Recaps

Liu Xie gave Zhen Mi techniques for glassmaking, refining salt, improving ironwork, and producing military equipment, then refused her request to accompany him to the You Province front. He told Jia Xu and Guo Jia that he had a way to help Gongsun Zan resist Yuan Shao, and Jia Xu guessed that Liu Xie might provide him with stirrups, horseshoes, and weapons.

• Liu Xie explained several profitable crafts and military innovations to Zhen Mi, who recorded the techniques for the Zhen Clan to test in secret.
• Zhen Mi asked to accompany Liu Xie to the front, but he refused because of the danger and her fragile health.
• Jia Xu warned Zhang He and Gao Lan to protect Liu Xie during the journey to You Province, while Guo Jia and Jia Xu worried that Yuan Shao’s growing power would leave Liu Xie a puppet.
• Liu Xie said he had a way to help Gongsun Zan resist Yuan Shao, prompting Jia Xu to ask whether he planned to sell Gongsun Zan stirrups, horseshoes, and weapons.

Liu Xie backed efforts to strengthen Gongsun Zan against Yuan Shao while Sun Ce and Zhou Yu discussed their plans in Yang Province and sought to marry the Two Qiaos. An imperial decree selected Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao to enter Liu Xie's palace, and Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were enraged when they learned the sisters were already leaving for Ye City.

• Liu Xie told Jia Xu and Guo Jia that their efforts and the Zhen Clan's support might help Gongsun Zan challenge Yuan Shao.
• Sun Ce asked Zhou Yu whether Gongsun Zan could resist Yuan Shao, and Zhou Yu predicted Gongsun Zan would eventually fall while advising Sun Ce to wait and expand into Jing and Yi Provinces.
• Sun Ce and Zhou Yu agreed to seek the Two Qiaos in marriage after seeing them in Wan City.
• An imperial emissary delivered Liu Xie's decree naming Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao Beauties and summoning them to Ye City; Qiao Gong accepted the decree.
• As Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao departed for Ye City, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu learned they had been chosen for the palace, and Zhou Yu stopped Sun Ce from rushing to intercept them.

Liu Xie arrived at Yuan Shao’s camp near Yi City, where Yuan Shao tasked him with rallying the army before an assault on Gongsun Zan’s stronghold. Liu Xie saw Ju Yi as a potential recruit, while Ju Shou worried that letting him address the troops could backfire.

• Sun Ce, grieving that the Two Qiaos were being taken to Ye City, accepted Zhou Yu’s advice to seek a marriage alliance with Lü Bu by asking for his daughter’s hand.
• Liu Xie traveled from Ye City toward the You Province battlefield under the close protection of Zhang He and Gao Lan, and learned that Yi City was less than thirty li away.
• Ju Yi met Liu Xie’s procession with a disciplined cavalry unit and escorted him into Yuan Shao’s camp, where Liu Xie considered recruiting him.
• Yuan Shao welcomed Liu Xie and ordered him to review the army and give a morale-raising speech before the planned assault on Yi City.
• Ju Shou warned Yuan Shao that Liu Xie might lose his nerve before the troops and damage the army’s morale.

Liu Xie prepared to review Yuan Shao’s army, and Yuan Shao dismissed Ju Shou’s doubts about the emperor’s fawning behavior. At the review, Liu Xie stirred the soldiers’ loyalty with a forceful speech, and the chapter ended with the army acclaiming him and the Han.

• Yuan Shao reassured Ju Shou that Liu Xie’s flattery was merely a way to survive and entered the command camp.
• News spread through Yuan Shao’s army that Liu Xie had arrived and would review the troops in three days, exciting the soldiers.
• Liu Xie rode before thirty thousand Ji Province soldiers and ascended the command platform to drums and ceremony.
• Liu Xie praised the soldiers’ sacrifices, denounced the Han’s enemies, and called on them to take Yi City.
• Zhang He, Gao Lan, and the soldiers knelt and vowed to follow Liu Xie, while he called for the Han’s enduring glory.

Liu Xie used a military review and his presence at Yi City to boost Yuan Shao’s army and pressure Gongsun Zan’s defenders into surrender. Gongsun Zan acknowledged Liu Xie, then turned the Son of Heaven’s authority against Yuan Shao by accusing him of endangering the emperor.

