Chapter Summaries

Gongsun Xu struggled to defend You Province after Yuan Shao’s victories, but Zhang Yan arrived in Ji County with an offer of aid. Zhang Yan planned to use the Black Mountain Army to disrupt Yuan Shao’s supply lines and raid his occupied cities while Yuan Shao attacked Yuyang.

• Yuan Shao rejected Tian Feng’s warning and ordered Guo Yuan to hold Bing Province, Yuan Tan to defend Qing Province, and the rest of his forces to march on Ji County.
• Gongsun Xu confided to Gongsun Fan that he feared he could not hold Ji County, and Gongsun Fan advised him to preserve his people even if they had to abandon You Province.
• Zhang Yan, Sun Qing, and Wang Dang scaled Ji County’s wall and met Gongsun Xu, explaining that Zhang Yan had come in response to his request for aid.
• Gongsun Xu asked Zhang Yan to help oppose Yuan Shao, and Zhang Yan agreed that his troops were ready to move.
• Zhang Yan proposed keeping the Black Mountain Army in the Taihang Mountains to raid Yuan Shao’s supply routes and attack the cities he had captured while his main force was away.

Gongsun Xu secured Zhang Yan’s promise to send troops against Yuan Shao, while Zhang Yan planned to use the conflict to raid Yuan Shao’s supply lines and win an imperial amnesty for the Black Mountain Army. In Ye City, Liu Xie and his advisers learned that Cao Cao had let Emperor Xian escape, freeing himself from the burden of holding the Son of Heaven and returning to a neutral position.

• Gongsun Xu agreed to provide Zhang Yan with provisions in exchange for the Black Mountain Army’s help if Ji County came under siege.
• Zhang Yan told Sun Qing and Wang Dang that he meant to raid Yuan Shao’s supply lines and earn enough merit for the court to offer the Black Mountain Army amnesty and recruitment.
• Liu Xie concluded from the secret report that Cao Cao had deliberately allowed Emperor Xian and Dong Cheng to escape Xu County so Cao Cao could shed his reputation as a treacherous minister.
• Liu Xie summoned Guo Jia and Jia Xu, who recognized that Cao Cao had escaped the trap of the imperial edict and was now free to disobey it.
• Guo Jia argued that Cao Cao’s release of Emperor Xian had removed the reason for him to oppose Liu Xie, making Cao Cao a neutral rather than an immediate threat.

Liu Xie learned that Empress Fu and Han loyalists Yang Biao and Fu Wan were heading to Ye City, complicating his plans for the throne and his promises to the Zhen Clan and Lü Bu. He accepted Guo Jia’s proposal to let Empress Fu come and use her as a balance between his powerful allies, while Jia Xu warned him not to let her bear an heir.

• Liu Xie worried about where Emperor Xian of Han would flee, and Guo Jia judged that Jing Province was the likeliest refuge.
• Jia Xu accepted Liu Xie’s order to investigate Emperor Xian’s whereabouts, but Zhang He then reported that Empress Fu, Yang Biao, and Fu Wan were traveling to Ye City.
• Jia Xu proposed intercepting and killing the travelers, while Guo Jia warned that a massacre could ruin Liu Xie’s reputation.
• Guo Jia argued that Empress Fu should live because her presence would balance the Zhen Clan and Lü Bu until Liu Xie unified the realm.
• Liu Xie agreed to let Empress Fu come to Ye City, and Jia Xu cautioned him against favoring her or allowing her to bear an heir.

Empress Fu and her companions reached Ye City and met Liu Xie, whose appearance and imperial bearing convinced Yang Biao and Fu Wan that he was the true emperor. Liu Xie welcomed Empress Fu warmly and condemned the pretender for deposing her, while she remained stunned by the revelation.

• Liu Xie asked Guo Jia and Jia Xu whether Noble Lady Lü or Noble Lady Zhen would make a more suitable empress, but dropped the question when they hesitated.
• Fu Wan warned Empress Fu not to speak recklessly at court, and she promised to heed him despite her doubts about the emperor in Ye City.
• Gao Lan led the Feathered Forest Guard to escort Empress Fu, Fu Wan, and Yang Biao safely into Ye City.
• Yang Biao and Fu Wan recognized Liu Xie as the true Son of Heaven when they saw his striking resemblance to the ruler in Xu County and his commanding bearing.
• Empress Fu stared at Liu Xie in shock and wondered whether the ruler in Xu County had truly been a pretender.
• Liu Xie took Empress Fu's hand, praised her fidelity, and angrily denounced the pretender for deposing her.

