Arc 11The Sage King's Storm

Luo Xin helped Lü Zhi return to Liu Bang, while Liu Bang’s coalition defeated Xiang Yu and founded the Han Dynasty. As the Luo Clan expanded Han influence westward, Luo Ling used the God of the Four Seasons to devastate the Xiongnu, then returned to Chang'an with Liu Bang and the court wary of his power.

  • Luo Xin escorted Lü Zhi and her children to Liu Bang’s camp, where Luo Yi helped arrange a public reunion that reassured her supporters.
  • Liu Bang led the allied lords against Xiang Yu, but Xiang Yu routed their forces and captured Lü Zhi and her children before Han Xin and Liu Bang rebuilt their armies.
  • Han Xin defeated the forces of Zhao and Dai, while Liu Bang formed alliances and resumed the war against Xiang Yu.
  • Lü Zhi offered Xiang Yu an honorable end and humane treatment for the Chu people, and Xiang Yu took his own life as his generals returned his coffin to Chu.
  • Liu Bang became emperor, rewarded his allies, and established the Han court while Luo Yi worked to build Chang'an.
  • Ji Zhao gave Luo Ling guidance for developing the realm and expanding into the Western Regions, and Luo Ling sent clan members west to learn local languages and customs.
  • Liu Bang reduced Lü Cheng from King of Qi to Duke of Qi, while Luo Yi warned the court that the Xiongnu posed a growing threat.
  • Han Xin led Han forces against the Xiongnu as Luo Ling crossed the Great Wall and challenged Modu at the Yin Mountains.
  • Luo Ling used the God of the Four Seasons to unleash wind and a blizzard across the Grasslands, causing famine and widespread deaths among the Xiongnu and their livestock.
  • Luo Ling returned to Chang'an, where Liu Bang and the court welcomed him, then heard him claim that the Sage King had commanded the storm.
Chapters 253–277 Vol. 3 Read

Ch. 253Luo Xin Brought Liu Bang His Wife

Luo Xin rescued Lü Zhi and her children from their pursuers and escorted them toward Liu Bang’s army. Lü Zhi chose to reunite with Liu Bang, while Luo Xin prepared to leave after ensuring she could enter the camp.

  • Luo Xin fought off Lü Zhi’s pursuers and carried her, Liu Le, and Liu Ying out of Pei County.
  • Lü Zhi gave Luo Xin her courtesy name, E Xu, and decided to seek Liu Bang rather than take refuge in Ba-Shu.
  • Luo Xin and Lü Zhi traveled west and learned that Liu Bang’s army was advancing against Xiang Yu with the feudal lords joining him.
  • Lü Zhi and Luo Xin washed and changed before heading to Liu Bang’s camp, where Lü Zhi used her token to gain entry.
  • Lü Zhi promised to make Luo Xin her chancellor if she became regent, and Liu Le tearfully said goodbye to Luo Xin.
  • Luo Xin sent Luo Yi a token explaining his rescue of Lü Zhi, while word of her arrival reached Liu Bang.

Ch. 254Emperor-of-Acting Couple

Luo Xin left Liu Bang’s camp for Zhao City, while Luo Yi warned Liu Bang that he needed to receive Lü Zhi respectfully to preserve the Feudal Lords’ trust. Lü Zhi and Liu Bang staged a tearful reunion, leaving their allies reassured as Luo Yi watched.

  • Luo Xin rode away from the camp after Lü Zhi and Liu Le departed, deciding to visit Zhao City and seek advice from his eldest brother.
  • Luo Yi and Luo Cai worried that Luo Xin might have developed feelings for Lü Zhi, and Luo Yi burned Luo Xin’s letter to keep its contents secret.
  • Luo Yi urged Liu Bang to welcome Lü Zhi with respect, warning that neglecting his first wife could make the Feudal Lords doubt his loyalty to his own family and allies.
  • Liu Bang accepted Luo Yi’s advice and arranged to receive Lü Zhi with the highest ceremonial honors.
  • Lü Zhi recognized Liu Bang’s political motives but cooperated, and she and Liu Bang performed a tearful reunion before the assembled officials.
  • Luo Yi approved of their public display, while Lü Ze’s subordinates felt reassured that Liu Bang still valued the Queen.

