So there was Liu Zhang. He used to be the big man running Yizhou, you know? That whole massive stretch of land with mountains that look like they have been chiseled sharp and valleys so deep you would need a good team just to climb out.
Even when he was just standing still, you could tell this guy once called the shots for millions of people. Real boss energy just radiated off him, like free Wi-Fi at a coffee shop.
But Jiang Wan was not paying any mind to all that ex-ruler presence right now. His eyes were fixed on the absolute mess that was dripping red all over the clean stone path. There sat Zhang Yu's head, cut clean off. The traitor's face frozen in this weird mix of being terrified out of his wits and "man, I really messed up bad."
To be honest, Zhang Yu's big scheme to take over Jiangling was never all that secret. Liu Zhang was quietly playing double agent, so every single detail of the plot landed on Jiang Wan's desk from day one. Every secret meeting, every sword snuck into the city, every guard who took a bribe. Jiang Wan knew everything that was going on.
There is a popular old saying about how the strongest forts fall from the inside. Jiang Wan had seen it happen so many times he could say it in his sleep. Back in the original timeline they were working so hard to change, Jiangling got completely wiped out and proved that old proverb right.
Because of that rough bit of history, Jiang Wan went all out checking every dark corner of the city. He practically turned Jiangling inside out looking for trouble.
He registered every single family, made a detailed map where everyone was linked to their work and their neighborhood. Split the busy city into small, easy to handle sections. Then he took those really loyal craftsmen who had fled from destroyed Gong'an County and turned them into his own watch network.
Before long, hidden lookouts and local leaders were popping up on every street. These sharp-eyed ordinary folks became his eyes and ears, keeping tabs on shady alleys, listening closely in crowded taverns. Jiang Wan was dead set on knowing what went down inside these walls at all times.
Naturally, Zhang Yu was right at the top of the "troublemakers" list.
Thanks to Liu Bei's plan of putting pressure on them both economically and militarily, most local noble clans fighting against them had already given up.
Only the stubborn Cuan clan down south was still holding out, and let us be real, they did not stand a chance. Zhang Yu was supposed to be the final bait, and they caught a whole lot with him. Now that the whole plot was out in the open, it was time to wrap things up.
Jiang Wan just never thought wrapping it up would be this bloody and dramatic.
He let out a soft sigh.
He had even had a special cell built deep in the dungeon, super secure and uncomfortable enough to make even the most honest person talk, but now all that work building it was for nothing.
With the main ringleader gone, all that was left was the usual cleanup job. His men could easily track down the scattered followers, especially the smart ones who skipped the fight at the General Zhenwei's estate.
Jiang Wan quietly gave props to his surprisingly tough ally.
He found himself thinking that maybe if Liu Zhang had never gotten tangled up in Yizhou's messy politics, the guy could have actually done some pretty great things.
Then CLANG. Metal hitting stone hard enough to make everyone jump.
Jiang Wan blinked and looked up. All that "fearsome warlord" energy was gone in an instant. Liu Zhang was bent over awkwardly, grunting as he tried to pick up his heavy ceremonial sword from the ground. He had dropped it like some new recruit who had never held a weapon before.
When he saw Jiang Wan looking confused, Liu Zhang let out a nervous laugh that no proper noble would ever make. He pointed a shaky, jewel-covered finger toward the horizon.
"I swear, I had no idea the Sun Wu navy was this big," Liu Zhang stammered, his face going pale faster than a sheet in moonlight.
Jiang Wan wondered if all the stress was getting to the guy. The warlord standing there looked more like a rich merchant who had wandered into the wrong part of town. Soft-spoken, pale as paper, and practically radiating panic. Not a single trace left of the man who had just calmly beheaded seventeen people in his own dining hall.
"Even thousands of ants cannot chew through iron and stone," Jiang Wan said, switching to the calm, steady voice he used for panicky officials. He gave the trembling warlord a respectful nod.
