Recaps

At a royal family banquet, Ji Nie insulted Luo Cheng’s ancestor by comparing Duke Wen of Luo to Guo Shifu, prompting Luo Cheng to rebuke the Son of Heaven and defend his ancestral duties. Ji Nie threatened him with a sword but backed down, and Luo Cheng left the palace with his wife after the banquet collapsed into discord.

• Queen Shen Jiang sought Luo Cheng’s support for her son, the Crown Prince, while Queen Mother Qi Jiang welcomed him as a close ally.
• Ji Nie offered Luo Cheng a post in the Grand Historians’ Office and praised Guo Shifu by comparing him to Duke Wen of Luo.
• Luo Cheng condemned the comparison and denounced Guo Shifu as a treacherous flatterer, openly challenging Ji Nie’s judgment.
• Ji Nie drew his sword and threatened to kill Luo Cheng, but Queen Mother Qi Jiang and Queen Shen Jiang urged him to stop.
• Luo Cheng reminded Ji Nie of past kings’ disastrous deeds, and Ji Nie lowered his sword and left the chamber.
• Luo Cheng bowed to the queens and departed the palace with Luo Jiang.

Luo Cheng studied the Royal Domain’s political and military crises and considered gradual reforms to keep the Zhou State from deteriorating further. Records of disasters and dried-up rivers revealed an even graver threat: the Fenghao region might no longer be able to support its people.

• Luo Cheng concluded that Ji Nie’s attacks on the Lineage System and his alienation of Queen Shen Jiang and Crown Prince Yi endangered the royal house.
• Luo Cheng planned to remove Guo Shifu and balance the Royal Domain’s nobles by drawing on support from Shen State, Qi State, and Jin State.
• Luo Cheng read records showing that repeated disasters had driven officials and high ministers to abandon land between Feng and Hao.
• Luo Cheng discovered that earthquakes had changed the courses of the Jing River, Wei River, and Luo River, threatening agriculture, population, and the Royal Domain’s defenses.
• Luo Cheng realized the geographical damage might be beyond his ability to repair and paced his study in alarm.

Bao Si manipulated Ji Nie into deposing Shen Jiang and Crown Prince Ji Yi and installing herself and Prince Fu in their places. Luo Cheng realized the decree had placed the Royal Domain at risk of war with the Shen State and the Dog Rong, so he sent for troops and prepared for the turmoil.

• Bao Si wept to Ji Nie and persuaded him to remove Shen Jiang and Ji Yi, arguing that Shen Jiang and her son threatened her and Prince Fu.
• Ji Nie issued a decree without consulting the lords and ministers, sending Shen Jiang to the cold palace and naming Bao Si queen and Prince Fu crown prince.
• Luo Jiang informed Luo Cheng of the decree, and he concluded that its valid issuance could not be reversed and sent her back to the Luo State for safety.
• Luo Cheng wrote to several lords, urging them to bring troops to defend the king against a possible attack by the Shen State and the Dog Rong.
• Luo Cheng recognized that Ji Nie’s decree had shattered the alliance keeping the Royal Domain’s northwestern frontier secure.

After Ji Nie deposed the queen, Marquis Shen allied with the Western Rong to invade Haojing, while Luo Cheng organized a defense and summoned the Ji lords for aid. The chapter leaves the Royal Domain preparing to face the invasion with only thirty thousand troops, under the command of the overconfident Guo Shifu.

• Marquis Shen condemned Ji Nie’s deposition of Crown Prince Yi and sent an envoy to the Dog Rong seeking troops to attack Haojing.
• The lord of the Dog Rong accepted Marquis Shen’s offer and summoned the Rong tribes to join Shen State’s campaign.
• The Marquis of Jin used the Rites of Zhou to confirm Luo Cheng’s authority as Grand Clan Head to summon Ji lords, then ordered Jin State’s army to march to the king’s aid.
• Marquis Shen and the Rong king advanced toward Haojing, promising one another cooperation while harboring their own aims.
• After warning smoke revealed the invasion, Ji Nie berated Marquis Shen, and Luo Cheng urged the court to focus on defending the Royal Domain.
• Guo Shifu revealed that the Six Armies had only thirty thousand troops, then accepted Ji Nie’s order to command them against Shen and the Rong.

Luo Cheng used the June Snow divine artifact to produce a stone stele warning Marquis Shen that Heaven would punish his rebellion, but Marquis Shen refused to withdraw and prepared to attack Haojing. The chapter ended with the historical record stating that Marquis Shen died at Fenghao.

