Chapter Summaries

Zhang Miao sought to expand his forces by offering amnesty and official standing to Wang Xuan’s army near Junyi. Wang Xuan received Zhang Miao’s envoy, Yang Ke, who was left waiting outside the stronghold’s gates.

• Zhang Miao ordered soldiers recruited and the Chenliu clans pressed to contribute, but could gather only three thousand men.
• Liu Yi told Zhang Miao that Wang Xuan commanded more than four thousand former bandits and Yellow Turbans who had been gathered and trained after Wang Xuan cleared bandit camps.
• Zhang Miao decided to welcome Wang Xuan’s force as righteous soldiers and planned to grant him rank and rewards.
• Three days later, Liao Hua told Wang Xuan that an envoy from Zhang Miao had arrived, and Wang Xuan ordered him brought in.
• Yang Ke waited outside Wang Xuan’s stronghold in the heat, angered that its guards had made him wait despite his mission on Zhang Miao’s behalf.

Wang Xuan received Zhang Miao’s envoy, Yang Ke, who insulted him and was seized by Liao Hua. Wang Xuan ordered Yang Ke taken away to be fed to the dogs, then set out with four thousand troops toward Chenliu to meet Zhang Miao himself.

• Yang Ke arrived at the mountain stronghold and demanded that Wang Xuan kneel, insulting him as a bandit.
• Liao Hua grabbed Yang Ke by the neck, then released him after Mi Zhu urged him to let the matter be discussed.
• Yang Ke handed over Zhang Miao’s letter, which invited Wang Xuan to bring his household and seek refuge under Zhang Miao.
• Wang Xuan ordered Liao Hua to take Yang Ke to Dian Wei and feed him to the dogs, despite Mi Zhu’s concern that this would ruin their plans.
• Three days later, Wang Xuan marched toward Chenliu with four thousand troops to meet Zhang Miao.

After Wang Xuan returned Zhang Miao’s amnesty envoy as rotten remains, Zhang Miao tried to hide the humiliation, but Wang Xuan’s forces surrounded Chenliu. Zhang Miao led his poorly organized troops outside the city, where Wang Xuan accused him of sending an envoy to humiliate him.

• Zhang Miao flew into a rage when a box containing Yang Ke’s rotted remains was opened, but Liu Yi warned that sending troops would expose his failed amnesty offer.
• Zhang Miao suppressed his anger, but three days later a messenger reported that Wang Xuan’s force had surrounded Chenliu and demanded that he come out to die.
• Wang Xuan assured Mi Zhu that he would not need to attack Chenliu because Zhang Miao would come out himself.
• Zhang Miao led his troops through Chenliu’s gates and struggled to arrange them into formation while Wang Xuan and his men waited.
• Zhang Miao challenged Wang Xuan, who accused him of sending an envoy to humiliate him and declared that they were irreconcilable.

Wang Xuan sent Zhou Cang and Dian Wei to capture Zhang Miao, and Dian Wei broke through Zhang Miao’s army with ease. After taking Zhang Miao’s horse, Dian Wei spotted Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and came up with a bold idea.

• Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei overheard Wang Xuan’s exchange with Zhang Miao from the city wall and reacted to Zhang Miao’s insult against them.
• Zhang Miao ordered his three thousand soldiers to attack Wang Xuan, who sent Zhou Cang’s thousand-man unit forward in Wedge Formation with Dian Wei at its head.
• Dian Wei smashed through Zhang Miao’s troops, seized Zhang Miao, and took his white warhorse.
• Dian Wei sensed danger and turned to face Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, then thought of a bold idea about Zhang Fei’s bear-like appearance.

Liu Bei sent Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to stop Dian Wei from killing Zhang Miao, leading Dian Wei and Zhang Fei into a fight. The clash began after Dian Wei provoked Zhang Fei, while Zhou Cang and his companions struggled to catch the enormous horse Dian Wei threw to them.

• Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to save Zhang Miao after Dian Wei revealed his strength with blasts of externalized Qi.
• Dian Wei called Zhang Fei ugly, and Zhang Fei angrily challenged him after Guan Yu explained how Dian Wei had tricked him.
• Zhang Fei fired an air cannon at Dian Wei and charged with his Ten-Foot Snake Spear, while Dian Wei answered with an imperfect air cannon of his own.
• Dian Wei dismounted, lifted his two-ton warhorse, and threw it toward Zhou Cang as a gift for his brothers.
• Liao Hua and Sun Xia helped slow the horse, and Zhou Cang caught it after bracing himself and stepping backward repeatedly.

Dian Wei and Zhang Fei clashed in a fierce duel after Liao Hua captured Zhang Miao for Wang Xuan. Zhang Fei unleashed his signature skill as the battle turned against him.

