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

Chapter 98 Sun Shiwan is here

Jiangling City, the Grand Governor's Mansion.

The continuous spring rain tapped on the green tiles under the eaves, and the rainwater flowed into thin streams through the gaps in the tiles, dripping onto the bluestone slabs in the courtyard, making a monotonous and dull sound.

The servants in the mansion walked on tiptoe, not daring to make the slightest unnecessary sound, as Lü Meng's condition had worsened again.

Since Lü Meng crossed the river in disguise and seized Jiangling, his health has deteriorated day by day.

At first, he only coughed occasionally, but later he coughed up blood, and the army doctors tried countless remedies without success. Now, this Grand Commander of Eastern Wu has become so thin that his cheekbones are high and his eyes are sunken, and his once well-fitting battle robes look loose on him.

His face was ashen and pale as paper, but his eyes remained sharp as an eagle's, still shining with a penetrating light even on his sickbed.

Lu Xun hurried into the Governor's Mansion.

He rushed from Yidu overnight, and when he entered the city, the sky was just beginning to lighten. As his servants led him into Lü Meng's bedroom, a strong smell of medicine immediately hit him, mixed with the smell of old bedding and the distinctive odor of a sick body.

Lu Xun frowned and said in a low voice, "Grand Commander, Lu Xun greets the Grand Commander."

Lü Meng leaned against the couch, several layers of brocade cushions behind him, and a felt blanket covering his body. On the table lay a map of the entire Jingzhou region, with an oil lamp pressed down beside it. The wick was already smoldering, indicating that the owner had been staring at the map for a long time.

"It's Boyan. Please have a seat!"

"Commander."

Lu Xun sat down by the couch, his gaze sweeping over Lü Meng's sallow face, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Everything is fine in Yidu, Governor, please don't worry. Please take care of yourself!"

Lu Meng waved his hand, indicating that he was alright for the time being. His voice was hoarse and low, as if it were being squeezed out from deep within his chest.

"Boyan, the four commanderies of Jingnan have been lost. Wuling, Changsha, Lingling, and Guiyang—all lost. Pan Zhang died on the battlefield. The Jingzhou that my Jiangdong region painstakingly seized is now reduced to only Yidu and Nanjun."

He paused, then coughed a few times.

"I, Lü Meng, have fought for half my life and have never seen an opponent like Liu Feng. Boyan, I have summoned you here to discuss with you that Yidu County is now under attack from three sides. I intend to withdraw all the troops in Yidu back to Jiangling and rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to defend Jiangling and Gong'an."

Lu Xun listened calmly to Lü Meng's meaning, but did not immediately respond. Instead, he stood up, walked to the map, turned his back to Lü Meng, and remained silent for a long time.

When Lu Xun turned around again, his face showed neither panic nor anger, but only a calm and almost cold-blooded prudence.

"Governor, Yidu cannot be withdrawn."

Lu Meng frowned slightly.

Lu Xun walked back to the couch and sat down, pointing to the location of Jiangling on the map, and said, "If our army retreats back to Jiangling, it may seem on the surface that we are holding the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, but in reality, it is tantamount to handing over all the strongholds in Jiangnan and Jiangbei to Liu Bei. Once Liu Feng has secured Jingnan, he will surely march north and confront us across the river. At that time, the Yangtze River will no longer be our army's barrier."

Lu Xun moved his finger westward from Jiangling, stopping at Yidu, and said, "Let's talk about Yidu again. The governor said that Yidu is under attack from three sides, and that's true. But being attacked from three sides doesn't mean that all three sides are fatal."

His finger first pointed to the north.

"To the north, Guan Yu is in Xiangyang. Guan Yu suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Fancheng, and his troops have not yet recovered. Most of them are newly surrendered soldiers, and their morale is not yet stable. Although he claims to be marching south, it is actually just a bluff."

"In the west, when I set out here, I already had intelligence that Zhang Fei had left Langdong and was taking the Zigui Road, with a force of about 20,000 men."

The Three Gorges are a natural fortress, easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as the defenses along the Yiling line are properly arranged, Zhang Fei's 20,000 men will only be able to wander around in the mountain paths.

"In the south, Liu Feng has just captured the four commanderies of Jingnan. Although his forces are numerous, his battle lines are extremely long, stretching from Wuling in the north to Lingling in the south, spanning hundreds of miles from east to west. He needs to appease the aristocratic families in Linxiang, collect grain, and train troops. It will take him at least two to three months to transform the four commanderies into effective logistical bases. Within these two to three months, he will be unable to launch a large-scale northward advance."

Lü Meng listened without saying a word.

Lu Xun's finger moved south from Yidu, across the Yangtze River, and stopped at Jiaozhou.

"In Jiaozhou, Lü Dai has troops. In Jiangxia, Zhu Ran has troops. These two armies total no less than 30,000, and are currently idle."

If we can transfer troops north from Jiaozhou and west from Jiangxia, advancing from both north and south, we can strike directly at Changsha. Liu Feng's forces in Linxiang are insufficient and scattered across various counties. With our forces attacking from both north and south, Liu Feng will be forced to retreat. If Changsha is recaptured, Lingling and Guiyang will be wide open, and the four southern prefectures of Jingzhou can be recaptured in a single battle. The siege of Yidu will naturally collapse, and there will be no need for the governor to withdraw his troops.

Lu Meng remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "What you said is all correct. But there is one condition: Liu Feng must give us time to mobilize our troops."

"He will."

Lu Xun's voice was firm and calm.

"Because Liu Feng needs more time than we do."

Lu Xun sat up straight again, his tone unusually sharp: "Liu Feng's territory has expanded too quickly. In just a few months, it has expanded from Nanxiang all the way to Lingling, spanning nearly a thousand miles from east to west. If the scale is too large, the foundation will be unstable. It will be even more difficult to maintain subsequent supplies. Once the supply of food and fodder is insufficient, the morale of the army will waver."

"With the Yangtze River still in our hands, not a single grain of grain from northern Hubei will be transported to southern Hubei!"

"Yidu is still in our hands, so the grain and fodder from Sichuan must cross mountains and valleys to reach Wuling."

"And all the strongholds and cities along the Yangtze River are in our hands. With our Eastern Wu navy on the Yangtze River, the supply of provisions will never run out."

Lu Xun's bright eyes gleamed with wisdom. "In warfare, provisions are of paramount importance. Liu Feng is at a disadvantage!"

"His troops also have problems. Although the Wuxi barbarian soldiers are brave, they are undisciplined. They are good at fighting in the mountains and open fields, but they may not be good at defending cities. Liu Pan's old troops from Jingzhou are veterans who have been through many battles, but their numbers are only a few hundred. Most of the rest of the troops are surrendered soldiers who have been reorganized, and their loyalty has not been tested."

"The only ones truly capable of fighting are a few thousand veteran soldiers. With this force, defending the four commanderies is already a stretch, let alone launching a large-scale northward advance. Therefore, Liu Feng needs more time than we do to consolidate his territory and reorganize the surrendered soldiers. We will not give him that time. We will launch a counterattack while he is still establishing himself, preventing him from calmly integrating the four commanderies of Jingnan."

He pointed back to Yidu on the map and said, word by word.

"Therefore, Yidu must not be abandoned. Our army's advantage on the Yangtze River is a weakness that Liu Feng has yet to resolve. As long as the Yangtze River waterway is in our hands, troops and supplies can flow freely from Jiaozhou to Jiangxia. The Yangtze River is a dagger stuck between Jingnan and Shuzhong. As long as this dagger remains in our hands, the north and south of Shu Han cannot truly be united. Liu's so-called three-sided attack on Yidu may seem dangerous, but in reality, only Zhang Fei's forces pose a real threat. I only need to hold Yidu and not venture out, waiting for the Governor to pacify Jingnan!"

The side hall was quiet for a moment.

Lu Meng slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, a complex and indescribable light flashed in them. He reached into his pillow, took out half of a tiger tally, and handed it to Lu Xun.

"I'm afraid my body won't make it."

His voice was hoarse and low, carrying a kind of composure unique to the dying.

"Boyan, your talent is ten times that of mine. I have recently been reorganizing my troops in Jiangling City. When Guan Yu flooded the seven armies, Yu Jin and his 30,000 surrendered soldiers were willing to surrender. Now I entrust them all to your command. You must defend Yidu and reclaim Jingnan!"

As Lü Meng and Lu Xun were discussing, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

The footsteps were extremely close together, accompanied by the soft clattering of armor plates, indicating that there was more than one person.

The guards standing outside the door all knelt on one knee, their voices filled with surprise and awe.

The curtain was lifted from the outside by a servant, and a tall, thin figure with blue eyes and a purple beard stepped across the threshold, bringing with him a chilling aura.

Sun Quan took off his oilcloth, and rainwater dripped from the hem onto the bluestone ground, soaking the inside of the threshold.

"My lord!"

Lu Meng struggled to get up and bow, but Sun Quan strode forward and pressed his shoulder down.

"Ziming, there's no need for such formalities."

Sun Quan sat down beside the couch, observing Lü Meng's complexion by candlelight, his gaze slightly narrowing. He didn't ask much about the illness, but simply patted Lü Meng's hand gently.

"I have come to Jiangling for two reasons. First, to visit Ziming. Second—"

Sun Quan turned his head and looked at the four commanderies of Jingnan on the map. "The four commanderies of Jingnan have been gained and then lost. I cannot sleep or eat in peace."

Lu Xun rose and bowed, then briefly recounted to Sun Quan the contents of his discussion with Lü Meng.

Sun Quan listened attentively. When he heard Lu Xun's analysis that Liu Feng's foundation was not yet stable, he nodded slightly. When he heard about the advantage of the Yangtze River waterway, his eyes flashed with a sharp light. But when he heard the final idea of ​​a pincer attack from Jiaozhou and Jiangxia, he remained silent for a moment.

"Boyan is absolutely right."

Sun Quan stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the map. The light from the oil lamp reflected in his blue eyes, which were as deep and unfathomable as a still pool.

"Liu Feng is a cunning and unpredictable military strategist. But from another perspective, his rapid expansion must have its weaknesses. The larger the operation, the more vulnerabilities it will have. What our army needs to do is to crush him before he can establish a firm foothold."

He pointed to the location of Changsha Prefecture, then pressed his fingertips heavily on Linxiang, his voice suddenly rising and echoing in the side hall.

"I will personally lead the troops to recapture Linxiang. Lü Meng will remain to guard Jiangling, and Lu Xun will guard Yidu. I will personally lead Zhu Ran to attack Changsha, while Lü Dai will lead the detachment of Jiaozhou to attack Guiyang from the south. We will attack from both sides, giving Liu Feng no chance to catch his breath."