"General, you have dealt with the traitors and gotten rid of a huge threat inside Jiangling. Your work here is done. Please head back to your estate, rest in your main hall, and wait for good news that the Sun Wu army is retreating in defeat."
Jiang Wan pointed at the tall, thick stone walls around them.
"I am fully resolved to hold this city. I will never allow these treacherous, oath-breaking rats to exploit even a single weakness!"
Watching Liu Zhang grab onto that excuse like a lifeline, hike up his blood-stained silk robes, and hurry down the stairs faster than a man his age should be able to move, Jiang Wan shook his head and smiled. He honestly wondered if cutting off Zhang Yu's head had used up every bit of courage the man had.
Turning back to business, Jiang Wan leaned his forearms on the cold stone wall and squinted toward the horizon.
Logically, it was just tens of thousands of sailors acting as soldiers. No heavy equipment to break down walls, no clue how to get through modern defenses, and absolutely no element of surprise. So what was there to worry about?
But as he walked along the battlements and looked out over the Yangtze River, he could not help but stare at how massive it all was. The enemy fleet was huge. Row after row of Sun Wu warships covered the water, their sails spread out like a giant white blanket stretching all the way to where the sky meets the river.
He had always heard stories in taverns that Sun Quan treated his soldiers like they were easy to replace. But seeing it for real, watching the man send this many people to attack one city, Jiang Wan could not help but feel a sharp pang of envy. The kind that made you wonder what it would be like to have that many men to throw at a problem.
As Jiangling's man in charge of supplies and communications, he knew exactly where all of Liu Bei's troops were stationed. Every single number was stuck in his head.
Zhang Fei and Pang Tong were overseeing operations up north in Guanzhong, Yongzhou, and Liangzhou, commanding roughly twenty thousand top-notch, battle-hardened soldiers.
Guan Yu and Xu Shu held the critical northern borders of Jingzhou. They had taken in tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers from Cao Cao's forces, so their strength had grown to around sixty thousand men.
Meanwhile, Liu Bei himself was with Zhuge Liang managing Chengdu's vast economy, keeping about thirty thousand troops ready to move at a moment's notice.
If you counted every local garrison, border patrol, and city guard across all their lands, Liu Bei commanded approximately one hundred and thirty thousand men total.
Right now, lined up outside Jiangling's walls like it was no big deal, was a Sun Wu army with at least seventy thousand frontline fighters. When you added their support people, porters, cooks, and shipbuilders, calling it a hundred-thousand-man invasion was not an exaggeration.
Lu Meng had bet everything on this one move. In one go, the so-called genius strategist had put together a force nearly as big as Liu Bei's entire military.
Looking at this incredible display of resources and manpower, Jiang Wan could only sigh with genuine administrative envy.
Watching enemy engineers build a massive fortified base on top of what was left of Gong'an, Jiang Wan easily figured out Lu Meng's plan.
Classic strangulation tactic. Surround and besiege Jiangling to trap the command center, then gradually take over the southern Jingnan commanderies while the capital was stuck. The goal was to seize control of the Yangtze, split Jingzhou in two, and wait for hunger, pressure, and suspicion to tear the city apart from the inside.
But as Jiang Wan turned and looked far to the south, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
He realized this war would not be decided here. It would be decided deep in the southern parts of Jingnan.
---
Far away, the vast wetlands of Yunmeng Marsh had become a staging ground for the Sun Wu navy. Using the massive lake system, they could bypass all fortified checkpoints and send large fleets straight from their bases in Jiangxia.
From there, they could use the natural river networks to attack from multiple directions. Sail south down the Xiang River to strike at Changsha and Guiyang, or take the Zi River into Lingling, coordinating naval assaults with ground forces to squeeze their enemies.
There was also a more direct and profitable route. They could sail west along the Yuan River to attack Wuling Commandery head on.
The only downside was how isolated it was. Wuling lay far to the west in Jingnan, meaning any fleet attacking there would have no land forces to back them up.