• Zhou Cang ordered Liao Hua to capture Zhang Miao, and Liao Hua escorted the disheveled prefect to Wang Xuan.
• Wang Xuan sent Liao Hua and two thousand soldiers to support Dian Wei as Zhang Fei and Guan Yu arrived.
• Dian Wei and Zhang Fei met each other’s charged blows, and their collision killed or incapacitated soldiers nearby.
• Dian Wei retreated eight steps while Zhang Fei needed nine, revealing that Dian Wei had the advantage in strength.
• Dian Wei and Zhang Fei introduced themselves and resumed their duel, trading heavy blows as Dian Wei gradually gained the upper hand.
• Zhang Fei hardened his resolve and unleashed his signature skill.

Zhang Fei used his self-developed trump card in his first battlefield test, gaining enough strength to overpower Dian Wei in their clash. Both men pushed their bodies to the limit, and the chapter ended as they launched another head-on attack.

• Zhang Fei activated his trump card, swelling his muscles and knocking Dian Wei's iron halberd away.
• Zhang Fei met Dian Wei's full-strength attack and fought him evenly, shocking Dian Wei and Guan Yu.
• Zhang Fei's power continued to rise as his muscles and bones cracked, while Dian Wei's arms grew numb.
• Dian Wei charged again and was sent flying, while Zhang Fei's arms erupted in blood and reached their limit.
• Dian Wei launched a powerful midair strike, and Zhang Fei chose to meet it with his Ten-Foot Snake Spear.

Dian Wei and Zhang Fei’s spar ended with both men badly injured, forcing Wang Xuan to set aside Zhang Miao and check on his trusted fighter. With the duel over, Wang Xuan formally introduced himself to Zhang Miao, who refused to surrender.

• Dian Wei and Zhang Fei’s clash hurled both men into the air, leaving Zhang Fei gravely wounded and Dian Wei badly injured.
• Zhou Cang caught Dian Wei, while Guan Yu caught Zhang Fei and told Liu Bei that his life was not in danger.
• Wang Xuan carried Zhang Miao to the battlefield’s center and confirmed that Dian Wei was conscious and expected to recover.
• Wang Xuan dismissed the others, introduced himself to Zhang Miao as Wang Xuan, courtesy name Zaizhi, and asked him to speak.
• Zhang Miao introduced himself as Zhang Miao of the Zhang family of Dongping and declared that he would never surrender.

Wang Xuan revealed that he had attacked Zhang Miao so Zhang Miao would recruit him into imperial service, then helped him invent a story that protected Zhang Miao’s reputation while bringing Wang Xuan’s troops under his command. The battle ended with Wang Xuan entering Chenliu and being appointed Military Commissioner of the Prefectural Office.

• Wang Xuan told Zhang Miao that he had attacked him to force him to recruit him into imperial service.
• Wang Xuan proposed blaming the conflict on an envoy who had defected to Dong Zhuo, presenting Zhang Miao as steadfast and himself as willing to serve under Zhang Miao.
• Zhang Miao and Wang Xuan agreed to the cover story and publicly acted as though they had resolved a misunderstanding and joined forces against Dong Zhuo.
• Zhang Miao and Wang Xuan declared that the battle had been arranged beforehand, and Wang Xuan camped his army outside Chenliu before entering the city with a hundred guards, Dian Wei, and Liao Hua.
• Zhang Miao hosted a banquet and appointed Wang Xuan Military Commissioner of the Prefectural Office, giving him command of his own troops.

Liu Bei wondered how Wang Xuan had turned a confrontation with Zhang Miao into a reconciliation and decided to visit Wang Xuan to learn from him. Wang Xuan welcomed the news that Liu Bei had finally come, hoping to assess him as a potential ally.

• Liu Bei told Guan Yu and Zhang Fei that Wang Xuan’s reconciliation with Zhang Miao seemed to hinge on words they had whispered to each other.
• Guan Yu urged Liu Bei to visit Wang Xuan, sensing that Wang Xuan held no grudge against them.
• Liu Bei took Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to Wang Xuan’s residence with wine and meat and asked a servant to announce them.
• Wang Xuan heard that Liu Bei had arrived and said he had been waiting for him for several days.
• Wang Xuan considered choosing a future partner carefully because even a ruler he supported might act against him.

Wang Xuan welcomed Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to his estate and showed Liu Bei’s sworn brothers how highly he valued them. The guests joined Wang Xuan’s companions for a banquet, where Dian Wei and Zhang Fei began a silent staring contest.