Empress Fu recognized Liu Xie in Ye City as her emperor, though she remained uncertain whether he was the real Son of Heaven or the Pretender Emperor from Xu County. After leaving her in his bedchamber, Liu Xie went to Zhen Mi’s palace, considering how to deal with her.

• Liu Xie reassured Empress Fu that she would remain Empress, and Fu Wan urged her to acknowledge him; she bowed and accepted him as her emperor.
• Liu Xie welcomed Yang Biao and Fu Wan at a banquet, where Empress Fu watched him and wondered whether he was the true Son of Heaven.
• Liu Xie asked Empress Fu to toast him, while Fu Wan believed she had recognized the real emperor.
• After the banquet, Liu Xie refused to share a bed with Empress Fu because he did not trust her.
• Empress Fu asked Liu Xie whether he was truly the Son of Heaven, but he evaded the question and left her in tears and doubt.
• Liu Xie went to Zhen Mi’s palace and considered how to deal with Empress Fu now that her arrival in Ye City would be known.

Liu Xie ordered Empress Fu secluded in a guarded palace chamber while reassuring Zhen Mi, then reviewed reports on military shortages and the troubled harvest. Yuan Tan prepared to defend Qing Province, while Emperor Xian of Han and Dong Cheng remained Lü Bu’s prisoners in Shou County.

• Liu Xie ordered Gao Lan to establish Pepper Chamber Hall for Empress Fu, guard it closely, and require his permission for even her father to visit.
• Liu Xie comforted Zhen Mi’s fears that Empress Fu would displace her, then reviewed memorials detailing Liu Bei’s growing force, Yuan Shao’s advances, strained defenses, and a poor harvest.
• Yuan Tan discussed Qing Province’s defenses with Lü Kuang and Jiang Qi and resolved not to let Lü Bu’s troops pass through as they had before.
• In a Shou County cell, Dong Cheng angrily blamed Emperor Xian of Han for choosing to go there instead of Jing Province, while the defeated emperor sat in despair.

Lü Bu overruled Emperor Xian of Han’s pleas and ordered Cao Xing to escort him and Dong Cheng to Ye City for the Son of Heaven’s judgment. Outside Ji County, Yuan Shao’s army provoked Gongsun Xu with his father’s head, but Gongsun Fan stopped him from riding out to fight.

• Lü Bu rejected Chen Gong’s advice to kill Emperor Xian of Han and ordered Cao Xing to escort him and Dong Cheng to Ye City.
• Gao Shun warned that three thousand escorts would draw attention in Qing Province, so Lü Bu reduced the force to five hundred.
• Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang to challenge Ji County while displaying Gongsun Zan’s preserved head and taunting Gongsun Xu.
• Gongsun Xu seized his spear and tried to leave the city to attack Yan Liang, but Gongsun Fan knocked him down and restrained him.
• Gongsun Fan urged Gongsun Xu to defend Ji County rather than risk the city’s fall by fighting outside its walls.

Gongsun Xu endured Yuan Shao’s humiliation without leaving Ji County, while Zhang Yan waited for Yuan Shao’s troops to lower their guard before raiding their camp. The Black Mountain Army set fires and escaped, leaving Yuan Shao scrambling to protect his supplies as Gongsun Xu and Gongsun Fan watched from the city walls.

• Yan Liang taunted Gongsun Xu with Gongsun Zan’s head, but Gongsun Xu stayed inside Ji County and mourned his father.
• Yuan Shao encamped outside Ji County and waited through the night for Gongsun Xu to launch a raid, then ordered an attack on the city for the next day.
• Zhang Yan held the Black Mountain Army back until just before dawn, then led more than a thousand men toward Yuan Shao’s supply depot.
• The Black Mountain Army set fires throughout Yuan Shao’s camp and attacked the provisions, throwing the sleepy soldiers into chaos.
• Yuan Shao recognized the attackers as the Black Mountain Army and ordered Yan Liang to protect the supplies and help put out the fires.
• Zhang Yan and his men escaped before Yuan Shao’s forces could counterattack, while Gongsun Xu and Gongsun Fan watched the burning camp from Ji County’s walls.

