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

When Ma Liang stepped into the territory of Xiongxi tribe's village, it was already dusk of the second day.

As the setting sun sank below the western ridge, it bathed the entire valley in a dark red hue. The Xiongxi tribe's stockade was built against the mountainside, a three-story wooden structure perched high on the mountainside. The stockade walls were made of tightly packed, thick pine stakes, and behind the arrow slits, one could vaguely see the figures of barbarian soldiers with bows drawn and arrows nocked.

The open space in front of the village gate was already crowded with people.

In the center of the open space stood a huge three-legged bronze cauldron, with chopped pine firewood piled beneath it. Flames were already licking the bottom of the cauldron, making the bronze walls glow faintly red.

Steam rose from the cauldron, the boiling water churning endlessly, white vapor billowing like mist in the twilight. Beside the cauldron stood two bare-chested barbarian warriors, their arms covered in dark blue totems, each holding a long-handled bronze ladle, their cold gazes sweeping towards the village gate.

Ba Yemo sat on a tiger-skin chair behind the cauldron.

He was the chieftain of the Xiongxi tribe of the Five Streams Barbarians, and also the leader of the most powerful tribe among the Five Streams. He was only in his early forties, with a burly, mountain-like build. A black eagle with outstretched wings was tattooed on his bald head, its beak pointing directly at his brow. His bare arms were muscular and bulging, and in his hand he held a bronze sword inlaid with gold and silver, the blade gleaming eerily in the firelight.

On the left and right sides, the leaders or envoys of the other three caves sat scattered about. Some crossed their arms and sneered, some whispered among themselves, and some picked up their wine bowls and gulped them down, all with their eyes fixed on the direction of the village gate—clearly, this scene was prepared specifically for Liu Bei's envoys.

Ma Liang stepped through the gate amidst the scorching steam and chilling gazes. He brought only five guards, changed into a clean, plain-colored outer garment, wore a scholar's cap, and carried a feather fan. His steps were unhurried, as if he were attending an ordinary banquet.

His gaze swept over the boiling cauldron in the center of the open space without lingering, and he walked straight to the open space in front of Bayemo.

"Ma Liang, Ma Jichang, Military Advisor to the King of Hanzhong of the Great Han Dynasty, greets the chieftains of the Wuxi tribe."

Ma Liang stopped and bowed with his hands clasped.

Ba Yemo did not invite him to sit. He looked Ma Liang up and down, then suddenly grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

"I've heard you're a renowned scholar from the Ma family of Xiangyang, whose words are worth two thousand soldiers. Today I'd like to see that for myself..."

He pointed at the boiling cauldron, his voice suddenly rising, "Can your mouth hold up against the twenty chests of goods sent from Jiangdong! If not, we'll cook you alive and serve the Eastern Wu envoy a bowl of fresh meat soup!"

The surrounding barbarian soldiers burst into laughter and strange shouts. Some shouted "Cook him!" while others banged their shields with the backs of their swords, the noise making the wooden windows on the stockade rattle.

Ma Liang remained unfazed.

He waited until the noise subsided before speaking slowly and deliberately: "If the commander wants to boil me, all he needs is a ladle of boiling water. But before he boils me, the commander might as well listen to me say a few words. If what I say makes no sense, the commander need not lift a finger; I shall enter the boiling cauldron myself."

Ba Yemo's laughter stopped abruptly.

He squinted at Ma Liang for a moment, then slammed the bronze knife on the ground: "Speak."

At this moment, behind the wooden window on the third floor of the stockade, a pair of eyes were coldly watching this scene in the open space through the gap in the bamboo curtain.

Bu Zhi had been waiting here for several days.

After Pan Jun surrendered to Sun Quan, he gave Sun Quan a detailed report on the terrain and landscape of the four newly acquired commanderies in Jingzhou. He mentioned that Wuling Commandery was vast and its people were fierce, with the Wuxi Man tribes holding their positions in the mountains. If they could not be pacified, Wuling would inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later.