They would have to rely entirely on their marines and sailors.
But for Sun Wu's forces, isolation was not a problem. It was an opportunity.
"My father always told me one thing," a burly squad leader with scars all over his face called out. His voice echoed across the warship's deck as they sailed west up the Yuan River. "The rougher the waters, the bigger the reward!"
He paced back and forth in front of his men, his face flushed with excitement.
"Listen up. Wuling might look huge on a map, but here is the truth. Its borders are full of different tribal groups. They live in the swamps and forests like they were born right out of the mud."
He slammed his fist against his chest plate, the metal ringing with a dull thud.
"We are men of Wu! We have tamed those fierce Shanyue mountain tribes time and again. If we can handle them, what chance do these swamp-dwelling tribes have against us? None! Taking this vast territory will be easier than we ever could have hoped for!"
He pointed toward the ship's bow, where the commander's banner snapped in the wind.
"And look who is leading us. General Dong Xi! Is there anyone on this ship who does not know his name? The man is a legend. His whole career is built on putting down Shanyue rebellions. He is the absolute best at this kind of work!"
The squad leader grinned, revealing a few missing teeth.
"We are serving under Dong Xi himself! The glory and spoils from conquering Wuling are as good as ours already. Nothing to worry about!"
His overly optimistic talk hit home with the men, mostly because they were all thinking about wealth.
The idea of an easy campaign filled them with energy, their eyes bright with anticipation.
Attacking Wuling meant they would not have to share honors or plunder with stuck-up infantry.
Even better, they would not have to sail north and smash themselves against Jiangling's unbreakable walls. Best of all, they were far away from Guan Yu's terrifying anger. Plus they had Dong Xi, a man whose whole record was about subduing native tribes.
All things considered, the men were completely convinced this mission was little more than a sure thing with guaranteed rewards.
Sailing quickly up the Yuan River, the vanguard fleet soon reached their first target, Longyang County. The eager Sun Wu soldiers were in for a big letdown.
"Land ho!" the lookout shouted from the mast, his voice carrying across the water. "I can see the county walls ahead!"
Dong Xi stood at the prow of his flagship, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. "Excellent. Prepare the landing parties. I want Longyang secured before sundown."
The soldiers on deck erupted into cheers, already imagining the plunder and glory awaiting them. They had spent weeks cooped up on these ships, and the prospect of a proper fight was exactly what they needed.
But as the fleet drew closer, something felt wrong.
"General," the lookout called down, his voice now tinged with confusion. "The walls... they are empty."
Dong Xi's grin faltered. "What do you mean, empty?"
"I mean there is no one on the battlements, sir. No guards, no archers, nothing. The gates are wide open."
The flagship led the fleet to the docks, and Dong Xi ordered a scouting party ashore immediately. Twenty sailor-soldiers clambered down the boarding ramps, their swords drawn, expecting an ambush at any moment.
Instead, they found silence.
The streets of Longyang were deserted. Doors hung open, their interiors stripped bare. Cooking pots sat cold in abandoned hearths. Chickens wandered aimlessly through the empty marketplace, pecking at scattered grain like they owned the place.
"Where is everyone?" one young sailor muttered, kicking open the door to what looked like a blacksmith's shop. The forge was cold, the tools gone, only a few scattered nails remaining on the floor.
An older sergeant shook his head, his expression grim. "They have evacuated. Every last person. This was not a hasty retreat either. Look at this place. They had time to take everything of value."
"Sir!" Another sailor came running from the riverbank. "We found someone!"
Dong Xi and his officers hurried to the riverbank, where a small group of sailors had cornered what looked like three tribal hunters. The men were small, wiry, with dark skin and hair tied back in simple knots. They clutched crude bows and wore minimal clothing, their eyes wide with panic.
"Speak!" one of the sailors barked in the local dialect. "Where have the people of Longyang gone?"
The hunters exchanged frightened glances. One of them, apparently the eldest, raised his hands in surrender.