Ma Teng and Han Sui arrived in Ye City to seek Liu Xie's favor, but their rivalry erupted into a fight before Zhao Yun stopped them. Ma Teng offered his sons as hostages and gained Liu Xie's approval, leaving Han Sui anxious about how to prove his own loyalty.

• Gongsun Xu urged Gongsun Fan to attack Yuan Shao's camp after Zhang Yan set its supplies ablaze, but Gongsun Fan said it was too late to muster troops.
• Ma Teng and Han Sui encountered each other at Ye City's gates, accused one another of rebellion, and drew their weapons.
• Zhao Yun halted Ma Teng and Han Sui's fight and escorted them into the city.
• Liu Xie received Ma Teng and Han Sui, and Ma Teng offered Ma Xiu and Ma Tie as hostages in exchange for imperial favor.
• Liu Xie praised Ma Teng's loyalty and considered granting him a high office, while Han Sui worried that he could not offer an equally convincing pledge.

Liu Xie secured promises of military support from Ma Teng and Han Sui, then agreed to admit Fu Wan’s second daughter to the Palace. In Pepper Chamber Hall, Fu Wan urged Empress Fu to bear Liu Xie an heir, but she still suspected he was a pretender.

• Liu Xie persuaded Han Sui and Ma Teng to pledge troops against Yuan Shao and told them to return for further orders.
• Elder Princess Yang'an asked Liu Xie to admit Fu Wan’s second daughter into the Imperial Harem, and he agreed.
• Fu Wan arrived to visit Empress Fu, and Liu Xie went to Pepper Chamber Hall to watch for anything suspicious.
• Empress Fu asked Fu Wan whether Liu Xie was truly the Son of Heaven, and Fu Wan insisted that he was.
• Fu Wan urged Empress Fu to bear Liu Xie a dragon heir, but she struggled to accept the idea because she believed he was a fake.

Liu Xie confronted Empress Fu, who realized he was a pretender but was threatened into silence and confinement. At court, he confirmed the Tiger Warriors Army’s formation and appointed Cui Yan to command it.

• Fu Wan warned Empress Fu to keep quiet and revealed that her younger sister would enter the palace, while Liu Xie overheard them.
• Empress Fu tested Liu Xie with private questions, and his refusal to answer convinced her that he was not the true Son of Heaven.
• Liu Xie threatened Empress Fu with the destruction of the Fu Family if she left the Pepper Chamber Hall or harmed herself.
• Yang Biao’s call brought officials from across the realm to Ye City, easing Liu Xie’s shortage of government personnel.
• Cui Yan reported that the three-thousand-strong Tiger Warriors Army was ready, and Liu Xie appointed him its Gentleman of the Household and commander.

Liu Xie appointed Zhao Yun as Cui Yan’s deputy to strengthen and monitor the Tiger Warriors Army, then heard that Lü Bu had captured the Pretender Emperor and Dong Cheng. Jia Xu proposed using the Pretender Emperor to undermine Yuan Shao and seize Qing Province, leaving Liu Xie eager to hear the plan’s details.

• Liu Xie appointed Zhao Yun deputy general of the Tiger Warriors Army, and Zhao Yun pledged to serve him faithfully.
• Jia Xu warned that Yuan Shao threatened Ji County and Ye City, and proposed coordinated attacks on three fronts.
• A messenger delivered Lü Bu’s report that the Pretender Emperor and Dong Cheng had been captured and were being escorted toward Ye City.
• Jia Xu proposed handing the Pretender Emperor to Yuan Tan so that either outcome would give Liu Xie an advantage against Yuan Shao.
• Liu Xie and the ministers listened as Jia Xu explained how the plan could help them take Qing Province.

Liu Xie ordered Cao Xing to kill Emperor Xian of Han after Wang Chong reported that their party was trapped in Qing Province. Sima Yi then proposed using Emperor Xian of Han as bait to draw Yuan Tan into a trap and seize Qing Province, leaving Liu Xie to decide whether to risk the plan and spare the emperor temporarily.

