Recaps

Kang Shi’s group finally discovered unfamiliar troops heading toward Longwu Commandery and set out to intercept them for military merit. Outside Xiaocheng, Shen Tang’s army remained unable to draw the defenders into battle while Gongxi Chou explained Qiu Wenyan’s plan to wait for reinforcements to disrupt them.

• Yu Zi complained that Kang Shi’s group had not encountered enemies, and Old General Jiang criticized Kang Shi for letting her tease him.
• Yu Zi told Lin Feng she hoped to awaken a Way of the Scholar capable of countering Kang Shi and helping her earn military merit.
• Xianyu Jian reported unfamiliar troops marching toward Longwu Commandery, and Kang Shi decided to follow and attack them.
• Shen Tang wondered why Xiaocheng’s defenders kept refusing battle and displaying a truce sign.
• Gongxi Chou told Gongxi Lai that Qiu Wenyan was waiting for reinforcements to disrupt the Ma Ma army and create an opening for a surprise attack.

Shen Tang harassed Qiu Cheng’s forces while her strategists prepared for a possible attack on Longwu Commandery and secretly dug a tunnel into Xiaocheng. Meanwhile, Kang Shi’s hidden troops planned to drug Qiu Cheng’s reinforcements, leaving the coming battle poised to strike from multiple directions.

• Gongxi Lai worried that Shen Tang was in danger, but Gongxi Chou refused to warn her and said he would take the head of anyone who beat her to it.
• Liao Jia and Shen Tang’s strategists reasoned that Qiu Cheng might call in allies or target Longwu Commandery, while Shen Tang worried about the commandery’s defenses.
• Shen Tang’s forces challenged Qiu Cheng’s troops six times a day and night, then Shen Tang beat and stripped an envoy who delivered chamber pots and buckets as an insult.
• Shen Tang revealed that her troops were quietly digging a tunnel into Xiaocheng so they could attack Qiu Cheng’s army from behind during the battle.
• Yu Zi proposed drugging Qiu Cheng’s reinforcements with a herb from the Ten Crows’ lands, and Kang Shi considered the plan.

Yu Zi revealed that the herb she brought could help develop a pain-numbing medicine for wounded soldiers, while Lin Feng could grow more from the seeds. Kang Shi then devised a plan to secretly drug the enemy army’s water supply as it rested outside Nanyu County.

• Kang Shi doubted that Yu Zi’s small supply of herbs could affect an enemy force numbering over ten thousand, until Lin Feng confirmed she could grow more from Yu Zi’s seeds.
• Kang Shi accidentally inhaled some of the herb and found that it numbed part of his face.
• Yu Zi explained that she had obtained the herb to help Elder Physician Dong develop Mao Fei San, a painkiller that could save wounded soldiers.
• Kang Shi learned that the enemy army had stopped outside Nanyu County and decided to take advantage of its fixed water supply.
• Kang Shi proposed watching the underground streams and adding the medicine when the enemy drew water, then waiting for it to take effect.

Kang Shi learned that Qian Yong, a former ally of Zhang He, was leading the enemy forces and arranged to drug their water before a night raid. As his soldiers slipped into the camp, Kang Shi saw the campfires flare unexpectedly and wondered who had attacked early.

• Kang Shi explained that Qian Yong had sought refuge with Zhang He after Xin Country fell, and suspected Zhang He had helped direct him against Longwu Commandery to rid himself of a rival.
• Kang Shi's scouts mixed Yu Zi's medicine into the enemy's water supply to weaken the soldiers before a planned night raid.
• The medicine left many enemy soldiers unusually sleepy, while the guards at the camp gate became sluggish and slow to react.
• A patrol led by the Patrol Leader convinced the gate guards to let them inside, but one guard noticed blood on the Patrol Leader and stopped them.
• The Patrol Leader's group killed the guards and rushed into the camp, while Kang Shi noticed the campfires glowing and asked who had acted ahead of schedule.

Shen Tang’s forces launched a night raid on Qian Yong’s camp, where Old General Jiang joined the unexpected fight and cut down an enemy general. The raid continued as Qian Yong confronted Old General Jiang on the battlefield.