• Liu Xie rallied Yuan Shao’s thirty thousand soldiers, while Yuan Shao wondered why the review had gone so well and Ju Shou remained gloomy.
• A scout reported that Yuan Shao’s entire army was marching on Yi City, and Gongsun Zan ordered his forces ready and summoned Tian Kai’s troops.
• Yuan Shao brought Liu Xie to the front and had him demand that Gongsun Zan’s forces submit, leaving the defenders shaken and unwilling to fight the Son of Heaven.
• Tian Yu urged Gongsun Zan to recognize Liu Xie and accuse Yuan Shao of forcing the emperor into danger, so Gongsun Zan could claim to purge villains from the sovereign’s side.
• Gongsun Zan knelt to greet Liu Xie, then denounced Yuan Shao as a villain who endangered the Son of Heaven and compared him to Dong Zhuo.

Gongsun Zan accused Yuan Shao of treason and listed seven crimes before the armies at Yi City. After Wen Chou challenged Gongsun Zan’s forces, Zhao Yun nearly defeated him, but Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang to join the fight, turning the battle against Zhao Yun.

• Gongsun Zan accused Yuan Shao of holding Liu Xie hostage and publicly listed seven crimes against him, then swore to kill him.
• Yuan Shao ordered Wen Chou to challenge Gongsun Zan’s warriors and weaken their morale.
• Gongsun Zan sent Zhao Yun to face Wen Chou, and Zhao Yun identified himself as Zhao Zilong of Changshan.
• Zhao Yun gained the advantage after thirty exchanges, leaving Wen Chou in danger of being killed.
• Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang to assist Wen Chou, and the two generals forced Zhao Yun onto the back foot.

Zhao Yun fought through Yuan Shao’s forces after killing Wen Chou and nearly reached Yuan Shao and Liu Xie, but Ju Yi stopped his attack. Gongsun Fan and Yan Gang’s White Horse Volunteers rescued Zhao Yun with a feint and returned with him to Yi City.

• Gongsun Zan sent Gongsun Fan to aid Zhao Yun, who killed Wen Chou, disarmed Yan Liang, and fought his way through Yuan Shao’s soldiers.
• Zhao Yun charged toward Yuan Shao and Liu Xie, fought Yan Liang, Han Meng, and Chunyu Qiong, and knocked Han Meng and Chunyu Qiong from their horses.
• Zhao Yun broke through to Yuan Shao, but Ju Yi blocked his spear and the surrounding soldiers renewed their attack.
• Gongsun Fan and Yan Gang led the White Horse Volunteers out of Yi City, and Yan Gang’s feint let them rescue Zhao Yun from the encirclement.
• Yuan Shao ordered archers to shoot at the retreating riders, but Zhao Yun and the White Horse Volunteers evaded the arrows and escaped back to Yi City.

Lü Bu celebrated his daughter’s appointment as a Noble Lady and rejected Sun Ce’s proposal for a marriage alliance, declaring Sun Ce a rebel. He ended the chapter furious after driving the emissary out, while Liu Bei and Chen Gong privately suspected Lü Lingqi’s rank might rise further.

• Lü Bu hosted a banquet in Runan to celebrate his daughter entering the palace as a Noble Lady.
• Liu Bei stopped Lü Bu from revealing more about Lü Lingqi’s appointment, and Chen Gong inferred that her rise might not end with the Noble Lady title.
• A guard announced that Sun Ce’s emissary had arrived, and Lü Bu reluctantly agreed to hear him at Chen Gong’s urging.
• Sun Ce’s emissary proposed a marriage alliance, but Lü Bu called Sun Ce a dog’s son and ordered the guards to throw the emissary out.
• Lü Bu denounced Sun Ce and his family as rebels, while the banquet guests mocked the proposal and praised Lü Lingqi’s future prospects.

Lü Bu learned that the Zhen Clan would secretly supply him and prepared to attack Sun Ce, but news that Yuan Shao had taken the Son of Heaven to the You Province battlefield enraged him. In Lujiang, Zhou Yu urged Sun Ce to profess loyalty to the Son of Heaven, then suggested sending his younger sister to the palace, prompting Sun Ce to curse him.

• Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to wait two years before attacking Sun Ce, but Liu Bei told Lü Bu that the Zhen Clan would secretly provide money, grain, weapons, and armor.
• Lü Bu celebrated the prospect of attacking Sun Ce next spring, then flew into a rage upon learning Yuan Shao had taken the Son of Heaven to the You Province battlefield.
• Liu Bei and Chen Gong stopped Lü Bu from setting off alone to kill Yuan Shao, while Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun offered to go with him.
• Sun Ce erupted in anger after learning Lü Bu had refused his marriage alliance, and Zhou Yu argued that professing loyalty to the Son of Heaven could erase the stains on Sun Ce's reputation.
• Zhou Yu suggested that Sun Ce send his younger sister to the palace, and Sun Ce cursed him because she was too young and he could not face their father if he did so.

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu cleared up a misunderstanding about sending Sun Ce’s little sister to the palace and settled on finding Bu Lianshi instead. After Yuan Shao’s failed assault on Yi City and Wen Chou’s death, Liu Xie returned to Ye City, while Ju Shou began plotting against him and Yuan Shao ordered him away from the front.

• Zhou Yu rebuked Sun Ce for thinking of sending his underage little sister into the palace, and Sun Ce agreed to seek out Bu Lianshi instead.
• Yuan Shao mourned Wen Chou’s death after Zhao Yun defeated the Ji Province Army at Yi City, while Yan Liang demanded another assault and Ju Shou urged caution.
• Yuan Shao watched Liu Xie tend to wounded soldiers, praised his efforts, then ordered Ju Shou to escort him back to Ye City.
• Ju Shou suspected Liu Xie was winning the soldiers’ loyalty and spent the night trying to devise a way to kill him.
• Liu Xie returned to the Imperial Palace in Ye City five days later and headed inside to see Zhen Mi.

Liu Xie returned to the palace and learned that the Zhen Clan had succeeded in producing horseshoes, stirrups, and refined salt, while ironworking and glassmaking remained under development. Zhen Mi then confronted him about Lü Lingqi becoming his consort, and Liu Xie tried to reassure her as her jealousy persisted.

• Liu Xie surprised Zhen Mi in her chambers, teased her about not welcoming him, and promised he would remain in the palace.
• Zhen Mi reported that the Zhen Clan had produced horseshoes, stirrups, and fine salt, while craftsmen were still researching glass and cast steel.
• Liu Xie asked the Zhen Clan to send Lü Bu money, grain, horseshoes, stirrups, and weapons made with the Double-Liquid Quenching Method.
• Zhen Mi told Liu Xie that Lü Lingqi had entered the palace and become a Noble Lady, prompting him to explain that he had taken her as a consort to win over Duke Wen.
• Zhen Mi questioned Liu Xie's reassurances and suggested he visit Lü Lingqi, while Liu Xie admitted he had forgotten to tell her and explained the political need for consorts.

Liu Xie reassured Zhen Mi about taking Lü Lingqi as a consort, then visited Lü Lingqi with her and admired the new consort’s fierce spearwork and martial bearing. Lü Lingqi blushed at his praise, while Zhen Mi offered to learn spear techniques from her.

• Liu Xie comforted Zhen Mi’s jealousy by promising that she alone held his love, and she urged him to visit Lü Lingqi.
• Liu Xie and Zhen Mi walked through the snow to Ziyun Palace, where they found Lü Lingqi practicing spearwork.
• Lü Lingqi greeted Liu Xie with a military salute before correcting herself and using the palace’s consort etiquette.
• Lü Lingqi explained that she practiced martial arts to honor Lü Bu’s instructions and protect Liu Xie.
• Liu Xie praised Lü Lingqi’s martial skills and beauty, and Zhen Mi offered to learn spear techniques from her.

Lü Bu tested the Zhen Clan’s Double Stirrups and learned how greatly they improved cavalry combat and training. He agreed to ask the Zhen Clan for warhorses so he could build a ten-thousand-strong iron cavalry force.