Ch. 255Attacking Chu

Liu Bang formed an alliance of Feudal Lords against Xiang Yu and led a vast coalition into Chu, quickly capturing Xiangying. The chapter ended with Luo Yi and Han Xin worrying that the loosely coordinated allied armies might collapse if Xiang Yu struck back.

  • Luo Yi urged Liu Bang to establish his standing among the Feudal Lords, and Liu Bang convened an alliance assembly where he condemned Xiang Yu and called on him to relinquish his royal title.
  • Liu Bang led four hundred thousand troops toward Chu, while other Feudal Lords brought the coalition’s total strength to six hundred thousand; he chose to command the alliance himself rather than leave it to Han Xin.
  • Liu Bang planned to defeat Xiang Yu’s fifty thousand troops and celebrate in Xiangying, while Luo Yi advised him to put the Han Army’s armored elites at the front to withstand Xiang Yu.
  • Liu Bang’s forces swept through Chu as more Feudal Lords joined, and the coalition reached Xiangying with little resistance.
  • Luo Yi asked Han Xin about the growing allied army, and Han Xin warned that the Feudal Lords’ forces might rout and drag the Han Army into defeat if Xiang Yu attacked them.

Ch. 256I, Liu Bang, will contend for the seat of Sovereign of All Under Heaven

Xiang Yu learned that the Feudal Lords had taken Xiangying City and killed members of his clan, and he hurried back with his army to exact revenge. Luo Yi warned Liu Bang that the disorderly coalition could be destroyed by Xiang Yu, but Liu Bang resolved to fight with his six hundred thousand troops and pursue the throne.

  • An injured Xiang clan member told Xiang Yu that the coalition had seized Xiangying City and that many clansmen had died protecting Xiang Yu’s son.
  • Xiang Yu learned that Liu Bang’s army had spared the city’s people while the other Feudal Lords’ armies looted and killed, and he vowed to return and repay the blood debts.
  • Liu Bang awarded the Chu royal palace’s treasures to meritorious Han soldiers, winning their loyalty as the Feudal Lords continued looting.
  • Luo Yi and Zhang Liang worried that the Feudal Lords’ disorder would leave the coalition vulnerable to Xiang Yu, but Zhang Liang predicted Liu Bang would insist on fighting.
  • Luo Yi urged Liu Bang to withdraw, but Liu Bang declared that he would use the six hundred thousand troops to fight Xiang Yu and contend for the throne.

Ch. 257Luo Xin met Luo Ling

Luo Xin returned to Zhao City and reunited with Luo Ling, who listened as he recounted his journey and discovered what was troubling him. The chapter left Luo Ling reflecting on his younger brother’s unexpected desire.

  • Luo Yi and Luo Cai worried that Liu Bang had chosen to fight Xiang Yu, while Han Xin planned to preserve his army if they lost.
  • Luo Xin traveled to Zhao City, where Luo Ling had gathered nearly ten thousand members of the Ducal Clan and planned to announce their new arrangements.
  • Luo Xin met Qiao Yun outside Luo Palace, then greeted Luo Ling in the Quiet Room.
  • Luo Ling asked Luo Xin to recount his travels, and Luo Xin explained that he had agreed to help Lü Zhi after she showed him an ancestral Bronze Plaque.
  • Luo Ling questioned Luo Xin closely and realized that the story had exposed an unexpected desire in his younger brother.

Ch. 258I am the king of the Chu people, the Son of Heaven of All Xia

Luo Xin left Zhao City after speaking with Luo Ling, while Xiang Yu defeated Liu Bang’s coalition at Xiangying and drove Liu Bang to flee. A later account described Xiang Yu’s victory over Gaozu’s forces, his capture of Empress Lü and the children, and his decision to treat them according to their status rather than use them as hostages.

  • Luo Ling explained Luo Xin’s doubts, then bid him farewell as Luo Xin left Zhao City.
  • Xiang Yu refused to wait for reinforcements and led his cavalry against the Coalition of the Lords outside Xiangying.
  • Xiang Yu broke the Han vanguard, killed the King of Han, and routed the coalition in half a day.
  • Liu Bang fled with Liu Ying and Liu Le as Luo Yi helped him escape the collapsing camp.
  • In a later account, Xiang Yu defeated Gaozu’s six hundred thousand troops, captured Empress Lü, Xiaohui, and Lu Yuan, and confined them in Yingdu with the rites due a queen.