Sun Quan then sent Bu Zhi personally with gold and silver to pacify the region. He arrived five days earlier than Ma Liang, bringing generous gifts and speaking earnestly, but Bayemo remained unmoved, neither agreeing to surrender nor sending troops.

Today, with Ma Liang's arrival, Bayemo immediately set up this boiling cauldron, which actually relieved Bu Zhi. The fiercer Bayemo was to Liu Bei's envoy, the more advantageous it would be for Eastern Wu.

On the open ground, Ma Liang's voice rang out amidst the firelight.

"You chieftains wish to live a carefree life in the mountains, but my lord, the King of Hanzhong, has five advantages over Sun Quan, while Sun Quan suffers five defeats!"

He raised his first finger, his voice calm and measured, “First, legitimacy. The King of Hanzhong is a member of the Han imperial family, the current imperial uncle. Cao Cao usurped the Han throne, and Sun Quan seized power. The King of Hanzhong, with the forces of Yizhou, is upholding the Han dynasty, which is perfectly legitimate. If you, Commander, assist the King of Hanzhong today, you are assisting the legitimate Han dynasty. What is Eastern Wu? It is a separatist regime, its legitimacy is questionable. If you, Commander, assist Eastern Wu, you are aiding the rebels.”

"second."

He raised his second finger, his speech quickening slightly, "The hearts of the people. The people of Jingzhou are loyal to the King of Hanzhong, and this is not something that can be achieved overnight. Lord Guan has been in Jingzhou for over ten years, and the people are grateful for his kindness. Now that Lord Guan is stationed in Xiangyang, if he raises his arm and calls to action, many in Jingnan will surely respond. Eastern Wu used a cunning scheme to seize Jiangling, and the people of Jingzhou hate him to the bone. The hearts of the people are with the King of Hanzhong, not with Sun Quan."

"third."

He raised his third finger, his voice rising a notch, "Military strength. The King of Hanzhong controls Yizhou, Hanzhong, and Xiangfan. Wei Yan is in Hanzhong, Lord Guan is in Xiangfan, and General Zhang Fei is in Langzhong. These three armies can march south to Jingnan at any time. Although Eastern Wu has a large army, it has to defend Jiangling, Jiangxia, and Chaisang, making it vulnerable in every direction. When the King of Hanzhong's army presses in, Eastern Wu will be unable to support itself from both ends and will undoubtedly be defeated."

"fourth."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the Wuxi barbarian chieftains present with a sharp, piercing look, "Their attitude toward foreign tribes."

Ba Yemo's brow twitched involuntarily. Ma Liang seized upon this subtle change, and his voice suddenly became deep, slow, and powerful.

"Does the chieftain know what has become of the Yue people in the Eastern Wu territory? Since Sun Quan ascended the throne, he has waged war against the Yue people every year, capturing their able-bodied men to serve in the army, abducting their women and children to be enslaved, and seizing their land to distribute to the powerful clans of Jiangdong. The Yue chieftains are either dead or have surrendered; less than one in ten survives. This is how Eastern Wu treats foreign tribes: first, they appease them with gold and silver, and once they have gained a foothold, they turn their swords against them."

He pointed his feather fan toward the firelight beneath the cauldron.

"Today, Sun Quan sent gold, silver, and jewels merely to appease the Wuxi tribe. Once the situation in Wuling stabilizes, the sword of Eastern Wu will be at the chieftain's throat. At that time, the chieftain's clansmen will be captured and forced into military service, and his mountain stronghold will be seized and distributed among the powerful clans of Jiangdong. The Wuxi tribe will be nothing more than another mountain bandit!"

A commotion arose in front of the village gate.

Several barbarian chieftains who understood Chinese looked angry and spoke in hushed tones in their barbarian language. Bayemo's smile gradually faded, and the knuckles of his fingers gripping the bronze knife turned white.

"fifth."

Ma Liang gave his opponent no chance to breathe, raised his fifth finger, and his voice was like a thunderclap.