• Liu Xie rejected Jia Xu's proposal to hand Emperor Xian of Han over to Yuan Tan and insisted that the Pretender Emperor had to die.
• Wang Chong reported that Cao Xing's party was trapped in Dongguan Commandery because Yuan Tan's troops were guarding routes through Qing Province.
• Liu Xie ordered Cao Xing to execute Emperor Xian of Han and send his body to Ye City.
• Sima Yi proposed using Emperor Xian of Han as bait to draw Yuan Tan's forces out while Liu Bu and Liu Xie attacked Qing Province.
• Sima Yi suggested that Yuan Xi and Zhang Liao stage a flight to Qing Province, but Yuan Xi feared Yuan Tan would kill him.
• Liu Xie weighed Sima Yi's plan against his desire to kill Emperor Xian of Han and had not yet decided whether to proceed.

Liu Xie wagered Emperor Xian of Han’s life for a campaign to conquer Qing Province, drawing Yuan Xi into his service and issuing orders to his allies. Lü Bu received orders to abandon Yang Province and muster in Langya, while Zhang Yan eagerly prepared to meet an imperial envoy.

• Liu Xie promised Yuan Xi the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry and an army of his own if he helped recover Qing Province, and Yuan Xi accepted the dangerous mission.
• Liu Xie ordered Guo Jia and Jia Xu to recruit Zhang Yan with promised titles and told Duke Wen to gather his forces on the border of Xu Province.
• Liu Xie instructed Wang Chong to tell Cao to kill Emperor Xian of Han if he tried to flee or was trapped, while Kong Rong offered to enlist Wang Xiu and raise Han loyalists in Beihai.
• Lü Bu received Liu Xie’s order to abandon Yang Province and gather his forces in Langya, and Chen Gong persuaded him that conquering Qing Province could help restore the Han Dynasty.
• Zhang Yan learned that an imperial envoy had arrived with an edict and hurried to welcome him.

Zhang Yan accepted an imperial appointment and rallied the Black Mountain Army to fight Yuan Shao, while Yuan Xi sought refuge with Yuan Tan and warned him that Lü Bu might lead an imperial campaign against Qing Province. Yuan Xi proposed intercepting the Son of Heaven before he reached Xu Province, leaving Yuan Tan to consider the plan.

• Zhang Yan accepted the court’s appointment as General Who Pacifies the North and the promise of a marquisate for defeating Yuan Shao’s forces.
• Zhang Yan declared the Black Mountain Army soldiers of the court and ordered every contingent to assemble in You Province.
• Yuan Tan learned that Zhang Liao had humiliated Yuan Xi and that Yuan Xi had escaped Ye City, then ordered his brother brought before him.
• Yuan Xi pleaded for refuge, endured Yuan Tan’s beating, and warned that Lü Bu planned to use the Son of Heaven to lead an attack on Qing Province.
• Yuan Xi proposed intercepting the Son of Heaven before he reached Xu Province, and Yuan Tan understood the strategy.

Yuan Xi persuaded Yuan Tan that Zhang Liao was secretly escorting the Son of Heaven through Dongguan Commandery, prompting Yuan Tan to investigate Lü Bu’s troop movements. Meanwhile, Cao Xing told his five hundred soldiers that Liu Xie had ordered them to escort the Pretender Emperor or draw Yuan Tan’s forces away, and offered rewards that rallied the men to their dangerous mission.

• Yuan Xi used his wounds and claimed hatred of Zhang Liao to convince Yuan Tan that Zhang Liao was secretly taking the Son of Heaven toward Xu Province through Dongguan Commandery.
• Yuan Xi warned Yuan Tan that Lü Bu planned to receive the Son of Heaven and attack Qing Province, and Yuan Tan promised to seek credit for Yuan Xi if they intercepted him.
• After Yuan Xi left, Yuan Tan ordered Wang Xiu to verify whether Lü Bu had massed troops along the Xu Province border.
• Wang Chong delivered Liu Xie’s orders to Cao Xing: escort the Pretender Emperor to Ye City if possible, otherwise draw Yuan Tan’s forces away, and kill the Pretender Emperor if escape became impossible.
• Cao Xing told his five hundred soldiers about the mission’s dangers and Liu Xie’s promised rewards, and the men eagerly agreed to carry it out.

Yuan Tan fell for Yuan Xi’s deception and began searching Dongguan Commandery for the Pretender Emperor, while Liu Xie prepared a military campaign to seize Qing Province. As Noble Lady Fu entered the palace and was permitted to visit Empress Fu, Zhen Mi finished dressing for the occasion.