• Kang Shi realized Tan Qu, also known as Clerk Qi, had likely arranged the fire that started in Qian Yong’s camp, and Old General Jiang charged in to claim military merit.
• Xianyu Jian and Lin Feng saw Old General Jiang attack and moved to support him according to their original plan.
• The Patrol Leader and two other groups advanced through the camp, setting fires and killing enemy soldiers while the sleeping troops struggled to respond.
• Qian Yong’s general challenged the Patrol Leader and was knocked back by General Gongshu, who took over the fight.
• Old General Jiang killed the enemy general threatening Zhao Wei, then drew Qian Yong’s attention and invited him to fight.

Qian Yong’s forces clashed with Old General Jiang’s army as Lin Feng, Kang Shi, and Ning Yan helped turn the battlefield with fire and literary techniques. Yu Zi led a small group toward the enemy’s supply area to set it ablaze, while the main battle remained unresolved.

• Old General Jiang recognized Qian Yong and tried to attack him, but the Youth Warlord intervened and kept him occupied.
• Lin Feng surveyed the battlefield as Kang Shi and Ning Yan’s fire dragons spread flames through the enemy camps.
• Qian Yong joined the fight against Old General Jiang, but Ning Yan sent an incarnation to aid the general and prolong the duel.
• Yu Zi and a scout led twenty men toward Qian Yong’s rear supply area, where she prepared to start a fire.

Yu Zi and Old General Jiang’s forces raided Qian Yong’s camp, burned a third of its baggage, and withdrew after taking losses. Kang Shi and Ning Yan argued over the raid and its purpose until horns sounded outside the city, bringing both sides back to battle.

• Yu Zi used her Word Spirit and the martial artists with her to block Qian Yong’s troops while the baggage train burned, then withdrew.
• Old General Jiang escaped Qian Yong and the Youth Warlord by summoning Martial Qi Soldiers to cover his forces’ retreat.
• Qian Yong learned that eight hundred soldiers had died, more than a thousand were wounded, and a third of the baggage had burned.
• Kang Shi questioned Ning Yan about her presence, and she explained that Qi Yuanliang had arranged the raid to train the new recruits and help defend Nanyu County.
• Kang Shi confronted Qi Shan over the raid, but horns sounded outside the city and interrupted their fight.

Shen Tang considered revealing her National Seal to lead an assault on Xiaocheng, hoping to take the city quickly and return to aid her allies. Her strategists stopped her, warning that the risks outweighed the benefit, and Gu Chi proposed using Gongxi Chou’s search for his clan’s Sacred Object to provoke Qiu Cheng into fighting.

• Jiang Sheng warned Shen Tang that Kang Shi might have encountered the reinforcements Qiu Cheng had hired, and Shen Tang feared for Kang Shi and Longwu Commandery.
• Shen Tang learned the tunnel into Xiaocheng would be ready in three days and ordered that Qiu Cheng be challenged; if he still refused to fight, she would launch a direct assault.
• Shen Tang proposed using the National Seal’s Sovereign-leads-the-army domain to boost her troops’ morale during the assault.
• Liao Jia and the other strategists opposed Shen Tang’s plan, warning that revealing the National Seal could draw Zheng Qiao and the Dragon Slaying Bureau’s attention to her.
• Gu Chi reminded Shen Tang that Kang Shi’s gambling curse could not kill him before her Qi Yun ran out, then suggested provoking Gongxi Chou by targeting his search for his clan’s Sacred Object.

Gu Chi questioned Shen Tang’s memories and suggested she might be the Gongxi Clan’s Sacred Object, while Shen Tang challenged Gongxi Chou outside Xiaocheng and provoked him into a deadly fight. The chapter ended with Gongxi Chou declaring that he would take her head and Shen Tang answering that she wanted his body.

