Recaps

Luo Wuji led the Dare-to-Fight Warriors in a devastating surprise attack on the King of the White Sheep’s camp, then pursued the fleeing king as Xiongnu reinforcements gathered. When Luo Wuji’s small force charged the king’s troops, Huo Qubing arrived and joined the battle, leaving the King of the White Sheep surrounded by danger.

• Luo Wuji’s forces stormed the Xiongnu camp, setting tents ablaze and killing its defenders, while Luo Wuji captured several nobles from the Chanyu Court.
• Luo Wuji learned the King of the White Sheep had escaped and rode after him with the Dare-to-Fight Warriors and other soldiers.
• The King of the White Sheep met up with roughly three thousand troops from his tribe, while more reinforcements were still arriving.
• Luo Wuji chose to attack before the Xiongnu forces could fully assemble, and the Dare-to-Fight Warriors broke through toward the King of the White Sheep.
• Huo Qubing reached the battlefield, recognized the King of the White Sheep among the nobles, and led his soldiers in a charge to join Luo Wuji.

Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing killed the King of the White Sheep, shattered his army, and returned to Wei Qing with major victories. After hearing their battle reports, Liu Che ordered the Han Army to turn southwest and attack the remaining White Sheep and Loufan forces.

• Huo Qubing and Luo Wuji charged the King of the White Sheep from opposite sides, and Luo Wuji killed him with an arrow to the neck.
• The White Sheep King's Forces collapsed into chaos, and Huo Qubing and Luo Wuji killed or captured many Xiongnu nobles and soldiers.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing returned to Wei Qing and reported their victories, including the destruction of most of the White Sheep King's Forces.
• Wei Qing ordered the Han Army to halt its northward advance and turn southwest against the remnants of the White Sheep King's Forces and the King of Loufan's forces.
• A messenger delivered the battle reports to Liu Che, who was astonished by the commandants' achievements and began to proclaim a decree.

After Liu Che ordered Wei Qing to reinforce Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing, the commanders planned a surprise campaign against the King of Loufan and the Right Guli King’s forces. Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing set out as allies, leaving the Han army poised to challenge Xiongnu control of the Southern Desert and the route to Hexi.

• Liu Che sent Wei Qing a golden patent for Luo Wuji and ordered him to cancel the attack on the Xiongnu Royal Court, target the White Sheep King’s Forces and the King of Loufan’s Tribe, and reinforce Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing’s detachments.
• Huo Qubing proposed leading a sweeping cavalry attack against the King of Loufan’s flank, and Luo Wuji supported the plan while explaining the strategic importance of severing the Xiongnu King of the Right Wise’s connection to Hexi.
• Wei Qing ordered Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing to lead thirty-six hundred elite troops each against the Xiongnu tribes while he confronted the King of Loufan, and he sent a report to Liu Che.
• Luo Wuji told Huo Qubing that his father had traveled through the Hexi Corridor, and Huo Qubing inferred that Luo Wuji hoped to open the Western Regions and fulfill his father’s wish.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing discovered they had been born on the same day, called themselves the Twin Stars of All Xia, and rode out with their detachments.

Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing raced through Xiongnu territory, bypassed the King of the Right Wise’s forces, and turned toward the King of Loufan’s rear. When they encountered the King of the Right Guli’s 20,000 troops, they launched a sudden cavalry attack.

• Chanyu Qilian warned that Wei Qing’s campaign threatened the King of Loufan and ordered the King of the Right Wise and the King of the Right Guli to support him.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing raided tribes in the King of the Right Guli’s territory for food and water, then continued their rapid march south and east.
• The King of the Right Wise mistook the Han force in his territory for a main army and chose to defend his lands instead of marching to Henan.
• Wei Qing fought the King of Loufan while waiting for Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing to arrive, prepared to win the campaign himself if they did not.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing encountered the King of the Right Guli’s 20,000 troops and split their cavalry to strike the Xiongnu leaders from both sides.

Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing routed the King of the Right Guli’s army, then raced to the King of Loufan’s camp and captured him during a coordinated attack with Wei Qing. The battle’s outcome was decided, and the Han forces prepared to meet Wei Qing.

• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing attacked the King of the Right Guli’s army, and the king fled, leaving his troops leaderless.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing routed the Xiongnu force, gathered its horses, and continued marching without resting.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing reached the King of Loufan’s camp and planned a dawn assault while Wei Qing prepared to attack with the main army.
• Wei Qing launched a full advance, drawing the Xiongnu’s attention away from Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing’s charge into the camp.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing fought through the Golden Guards, reached the King’s Tent, and captured the King of Loufan.

After a sweeping victory over the Xiongnu, Liu Che celebrated the Han army’s gains and anticipated expanding the war from Henan Land. At the roadside pavilion outside Chang'an, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Luo Wuji, and the soldiers received imperial rewards, with Huo Qubing and Luo Wuji appointed generals and granted marquisates.

• Liu Che received the report that Wei Qing’s forces had defeated the King of Loufan and the King of the White Sheep’s remnants, while Huo Qubing and Luo Wuji had beaten the Right Guli King’s forces.
• Liu Che praised the generals’ victories, resolved to use Henan Land as a base for raising horses, and voiced his ambition to extend Great Han’s rule.
• Wei Qing told Huo Qubing and Luo Wuji they would likely become marquises, and Luo Wuji said he planned to move his marquisate state to the Western Regions after Great Han conquered them.
• The returning army reached the roadside pavilion thirty li outside Chang'an, where the Chancellor arrived with the imperial edict.
• The edict promoted Huo Qubing to General of Agile Cavalry and Marquis Champion and Luo Wuji to General of Swift Cavalry and Marquis of Unshuang, granting each a 3,700-household fief and a newly formed county.
• The Chancellor announced generous rewards for the soldiers, who thanked Liu Che for his grace.

After the victorious Xiongnu campaign, Luo Wuji reflected on the Luo Clan’s relationship with the Han Court and urged the clan to prepare for expansion into the Western Regions. He headed to the Imperial Palace with Luo Jing to present Liu Che with a map, unaware that a new weapon was nearing completion in Zhao City.

• Huo Qubing and Luo Wuji parted after joking about their titles, and Luo Wuji advised Huo Qubing to have his injuries treated.
• Luo Wuji considered how the Luo Clan’s ties to the imperial family would change after Luo Jing’s death and concluded that the clan needed to maintain its relationship with the Han Court.
• At the Marquis of Dong'e's Residence, Luo Wuji wrote to his elder sister about the Luo clansmen killed, wounded, or disabled in the Xiongnu campaign and requested support for their families.
• Luo Wuji wrote to Duke Zhao that the Han Court should receive the Western Regions map and that the Luo Clan should prepare to build a base there.
• Luo Wuji sealed both letters for delivery to Zhao City, then followed Luo Jing to the Imperial Palace with the map, while a new weapon approached its final testing stage in Zhao City.

Liu Che received Luo Wuji’s map of the Western Regions and proposed a three-front campaign against the Xiongnu, to begin after Han had built up its cavalry. He declared that destroying the Xiongnu was a task his generation had to undertake, and the chapter closed with a historical note arguing that Liu Che deserved the leading credit for Han’s victory.

• Luo Wuji presented Liu Che with a map of the Western Regions and described fertile lands thousands of li west of Chang'an.
• Liu Che outlined a three-front campaign in which Wei Qing would tie down the Xiongnu court, Huo Qubing would attack the King of the Right Wise, and Luo Wuji would strike Hexi before advancing into the Western Regions.
• Luo Jing warned that Han lacked enough trained cavalry, so Liu Che postponed the campaign until preparations were complete.
• Liu Che declared that destroying the Xiongnu was a duty of his generation and pledged to devote his life to it.
• A historical commentary argued that Liu Che merited the leading credit for Han’s wars against the Xiongnu because he held supreme power, supported the campaigns, and accepted responsibility for failure.

Liu Che ordered the establishment of three commanderies in Henan Land and the Western Desert to secure the frontier against the Xiongnu, despite the enormous costs and risks. The edict was drafted and sealed, setting the Great Han on a major undertaking whose consequences reached beyond appointing new officials.

• Liu Che praised Luo Wuji’s father for mapping the Western Regions and promised to honor his spirit tablet in a shrine there if the Great Han took the region.
• Liu Che told Gongsun Hong that he wanted to establish three commanderies in Henan Land and the Western Desert, each with a population of two hundred thousand.
• Gongsun Hong objected that frontier cities would be costly, vulnerable to Xiongnu attacks, and difficult to populate without forcing commoners to relocate.
• Liu Che decided to proceed, and Luo Jing drafted an edict that Liu Che sealed.
• Luo Jing, Luo Wuji, and Gongsun Hong left the palace, where Gongsun Hong remarked that establishing commanderies meant far more than appointing another Two-Thousand-Shi official.

After Gongsun Hong dispatched Liu Che’s decree establishing new commanderies, Chang’an debated the posts and the future High-ranking Marquises. Liu Che planned how to populate Henan Land and decided to relocate most High-ranking Marquises in Qi Land, while Luo Wuji arrived at Huo Qubing’s residence.

• Gongsun Hong sealed Liu Che’s decree and sent it to the commanderies and kingdoms, setting off debate in Chang’an over the new commanderies and their marquisate states.
• Officials and other prominent figures in Chang’an considered the benefits of the new commanderies, especially their horse administration posts and High-ranking Marquis titles.
• Liu Che weighed how to people Henan Land, listing convicts, powerful gentry, High-ranking Marquises, and members of the imperial clan as possible settlers.
• Liu Che wrote down Qi as a target for relocation and decided that all High-ranking Marquises there except the main branches of the Linzi Lü Clan and Jimo Lü Clan must move.
• Liu Che sent men to Shandong, and Luo Wuji arrived at Huo Qubing’s residence.

Luo Wuji visited Huo Qubing’s residence, questioned him over drinks, and became more certain of an idea about him. After they passed out drunk, the secret manual of divine arts they had struggled to master began to glow.

• Luo Wuji visited Huo Qubing at the Marquis of Champion's Residence, where Huo Qubing spoke of his ambition to defeat the Xiongnu and put off marriage until after his coming-of-age ceremony.
• Huo Qubing described the crowds and gifts that had flooded his residence after his victories, and complained that managing visitors was harder than fighting battles.
• Huo Qubing sensed Luo Wuji had another reason for visiting, but Luo Wuji continued drinking and asked him questions to assess his character.
• Luo Wuji became more certain of his idea after hearing Huo Qubing’s answers, and Huo Qubing got drunk and collapsed before him.
• Huo Qubing and Luo Wuji worried that they could not master the Great Sorrow Rhapsody of Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang in Conflict before facing powerful enemies, then passed out as the secret manual began to glow.

The Luo Clan successfully tested the saddle, stirrups, and Horseshoes, equipment that made cavalry charges steadier and protected horses. Duke Zhao ordered an envoy to take the technology to Chang'an, while Luo Jin Xiu prepared to return there.

• Huo Qubing asked Luo Wuji what he had said the previous night, and Luo Wuji teased him about his vows to defeat the Xiongnu before starting a family.
• Luo Jin Xiu received a letter from Luo Wuji, who told her about the completed residence in Chang'an and his planned campaign through Hexi to the Western Regions.
• Duke Zhao watched riders test the Three Treasures of Horse Riding, and the soldiers stayed secure during fast charges as the Horseshoes withstood the trials.
• Duke Zhao decided to present the equipment to the Han Court at once, arguing that the Han could use it to defeat the Xiongnu before they copied the technology.
• Luo Jin Xiu learned that an envoy was leaving for Chang'an and began packing for her return.

Luo Jin Xiu brought the Luo Clan’s Three Treasures of Horse Riding to Chang’an, where Liu Che ordered their mass production for the war against the Xiongnu. Huo Qubing became captivated by Luo Jin Xiu, and the chapter ended with him asking Luo Wuji whether he still considered him a brother.

• The Luo envoy presented Liu Che with stirrups, a saddle, and horseshoes, and Liu Che recognized their military value and ordered workshops to produce at least one hundred thousand sets within three years.
• Liu Jin Xiu arrived in Chang’an and met Luo Wuji, who introduced her to Huo Qubing from a distance.
• Huo Qubing was struck by Luo Jin Xiu’s beauty and said he would visit her properly, while Luo Wuji teased him about preparing a wedding gift if she married someone else.
• Luo Jin Xiu reassured Luo Wuji that the clan was caring for the fallen and wounded and preparing his expansion into the Western Regions.
• Huo Qubing returned to Luo Wuji’s residence that evening and anxiously asked whether Luo Wuji still acknowledged him as a brother.
• Liu Che rewarded Duke Zhao with thirty thousand gold and two of the Nine Bestowments, then declared that the new horse-riding equipment had changed the balance of power against the Xiongnu.

Huo Qubing visited Luo Wuji’s residence with gifts to welcome Luo Jin Xiu, then revealed that he wanted to marry her. Luo Wuji explained the Luo Clan’s marriage requirements and warned that winning Luo Jin Xiu’s affection would be difficult.

• Huo Qubing brought palace treasures to Luo Wuji’s residence and formally greeted Luo Jin Xiu.
• Huo Qubing shared a meal with Luo Jin Xiu and Luo Wuji, trying to behave with refined manners.
• After Luo Jin Xiu left to rest, Huo Qubing asked Luo Wuji whether she was betrothed and admitted he wanted to pursue her.
• Luo Wuji described the Luo Clan’s scrutiny of marriage partners and said Huo Qubing would need Luo Jin Xiu’s agreement.
• Huo Qubing declared that his sincerity would win Luo Jin Xiu’s heart.

Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing arrived in Shuo Fang during a heavy snowfall to inspect the military horse ranch and assess its readiness for a campaign against the Xiongnu. After finding the warhorses in good condition, they left Sang Hongyang anticipating that the horses would be needed next spring.

• The Marquis of Linhe worried that the heavy snow would harm the warhorses, while Sang Hongyang assured him he had prepared enough feed.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing arrived in Shuo Fang with Dare-to-Fight Warriors and palace Imperial Guards, prompting the Marquis of Linhe and Sang Hongyang to meet them.
• Huo Qubing asked to inspect the ranch, and Luo Wuji ordered the troops to muster before they rode out with Sang Hongyang.
• Sang Hongyang told Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing that the ranch held over two hundred thousand horses, including one hundred thousand warhorses.
• Luo Wuji inspected the stables, praised the horses’ condition, and told Sang Hongyang they would be needed next spring.

Luo Wuji led a fast-moving cavalry campaign into Xiongnu territory, routing King Hunxie and pursuing his fleeing forces. After receiving reports of his victories and Huo Qubing’s success, Liu Che learned Luo Wuji planned to cross the desert and surprise King Xiutu.

• Luo Wuji left Chang'an with thirty thousand elite cavalry and vowed to join forces with Huo Qubing at the Xiongnu King's Tent.
• After crossing into Xiongnu territory, Luo Wuji crushed five tribes, surprised King Hunxie's undefended camp, and recruited freed slaves into his army.
• Luo Wuji pursued King Hunxie west, incorporated a Lesser Yuezhi tribe into his forces, and decided to cross the desert north to attack King Xiutu from behind.
• Liu Che received reports that Luo Wuji had captured or killed Xiongnu nobles and taken thousands of men, while Huo Qubing had defeated the King of the Right Wise's forces and pursued him west.
• Liu Che praised Luo Wuji's bold plan as the general led his exhausted army across the desert and Gobi.

Luo Wuji captured King Xiutu and King Hunxie after a surprise attack, then received Liu Che’s order to advance into the Western Regions. As his army entered the region, descendants of Luo Zhongkan’s followers recognized his Sacred Mark and welcomed him as Lord Luo’s son.

• Luo Wuji led his exhausted army across the Gobi, attacked King Xiutu’s royal court, and captured King Xiutu and King Hunxie alive.
• Liu Che ordered Luo Wuji to send the captured nobles to Chang’an and advance into the Western Regions to cut off the King of the Right Wise’s retreat.
• Luo Wuji reorganized his army beneath Qilian Mountain and marched along the northern route into the Western Regions.
• People in the Western Regions recognized Luo Wuji’s Sacred Mark, knelt before him, and called themselves children of All Xia.
• Luo Wuji told the welcoming people that he was Lord Luo’s son.

A reincarnator team arrived in Shangyi and planned to help the Shang Dynasty defeat Zhou, dismissing the mission’s danger as a mistake. Meanwhile, Ji Zhao prepared to attack Shangyi after conquering the east, unaware of the newcomers.

• More than a dozen reincarnators entered lifeless bodies in Shangyi and investigated the newly established Zhou Dynasty.
• The team learned that King Wu of Zhou had died and that his younger brother Zhao had become regent.
• The reincarnators chose Zhao as their main opponent and arrogantly planned to defeat Zhou’s forces until the Shang Dynasty prevailed.
• Ji Zhao checked his attributes, which had reached the mortal world’s limit of 99 in all three stats.
• Ji Zhao announced that his army would attack Shangyi the next day, and his commanders raised no objections.

Luo Wuji, Huo Qubing, and the Han armies crushed the Xiongnu, and Chanyu Qilian killed himself as the defeated forces collapsed. After the court celebrated the victory, Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing faced Qilian transformed into a Great Heavenly Demon King and used their final forbidden technique to destroy him.

• Liu Che celebrated the Xiongnu’s defeat at court while Luo Wuji led fifty thousand cavalry into the Northern Desert for the final campaign.
• Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing pursued Chanyu Qilian, who killed himself; a mysterious purple qi passed through both generals’ Sacred Marks as Huo Qubing took Qilian’s head.
• Ji Zhao watched the scene and realized how the setting worked.
• A messenger delivered the victory report to Liu Che, announcing that the Xiongnu main force had been annihilated and Chanyu Qilian had died.
• On Mount Langjuxu, Qilian transformed into a Great Heavenly Demon King, but Luo Wuji and Huo Qubing joined their powers to summon lightning and defeat him.

An argument on the History Forum compared Qin Shi Huang's campaigns against the Xiongnu with Emperor Wu of Han's achievements. Participants disputed the Luo Clan's historical accounts and military influence, and the thread ended with further insults rather than agreement.

• First Emperor, No Emperor Wu of Han credited Emperor Wu of Han's victories to his generals and argued that Qin Shi Huang achieved better results.
• Brother Zheng Is Invincible defended Qin's unification, while Your Great Qin Is Dead repeatedly pointed out that Qin fell in its second generation.
• Great Han's Heavenly Might General cited the Book of Han, but First Emperor, No Emperor Wu of Han questioned the Luo Clan's praise of expansionist emperors.
• Quite Angry Little Ji explained that Emperor Wu of Han faced a stronger Xiongnu empire and pushed the battlefield from the Great Wall to the Northern Desert.
• Great Emperor Wu of Han contrasted Qin's rebellions with Han's subsequent prosperity, while First Emperor, No Emperor Wu of Han continued to credit the Luo Clan and the generals.

After falling gravely ill, Emperor Liu Che arranged for the Crown Prince’s succession and entrusted the Western Regions to Luo Wuji and Liaodong to Huo Qubing. Following Liu Che’s death, the ministers named him Emperor Xiaowu, High Ancestor of Great Han.

• Emperor Liu Che collapsed after a banquet, awoke gravely ill, and asked Wei Zifu to summon his ministers so he could issue final instructions.
• Liu Che appointed Luo Wuji Protector General of the Western Regions and ordered him to establish a new kingdom in the Yi River Valley when he inherited Duke Zhao’s position.
• Liu Che appointed Huo Qubing Protector General of Liaodong, giving him authority over its commanderies, kingdoms, and tribes.
• Liu Che appointed Wei Qing chief minister assisting the Crown Prince and selected other ministers to help the new sovereign govern.
• After Liu Che died, the ministers agreed on the posthumous title Wu and chose the temple name Gaozong, naming him Emperor Xiaowu, High Ancestor of Great Han.