• Yuan Tan learned that Lü Bu had withdrawn from Yang Province and ordered his father to reinforce Qing Province while Jiang Qi and Lü Kuang searched Dongguan Commandery for the Pretender Emperor.
• Kong Rong and Taishi Ci prepared to raise their two thousand troops once fighting began, planning to coordinate with Lü Bu and the forces from Ye City.
• Liu Xie learned that Zhang Yan would hold Yuan Shao in You Province and that Ma Chao and Han Sui were keeping Guo Yuan occupied in Bing Province, so he ordered Zhang Liao to march on Qing Province in three days.
• Liu Xie allowed Noble Lady Fu to pay her respects to Empress Fu, while resolving to keep their meeting under control.
• Zhen Mi dressed carefully and admired her appearance before Noble Lady Fu’s palace visit.

Zhen Mi tried to outshine Empress Fu during the Imperial Consorts’ audience, while Empress Fu privately wondered whether the Pretender Emperor and Emperor Xian were twins. After Noble Lady Fu joined them, Lü Lingqi, Da Qiao, and Xiao Qiao returned to their palaces, where Xiao Qiao asked Lü Lingqi why she never competed for the Emperor’s favor.

• Zhen Mi prepared to meet Empress Fu and resolved to win the beauty contest between them.
• Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao found Lü Lingqi practicing with her spear and hurriedly helped her dress for the audience.
• Empress Fu received Lü Lingqi, Da Qiao, and Xiao Qiao and speculated that the Pretender Emperor might be Emperor Xian’s twin.
• Zhen Mi arrived, outshone the others, and made pointed remarks about Empress Fu’s beauty and makeup, but Empress Fu declined to take the bait.
• Noble Lady Fu arrived and greeted Empress Fu, while Liu Xie watched from the Side Chamber and relaxed when Empress Fu behaved cautiously.
• On their way back, Xiao Qiao asked Lü Lingqi why she never sought the Emperor’s favor.

Liu Xie tried to convince Empress Fu that he was the true Son of Heaven and that the man in Xu County was a double, using Dong Cheng’s actions to support his story. Empress Fu was left questioning which man was the real emperor and whether Liu Xie had already been switched.

• Lü Lingqi told the elder and younger Qiao that she did not know how to compete for the emperor’s favor and only intended to serve him well.
• Liu Xie visited Empress Fu and recalled his ambitions to escape the control of Dong Zhuo and other powerful men.
• Liu Xie claimed that a commoner who resembled him had taken his place, allowing him to escape to Ye City and build a power base by driving Yuan Shao out.
• Liu Xie pointed to Dong Cheng’s movements and the Pretender Emperor’s flight to Shou County as evidence that the man in Xu County was not the true Son of Heaven.
• Liu Xie told Empress Fu that he planned to use the Pretender Emperor to conquer Qing Province and leave Dong Cheng blamed for the switch.
• After Liu Xie left, Empress Fu wondered why he could not answer questions about secrets known only to her and the Son of Heaven.

Yuan Shao abandoned the siege of Ji County after learning that Lü Bu and Zhang Liao threatened Qing Province while seeking the Son of Heaven. As Yuan Tan struggled to locate the emperor and resist both armies, Zhang Yan mobilized the Black Mountain Army to ambush Yuan Shao’s retreat.

• Yuan Shao rejected Tian Feng’s advice to redirect his campaign and ordered a large recruitment drive, but learned that Lü Bu and Zhang Liao were moving against Qing Province with the Son of Heaven in play.
• Yuan Shao ordered his army to withdraw from Ji County and rush to Qing Province after hearing that Zhang Liao had marched out of Wei Commandery with twenty thousand troops.
• Sun Qing reported Yuan Shao’s movements to Zhang Yan, who rallied the Black Mountain Army and led it to set ambushes along the retreat route.
• Yuan Tan received reports that Zhang Liao and Lü Bu were advancing on Qing Province from different directions, while his search for the Son of Heaven came up empty.
• Yuan Tan seized Yuan Xi by the throat and demanded to know whether Zhang Liao had secretly escorted the Son of Heaven through Qing Province, until a guard pointed out that Yuan Xi could not speak while being strangled.