• Luo Cheng considered using his divine artifacts to stop Marquis Shen, then chose June Snow to frighten him into withdrawing.
• The Shen-Rong allied army reached Haojing before the armies coming to aid the king could arrive, and Ji Nie asked Luo Cheng whether the city could withstand the attack.
• Marquis Shen agreed to meet Luo Cheng, who invoked the Mandate of Heaven and offered to enthrone Crown Prince Yi if Shen withdrew.
• A stone stele appeared outside Marquis Shen's tent, warning that frost would fall in June to reveal Heaven's might.
• Marquis Shen ordered the stele destroyed and refused to abandon his alliance with the Rong People, then advanced toward Haojing.
• The Chronicle recorded that Marquis Shen ignored Heaven's warning and died at Fenghao.

Luo Cheng performed a Heaven-Worship Ceremony that brought June snow and strengthened the Zhou People’s belief in the Mandate of Heaven, while Marquis Shen and the Rong King launched their assault on Haojing. Guo Shifu died in battle, and the Shen-Rong forces eventually broke through the western gate.

• Luo Cheng withdrew his Ancestors' Blessing and performed a Heaven-Worship Ceremony, summoning snow that the Zhou People saw as the Sage King's manifestation.
• Marquis Shen rallied the Shen-Rong alliance with promises of rewards and ordered the assault on Haojing.
• Guo Shifu led a chariot charge that devastated the slave soldiers, then died when hidden archers shot him as he returned toward the city.
• The Shen-Rong forces pressed their siege with slave soldiers, ladders, archers, and a battering ram while the Zhou defenders suffered mounting losses.
• A herald told Ji Nie that the western gate had fallen and Shen's forces had entered Haojing, leaving Luo Cheng to recognize that they had failed to hold the city through the first day.

Luo Cheng arranged for Ji Nie and Bao Si to flee east while he took Crown Prince Fu out through the southern gate. Marquis Shen pursued Ji Nie and had his archers kill him; Bao Si took her own life, leaving Marquis Shen to feign grief and prepare to enthrone Ji Yi.

• Luo Cheng persuaded Ji Nie and Bao Si to flee toward Mount Li while he secretly arranged to rescue Crown Prince Fu separately.
• Luo Cheng escorted Crown Prince Fu through Haojing's southern gate as Marquis Shen's Shen-Rong army seized the city.
• Marquis Shen learned Ji Nie had fled east, left troops to guard the Royal Palace, and led his forces in pursuit.
• Marquis Shen ordered his archers to kill Ji Nie's pursuers while avoiding the Son of Heaven's carriage, but his trusted men targeted Ji Nie.
• Bao Si killed herself, and Ji Nie died in the carriage beneath a volley of arrows.
• Marquis Shen pretended to mourn Ji Nie, blamed the dead Court Eunuch, and planned to return to Haojing to enthrone Ji Yi.

Luo Cheng united the Ji lords behind Crown Prince Ji Fu by presenting him as Ji Nie’s rightful successor and securing their support with promises of land and rank. With Ji Yi enthroned in Haojing, the allied armies marched there, and three forces faced off across the Three Rivers Plain.

• Marquis Shen returned to Haojing with Ji Nie’s and Bao Si’s bodies, falsely declared Ji Fu dead, and forced the nobles to acknowledge Ji Yi as Son of Heaven.
• Luo Cheng reached Lantian with Ji Fu, persuaded the Marquis of Western Zhou and the Count of Zheng to support the crown prince, and encouraged Ji Fu to promise them rewards.
• Luo Cheng advised the relief armies to wait for the northeastern lords, and more than twenty lords later swore an alliance at Tongyi with Ji Fu as their candidate for the throne.
• Scouts reported that Ji Nie and Bao Si were dead and Ji Yi had been installed as king, so the allied lords resolved to march on Haojing.
• The Ji lords’ army reached Haojing while the forces of the Ying Lineage and Si Clan arrived north of Mount Zhongnan, leaving three armies encamped on the Three Rivers Plain.

Marquis Shen's forces fought the King-Protecting Army outside Haojing until Zao Fei killed the Rong King, turning the battle against Shen. As the King-Protecting Army closed in, Haojing's people killed Ji Yi, and Marquis Shen took his own life; Ji Fu stood poised to claim the throne.

• Ji Yi arrested and imprisoned more than a hundred people for criticizing him, while Marquis Shen kept the wavering nobles from leading troops into battle.
• Marquis Shen and the Count of Zheng exchanged accusations before their armies clashed with the King-Protecting Army and Rong forces across the Three Rivers Plain.
• The Count of Zheng and Marquis Shen led elite troops in a fierce struggle, while Ji Fu and Luo Cheng watched the battle become deadlocked.
• Zao Fei seized an opening, shot the Rong King with three arrows, and announced his death; the Rong forces fled as the King-Protecting Army advanced on Marquis Shen.
• Ji Zhao saw purple light gather around Zao Fei and briefly revealed the Heavenly Avatar and Celestial Observatory Platform before withdrawing them.
• The people and nobles of Haojing killed Ji Yi and shut the city gates; trapped between enemies, Marquis Shen's army collapsed, and Marquis Shen slit his throat after the Count of Zheng confronted him.

Ji Fu was crowned king in Haojing, then accepted the feudal lords’ judgments and rewards before deciding to move the Zhou court east to Luoyi. Ji Zhao gained a powerful new item as the kingdom’s history shifted, while Luo Cheng remained in Haojing to oversee the royal domain and prepare people and property for relocation.

• Luo Cheng crowned Ji Fu in a ceremony that stirred the Zhou people and earned Ji Zhao Fortune Points and the Mystic Tier item Loyalty of Pure Blood.
• Ji Fu and the feudal lords assigned condemnatory posthumous names to Ji Nie, Ji Yi, and Marquis Shen, punished Shen’s ruling house, and redistributed territories and titles among the victors.
• The lords and ministers split over whether Ji Fu should remain in Haojing or move to Luoyi, as local nobles feared losing their lands and influence.
• Luo Cheng backed the move east by warning that an army of one hundred thousand could escort Ji Fu safely, and the king’s supporters prevailed.
• Ji Fu appointed Luo Cheng Bearer of the King’s Mandate and chief administrator of Haojing, tasking him with managing the city and preparing royal property and Zhou people for later migration.
• Ji Zhao recognized that the altered events had strengthened Ji Fu’s position compared with the historical account, while the chapter’s closing commentary argued that the move east had resulted from the Zhou royal house’s decline rather than caused it.

Luo Cheng appointed the Count of Qin as Bearer of the King's Mandate and charged him with defending the west and building the Twelve Linked Cities. After returning to Luoyi, Luo Cheng advised Ji Fu and the Dukes of Jin and Zheng on strengthening key states against threats from the Yi, Di, Chu, and Huai Yi.

• Luo Cheng granted the Count of Qin the position of Bearer of the King's Mandate and ordered him to coordinate the western lords in building the Twelve Linked Cities within twenty years.
• Luo Cheng left Haojing and returned to Luoyi, where Ji Fu and the Dukes of Jin and Zheng briefed him on threats from Chu State and the Huai Yi.
• The Duke of Jin reported Chu State's growing influence and the failure of a campaign by the Han-Yang states, while the Duke of Zheng warned of Huai Yi troop movements and possible unrest in Xu State.
• Luo Cheng argued that the Zhou State should strengthen its defenses and support Jin State, while continuing to rely on the Ying Lineage lords against the Western Rong.
• Luo Cheng advised Ji Fu to keep Jin, Zheng, Qi, and Luo States strong, and Ji Fu accepted his counsel.

Luo Cheng warned the Dukes of Jin and Zheng to restore Zhou rites, then advised Ji Fu as attacks erupted across the realm. When the Huai Yi broke through the Han-Yang Ji States and threatened the Royal Domain, Luo Cheng mobilized Zhou and Luo forces to defend Ying State and Xu State.

• Luo Cheng urged the Dukes of Jin and Zheng to secure their successions and uphold the Rites of Zhou before returning to their states to prepare their armies.
• Lai Yi invaded Qi, the Di attacked in the north, Xu proclaimed itself king and fought Song and Chen, and Chu launched an invasion of Shen and Sui.
• Luo Cheng advised Ji Fu to reinforce Song against Xu and explained the dangers posed by Chu and the Huai Yi.
• A bloody dispatch revealed that the Huai Yi had broken through the Han-Yang Ji States and were sailing up the Ying River toward Ying State and Xu State.
• Ji Fu entrusted the crisis to Luo Cheng, who issued a general conscription decree and sent Luo State's elite troops to defend Ying State and Xu State.