• Lü Bu rode Red Hare to test the Double Stirrups while Chen Gong watched.
• Lü Bu praised the stirrups’ benefits, and Chen Gong tested them himself and agreed they could make the Bing Province Iron Cavalry exceptionally powerful.
• Chen Gong urged Lü Bu to keep the new equipment secret and to have Horseshoes fitted to the army’s horses.
• Lü Bu hesitated to request warhorses from the Zhen Clan, despite his dream of raising ten thousand iron cavalrymen.
• Chen Gong persuaded Lü Bu to seek warhorses for His Majesty’s cause, and Lü Bu grabbed Chen Gong and made him come along.

Cao Cao resolved to seek an alliance with Gongsun Zan against Yuan Shao, while Yuan Shao hosted a New Year’s banquet attended by Liu Xie, Lü Bu, Liu Bei, and Liu Zhang. Liu Zhang asked the emperor to send troops against Zhang Lu, and Liu Xie prepared to hear his case.

• Cao Cao raged over Gongsun Zan’s homage to the Son of Heaven in Ye City and worried that the claim of Liu Xie’s court would lose credibility.
• Xun Yu urged Cao Cao to aid Gongsun Zan against Yuan Shao, and Cao Cao decided to send Gongsun Zan a letter proposing an alliance.
• Cao Cao learned that Xiahou Dun remained despondent after losing his left eye and vowed to take revenge on Lü Bu.
• At Yuan Shao’s New Year’s banquet in Ye City, Liu Zhang asked Liu Xie to send troops against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong.
• Liu Xie asked Liu Zhang to explain what had happened in Yi Province, while wondering whether Liu Bei might still gain control of the province.

At the New Year's Eve banquet, Liu Bei and Liu Zhang delayed Yuan Shao's attempt to send Gao Gan against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. Meanwhile, Jia Xu drew out Xu You's plan to defect to Cao Cao, and Liu Bei arranged to speak privately with Lü Bu after the banquet.

• Yuan Shao's advisers backed Gao Gan's request to march on Hanzhong, but Liu Bei also sought command and Liu Zhang postponed the decision until after the New Year.
• Yuan Shao questioned Yuan Tan about Cao Cao's movements and promised Yuan Xi the governorship of You Province, leaving Yuan Shang resentful.
• Jia Xu encouraged Xu You to voice his grievances against Yuan Shao's Ji Province advisers, and Xu You revealed he planned to join Cao Cao in spring and invited Jia Xu to come with him.
• Jia Xu agreed to visit Xu You after the banquet, while Liu Bei asked Lü Bu to stay so they could privately visit Liu Xie.

Liu Xie secretly sent Liu Bei to Yi Province to prevent Yuan Shao from taking it, and urged him to replace Liu Zhang and preserve the Han Dynasty. Jia Xu then pushed Yuan Xi to recognize that Yuan Shao favored Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang for the succession, and agreed to help Yuan Xi compete on the condition that he show no mercy.

• Liu Bei warned Liu Xie that Yuan Shao would use Gao Gan’s campaign against Zhang Lu to seize Yi Province.
• Liu Xie ordered Liu Bei to lead elite troops to Yi Province, replace Liu Zhang if necessary, and uphold the Han Dynasty.
• Yuan Xi brought Jia Xu ten merfolk pearls to thank him for helping secure the future governorship of You Province.
• Jia Xu told Yuan Xi that Yuan Shao had excluded him from the succession and implied that Yuan Shang would inherit Ji Province.
• Yuan Xi begged Jia Xu to help him claim the succession, and Jia Xu agreed on the condition that he never show mercy to rivals.

Yuan Xi agreed to scheme with Jia Xu for the Heir's Position, while Guo Jia convinced Yuan Shang that he needed to compete ruthlessly with Yuan Xi. At court, Yuan Shao's allies backed Gao Gan to lead the campaign against Zhang Lu, while Liu Bei and Lü Bu challenged his claim.

• Yuan Xi agreed to Jia Xu's plan to pursue the Heir's Position, and Jia Xu led him to discuss their next steps.
• Guo Jia warned Yuan Shang that Yuan Xi was becoming the likely heir and urged him to compete without regard for brotherly affection.
• Yuan Shang gave in to Guo Jia's pressure and promised to follow his advice, while Guo Jia privately dismissed Yuan Shang as unworthy.
• At the court assembly, Gao Gan requested ten thousand troops to suppress Zhang Lu's rebellion in Yi Province, and Liu Bei argued that four thousand under his command would suffice.
• Gao Gan mocked Liu Bei's proposal, and Lü Bu offered to lend Liu Bei troops.

