I, Zhou Cang, am the number one tank in the Three Kingdoms.

When Zhou Cang woke up, he was lying on a cart frame in a military tent, his body bandaged up like a mummy.

Turning his head, he saw several laborers who had been transporting grain beside him, sitting on the ground resting.

"Where is this?" Zhou Cang asked.

"General Zhou is awake! General Zhou is awake!" Several laborers jumped up excitedly when they saw Zhou Cang wake up and quickly surrounded him.

"General, this is General Guan's camp," a laborer explained to Zhou Cang.

"Oh? Where is this camp? On the east or west bank of the Yu River?" While Zhou Cang was still thinking about capturing Cao Cao's camp at Gualijin, Guan Yu's army had not yet crossed the river.

"Reporting to the general, the army has been crossing the Yu River for two days now, on the west bank," the laborer replied.

"Oh... then Gualijin?" Zhou Cang sat up with difficulty, not because of the severity of his injuries, but because the bandages on his body were wrapped too tightly, making it difficult for him to move.

"General Liao is stationed at Gualijin."

"Has Cao Cao's army not yet attacked Wancheng?"

"Reporting to the general, we see no Cao army attacking."

Hearing this, Zhou Cang felt relieved.

In that case, the first step of the plan that Shan Fu handed over to Guan Gong has been completed. He should now be in the camp on the east side of Wancheng, forming a pincer movement with Gualijin on the northeast side.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Cang tore off a few overly cumbersome bandages and stepped off the vehicle.

"General Zhou is truly a divine being..." The laborers were dumbfounded.

Zhou Cang ignored the discussions and instead looked through the crowd, finding the laborer who had been whipped by the supervisor.

"Do you know anything about the matter of the supervising official?" Zhou Cang asked in a low voice, his gaze fixed on him.

"I know, the inspector died in the Gualijin camp," the laborer said, bowing his head when Zhou Cang looked at him.

"Do you know where General Guan buried him?" Zhou Cang asked as he put on his clothes.

"I know, it was a lowly person who dug the soil," the laborer said, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Alright, lead the way." Zhou Cang said, picking up a jar of wine from a wooden box beside him and following the laborers out of the tent.

Less than two miles north of the camp, at the foot of a small slope, there are thirty-seven neatly arranged graves, without any markings on them.

Of the thirty-three men who participated in the night raid, only six survived; the remaining ten were from Liao Hua's unit.

Zhou Cang poured the wine onto the official's grave, watching the liquid flow down the soil and into the Yu River.

Zhou Cang remained silent. He knew the journey had only just begun, and there would be many more tough battles and sacrifices to come. When would his lord's great cause be completed...?

Unable to bear thinking about it any longer, Zhou Cang slowly closed his eyes.

In Runan City, Shan Fu finally received reinforcements from Jingzhou.

"Oh? Isn't this...?" Wen Ping was slightly surprised when he saw Liu Bei and his strategist Shan Fu coming to greet him at the foot of Runan City.

Many scholars frequented Jingzhou. Although Shan Fu did not visit Liu Biao's residence often, Wen Ping was deeply impressed by him.

Shan Fu not only possessed the refined elegance common to other literati, but also a chivalrous spirit that was not found in other literati.

Liu Bei was not surprised to see Wen Ping's surprise at seeing Shan Fu. He smiled and explained, "When I went to Jingzhou to visit Jing Sheng before, I was unable to do so. Instead, I met Mr. Shan Fu by chance, and we had a very pleasant conversation."

"After inquiring, I learned that you held no official position in Jingzhou, so you privately requested to accompany me. You have now been appointed as our military advisor. Zhongye, please do not take offense."

Wen Ping laughed and said, "How dare I! There are many virtuous scholars in Jingzhou. It is truly a fortunate thing for you, my lord, to have found a strategist. Congratulations!"

After welcoming the Jingzhou troops into the city, Liu Bei and Shan Fu held a banquet to welcome Wen Ping and Sun Qian.

After a few rounds of drinks, Wenping got down to business.

"I learned on my journey that you, my lord, have achieved consecutive victories against Cao Ren, greatly boosting the morale of your army. However, I wonder how the situation at Wancheng is?"