Ch. 259Your Majesty truly is a hero

After the defeat at Xiangying, Liu Bang accepted responsibility and rallied his followers, while Lü Ze and Han Xin brought reinforcements and plans for the war ahead. The Han faction resolved to avoid confronting Xiang Yu directly and prepare for a prolonged struggle, though Liu Bang was left shaken once his followers departed.

  • Liu Bang took responsibility for the defeat, reassured his followers, and won their renewed loyalty.
  • Lü Ze arrived with fifty thousand troops and urged Liu Bang to regroup and defend the routes into Guanzhong.
  • Han Xin reported gathering another fifty thousand routed soldiers, bringing the available forces to one hundred thousand.
  • Zhang Liang proposed forming alliances and wearing down Xiang Yu through a prolonged war rather than meeting him in open battle.
  • Han Xin offered to lead ten thousand elite troops into Zhao and Dai, and Liu Bang appointed him Chancellor and authorized him to choose brave generals for the campaign.
  • After the generals left, Liu Bang slumped in his camp, revealing how deeply the defeat had affected him.

Ch. 260Counseling Chu

Luo Xin warned Xiang Yu that his grants of conquered territories and plans to relocate their people would leave his rule vulnerable, but Xiang Yu dismissed him and remained convinced that Chu could prevail. The chapter ended with Luo Xin foreseeing Xiang Yu’s eventual downfall while Lü Zhi remained a courteous captive.

  • Xiang Yu explained to Luo Xin that he had granted conquered lands to local nobles because imposing Chu rulers there would provoke resistance.
  • Luo Xin warned Xiang Yu that the King of Han could recover and seize the territories, then urged him not to force other peoples into the Taihang Mountains.
  • Xiang Yu defended his loyalty to the Chu people and dismissed Luo Xin, while Consort Yu advised him to win the hearts of the people and praised Lü Zhi.
  • Luo Xin left the palace convinced that Xiang Yu’s stubbornness would bring about his defeat, while Lü Zhi tended plants in her quarters.
  • The historical account described Dong'e refusing a reward from Gaozu and returning home without accepting a fief or gold.

Ch. 261Luo Cai

After Liu Bang was defeated at Xingyang, Han Xin conquered Wei State and Liu Bang went to his camp to borrow troops. Luo Cai prevented Liu Bang from taking Han Xin’s army outright, but Han Xin willingly gave him eighty thousand soldiers and prepared to campaign against Zhao and Dai.

  • The King of Qi allied with Liu Bang, and Liu Bang secured pledges from the King of Jiujiang and other undecided leaders.
  • Xiang Yu defeated Liu Bang after cutting off his supplies at Xingyang, while Luo Yi was away building support among the Feudal Lords.
  • Lu Wan reported that Han Xin had destroyed Wei State’s army, captured its capital, and killed the King of Wei.
  • Liu Bang arrived unexpectedly at Han Xin’s camp, where Luo Cai confronted him and then summoned Han Xin.
  • Liu Bang asked Han Xin for troops to fight Xiang Yu, and Han Xin offered eighty thousand soldiers while keeping twenty thousand to attack Zhao Land.
  • Luo Cai encouraged Han Xin with promises of lasting fame, and the next day he prepared to rebuild his army and conquer Zhao and Dai.

Ch. 262The Immortal of War, Chu and Han!

Liu Bang recaptured Xingyang while Xiang Yu’s victories in Qi brought him no lasting gains, and Han Xin led the Han army into Zhao, where he defeated the Zhao and Dai forces through deception and careful command. After Zhao’s king died and Dai’s king surrendered, Han Xin prepared to take Zhao and Dai, secure Yan’s submission, and continue toward unifying All Under Heaven.

  • Liu Bang retook Xingyang while Xiang Yu fought the King of Qi and saw his army dwindle despite winning battles.
  • Han Xin explained to Luo Cai that he would lure Zhao’s king into attacking by making him believe the Han army had only a few battle-ready soldiers.
  • The King of Zhao and Lord Cheng'an mobilized Zhao and Dai’s forces to defeat Han Xin and recover Wei territory.
  • Han Xin cut the enemy’s provisions, used decoys to mislead them, and deployed his army with its back to the river as the Zhao and Dai forces attacked.
  • Fan Kuai led elite troops into the battle, and the Zhao and Dai armies broke and fled after Han Xin’s apparent reinforcements and burning granaries overwhelmed them.
  • Han Xin’s forces killed the King of Zhao and captured the King of Dai, then Han Xin told Luo Cai he would take Zhao and Dai before securing Yan’s submission.

