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

Outside the gate of Chenxi tribe's village.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the pine branches on both sides of the mountain path were still covered with night dew. The horses' hooves trod over the wet gravel, making a soft, rustling sound.

Mi Zhu's caravan was ready to depart, and several strong soldiers were loading dry rations and water onto the carriages. The middle-aged scholar, who was over forty years old, stood in front of the carriage. Compared to when he arrived covered in dust, he was much more dignified today, and the melancholy between his brows had faded considerably.

"Nephew, there's no need to see me off so far."

Mi Zhu cupped his hands in greeting, his voice slightly louder than when he was on the observation platform the previous night.

"I thought about it for a long time last night. My two good-for-nothing sons—Mi Wei and Mi Ping—have been helping to manage the few remaining businesses of the clan in Chengdu all these years. The elder is steady and the younger is clever; both are hardworking young men. After I return, I will order them to go to Xiangyang and Shangyong respectively. One will contact the Xi family and other prominent families, and the other will go to survey ferry crossings and warehouses along the Han River. The Mi family will be the one to take charge of trade routes."

Liu Feng took out a pre-written silk scroll from his bosom and handed it over with both hands.

"Uncle, this is a handwritten letter from your nephew to Xi Lang, an elder of the Xi clan in Xiangyang. The Xi family has been in the shipping business for generations, and they are involved in many ferry crossings and warehouses along the Han River. If you take this letter to the Xi family, they will surely do their utmost to help you."

Mi Zhu took the silk scroll and carefully hid it in his bosom.

Liu Feng then took a bronze token from his waist and handed it to Mi Zhu. "This token is my seal of authority, and I can travel freely along the route between Xiangfan and Shangyong. Tell my two elder brothers that if they encounter any trouble on the Han River, they can seek help from Kou Zun and Deng Ai! Uncle, take care on your journey! Please give my regards to Father and Military Advisor Zhuge."

Mi Zhu took the bronze plaque and suddenly lowered his voice: "Nephew, regarding Zifang—I wrote a letter last night, with earnest words. When the time is right, I will send a trusted confidant to Jiangling. Nephew, you must keep a close eye on Sun Jiao; he is the only bargaining chip we have to exchange for Zifang."

Liu Feng nodded.

Mi Zhu turned and got into the carriage. The wheels rolled over the gravel and gradually disappeared into the misty mountain road.

Liu Feng stood outside the gate of the stockade for a long time, watching them go. He knew that Mi Zhu's departure was not just to open up trade routes; the fate of the Mi family and the last hope of the Xuzhou elders had quietly shifted to his side.

This is an alliance that was not explicitly stated but understood by both sides, deeper than any other covenant.

In the afternoon, at the main hall of the Xiongxi tribe's stockade.

Liu Feng ordered a large wooden table to be set up in the center of the main hall, on which a map of Wuling County was spread out. The map was drawn with cinnabar and ink, and the mountains, rivers, cities, ferries, and passes were marked densely.

Those present at the military council included Ma Liang, Guan Ping, Kou Wei, and Sha Moke. Liu Feng surveyed the tent, first nodding slightly to Guan Ping, indicating that he should introduce the enemy's and his own situation.

Guan Ping got up and walked to the map, pointing to the location of Wuling County with his bamboo whip.

"Wuling Commandery is bordered by Yidu to the north, Lingling to the south, Changsha to the east, and the Wuxi Mountains to the west. Its capital, Linyuan, is located in the northeast, with the Yuan River flowing through the north of the city, making it the northern gateway of Wuling Commandery. Yuanling, on the other hand, is located in the southeast, guarding the pass where the Wuling Mountains meet the plains, making it the southern gateway of Wuling Commandery."

"Currently, our army headquarters plus the Wuxi soldiers have a total strength of about 14,000 people, of which 10,000 are barbarian soldiers and 4,000 are our army headquarters elites."

Guan Ping paused, his tone becoming slightly more subdued.

"However, Eastern Wu was not unprepared in the Wuling direction. According to intelligence reports, Jiang Qin, a famous general of Eastern Wu, led 10,000 elite troops to garrison Linyuan, intending to intimidate the Wuxi barbarians and bolster Bu Zhi's morale. Jiang Qin was a veteran general of Jiangdong, who followed Sun Ce in pacifying Jiangdong in his early years and was as famous as Zhou Tai and Han Dang. He was cautious in his military tactics and had an elite infantry force under his command, equipped with large shields and long spears. Their frontal formation was extremely difficult to break, and he was a veteran of siege warfare and positional warfare."

There was a moment of silence in the tent.