• Gu Chi argued that Shen Tang might be the original Sacred Object and questioned whether her memories of her former life were real; Shen Tang remained confused about who she was.
• After Qiu Wenyan refused to leave Xiaocheng, Shen Tang rode to the city walls and called for Gongxi Chou, who came out to meet her.
• Shen Tang told Gongxi Chou that she had found the Gongxi Clan’s Sacred Object and challenged him to a duel, promising to hand it over if he won.
• Shen Tang threatened to make the Sacred Object perform by standing on its head and washing its hair, causing Gongxi Chou to unleash a violent storm and attack her.
• Gongxi Chou came down from the wall, declared that he would kill Shen Tang, and she replied that she had coveted his body for a long time.

Shen Tang and Gongxi Chou fought in a duel, with both hiding their full strength until Gongxi Chou unleashed his enormous Martial Gall Totem. The chapter left Shen Tang facing Gongxi Chou and the giant serpent after narrowly escaping its attack.

• Gu Chi joked to Liao Jia that Shen Tang wanted to take over Gongxi Chou's body, while their companions overheard.
• Gongxi Chou summoned his snake-headed whip, put on his full martial armor, and attacked Shen Tang with deadly force.
• Shen Tang blocked and evaded Gongxi Chou's blows, then transformed the Kind Mother Sword into a double-ended spear and counterattacked.
• Xun Ding told Xun Zhen that Gongxi Chou had not yet summoned his Martial Gall Totem and that Shen Tang had not used her full strength.
• Gongxi Chou unleashed his massive serpent-like Martial Gall Totem, and Shen Tang narrowly dodged its crashing attack.

Shen Tang confronted Gongxi Chou and learned that his gigantic Martial Gall Totem had changed after his clan deity granted him divine protection. She launched a thousand literary-qi giants against him, and the chapter ended as they formed a sword formation around him.

• Xun Zhen and his companions were stunned by the size of Gongxi Chou’s Martial Gall Totem, and Xun Ding explained that Gongxi Chou credited its transformation to divine protection from his clan deity.
• Gu Chi reassured Jiang Sheng that Shen Tang would not lose, while Qiu Cheng was relieved that Gongxi Chou could protect Xiaocheng.
• Gongxi Chou offered Shen Tang time to summon her Martial Gall Totem, but she explained that she had none and declared she would break through with her troops.
• Shen Tang invoked Scattered Like Stars and Chess Pieces and summoned exactly a thousand giants made of literary and martial qi.
• Gongxi Chou’s Martial Gall Totem broke apart the attacking giants and unleashed a roar that devastated nearby soldiers, but Shen Tang ordered a hundred greatsword-wielding giants to form a sword net around him.

Shen Tang and Gongxi Chou fought an exhausting duel while their summoned giants and martial totem battled around them. As Qiu Cheng prepared a hidden attack on Shen Tang, Gu Chi ordered a Deity Bow sent against Gongxi Chou, intending to eliminate a threat to their lord.

• Gongxi Chou destroyed the descending sword formation with arrows, then fought off Shen Tang’s literary-energy giants as they repeatedly repaired themselves.
• Shen Tang and Gongxi Chou traded taunts and blows, with Gongxi Chou knocking her from a giant’s shoulder before the two continued fighting across the battlefield.
• Jiang Sheng worried that a prolonged duel would drain their forces, while Gu Chi watched and wondered what Qi Shan must look like.
• Gongxi Chou noticed Shen Tang was holding back, but she kept her reason to herself as Qiu Cheng and Miao Shu concluded that Shen Tang had to die.
• Qiu Cheng signaled a bow-wielding general to intervene, and Gu Chi independently ordered Liao Jia to send a Deity Bow against Gongxi Chou.

Shen Tang and Gongxi Chou fought an exhausting duel while Shen Tang's allies prepared to use a tunnel in their siege of Xiaocheng. The duel's outcome was nearly settled when Qiu Cheng's forces launched surprise arrows, but both fighters intervened to save each other.

• Shen Tang and Gongxi Chou fought with an array of weapons and then mounted their animals, while Shen Tang kept the battle's force away from the tunnel.
• Xun Ding recognized that Gongxi Chou was conserving his martial energy, and Lü Jue prepared to shoot him as the duel neared its end.
• Gu Chi explained that Bai Su needed to remain at Shen Tang's side and that Gongxi Chou's death would burden Shen Tang, so Lü Jue would take the shot.
• Two archers fired concealed arrows at the exhausted fighters, and Gu Chi tried to use [Steal the Peach] to move Shen Tang to safety.
• Shen Tang rejected the transfer and knocked aside the arrow aimed at Gongxi Chou with her Kind Mother Sword, while Gongxi Chou caught the arrow aimed at her with his bare hand.