Ch. 263Xiang Yu Wanted Peace Talks

Liu Bang rewarded Han Xin with the title King of Zhao, but Han Xin declined the throne and marched south to join the King of Qi against Chu. Facing encirclement and fearing the loss of his remaining Jiangdong men, Xiang Yu proposed peace talks in exchange for Lü Zhi, leaving Liu Bang pressured to agree.

  • Liu Bang's commanders approved his decree making Han Xin King of Zhao and ordering him to lead the armies south against Chu.
  • Han Xin declined the throne after discussing the risks with Luo Cai, then joined forces with the King of Qi to advance against Chu.
  • Xiang Yu admitted to Consort Yu that he feared losing the last of the Sons of Jiangdong and decided to seek peace with Liu Ji by offering Lü Zhi in exchange.
  • Luo Xin told Lü Zhi that peace talks might soon secure her release, and she promised to repay his kindness.
  • Lü Ze urged Liu Bang to negotiate, while Luo Yi warned that Xiang Yu might not trust talks without the Luo Clan as a witness.
  • Liu Bang realized he had little choice but to agree to Xiang Yu's peace proposal.

Ch. 264I rose through Chu; I perish for Chu

After Liu Bang broke the peace agreement, Han Xin encircled Xiang Yu’s forces and cut off their supplies. Xiang Yu chose suicide to spare the Chu people further bloodshed, and the war ended with his army returning home.

  • Liu Bang’s lords and generals urged him to attack Chu, and he agreed to resume the war soon after the peace talks.
  • Han Xin assembled a million-strong coalition, cut off Xiang Yu’s reinforcements and supplies, and trapped his army around Xiangying.
  • Lü Zhi persuaded Liu Bang to offer Xiang Yu the chance to die with honor and promised humane treatment for the Chu people.
  • Xiang Yu and Consort Yu shared a final night together, and Xiang Yu took his own life for the Chu people.
  • Ji Bu and Xiang Yu’s other generals asked to carry his coffin home, and Liu Bang allowed them to guard his mausoleum as the Chu army departed.

Ch. 265Coronation, enfeoffment, and Heaven's Han (end of volume)

Liu Bang became emperor of Han, and Luo Ling crowned and received exceptional honors from him. The meritorious ministers were enfeoffed, Luo Ling returned to Zhao City, and Luo Yi began building the new capital of Chang'an.

  • The Han ministers acclaimed Liu Bang emperor, and he adopted the title Son of Heaven and the form of address “Zhen.”
  • Liu Bang consulted Luo Yi on rewards; they set grants for Xiao He, Han Xin and Luo Cai, and Lü Ze agreed to accept a lower rank to support Liu Ying’s succession.
  • Luo Ling arrived in Luoyang, crowned Liu Bang, and received Zhao City as his fief, the title Duke Zhao, and the Nine Bestowments.
  • Liu Bang enfeoffed Han Xin as Marquis of Huaiyin and Luo Cai as Marquis of Anyang, then rewarded Lü Ze, Luo Yi, Xiao He, and the other meritorious ministers.
  • Luo Ling returned to Zhao City, while Liu Bang stayed in Luoyang and Luo Yi entered Guanzhong to build the new capital, Chang'an.

Ch. 266A Major System Update, Mystic-Tier Items

Ji Zhao reviewed the system update after the Han Dynasty was founded, discovering new items, refined clan attributes, and a newly revealed Western Regions map. The update added a function that, together with the God of the Four Seasons, could let him head west, though he held back while the Han recovered from war.

  • Ji Zhao learned that a Heaven-Tier Item could extend a Luo-founded dynasty's fortune while canceling that era's Mandate of Heaven, and considered using the Heavenly Book for this purpose.
  • The system replaced the Yellow-Tier Attribute Card with a Mystic-Tier card that raised an attribute as high as 90, lowered summoning costs, and raised the cost of Yellow-Tier weather items.
  • Ji Zhao received the unique Mystic-Tier God of the Four Seasons, which let him command thunder, rain, wind, and snow by spending Fortune Points.
  • The system revealed the Western Regions on the world map, including the Hexi Corridor, and Ji Zhao considered summoning Luo Ling before deciding the Han needed time to recover.
  • Ji Zhao examined the updated attribute and prestige panels, which showed Luo Ling's strengths and Liu Bang's growing wariness of the Luo Clan.
  • Ji Zhao became interested in a new system function that could let him travel to the Western Regions alongside the God of the Four Seasons.

Ch. 267Luo Ling's Plan

Ji Zhao summoned Luo Ling to discuss the Han Dynasty and the future of All Xia, and Luo Ling laid out plans for gradual expansion, internal development, and defending against the northern Hu People. Ji Zhao gave him a map of the Western Regions, setting the Luo Clan on a path to help the Han Dynasty expand westward.

  • Ji Zhao summoned Luo Ling to the peach grove and asked what plans he had for All Xia under the Han Dynasty.
  • Luo Ling predicted that Liu Bang would spend his remaining years eliminating the Kings of Different Surnames and would leave the dynasty’s institutions to be established by his successors.
  • Luo Ling proposed developing the realm through gradual settlement, cultivation, population growth, and expansion into Jiangdong and other lands.
  • Luo Ling argued that the northern Hu People should be defeated swiftly, then divided and subdued, while All Xia maintained its military strength rather than occupying the Grasslands.
  • Ji Zhao gave Luo Ling a map showing a safe route to the Western Regions, and the Luo Clan later helped the Han Dynasty expand there.

Ch. 268The Title Function

Ji Zhao ordered Luo Ling to pursue the Western Regions gradually, combining force with accommodation rather than relying on indiscriminate slaughter, and bestowed a blessing to help the clan’s explorers. Back in Zhao City, Luo Ling began organizing a 300-person expedition and assigned his second brother to lead it.

  • Ji Zhao described the Western Regions as a vast storehouse of treasures and demanded that the Luo Clan bring the region under Han rule and eventually make people of All Xia its majority.
  • Luo Ling proposed sending a direct-line descendant with a Divine Artifact to conquer the region, but Ji Zhao warned that its size, scattered settlements, casualties, and supply needs made that approach unsustainable.
  • Ji Zhao instructed Luo Ling to eliminate the ruling class and those who had killed people of All Xia while treating other locals well and avoiding needless campaigns that burdened ordinary people.
  • Luo Ling agreed to send his second brother and other clan descendants to learn the Western Regions’ languages and customs, and Ji Zhao promised a blessing that granted language proficiency and some resistance to illness.
  • After returning to Zhao City, Luo Ling wrote his second brother a letter ordering him to lead an initial party of 300, supported by the Luo Clan’s troops, weapons, scholars, and supplies.

Ch. 269The realm must truly be united

Liu Bang used a banquet to prepare his officials for enfeoffing members of the Liu clan and eliminating kings of other surnames, while Lü Zhi judged that he could not displace Liu Ying. The gathering ended in uproar when Liu Bang learned that the King of Yan had plotted rebellion.

  • Luo Cai and Luo Yi discussed Liu Bang’s plans to move against kings of other surnames and worried that his actions would damage Luo Yi’s reputation.
  • Liu Bang and Lü Zhi arrived at the banquet, where Liu Bang reminisced with his officials before asking why the Zhou dynasty had endured for so long.
  • Liu Bang argued that Zhou had survived through support from allied lords and raised the possibility of enfeoffing Liu clan relatives to protect the Han realm.
  • The officials feared Liu Bang might grant the kingdoms of Zhao and Chu to his sons and use the move to challenge Crown Prince Liu Ying, while Lü Zhi remained unconcerned about his ability to replace him.
  • A personal attendant informed Liu Bang that the King of Yan had plotted rebellion, and Liu Bang denounced him as the officials called for action.

Ch. 270Duke Zhao, Save Me!

Liu Bang captured the King of Yan and accepted Luo Yi’s proposal to spare his relatives by sending them to develop Lingnan. Alarmed by the fall of Yan and Liu Bang’s plans to enfeoff his kin, the King of Qi sought Luo Ling’s counsel, and Luo Ling warned that he could not keep ruling a great state.

  • Liu Bang asked his ministers how to punish the captured King of Yan, and Luo Yi proposed sparing the king’s relatives and sending them to develop Lingnan.
  • Liu Bang approved Luo Yi’s plan, ordered the King of Yan’s relatives escorted to Luoyang before their eventual relocation, and accepted the king’s thanks.
  • The King of Qi, Lü Cheng, read a warning from Lü Zhi and Lü Ze and realized Liu Bang’s growing enfeoffment of imperial relatives threatened his rule.
  • Lü Cheng traveled to Zhao City and begged Luo Ling to save him, and Luo Ling said his life was safe but he could not continue ruling a great state.

Ch. 271Liu Bang, see how big the Ji-Jiang Alliance's fist is

Liu Bang returned from Yan State hoping to weaken the Lü Clan, but Lü Cheng renounced the throne of Qi in a move arranged with Lü Zhi and Duke Zhao. Faced with the Ji-Jiang Alliance and the court’s support for Liu Ying, Liu Bang accepted the plan and abandoned his efforts to replace the crown prince or curb the Lü Clan.

  • Liu Bang returned to Luoyang from Yan State with many captives, then refused to receive Lü Cheng until he reached the palace.
  • Lü Cheng told Lü Zhi and Lü Ze that Duke Zhao had advised him to relinquish the throne of Qi, and Lü Zhi asked him to explain the full plan.
  • At a banquet, Lü Cheng publicly renounced his kingship, and Lü Zhi proposed making him Duke of Qi while enfeoffing his thirteen children as marquises.
  • Liu Bang realized the Luo Clan and the meritorious ministers supported Liu Ying and would oppose any attempt to seize Qi or replace the crown prince.
  • Liu Bang approved Lü Zhi’s proposal, ordered Lü Cheng reduced to Duke of Qi, and called on him to support Liu Ying after Liu Bang’s death.

Ch. 272The Xiongnu Wanted a Beating

Luo Yi warned Liu Bang that the Xiongnu had united and might invade, prompting the emperor to summon the Han nobles and prepare for war. The chapter ended with Chang'an mobilizing as Great Han faced its new steppe rival.

  • Luo Yi told Liu Bang that Ying Bu was drilling his troops out of fear, not because he intended to rebel without provocation.
  • Luo Yi warned Liu Bang that the Xiongnu had united the Grasslands and were likely preparing to move south.
  • Luo Yi relayed Luo Ling’s view that Han should strike the Xiongnu hard and end the war within a year, before the next spring’s plowing.
  • Liu Bang ordered Luo Yi to ring the great bell and summon the Thorough Marquises and other nobles to Changle Palace to prepare for war.
  • The chapter described thirty-seven marquises gathering as the Han Empire confronted the Xiongnu.

Ch. 273Han Xin, Luo Ling Heads North

Liu Bang summoned the Han nobles after the Xiongnu unified the northern tribes and invaded, then appointed Han Xin commander of a 250,000-strong campaign. Meanwhile, Luo Ling left Zhao City for the Grasslands, hoping to prevent the Han and Xiongnu from entering a ruinous prolonged war.

  • Luo Yi told the gathered nobles that Modu had unified the northern Hu tribes into a powerful Xiongnu force spanning the northern frontier.
  • Fan Kuai and other nobles requested permission to fight, and Luo Yi persuaded Liu Bang not to lead the campaign himself.
  • Liu Bang appointed Han Xin supreme commander of 250,000 troops and gave him authority over the campaign's military affairs.
  • Luo Ling judged that a Han victory would be difficult and prolonged war could strengthen the Xiongnu, so he decided to travel to the Grasslands.
  • Luo Ling crossed beyond the Great Wall with Qiao Yun and told him to follow a stream to find people.

Ch. 274Tell the Xiongnu Chanyu My Name Is Luo Ling

Han Xin encircled Modu’s Xiongnu forces and inflicted a major defeat, while Luo Ling traveled across the grasslands and decided the Central Plains must repeatedly defeat the Xiongnu and draw their heroes into Xia. After Modu retreated, Luo Ling sent him a threatening letter in the Sage King’s name, setting up the legend of Duke Luo Zhao among the Xiongnu.