"Gone to the mountains," he stammered. "All of them. The elders said the river demons were coming."
"River demons?" Dong Xi raised an eyebrow, stepping forward.
The hunter's eyes widened further as he recognized the general's ornate armor. "You... you are from the east. The boat people."
"We are the mighty navy of Sun Wu," Dong Xi corrected, puffing out his chest slightly. "And we are here to bring civilization to these backward lands. Now tell me, where exactly did the people go?"
The hunter shook his head frantically. "I cannot say! If I tell you, they will kill me!"
Before Dong Xi could respond, one of the other hunters suddenly let out a sharp, high-pitched cry. It was unlike anything the Sun Wu soldiers had ever heard, more bird than human. In an instant, all three hunters bolted.
"Stop them!" Dong Xi shouted.
The sailors scrambled after them, but the hunters moved with incredible speed and agility. They darted between buildings, leaped over obstacles, and headed straight for the dense forest that bordered the county.
"Archers!" the sergeant bellowed. "Loose!"
A dozen arrows flew toward the fleeing figures, but the hunters were already disappearing into the tree line. The arrows thudded into tree trunks and undergrowth, finding no targets.
"Damn it!" Dong Xi clenched his fists. "After them! I want prisoners!"
Fifty sailors charged ashore, crashing through the undergrowth after the hunters. They pounded through the forest, shouting to each other, trying to track their quarry. But the forest was dense, the terrain unfamiliar, and the hunters knew every inch of it.
"Did you see which way they went?" one sailor panted, pushing aside a thick vine.
"I thought they went left!" another shouted back.
"No, right! Definitely right!"
The sailors split up, crashing through the forest in different directions, their formation dissolving into chaos. They found scattered signs of passage, a broken branch here, a footprint there, but the hunters had vanished like ghosts.
After an hour of futile pursuit, the sailors staggered back to the riverbank, covered in scratches, mud, and humiliation.
"Report!" Dong Xi demanded.
The sergeant in charge stepped forward, his face flushed with embarrassment. "General, we... we lost them. The forest is too dense, and they know the terrain far better than we do. We managed to catch a few stragglers near the eastern edge, but..."
"But what?"
"We only captured thirty-seven, sir. Mostly elderly and children who could not keep up with the others."
Dong Xi stared at his sergeant in disbelief. "Thirty-seven? Out of an entire county?"
"Yes, General."
The general's face darkened. This was not the glorious conquest he had envisioned. This was not the easy victory his men had been promised. This was embarrassing.
"Bring the prisoners to the ships," he ordered, his voice tight with frustration. "We will continue to Linyuan. Perhaps the people there will be more accommodating."
As the sailors herded their meager catch of prisoners toward the waiting ships, the soldiers who had been so eager for battle just hours ago now trudged in silence, their dreams of glory and plunder fading with each step.
One young sailor kicked at a rock in frustration. "We sailed for weeks, fought through rapids, and all we have to show for it is a bunch of old men and children?"
"Quiet," the sergeant snapped, though he looked just as disappointed. "General Dong Xi says Linyuan will be different."
"Yeah," another sailor muttered under his breath. "Different how? Will they also vanish into thin air?"
The sergeant had no answer for that.
The soldiers slumped back on deck, grumbling about their measly catch. But General Dong Xi stood on his flagship's command deck, stroking his beard and looking thoroughly pleased.
"See how they run!" Dong Xi laughed, his voice booming over the water. "These tribal warriors are terrified of us! Mark my words, Wuling will surrender after just one real battle!"
Though he was overconfident to a fault, Dong Xi was an experienced veteran. He noticed his men's morale dropping and heard them grumbling. Knowing exactly how to motivate soldiers driven by profit, he gave an order to every ship.
"Keep formation and keep going west! Ahead lies Linyuan, one of Wuling's biggest settlements. I promise you, you will find plenty of targets there to meet your quotas!"
He paused to let the excitement build, then revealed his main point.