At court, Yuan Shao forced Liu Xie to choose Gao Gan to suppress Zhang Lu’s rebellion in Yi Province, prompting Liu Bei to plan to go there himself while Lü Bu focused on Yang Province. Back in the palace, Liu Xie learned the Zhen Clan was advancing his steel-making plans and secretly aiding Lü Bu, then refused Zhen Mi’s suggestion that he visit Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao.

• Liu Zhang supported Liu Bei’s bid to quell the rebellion, but Yuan Shao pressured Liu Xie into appointing Gao Gan instead.
• Lü Bu vowed to strengthen his army and defeat Sun Ce, while Liu Bei said he would secretly lead troops to Yi Province.
• Liu Xie told Zhen Mi he felt powerless, and she encouraged him by saying he could cast off his shackles in the future.
• Zhen Mi reported that the Zhen Clan’s craftsmen had improved their weapons with Liu Xie’s Cast Steel Method and expected to deliver new equipment to Lü Bu within three months.
• Zhen Mi explained that the Mi Family would transport and sell the Zhen Clan’s goods to conceal its support for Lü Bu from Yuan Shao.
• Zhen Mi suggested Liu Xie visit Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, but he refused, claiming his heart belonged to her and he had no time for other women.

Liu Xie visited the Qiao sisters with Zhen Mi, who asserted her standing as his principal consort. Later, Jia Xu reported that Xu You wanted to defect from Yuan Shao, and Liu Xie authorized him to recruit Xu You, with orders to kill him if the attempt failed.

• Zhen Mi urged Liu Xie to visit Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, and he agreed to go with her to Bixia Palace.
• Liu Xie met the Qiao sisters and admired their beauty while Zhen Mi welcomed them and promised to help them settle into the palace.
• Zhang He summoned Liu Xie to meet Jia Xu and Guo Jia in the Xuan Room.
• Jia Xu reported that Xu You was disillusioned with Yuan Shao and hoped Jia Xu would join him in defecting to Cao Cao.
• Liu Xie authorized Jia Xu to try to recruit Xu You into his own service, and Jia Xu agreed to kill Xu You if he could not be won over.

Liu Xie revealed that he had secretly sent Liu Bei to Yi Province to counter Yuan Shao’s ambitions, impressing Guo Jia and Jia Xu with his growing strategic ability. Jia Xu then confronted Xu You with a recruitment offer for the emperor, claiming Liu Xie had concealed his strength and was preparing to restore the Han Dynasty.

• Guo Jia and Jia Xu warned Liu Xie that Yuan Shao could use Gao Gan’s mission to seize Yi Province, and Liu Xie explained his secret plan to send Liu Bei there with four thousand elite troops.
• Guo Jia and Jia Xu praised Liu Xie’s foresight, while Liu Xie reflected on how his reading and experience had strengthened his judgment.
• Jia Xu visited Xu You, who explained why he wanted to join Cao Cao and revealed his plan to take the Imperial Seal to him.
• Jia Xu refused to join Cao Cao and declared that he served the Son of Heaven, then asked Xu You to pledge loyalty to Liu Xie.
• When Xu You challenged Jia Xu’s claim, Jia Xu said Liu Xie had been pretending to be Yuan Shao’s puppet and urged Xu You to help restore the Han Dynasty.
• Xu You recalled Liu Xie’s displays of imperial majesty and began to wonder whether the emperor had deceived Yuan Shao and everyone else.

Jia Xu revealed the Son of Heaven’s hidden network and persuaded Xu You to abandon Yuan Shao and serve Liu Xie. Xu You entered the palace and pledged to help restore the Han Dynasty, giving Liu Xie an influential ally inside Ye City.