After Shen Tang narrowly defeated Gongxi Chou, Qiu Cheng’s forces tried to kill them with a surprise arrow, but Liao Jia rescued both with [Steal the Peach]. As the attack on Xiaocheng began, Shen Tang confronted Gu Chi for ordering the shot, and he explained that protecting her mattered more to him than his own reputation.

• Qiu Cheng ordered Lü Jue to shoot Gongxi Chou and Shen Tang after Gongxi Chou blocked the arrow meant for Shen Tang.
• Liao Jia used [Steal the Peach] to rescue Gongxi Chou and Shen Tang from the arrows, while Shen Tang’s army advanced on Xiaocheng.
• Gu Chi told Shen Tang that she had defeated Gongxi Chou because her remaining strength let her use Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers after his Martial Qi ran out.
• Shen Tang learned that Gu Chi had ordered Lü Jue to fire the cold arrow and rebuked him for risking his reputation.
• Gu Chi said Shen Tang mattered more to him than his own standing, and Gongxi Chou teased Liao Jia for interfering.

Shen Tang kept Gongxi Chou under guard while her army besieged Xiaocheng, and revealed that she had secretly sent 5,000 elite soldiers through a tunnel into the city. As Xiaocheng fell into chaos, Gongxi Chou asked about the Sacred Object, and Shen Tang agreed to explain after he swore not to force it to do anything against its will.

• Liao Jia sealed Gongxi Chou's Dantian with a Word Spirit, and Shen Tang agreed that he should remain their prisoner until Xiaocheng was taken.
• Gongxi Chou warned Shen Tang that Xiaocheng's walls and prepared defenses would make a direct assault costly.
• Shen Tang told Gongxi Chou that she had secretly sent 5,000 elite soldiers through a tunnel into Xiaocheng.
• The hidden soldiers attacked Qiu Cheng's forces from inside the city, throwing their formation into chaos as the siege continued outside.
• Gongxi Chou asked Shen Tang how she had found the Sacred Object, and she promised to tell him after he swore on his Martial Spirit not to force it to do anything against its will.

Shen Tang told Gongxi Chou that she was the Gongxi Clan’s Sacred Object, though he planned to verify her story before deciding what to do. After Shen Tang’s forces captured Xiaocheng, Xun Ding helped Gongxi Lai and her guards reach safety, and offered to take her to Shen Tang so she could learn whether her brother was safe.

• Shen Tang explained to Gongxi Chou that she had once awakened inside a coffin and believed she was the Gongxi Clan’s Sacred Object.
• Gongxi Chou said he would verify Shen Tang’s claim, then revealed that Gongxi Lai was inside Xiaocheng.
• Shen Tang’s troops defeated Qiu Cheng’s forces after a day of fighting, while Jiang Sheng and Gu Chi watched for fleeing Literary Scholars.
• Yang Ying tried to escort Gongxi Lai out of Xiaocheng after learning the city had fallen, but enemy troops blocked their way.
• Xun Ding arrived, stopped the confrontation, and offered to take Gongxi Lai to Shen Tang so she could see Gongxi Chou.

Gongxi Lai reunited with Gongxi Chou after the fighting in Xiaocheng, while Xun Ding brought suspicious captives to see Shen Tang. The group found Shen Tang washing her hair with an upside-down trick as Gongxi Chou watched.

• Yang Ying insisted on accompanying Gongxi Lai and kept Xun Ding from speaking with her as they rode through Xiaocheng.
• Liao Jia silenced Gu Chi and made him rest while the city gates and barriers kept Qiu Cheng's remaining forces trapped.
• Gongxi Lai told Yang Ying that her former fiancé had once wanted to keep her as a concubine, then asked to see him when she spotted him in an alley.
• Xun Ding captured a man and a woman and brought them to the governor's residence, where Xun Zhen led the group to Shen Tang.
• Gongxi Lai joyfully reunited with Gongxi Chou and found Shen Tang washing her hair upside down beside a basin of warm water.