• Wang Xuan explained the qualities he wanted in a lord and waited eagerly for Liu Bei to arrive.
• Wang Xuan greeted Liu Bei and addressed him as Duke Xuande, then recognized Guan Yu and Zhang Fei by name and hometown.
• Zhang Fei asked why Wang Xuan called Guan Yu Lord Guan but not him Lord Third Brother, and Wang Xuan praised him as a Man of Yan.
• Wang Xuan introduced Liu Bei and his brothers to Dian Wei, Zhou Cang, Liao Hua, and Sun Xia, openly mentioning the latter three’s Yellow Turban origins.
• Dian Wei and Zhang Fei stared each other down, and Wang Xuan stopped everyone from interrupting their contest.

Wang Xuan hosted Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Dian Wei, and Mi Zhu for a lavish hot-pot meal and served them his purified liquor. The guests eagerly ate and drank, while Mi Zhu recognized the liquor’s commercial value and Dian Wei and Zhang Fei strained to get more.

• Wang Xuan stopped Dian Wei and Zhang Fei’s contest without declaring a winner, and the two men laughed and took a liking to each other.
• Wang Xuan introduced his guests to a large copper hot pot, and they devoured mutton until the fire could no longer keep up.
• Liu Bei thanked Wang Xuan solemnly after interpreting the hot pot as a sign of great respect, though Wang Xuan had only intended to serve dinner.
• Wang Xuan brought out his purified liquor, and Dian Wei, Zhang Fei, and the other guests praised its strength and aroma.
• Mi Zhu saw the liquor’s potential for profit, while Dian Wei and Zhang Fei watched each bowl being poured and yearned for every drop.

Wang Xuan explained how he had persuaded Zhang Miao and offered Liu Bei a path to establish himself as an independent warlord. He then revealed that powerful clans had shaped both the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Dong Zhuo’s seizure of power.

• Wang Xuan told Liu Bei that he had used rumors and Zhang Miao’s concern for his reputation to reach an agreement.
• Liu Bei confirmed that he had come to join the campaign against Dong Zhuo as Gongsun Zan’s vanguard.
• Wang Xuan asked Liu Bei whether he wanted to become an independent warlord and appear at the alliance’s sacrificial altar.
• Wang Xuan advised Liu Bei to make his identity as an Imperial Clan Member renowned and build sufficient military strength.
• Wang Xuan claimed that the great clans had pushed the Yellow Turban Rebellion forward and that the Yuan and Yang families had arranged Dong Zhuo’s arrival in Luoyang.

Wang Xuan explained the factions and hidden motives behind the campaign against Dong Zhuo, then laid out a plan to help Liu Bei gain standing and troops. Liu Bei began preparing to suppress bandits while Wang Xuan took charge of negotiations with Zhang Miao.

• Zhang Fei angrily struck the table, but Wang Xuan stopped him from spilling the hot pot and urged everyone to set aside what they had learned.
• Wang Xuan told Liu Bei to endure until he had enough strength, then explained how Yan Province’s internal rivalries could help Liu Bei attend the alliance as a legitimate lord.
• Wang Xuan proposed that Liu Bei recruit and reorganize bandits into an army of more than three thousand men, while exploiting the Yuan family’s and Zhang Miao’s interests to advance him.
• Liu Bei thanked Wang Xuan and agreed to suppress bandits and win popular support as Wang Xuan handled communication with Zhang Miao.
• After the Straw Sandal Brothers left, Mi Zhu wondered how he had become so friendly with Liu Bei, and Wang Xuan explained Liu Bei’s natural charisma.

Wang Xuan helped Zhang Miao undermine Liu Dai by promoting Liu Bei as a meritorious member of the Imperial Clan, while Liu Bei received a thousand well-trained auxiliary soldiers. The chapter left Liu Bei and his companions impressed by the troops and unaware of the political strategy behind their rise.

• Liu Bei asked Guan Yu why Sima Wang was helping them, and Jian Yong advised him to accept the friendship and associate with Wang Xuan.
• Wang Xuan visited Zhang Miao and proposed promoting Liu Bei to diminish Liu Dai’s advantage as a member of the Imperial Clan.
• Zhang Miao agreed to publicize Liu Bei’s achievements and blamed the eunuchs for suppressing him, while Wang Xuan added Liu Bei’s ties to Lu Zhi and Gongsun Zan.
• Wang Xuan arranged for Mi Zhu to spread Liu Bei’s reputation among the lower classes and gave Liu Bei a thousand trained auxiliary soldiers.
• Guan Yu and Zhang Fei praised the soldiers’ quality, while Jian Yong noted how costly their training must have been.

Jian Yong warned Liu Bei and his sworn brothers that they could not afford to maintain Sima Wang’s elite troops, though Zhang Fei insisted they keep them through the coming battle. With Wang Xuan, Zhang Miao, and Bao Xin backing Liu Bei’s rise and supplying provisions, Liu Bei marched toward Suanzao with four thousand men as the feudal lords’ alliance approached.