Shamoke leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed and said in a gruff voice, "I've seen Jiang Qin's troops. Their scouts are always patrolling the Youxi area. Their armor is gleaming, and their ranks are orderly. They're not the same kind of soldiers we fight in the mountains. If we're fighting in the Wuxi Mountains, my barbarian troops won't be afraid, but if we're going to line up and charge on the plains..."

Shamok did not continue speaking.

But these men were all seasoned soldiers, and they naturally knew this. In mountain warfare, the Wuxi barbarian soldiers might have an advantage due to their familiarity with the terrain and the speed and agility honed from years of living in the mountains. However, if they were to engage in battle on the plains, let alone the Wuxi barbarians, no other ethnic group of this era could match the regular Han army equipped with armor and iron weapons!

Ma Liang suddenly said, "Bu Zishan and I arrived at Wuxi almost simultaneously. It was thanks to General Hou's preemptive strike that Chief Shamoke was able to act with such righteousness. But even if Jiang Qin is not as astute as General Hou, seeing that Bu Zhi has not returned for many days, he must be able to guess that something has happened. What will he do then?"

Liu Feng said, "Wuxi is the home ground of the barbarian soldiers. Jiang Qin would not be so foolish as to send the main force of his army into the mountains to encircle and annihilate them. So he can only send a small group of elite troops into the mountains to scout."

A glint flashed in Shamoke's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "I will immediately order all the men of my clan to be on high alert. If they encounter any spies from Eastern Wu, kill them on the spot!"

Guan Ping put down the bamboo whip, a glint of light suddenly flashing in his eyes.

"General, I have a plan."

"Oh?" Liu Feng looked at Guan Ping. "You have a plan too. Tell me about it!"

"Jiang Qin stationed his troops in Linyuan to support Bu Zhi. Now that Bu Zhi has failed to return on time, Jiang Qin will surely send someone to meet him. Why not have Commander Sha Moke lead his elite vanguard in a feigned surrender to trick the gates of Linyuan into opening, while our main force follows closely behind, swarming in and defeating Jiang Qin in one fell swoop?"

Kou Wei nodded slightly upon hearing this, and Sha Moke also straightened up, seemingly quite interested in the idea.

Guan Ping looked at Liu Feng expectantly, clearly confident in his plan.

Liu Feng and Ma Liang exchanged a glance, and the military tent fell silent, with everyone's eyes focused on Liu Feng.

"Tanzhi." Liu Feng's voice was not loud, but it carried a hint of relief. "You thought of using Shamoke's identity to your advantage; that shows you've used your brain. It's a world of difference compared to when you only knew how to charge into battle in Dangyang."

Guan Ping's face flushed slightly, but he did not lower his head and continued to wait for Liu Feng to continue.

"But this plan cannot be used on Jiang Qin."

Liu Feng pointed to the location of Lin Yuan on the map. "Firstly, Jiang Qin is a veteran general of Eastern Wu, an old minister who followed Sun Ce in raising an army. Bu Zhi was detained in Wuxi for several days, so Jiang Qin wouldn't be completely unprepared. Even if he believes that Shamoke has truly surrendered, he would never allow the barbarian troops to swagger into the city. At most, he would order you to garrison outside the city, send trusted confidants to monitor the situation, and then report to Lu Xun, waiting ten days or half a month before making further arrangements. By then, our surprise attack will have become a stalemate."

"Secondly, and more importantly, Eastern Wu has a larger army. Even if they feign opening the city gates, with Jiang Qin's abilities, he might be able to surround the barbarian soldiers and defend the city walls. At that time, these two thousand elite barbarian soldiers would be sitting ducks. Our army has come from afar without siege equipment. To sacrifice the lives of our elite soldiers to fill the walls of Linyuan is not how Liu Feng's troops are used."

The tent was quiet for a moment.

Guan Ping pondered Liu Feng's words several times, and gradually a look of respect appeared in his eyes. He clasped his hands and said, "General, you are right. This humble general only thought of the feigned attack on the city, but did not consider Jiang Qin's reaction, let alone our army's lack of tactics for attacking the city. This humble general has learned a lot."

Liu Feng nodded to him, his gaze returning to the map. His finger slowly moved south from Lin Yuan, across the Yuan River, across the Wuling Mountains, and finally stopped at a sparsely marked location—Yuanling.

On the map, Yuanling is located at the junction of the Wuling Mountains and the eastern plain. The Yuan River flows around the east of the city, and the waterway can directly connect to Linyuan and Dongting.

"Yuanling".

Liu Feng said, pointing heavily on the map, "This is the true choke point of Wuling County. Once we take Yuanling, the Wuling Mountains will be an open door. Our army can then swoop down from the mountains and directly approach Linyuan. Jiang Qin will no longer be able to hold Wuyang. This is an attack on what the enemy must defend, not an attack on their fortified city."