Shiitake greeted readers for the New Year and looked back on her 2022 pregnancy, writing career, and the creation of Retreat Emperor. She thanked readers for their support and ended by sharing hopes for the new year and future stories.

• Shiitake wished readers good fortune in 2023 and thanked them for accepting her sporadic updates.
• Shiitake described her pregnancy, reduced update schedule, and the birth of her child on December 15.
• Shiitake celebrated Retreat Emperor reaching nine thousand average paid subscriptions and explained why she chose to write another empress story.
• Shiitake recounted how she developed characters including Qi Yuanliang, Chu Yao, and Gu Chi while writing without an outline.
• Shiitake shared how Lord Yang's storyline changed and noted her 2022 monthly-ticket ranking achievement.
• Shiitake hoped for more readers, subscriptions, and a chance to start another book, then wished readers a happy New Year.

After Shen Tang’s forces captured Qiu Wenyan, Xun Ding brought in Miao Shu, a hidden female Literary Scholar who had served under him and fought at Beishang County. Shen Tang recognized her connection to Longwu Commandery’s Miao clan and confronted her about the family’s crimes.

• Shen Tang learned that Qiu Wenyan had been captured and ordered her troops to search for the unknown Literary Scholar who had spied on them at Beishang County.
• Xun Ding presented Miao Shu and a man he had captured together, explaining that she was a female Literary Scholar and one of Qiu Wenyan’s women.
• Gongxi Chou set Miao Shu’s dislocated jaw, and Shen Tang asked whether she came from Longwu Commandery.
• Miao Shu revealed that her clan’s surname was Miao, and Shen Tang recalled the clan’s wealth and wicked deeds.

Shen Tang confronted Miao Shu over her hatred and defended the execution and confiscation of the Miao Family by recounting the clan’s abuses. Unable to reconcile with Miao Shu, Shen Tang ordered her to receive a dignified death, and Miao Shu cursed her as the poison took hold.

• Miao Shu accused Shen Tang of killing the Miao Family’s men and seizing their land and wealth, and Shen Tang admitted it.
• Shen Tang listed the Miao Family’s crimes against tenant farmers and other commoners, including extortion, sexual violence, and tax evasion.
• Shen Tang explained that Miao Shu’s hatred was understandable but declared that she could not be allowed to live because of their blood feud.
• Shen Tang ordered Han Zhang to leave Qiu Wenyan and the others alone for the time being and instructed Xun Zhen to give Miao Shu a dignified death.
• Miao Shu refused Xun Zhen’s offer of a sword, drank Poisoned Wine, broke through Shen Tang’s speech-sealing ability, and cursed Shen Tang.

Bai Su confronted the dying Miao Shu, revealed that Shen Tang was also a woman, and watched her die before she could receive a dignified end. Qiu Cheng received Miao Shu’s body and feared for his family, while Shen Tang later began judging her prisoners and offering some Redemption Contracts.

• Bai Su entered the council hall and learned that Miao Shu was dying from Poisoned Wine, though Shen Tang had wanted her to have a dignified end.
• Bai Su revealed that she was a woman and told Miao Shu that Shen Tang was a woman too, then explained that Miao Shu’s status as a female scholar had followed Shen Tang’s takeover of Longwu Commandery.
• Miao Shu died, and Bai Su later learned of her role in the attack on Nanyu County and regretted that she had died too comfortably.
• Qiu Cheng received Miao Shu’s corpse, feared Shen Tang meant to kill his family, and failed to draw his sword to take his own life before his wife comforted him.
• After three days, Shen Tang questioned Qiu Cheng’s prisoners about their backgrounds and ambitions; some changed allegiance, some died, and many received Redemption Contracts.

After taking Xiaocheng, Shen Tang handled the redemption of Qiu Cheng’s captured forces, received Xun Ding’s offer of Minfeng Commandery, and agreed to join Huang Lie’s alliance against Zheng Qiao after the spring plowing. The chapter ended with Shen Tang sending Lord Yang to meet Gongxi Chou while she considered how to keep the formidable fighter.

• Qiu Cheng and his former subordinates received deeds of redemption and learned they could pay their fees or earn freedom through Corvée Labor.
• Xun Ding offered Shen Tang Minfeng Commandery’s Seal Ribbon to redeem Gongxi Chou, but Shen Tang explained that Lin Ling De and Tu Xianrong had already paid Gongxi Chou’s redemption fee.
• Qin Li asked Shen Tang to join the alliance against Zheng Qiao, and Huang Lie’s envoy later secured her agreement to attend a meeting after the next spring plowing.
• Bai Su told Shen Tang that a former subordinate of Qiu Cheng had arranged Miao Shu’s burial, and Lord Yang confirmed that the man was earning work credits through Corvée Labor.
• Shen Tang invited Lord Yang to visit Gongxi Chou, hoping she might persuade the fighter to stay with her forces.

Shen Tang tried to recruit Gongxi Chou and persuade him to leave Gongxi Lai in her care, but Gongxi Chou agreed only to fight for her if she truly was the Sacred Object. The visit ended with Lord Yang recognizing Yang Ying as his long-lost daughter, though neither had recognized the other at first.

• Shen Tang and Lord Yang visited Gongxi Chou and watched him spar with the black-clad Yang Ying.
• Gongxi Lai brought Gongxi Chou tonic soup, and Shen Tang proposed keeping her in Longwu Commandery while recruiting Gongxi Chou.
• Gongxi Chou agreed to return and fight for Shen Tang if she was the Sacred Object, while explaining that he still needed to find his older brother.
• Gongxi Chou recognized Lord Yang, who gave his name as Yang Gong, and Yang Ying's emotional reaction revealed that she recognized him as her father.
• Yang Ying told Lord Yang who she was, and he embraced his long-lost daughter before she blamed Gongxi Chou for her battered appearance.

Yang Ying reunited with Lord Yang and prepared to follow in his footsteps, while Shen Tang and Gongxi Chou discussed her cultivation and Gongxi Chou’s future help against Zheng Qiao. Qi Shan arrived in Xiaocheng and unexpectedly ran into Xun Ding, then faced Xun Zhen at the administrative office.

• Yang Ying told Lord Yang about her grievances, and Gongxi Chou sparred with Shen Tang before explaining that Lord Yang had found comfort in reuniting with his daughter.
• Shen Tang questioned why Yang Ying could cultivate, and she and Gongxi Chou proposed testing whether women who served the Gongxi Clan could also cultivate.
• Shen Tang asked Gongxi Chou to help her fight Zheng Qiao after the spring plowing, and he demanded payment for his assistance.
• Lord Yang encouraged Yang Ying to surpass him, while Xun Ding worked on Xiaocheng’s damaged walls and celebrated Gongxi Chou’s departure.
• Qi Shan arrived in Xiaocheng, where Xun Ding recognized him and escorted him to the administrative office.
• Qi Shan found Xun Zhen on duty at the administrative office, and the two met face-to-face.

Qi Shan revealed to Xun Ding that he had once disguised himself as Lady Tan, shattering Xun Ding’s cherished memory before the two reconciled. After Qi Shan joined Shen Tang in Xiaocheng, construction resumed and redemption payments began arriving ahead of the spring campaign.

• Xun Zhen confronted Qi Shan and Xun Ding about Lady Tan, prompting Qi Shan to reveal that he had used [Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell] to fake his death and escape.
• Qi Shan used [Masterful Painting and Calligraphy] to show Xun Ding his former female appearance, and Xun Ding ran from the council chamber in shock.
• Shen Tang returned and heard from Qi Shan that Qian Yong had been defeated at Nanyu County, though Wen Shi and Xu Quan had been injured.
• Xun Ding later tried to persuade Qi Shan to swear brotherhood, but Xun Zhen stopped him with a punch.
• Qi Shan’s arrival restarted construction in Xiaocheng, while Shen Tang received redemption payments, including an unexpected payment from the Qiu clan.