• Jian Yong learned that Sima Wang’s soldiers trained heavily and received abundant food, then warned Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei that copying this approach would exhaust their supplies.
• Zhang Fei vowed to support the elite troops, but Jian Yong argued that feeding them as they expected would impoverish the army, so the brothers kept the thousand men separate from their own forces.
• Qiao Mao and Bao Xin promoted Liu Bei’s reputation across Yan Province, helping establish him as the renowned “Benevolence and Virtue.”
• Liu Dai angrily cursed Zhang Miao and his allies for boosting Liu Bei through his claim to be a Descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan.
• Wang Xuan borrowed provisions from Zhang Miao for Liu Bei, while Mi Zhu bought grain and cloth; a month later, Liu Bei led four thousand men toward Suanzao with Zhang Miao’s forces as the alliance neared.

The eighteen lords assembled at Suanzao, where Gongsun Zan generously strengthened Liu Bei’s forces and rewarded Wang Xuan. Wang Xuan predicted that Yuan Shao would become alliance leader, leaving the lords poised to divide the Yuan family’s influence.

• The lords established separate camps at Suanzao, and Liu Bei’s forces camped alongside Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao’s, with Wang Xuan between them.
• Gongsun Zan welcomed Liu Bei and gave him five hundred cavalrymen and a thousand warhorses, then gave Wang Xuan five fine steeds.
• At a camp banquet, Wang Xuan told Gongsun Zan, Liu Bei, and the others that Yuan Shao would become alliance leader rather than Yuan Shu.
• Wang Xuan explained that the lords would back Yuan Shao to prevent Yuan Shu from using the title to dominate them and to divide the Yuan family’s power.

Wang Xuan explained why he wanted a comfortable life rather than imperial power, then attended the ceremony confirming the coalition against Dong Zhuo. As the warlords debated who would lead them, Liu Dai rejected the nomination and recommended Cao Cao, who deferred to Yuan Shao.

• Wang Xuan told his companions that he considered them brothers and wanted to live well, eat, drink, and reach the age of one hundred and fifty rather than pursue supremacy.
• Wang Xuan explained that Emperor Ling had been manipulated by the aristocratic clans and warned that becoming emperor brought danger and heavy burdens.
• Five days later, the warlords completed the alliance ceremony and confirmed the coalition against Dong Zhuo.
• Wang Xuan quietly urged Zhang Miao to recommend Liu Dai as alliance leader, and Zhang Miao did so.
• Liu Dai angrily refused the nomination and recommended Cao Cao, who declined and proposed Yuan Shao instead.

Yuan Shao became the Anti-Dong Alliance leader as the warlords divided authority and celebrated, while Liu Bei questioned their confidence and sought Wang Xuan’s counsel. Wang Xuan warned Liu Bei that rescuing the Emperor and killing Dong Zhuo were impossible goals, especially if Dong Zhuo fled west with the Emperor.

• The warlords recommended Yuan Shao as alliance leader, and Yuan Shu reluctantly accepted the arrangement despite recognizing the scheme against the Yuan family.
• Yuan Shu gained control of grain supplies, while Sun Jian received the vanguard position; the warlords then feasted and discussed their expected victory over Dong Zhuo.
• Zhang Fei complained that Wang Xuan’s cooking had made other food and wine seem bland, then shamelessly followed him after Wang Xuan threatened to stop feeding him.
• Liu Bei brought Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to Wang Xuan’s camp and asked why the alliance leader was feasting while Dong Zhuo remained in Luoyang.
• Wang Xuan explained that victory depended on each side’s objectives, then told Liu Bei his goals of killing Dong Zhuo and rescuing the Emperor were bound to fail.
• Wang Xuan warned that Dong Zhuo could take the Emperor and retreat west, since he could not safely defend Luoyang and its passes indefinitely.

Wang Xuan explained to Liu Bei why the Anti-Dong Alliance would not pursue Dong Zhuo and advised him to build his reputation so Dong Zhuo might appoint him to a high office. After Liu Bei left, Wang Xuan assessed the other lords and considered their strengths and flaws.

• Wang Xuan argued that the alliance could not pursue Dong Zhuo because it lacked the supplies and authority to risk the emperor’s safety, and Liu Bei realized the lords had mainly sought prestige and Luoyang.
• Liu Bei asked Wang Xuan how to advance, and Wang Xuan told him to wait for an opportunity to distinguish himself and cultivate ties with the other lords, especially Cao Cao.
• Zhang Fei called scholars rotten to the core, and Wang Xuan struck him with an object before teasing him.
• Liu Bei left with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, while Wang Xuan reflected on the lords and judged Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian.