heads, guarded by soldiers under Kou Wei's command. Ding Feng, along with several Yi soldiers, dug pits on the hillside and buried the bodies of the fallen on the spot, treating those from Shu Han and Eastern Wu equally.

Liu Feng assigned Guan Ping and Ding Feng to handle the aftermath, and then led Xi Zhen through the mountains and forests back to the dense forest camp where the Fengzi Camp was stationed.

Ma Liang was checking maps in his tent when he heard footsteps. He looked up, his gaze falling on Xi Zhen's face, and suddenly froze.

"Eh! You are, Xi Shi A-Zhen?"

Ma Liang put down the bamboo slips, got up and walked to Xi Zhen. He looked Xi Zhen up and down, his face obscured by gunpowder and blood, his tone filled with disbelief.

"Xi Zhen's younger cousin, the same A-Zhen who copied books at the Xi family school in Xiangyang back then?"

Xi Zhen was also stunned. He stared at Ma Liang for a moment, then suddenly his knees buckled and he knelt down, his voice trembling: "Mr. Ji Chang! It's actually Mr. Ji Chang! I was blind and didn't recognize you!"

Ma Liang helped Xi Zhen up, pulled him to sit by the fire, and handed him a water bag. Xi Zhen took a big gulp, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and his eyes were still red.

"Brother Jizhu (Xi Zhen's courtesy name), what brings you here? What is the situation in Yidu?"

Looking at Xi Zhen's appearance, Ma Liang asked in a deep voice.

"Sir, please forgive me."

Xi Zhen took a breath and recounted the story from the beginning: "This humble general was originally a subordinate general under the King of Hanzhong. When Lu Xun of Eastern Wu attacked Yidu, Fan You abandoned the city and fled. This humble general was unwilling to surrender to Wu, so he led more than a hundred of his trusted brothers to retreat into Jing Mountain."

"This humble general is from the Xi family of Xiangyang. In the past, the Xi family owned many businesses and properties in the Yidu area and had long-standing relations with the local Yi people. Taking advantage of this relationship, this humble general contacted the leaders of various Yi caves in the Jing Mountains and gathered five thousand men within ten days. The original intention was to contain Lu Xun and launch a coordinated attack from within when the King of Hanzhong's army marched out of Sichuan. Who knew that Sun Quan would quickly send Pan Jun..."

At the mention of Pan Jun's name, Xi Zhen's jaw clenched noticeably. Liu Feng and Ma Liang exchanged a glance, clearly aware that they also knew the name Pan Jun.

But Xi Zhen continued.

"Pan Jun was originally Guan Yu's chief advisor, but after the fall of Jiangling, he surrendered to Eastern Wu. This man is familiar with the terrain of Jingzhou and knows my background. As soon as he arrived in Yidu, he began to instigate rebellions against the Yi chieftains, and those he couldn't win over, he sent troops to suppress them. I fought against him for half a month, but gradually lost ground and could only retreat south continuously. Who knew that a few days ago, a well-equipped Wu army suddenly appeared at various passes, their flags bearing the character 'Sun'..."

Ma Liang's pupils contracted slightly, and he said calmly, "Sun Jiao. Jie Fanjun."

"Exactly."

Xi Zhen's voice lowered.

"Later, I captured several Wu scouts and learned that after Pan Jun surrendered, Sun Quan treated him with great favor and specially ordered Sun Jiao to lead 10,000 Jie Fan troops to Pan Jun's command, specifically to besiege me."

"Sun Jiao has blocked all the passes and mountain roads south of Jing Mountain, laying a trap to trap my five thousand men in the mountains. My attempts to break out have been thwarted several times, and our forces have dwindled with each battle. If it weren't for the young general's rescue today, my three thousand brothers and I would have perished at the valley entrance."

A moment of silence fell over the tent. Ma Liang and Liu Feng exchanged a glance, both looking on with a hint of realization.

"I see."

Ma Liang slowly said, "Sun Jiao ordered the Jiefan Army to block the pass, not to block us, but to block General Xi. The deputy general and we just happened to walk into this trap, but this also shows that Sun Jiao did not know that Deputy General Liu had come here in person!"

Liu Feng nodded. He sat cross-legged by the fire and drew several lines on the soil with a dry twig.

"General Xi, speaking of the Jie Fan Army, how effective is this force?"

Xi Zhen put down the water bag, her expression becoming serious.

"Young General, the Jiefan Army is Sun Quan's elite personal guard, far superior to ordinary Wu soldiers. I have fought them three times and suffered greatly. Their equipment..."

Xi Zhen pointed to the bright armor she was wearing, which she had seized from Wu Jun's captain.

"Young General, please take a look. The ordinary soldiers of the Jiefan Army all wear double-layered leather armor, lined with iron plates, which cannot be penetrated by ordinary arrows from fifty paces away. The platoon leaders and above are equipped with bright armor, and their weapons are also different from those of ordinary Wu soldiers. Their swords are made of hundred-refined steel, three inches longer than our ring-pommel swords, and the blades are extremely hardened by quenching. Their crossbows are clamp crossbows, with a range at least thirty paces farther than our crossbows. Needless to say, they are strong in naval warfare, but they are also extremely strong in land and mountain warfare. I have personally witnessed the Jiefan Army crossing mountains and valleys, forming ranks and charging on muddy slopes after the rain, and their formation remained completely intact."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, Sun Jiao is an extremely patient and methodical commander. I once attempted a night raid on his camp, only to discover that he changed camps every night, alternating between overt and covert sentries, leaving no openings. When he blocked the passes, he didn't rush to attack, but instead compressed the defenses layer by layer, cutting off my supply lines one by one. If it weren't for the arrival of the young general, I would have run out of food in less than five days."

After listening, Ma Liang frowned even more deeply. He got up and walked to the map, his gaze sweeping back and forth across the border between Yidu and Wuling.

"Of the 10,000 Jie Fan Army, excluding the 2,000 that were wiped out today by Deputy Commander Liu, there are still 8,000 elite troops left. In addition, Lu Xun has at least 10,000 elite soldiers under his command."

After assessing the strength of the Eastern Wu army, Ma Liang began to consider his own forces. "Our current strength, including the Fengzi Battalion's soldiers from Wancheng and the veterans from Shangyong, is only about four thousand men. Adding General Xi's three thousand Yi soldiers, the total is less than ten thousand. The disparity in strength is too great, and the Wu soldiers are well-equipped, well-trained, and occupy fortified cities. In a direct confrontation, the chances of victory are slim."

"What's even more troublesome is that if our army cannot break through Sun Jiao's blockade and enter Wuling in a short time, we will be caught in a pincer attack once Lü Meng brings reinforcements from Jiangling."

Ma Liang turned to Liu Feng, a hint of gloom beneath his white eyebrows, and said in a deep voice, "Deputy Commander Liu, this battle requires careful consideration."

Liu Feng remained silent, repeatedly drawing and erasing on the soil with the withered twig in his hand. After Ma Liang finished speaking, he stuck the withered twig into the ground.

"General Xi, you just said that Pan Jun is trying to win over the leaders of the Yi people. Are those leaders who have been won over now considered loyal to him?"

Xi Zhen was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "There's no loyalty whatsoever. The Yi chieftains are merely bribed by Pan Jun's provisions and money. Pan Jun is greedy; he never delivers the provisions he promises to the Yi people in the various caves on time, and many of the chieftains complain in private. I heard that a Yi chieftain surnamed Shi was owed half a month's worth of provisions by Pan Jun, and he smashed his wine bowl in the camp on the spot."

"Alright." Liu Feng then asked, "What is the relationship between Sun Jiao and Pan Jun?"

Xi Zhen thought for a moment: "I haven't witnessed it myself, but I've managed to get some information out of the captured soldiers. As a surrendered general, Pan Jun doesn't have much leverage with the veteran soldiers of the Jiefan Army. Although Sun Jiao is nominally under his command, the actual command of the Jiefan Army remains in Sun Jiao's hands. The two occasionally argue during discussions; Pan Jun advocates a fierce attack, eager to gain merit and favor, while Sun Jiao advocates a steady and methodical approach, unwilling to use the Jiefan Army to help Pan Jun gain credit."

Liu Feng's lips curled up slightly, a faint smile that flashed by in an instant.

"I had several dealings with Pan Jun when I was serving under Lord Guan. Although he is quite capable, he is insatiable and suspicious. Therefore, he and Lord Guan are not on good terms."

Liu Feng broke the withered branch in two and threw it into the fire.

"Suspicious, greedy, and eager to make a name for themselves. Such people are most easily tricked."

Liu Feng spread out a map, summoned all his generals to his side, and explained the plan from beginning to end in a low voice.

Guan Ping listened, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes, but he remained silent. Ding Feng grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his expression like that of a hunting dog that had caught the scent of its prey.

Xi Zhen immediately knelt down and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "If the young general's plan succeeds, this humble general is willing to serve you!"

Ma Liang nodded slowly, then hesitated for a moment: "Vice Commander Liu's plan is indeed ingenious, with each step meticulously linked. However, there is one point: if Pan Jun refuses to come in person and only sends the Jie Fan Army instead, how will the plan proceed?"

"Won't."

Liu Feng spoke with great certainty, "Pan Jun is eager to make a name for himself, and General Xi and his several thousand troops are the best bargaining chips for him to curry favor with Sun Quan. Pan Jun will definitely fall for the trap and personally lead a large army here."

He paused slightly, then continued, "Sun Jiao is a high-ranking general from the imperial clan. If he harbored suspicions towards Pan Jun, how could he have allowed Pan Jun to lead the Jie Fan army here alone? This arrangement, where the two check and balance each other, was precisely Sun Quan's intention. We are merely playing along!"

After pondering for a long time, Ma Liang finally gently patted the scroll in his palm.

"Alright. We'll follow Deputy Commander Liu's plan."