"Liu Feng. Deputy General Liu Feng, the eldest son of the King of Hanzhong. A little over a month ago, he marched out of Shangyong, captured Rangcheng, broke through Fancheng, beheaded Cao Ren, and seized Xiangyang. Cao Ren was Cao Cao's General Who Conquers the South, and he defended Fancheng for half a year. Even when Guan Yu flooded the seven armies, he did not surrender. Deputy General Liu took Fancheng in one night and personally beheaded Cao Ren."

He took a step forward, staring intently at Bayemo, "Vice Commander Liu has personally led his wolves and tigers to the Wuxi territory. If we throw ourselves into this boiling cauldron, within two days, the Wuxi barbarians will likely be slaughtered. Even if we have a great deal of wealth, we probably won't be able to enjoy it!"

A combination of kindness and severity!

Carrots and sticks!

The leaders of the various tribes of the Five Streams Barbarians felt a slight twitch at the corner of their eye, and their expressions became somewhat unnatural.

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out from behind Ba Yemo: "Ma Jichang is indeed eloquent."

Bu Zhi slowly walked out of the stockade.

He was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe and wore a lacquered gauze crown. He had a handsome face, and three long strands of beard fluttered slightly in the firelight. A jade-hilted sword hung at his waist. He was calm and composed, and his gaze subtly swept over Ma Liang before stopping in front of Bayemo.

Bu Zhi was a trusted advisor to Sun Quan, renowned in Jiangdong for his literary and military talents. He knew that Ma Liang's words were intended to force him out of hiding. But if he remained hidden, Ma Liang would only capture Ba Yemo's attention.

"Ma Jichang keeps talking about upholding the orthodox will of the people, but he forgot to mention one thing."

Bu Zhi turned around, facing the Wuxi chieftains who had gathered around him, and slowly began to speak.

"Lord Guan Yu guarded Jingzhou for over ten years, only to be defeated by Lü Meng's Ming Dynasty crossing the river in disguise, losing Jiangling overnight. Mi Fang and Fu Shiren opened the gates and surrendered, and the 30,000-strong army was completely routed. This is what Ma Jichang meant by 'the will of the people.' The four commanderies of Jingnan are now all under the control of Lü Meng and Lu Xun. Does Liu Bei have a single soldier in Jingnan? No!"

His gaze returned to Ma Liang, his tone still unhurried: "What you just said about how Eastern Wu treated the Shanyue people is all baseless accusations. My lord Sun Quan treats the heroes of the Five Streams tribes with sincerity; Ma Ji, please don't try to smear his intentions!"

Ba Yemo's fingers rubbed back and forth on the bronze hilt of his sword. Several barbarian chieftains looked at each other, and the murmurs of their discussions grew louder and louder. Some were inclined towards Eastern Wu, while others were moved by Ma Liang. The two sides argued heatedly, but neither could convince the other.

Bu Zhi and Ma Liang stood facing each other across the boiling cauldron, one composed, the other calm, the firelight flickering between them. The leaders of the various tribes of the Five Streams argued incessantly, and for a moment no one could decide which side to side with.

Suddenly, Ba Yemo slammed the bronze sword heavily on the ground, the tip striking the gravel and sending up a few sparks.

He stood up, his bald head facing the billowing steam above the boiling cauldron, his eagle beak tattoo faintly visible in the mist, and he barked, "Shut up!"

Once the noise around the stockade had subsided, he coldly ordered, "The envoys from the King of Hanzhong and the envoys from Eastern Wu are both distinguished guests. How can we neglect such guests who have come from afar? Please stay in the stockade for a few more days while I discuss and decide with the elders of the various departments."

He said "please," but as soon as he finished speaking, two groups of barbarian soldiers flanked him from both sides.

One group blocked Ma Liang's path, while the other stood behind Bu Zhi, each wielding a long halberd and a short sword, positioned between the two. Ma Liang and Bu Zhi exchanged a glance through the firelight and the iron blades, neither speaking further.

The barbarian soldiers led the two away, and the tense meeting came to an abrupt end. The attitudes of the various tribes of the Five Streams remained uncertain, as elusive as fog.