Before setting off from Jingzhou, Kuai Yue specifically instructed Wen Ping that the only thing he should pay attention to was Wancheng, which was Nanyang County.

This is why Kuai Yue specifically chose that small path for Wen Pin and Sun Qian.

The purpose was to deliberately delay. If Liu Bei was indeed capable and demonstrated the ability to challenge Cao Cao, then even though these three thousand soldiers were not many, they would certainly go all out.

If Liu Bei was merely boasting and didn't actually have the strength to launch a surprise attack on Wancheng, then my three thousand troops would simply slack off, find an excuse to coast along, and return to Jingzhou to preserve our strength.

This is also the fundamental reason why, after Sun Qian met with Liu Biao, Kuai Yue was ultimately able to overcome all opposition and persuade Liu Biao to send troops.

"General Wenping, there is no need to worry. Our lord's second brother, General Guan, has already captured Gualijin and is stationed at the foot of Wancheng City." Shan Fu smiled as he looked at Wenping.

"Oh? So fast?" Wen Ping couldn't believe his ears.

When the troops set out from Jingzhou, Wancheng seemed far away, but they had already established a stronghold in Wancheng by the time they arrived in Runan.

"My lord has long heard that your troops are all brave and skilled, and it seems that your words are indeed true." Wen Ping picked up his wine cup and hurriedly offered a toast to Liu Bei.

"Report—!" A servant rushed into the hall, interrupting the banquet.

"What is it?" Shan Fu asked.

"Mr. Chen Zhen, a subordinate of Yuan Shao from Hebei, has come from Guandu and is waiting outside the mansion!"

"Please come quickly!" Liu Bei hurriedly stood up.

When I was trapped in Yuan Shao's camp, I was saved because Chen Zhen and others persuaded Yuan Shao to stay. How could I not welcome my benefactor?

"Mr. Xiaoqi!" Upon seeing Chen Zhen's figure from afar, Liu Bei bowed deeply.

"My lord!" Chen Zhen quickly returned the greeting.

"Sir, you are not in Guandu, so why are you here?" Liu Bei asked, pulling Chen Zhen's hand as they walked into the hall.

"My lord has urgent business to discuss with you, Lord!" Chen Zhen said, his expression slightly tense.

"Please take a seat!"

"Please, my lord!"

"What brings you here, Lord Yuan?" Liu Bei asked Chen Zhen after everyone had sat down again.

"A spy reports that Cao Cao has secretly contacted Sun Quan and Zhou Yu, and is using a forged imperial edict to order them to send troops against you, my lord!"

"I see, just as I expected." Shan Fu smiled slightly, while greeting Chen Zhen.

"And who is this?" Chen Zhen asked Liu Bei after returning the greeting.

"This is Shan Fu, the strategist I recently appointed. To be honest, when I raised my army, the strategist had already foreseen that Cao Cao would collude with Jiangdong, and had already sent Mi Zhu and Mi Fang to Guangling to find Chen Yuanlong." Liu Bei became increasingly confident.

"Chen Deng? Chen Yuanlong?" Upon hearing this, Chen Zhen was more worried than pleased.

"Why are you worried, Xiaoqi? When I was in Xuzhou, Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng advised me and even got involved themselves in the schemes. I believe Yuanlong can definitely help me."

"Times have changed. I've always heard that Chen Deng is a close confidant of Cao Cao. How could Chen Deng betray his master to help you, my lord?" Chen Zhen said with a serious expression.

Dan Fu looked at Liu Bei, the same question he had asked when Liu Bei told him that Xuzhou could rely on Chen Deng.

"Report—!" A servant rushed into the hall once again, interrupting everyone.

"My lord! Scouts report! Cao Cao's army has completely retreated, heading all the way back to Yan County!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Bei and Shan Fu looked at each other.

A feint attack on Yan County was launched to tie down the main force, while a covert crossing of Wancheng forced the enemy to retreat...

The earliest established strategy has been implemented step by step. Theoretically, the reinforcements from Jingzhou have now arrived, which is a crucial step in counterattacking Yanxian and seizing this key location.

Will Jiangdong really take action? Can Chen Deng really be relied upon?

Should we launch a counterattack on Yanxian, or hold our ground in Runan?

"Investigate further! Report back!"