Ji Zhao showed the dying Liu Che a television drama depicting another Emperor Wu of Han in a world without Ji Zhao or the Luo Clan. Liu Che reacted to that life’s victories and failures, then asked whether its events were real; Ji Zhao promised him immortality and a chance to find out.

• Liu Che asked Ji Zhao whether he could attain immortality after death, and Ji Zhao recalled that Qin Zheng had asked the same question.
• Ji Zhao showed Liu Che a drama about another Liu Che, whose world lacked Ji Zhao and the Luo Clan, and Liu Che marveled at the differences between the two Great Hans.
• Liu Che cheered the other world’s campaigns under Huo Qubing and Wei Qing, then grieved over Huo Qubing’s death and criticized the failures that followed.
• Ji Zhao explained how the other Liu Che’s reliance on maternal relatives, the loss of capable generals, and the witchcraft disaster contributed to that Great Han’s decline.
• Liu Che asked whether the other Liu Che’s story had really happened, and Ji Zhao said it might be real or false before promising to grant Liu Che immortality.

Emperor Liu Jin struggled with nightmares and guilt after a disastrous campaign against the Southwestern Yi, while Great Han mourned its losses. Bedridden Duke Zhao Luo Wuji sent Liu Jin advice to restore his prestige without starting another costly war, leaving the emperor in tears.

• Liu Jin woke from a nightmare of dead soldiers accusing him and wept in the empress’s arms.
• Chang'an and Guanzhong mourned the more than two hundred thousand Han soldiers and many nobles killed in the southwestern defeat.
• Liu Jin trembled when he learned Duke Zhao could not come to Chang'an and feared that Heaven no longer favored Great Han.
• Luo Wuji, bedridden in Zhao City, sent Liu Jin a letter urging him to govern according to his strengths and avoid another war.
• Luo Wuji advised Liu Jin to show the realm that he dared to fight while making clear he would not burden the people with further taxes.
• Liu Jin finished reading Luo Wuji’s letter and wept.

After the defeat in the Southern Kingdom, Liu Jin rejected calls to launch another campaign and announced a decade of recovery and military preparation. He ordered a realm-wide self-criticism edict that marked a change from expansion to restoring the country.

• The Great General and the High-ranking Marquises urged Liu Jin to send another army against the Southwestern Yi and Di.
• Sang Hongyang proposed raising military funds through expanded monopolies and a poll tax, but Liu Jin refused to burden the people.
• The Great General accused Liu Jin of betraying the Sage King Sovereign’s principles by accepting the defeat without revenge.
• Liu Jin took responsibility for the army’s defeat and declared that the court would spend ten years rebuilding strength, training troops, and gathering intelligence before another campaign.
• Liu Jin ordered the Chancellor to issue his self-criticism edict throughout the realm and directed the court to restore agriculture, end mass conscription, and maintain only a standing army.
• The ministers accepted Liu Jin’s decree and withdrew, leaving him alone in the Great Hall.

After Emperor Liu Jin issued his edict of self-reproach, Luo Wuji worried that Liu Jin might not recover from his military defeat, while Liu Jin privately struggled with shame and despair. At the first Grand Court Audience afterward, a young official accused the Chancellor of causing the Southern Kingdom campaign's defeat, and the Chancellor denied the charge.

• Luo Wuji told Luo Sheng to have the family watch Chang'an because he feared Liu Jin could not put his setback behind him.
• Liu Jin woke from a nightmare, attacked the air with his sword while vowing revenge on the Southwestern Yi, then tried to reassure himself that he could still redeem his reign.
• At the Grand Court Audience, a young official interrupted Liu Jin and accused the Chancellor of embezzling military supplies and withholding medicine during the Southern Kingdom campaign.
• The Chancellor suspected the Military Merit Nobility had engineered the accusation because he supported Liu Jin's policy of letting the realm recover instead of continuing the war.
• Liu Jin summoned the Chancellor, who denied the charge and demanded justice against the official who had slandered him.