"Just north of Linyuan is the real prize, Hanshou! It is one of the richest and most important cities in all of Jingnan. If we take those walls, Lord Sun Quan will reward us with titles, gold, and riches beyond imagining!"
Dong Xi knew his way around the Sun Wu military. He knew exactly how to stir up ambition and fighting spirit in his men. The trick worked perfectly. The moment the word "Hanshou" was shouted across the water, discipline went right out the window. The men's faces lit up with intense greed. Everyone knew southern Jingzhou was mostly poor frontier land, but even the most remote places have their treasures. Just as the wilds of Jiaozhou Province hold the rich trading port of Panyu, the wilderness of Jingnan hides gems like Hanshou, Linxiang, and Liling. These cities were well-known across the east for their wealth.
Dong Xi was telling the truth. After sailing a short distance further west, the landscape changed.
Even before the ships reached shore, he could see it clearly.
The low, earthen walls of Linyuan were packed with people.
Dong Xi did not need to give another speech. The moment the ships dropped anchor and settled, Sun Wu soldiers were scrambling over the rails in their eagerness.
They charged up the muddy banks, shouting battle cries like they were racing to a feast.
If Linyuan had been defended by Liu Bei's disciplined veterans or Cao Cao's tough legions, the Sun Wu army would have moved carefully, using shields and proper siege tactics.
But the defenders on the walls were clearly a disorganized mix of tribal warriors.
To a Sun Wu soldier, a tribal warrior was pretty much the same as the Shanyue rebels they faced back home.
Suddenly all the men's tiredness was gone. When it came to fighting poorly equipped tribal warriors, who in the empire was more experienced or more determined than they were? It made perfect sense.
The tribes might be strong and fast, but they had no heavy iron armor, and their weapons were basic.
No matter how powerful a tribal warrior's strike was, flesh and bone could never stand against steel.
This edge in equipment was exactly why the Sun Wu military always faced native tribes with such absolute confidence.
Charging up the slope, the Sun Wu vanguard scoffed at the defenders. The tribal warriors wielded rough wooden clubs and long poles, with only small pieces of jagged iron on the tips.
The Sun Wu soldiers laughed out loud. Exactly like fighting the Shanyue.
Facing the wild swings of the tribal clubs, the veteran Sun Wu troops did not bother with shields or dodging.
Muscle memory took over.
They fell into the brutal close-quarters fighting style that had always served them well in the southern mountains.
Powerful horizontal cuts with their heavy steel sabers and quick, forceful thrusts with iron-tipped spears.
Their strategy was simple.
Forget raw strength and use the reach and sharpness of metal to disable their enemies. Brawn meant nothing if you sliced a tendon or cut off some fingers. Then an enemy could not hold their weapons anymore.
But on this day, the supposedly unbeatable tactics of Sun Wu ran into a small, deadly problem.
From his position, Dong Xi watched in shock as a big, muscular Sun Wu soldier lunged forward.
The man put all his weight into an overhead strike aimed straight at a charging tribal warrior's chest.
Instead of cutting through, the steel saber bounced off with a sickening thud.
The blade was thrown completely off course by the incredibly thick layers of woven vines and dried rattan wrapped tight around the warrior's body.
Before the Sun Wu soldier could even understand that plant fibers had just stopped solid steel, the tribal warrior struck back.
Using the momentum from the deflected blow, he swung his heavy club in a devastating arc. It hit the side of the Sun Wu soldier's helmet with crushing force.
The crack of breaking bone echoed across the field.
The man's neck twisted at an impossible angle, snapping instantly. He was dead before he even hit the mud.
Interesting, Dong Xi thought, narrowing his eyes as he watched the fighting. These southern tribes are tougher than our usual Shanyue opponents.
Even with this unexpected setback, Dong Xi still felt sure of victory. Their armor might be cleverly made, but they still had no access to iron. They could wrap themselves in tough vines all they wanted, but they were still only swinging wooden clubs.