  • Han Xin told Liu Bang that victory was certain but that his army lacked the horses and supplies needed to crush the Xiongnu in a single campaign.
  • After splitting his forces in Zhao State, Han Xin trapped a Xiongnu army and used Fan Kuai’s cavalry and coordinated troop movements to defeat it.
  • Luo Ling observed the Xiongnu’s vulnerability to famine and internal strife, but concluded the Luo Clan could not spend its reserves to destroy them outright.
  • Modu’s Xiongnu fought Han Xin’s chariots and crossbowmen until Han Xin’s two flanking armies arrived, helping kill thirty thousand Xiongnu and capture fifty thousand.
  • After Modu withdrew across the Great Wall, Luo Ling sent him a letter demanding that he kneel at the Yin Mountains or face divine punishment.
  • The closing account described Duke Luo Zhao traveling through eighty-one Xiongnu tribes, where the Hu People regarded him as a god and knelt before him.

Ch. 275I Am on the Yin Mountains

Modu led the Xiongnu army toward the Yin Mountains to confront Luo Ling, who had entered the Grasslands alone. Luo Ling invoked the God of the Four Seasons, and the chapter ended with later historians calling his survival amid the coming disaster an unsolved mystery.

  • Modu read Luo Ling’s declaration of war, dismissed warnings about his powers, and ordered the Xiongnu army to march to the Yin Mountains.
  • Han Xin learned that Luo Ling was in the Grasslands and offered to send troops, but Luo Cai assured him her eldest brother could face the Xiongnu alone.
  • Luo Yi told Liu Bang that Luo Ling had gone to secure time for Han to recover, and Liu Bang promised to grant him a divine station if he returned.
  • At the Yin Mountains, Luo Ling and Qiao Yun watched Modu’s army approach as Luo Ling declared that the Grasslands would pay for insulting the Sage King.
  • Luo Ling took out the God of the Four Seasons, a powerful Divine Artifact capable of bringing disaster across the Xiongnu’s fertile Hetao region.
  • Later historians described Luo Ling’s journey across the Grasslands and his escape from the Xiongnu and a great natural disaster as an unsolved mystery.

Ch. 276Wind, Thunder, Rain, and Snow, Heed My Command

Luo Ling used the God of the Four Seasons to summon fierce winds and an unseasonable blizzard over Hetao, terrifying Modu and the Xiongnu into retreat. The snowstorm devastated the Grasslands, weakening the Xiongnu and giving the Han Dynasty room to rebuild its strength.

  • Luo Ling commanded the wind, unleashing fierce winds across the Hetao Plain and alarming the Xiongnu army.
  • The Xiongnu mistook the storm for divine anger, while Luo Ling declared that the Sage King's punishment would bring a blizzard.
  • Luo Ling commanded the snow, and a blizzard quickly covered the Grasslands as Modu failed to harm him with arrows.
  • Modu ordered the Xiongnu to flee, but they saw snow falling across the distant mountains and realized they could not escape it.
  • The account described how the snowstorm caused famine, killed half the people and livestock, and helped the Han Dynasty recover its strength.

Ch. 277I Came from the Yin Mountains to Chang'an

After bringing a devastating snowstorm to the Grasslands, Luo Ling traveled to Chang'an, where Liu Bang and the court welcomed him. At the banquet, Luo Ling claimed he had summoned the blizzard at the Sage King's command, terrifying the emperor and nobles with his power.

  • Luo Ling left the snowbound Grasslands and told Qiao Yun to take him west toward Guanzhong and Chang'an.
  • Ji Zhao saw the Fortune Points cost of the God of the Four Seasons, while Liu Bang and the people of Chang'an received reports of the storm's destruction.
  • Han Xin and Luo Cai praised Luo Ling's feat, and Luo Cai warned Han Xin that people must not depend on others for everything.
  • Luo Ling sent Luo Yi a letter naming the exact time he would arrive, prompting Chang'an's nobles to prepare gifts and await him.
  • Liu Bang and the court welcomed Luo Ling outside Chang'an, and Liu Bang bowed before inviting him to a banquet.
  • At the banquet, Luo Ling said he had brought snow to the Grasslands at the Sage King's command, and his destructive aura frightened Liu Bang and the assembled nobles.
Arc 11 of 35