• Xu You gave up trying to recruit Jia Xu for Cao Cao and dismissed the idea that the Son of Heaven could escape Yuan Shao’s control.
• Jia Xu described the Son of Heaven’s supporters, secret network, and control of the Imperial Guards, then explained why Liu Xie wanted Xu You’s talent and command of Ye City’s East Gate.
• Xu You decided that serving Liu Xie offered a better future than joining Cao Cao and agreed to become a Han loyalist.
• Jia Xu brought Xu You to the palace, where Liu Xie welcomed him and Xu You theatrically apologized for aiding Yuan Shao and pledged to serve the Han Dynasty.

Xu You strengthened Yuan Shao’s trust in him while secretly serving Liu Xie’s plans, and he proposed sending a trusted subordinate to defend Bing Province as Yuan Shao prepared to campaign against You Province. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang competed for the assignment, and Yuan Shao’s advisers began revealing which son they favored.

• Xu You publicly accepted responsibility for his son’s embezzlement and reconciled with Yuan Shao, surprising Shen Pei and the other advisers.
• Xu You warned Yuan Shao that Bing Province might be vulnerable to a Xianbei invasion while Gao Gan campaigned against Zhang Lu.
• Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang both volunteered to defend Bing Province and argued over who was better suited to the task.
• Yuan Shao asked his advisers to recommend a candidate, and Guo Tu and Xin Ping backed Yuan Xi over Yuan Shang.

After Yuan Xi lost the chance to govern Bing Province and was publicly rebuked by Yuan Shao, Jia Xu urged him to seize the succession through a coup. Yuan Xi overcame his hesitation and asked Jia Xu what he should do.

• Yuan Shao appointed Yuan Shang acting Governor of Bing Province, and Yuan Xi angrily challenged his father before the court.
• Yuan Shao slapped Yuan Xi, ordered him out, and collapsed unconscious from rage.
• Jia Xu told Yuan Xi that Yuan Shao had already chosen Yuan Shang as his heir and that Yuan Xi had lost his claim to succeed.
• Jia Xu proposed that Yuan Xi kill Yuan Shao and key advisers, blame Yuan Shang, and take control of Ji Province.
• Yuan Xi accepted Jia Xu's proposal and asked what he should do.

Jia Xu persuaded Yuan Xi to lead a mutiny against Yuan Shao, while secretly arranging for Xu You and the Imperial Guards to seize control of Ye City afterward. As Yuan Xi prepared to act that night, Yuan Shao’s advisers waited anxiously for him to wake and wondered how he would punish his defiant son.

• Jia Xu convinced Yuan Xi to summon his private troops into Ye City and attack the Yuan Residence that night.
• Jia Xu told Xu You that Yuan Xi would kill Yuan Shao and the other advisers, after which Xu You would arrest Yuan Xi and Jia Xu would use the Son of Heaven’s edict to take control.
• Jia Xu obtained Liu Xie’s edict for Zhang He and Gao Lan to lead the Imperial Guards, and explained that he would seek refuge with Gongsun Zan if the plan failed.
• Liu Xie asked Jia Xu to use his Girdle Edict to secure Gongsun Zan’s loyalty and recruit Zhao Yun if he went to You Province.
• A physician assured Ju Shou, Shen Pei, Yuan Shang, and the others that Yuan Shao would recover, while the advisers discussed Yuan Xi’s defiance and how Yuan Shao might deal with him.

Yuan Xi led the Tiger Character Battalion in an uprising, entering Ye City through its West Gate and surrounding the Grand General’s residence. He accused Yuan Shang, Shen Pei, Tian Feng, and the others of being villains, while Shen Pei tried to persuade him to withdraw.

• Yuan Xi rallied five hundred Tiger Character Battalion soldiers and ordered them to begin the uprising.
• Yuan Xi persuaded the West Gate commander to open Ye City’s gate, and his troops entered.
• The West Gate commander reported Yuan Xi’s entry to Xu You, who welcomed the chance to help the Son of Heaven regain power and advance his own position.
• Yuan Xi’s troops surrounded the Grand General’s residence, and Yuan Xi arrived covered in blood after killing its guards.
• Yuan Xi accused Yuan Shang, Shen Pei, Tian Feng, and the others of being villains acting against Yuan Shao.
• Shen Pei urged Yuan Xi to withdraw his troops and offered him a chance to reconcile with the Grand General.