How could a mob armed with little more than firewood defeat a real army with steel weapons?
He knew he had to step in to stop more unnecessary losses. Drawing his own weapon, he charged into the fight, his voice ringing above the noise with new orders.
"Spearmen! Form up! Stop slashing, use your spear points!"
His experienced eyes had already spotted the weakness. Woven rattan was great at stopping slashes, but all its gaps made it easy for sharp iron spearheads to go right through.
With their legendary general leading the way, the Sun Wu forces quickly got back on track. The brief panic from their swords failing was gone as discipline returned. They reformed their lines, spearmen moving to the front and thrusting in perfect coordination. The shift in tactics worked right away. The tide of battle turned, and the steady pressure from the Sun Wu spearmen slowly pushed the tribal warriors back toward the muddy edges of Linyuan.
Thanks to the humid climate and waterlogged ground in the south, you could not build the tall rammed-earth walls common in the north. The soil just would not hold its shape.
Cities here had low, simple earthen banks instead, built more to keep wild animals out than to stop real armies.
Linyuan was no different.
Under the relentless spear attacks from Sun Wu, this modest defense was quickly overwhelmed.
Standing on top of the captured bank and watching the enemy retreat, Dong Xi felt a rush of satisfaction like a hunter who had cornered his prey. Up close, it was clear these tribal warriors were taller, far more muscular, and in much better shape than the Shanyue they usually faced. These warriors will fetch a high price at the slave markets back east, Dong Xi thought with cold satisfaction.
His daydreams of wealth were shattered by his bodyguard's panicked shout.
"General! Look to the east! A huge group of tribal warriors is coming out of the reeds! Should we call a retreat?"
Reinforcements? Dong Xi frowned, a cold feeling settling in his stomach. This was not how tribal fights usually went. He climbed higher on the broken wall to get a better look, and what he saw filled him with dread.
East of Linyuan lay a vast wetland, full of waist-high grass perfect for hiding an army. Normally, Dong Xi would have ordered the area burned or sent scouts to clear it first.
But he had never expected so-called primitive tribesmen to pull off a coordinated ambush. These tribal warriors were actually using strategy.
A flash of real anger burned in his chest.
He was furious at being outsmarted by men who wore plant fibers for armor. But anger could not change what was right in front of him.
The enemy had way more men than his forces.
Worse still, their eager charge had scattered his soldiers. They were tired, spread too thin, and disorganized. If he ordered a retreat now, it would take too long to tell everyone, and a panicked run would quickly turn into a massacre. They would be trapped between the defenders inside the town and the new threat outside.
Staring at this quickly worsening crisis, Dong Xi chose the only harsh, direct option he had. He shouted until his throat was raw.
"Form a defensive ring! Shield wall! Hold your ground, they are coming!"
Dong Xi bit his lip hard, his eyes burning with desperate resolve. Even outnumbered and surrounded, they still had steel and iron on their side. Even if it cost every last drop of blood, they would fight their way through this crowd.
Facing thousands of screaming warriors closing in, and pushed by their general's frantic commands, the Sun Wu soldiers finally snapped out of their greed-induced daze. Dreams of wealth vanished, replaced by pure survival instinct. They scrambled to form a ragged defensive line.
But before their uneven ranks could even plant their spears in the mud, the enemy formation split apart.
From the center of the tribal crowd came a truly fearsome figure. This warlord was huge, terrifyingly tall with muscles that looked almost impossible for a normal person. He was not just walking either. He led a unit of elite, heavily built warriors in a full charge straight at the Sun Wu lines. Even on foot, their advance shook the ground like heavy cavalry.
As the giant got closer, his face twisted in fierce battle rage. He let out a booming laugh that cut through all the clashing weapons.
"Master Ma Liang has been telling me for weeks that you Sun Wu soldiers are nothing but weak cowards!" the giant roared, his voice carrying like a physical blow. "Today I, Shamoke, will find out just how true that is!"