Luo Zhongshu rallied the Luo State’s Dare-to-Fight Warriors to retake Xu City, invoking their loyalty to the Sage King and the Zhou State after they balked at sacrificing their lives. The warriors captured the city at terrible cost, but Luo Zhongshu saw the main Huai Yi army advancing along the Ying River.

• Luo Ren questioned Luo Zhongshu about the danger of the Huai Yi war, and Luo Zhongshu realized the Luo Clan’s finest soldiers might be wiped out.
• After an initial failed assault on Xu City, Luo Zhongshu ordered the armies of the Xu State to attack again, but the Hanyang nobles demanded a retreat as casualties mounted.
• Cao Boyun and the Luo soldiers said they could not bear to die protecting the Son of Heaven instead of their lord, so Luo Zhongshu reminded them of their duty as descendants of the Sage King.
• The Luo soldiers renewed their resolve, and Ji Zhao witnessed their bond with the Zhou State strengthen as the ominous cloud above him began to dissipate.
• Luo Zhongshu led the three thousand Dare-to-Fight Warriors in a fierce assault that broke through Xu City’s defenses, allowing the lords’ armies to storm the gates and defeat the Huai Yi.
• Luo Zhongshu mourned the fallen Luo youths on Xu City’s wall and saw the main Huai Yi army advancing along the Ying River.

Luo Cheng sent Luo Yan to Chu to negotiate an alliance against the Huai Yi, and Luo Yan secured Chu’s support through promises of rank, gifts, and marriage. The King of Chu also persuaded Luo Yan to remain in Chu as his son-in-law, while Chu’s forces withdrew from Shen and Sui.

• After losing Ancestors' Blessing, Luo Cheng saw that an alliance with Chu could free Zhou’s allies to fight the Huai Yi, so he sent Luo Yan to Chu.
• The King of Chu welcomed Luo Yan with ceremony, and Luo Yan praised Chu and argued that Chu should not let the Huai Yi threaten the states of All Xia.
• Luo Yan offered Chu the rank of marquis, wealth, and a marriage alliance between the Royal House and Princess Yi Xuan; the King of Chu accepted the proposal.
• The King of Chu asked Luo Yan to marry Princess Yi Guang and stay in Chu, and Luo Yan agreed after saying his father must approve.
• Luo Cheng approved the match, the Royal House sent the wedding procession and Chu’s marquis investiture, and Chu withdrew its armies from Shen and Sui.

Luo Zhongshu held Xu City until reinforcements from Shen, Sui, and Tang arrived, then crushed the Huai Yi army with Chu’s forces attacking from behind. He joined the campaign against the King of Xu, who began retreating, only to discover Wu troops blocking his escape.

• Luo Zhongshu learned that his eldest concubine-born son had died in battle and received a letter saying Chu had allied with Zhou and reinforcements were on the way.
• Luo Zhongshu led the combined armies of the Han-Yang states against the Huai Yi, using fresh troops and chariots to break their formation and pursue them in a devastating rout.
• Luo Zhongshu marched to aid the armies fighting Xu, whose king decided to withdraw after learning of the Huai Yi defeat.
• The King of Xu tried to escape by ferry while leaving a rearguard behind, but Wu troops appeared and blocked his retreat.

After the allied states defeated the Yi and Di forces, Luo Cheng gathered the lords in Luoyi to establish a postwar order and rally them behind Ji Fu. The assembly proclaimed a renewed era of royal authority under Luo Cheng and Ji Fu, though the closing account recalled that the royal house’s peak would not last.

• Xu State’s army was devastated by Wu State, Yue State, and their allies, while Jin and Wei defeated the Di People and Qi drove back Lai Yi.
• Luo Cheng summoned the lords to Luoyi in the Son of Heaven’s name, and Ji Zhao received Fortune Points for Luo Cheng’s success in organizing the counteroffensive.
• Chu State’s Crown Prince Xiong Dan arrived with Princess Yi Xuan, who was to marry Ji Fu, and Luo Yan introduced Xiong Dan to the Central Plains lords.
• Before the assembly, Luo Cheng taught Ji Fu about three kinds of kings and urged him to learn the kingly way.
• Luo Cheng led the lords in celebrating their victories and swearing an alliance to uphold the Zhou State and support Ji Fu.
• The lords pledged themselves beneath Ji Fu’s throne, and the chapter’s closing account described the royal house’s later peak under King Yi and Duke Xuan of Luo.

Luo Cheng died after spending twenty years strengthening Zhou State, leaving Ji Fu with warnings about Prince An and the alliances holding the realm together. Ji Fu failed to act on the warning, and after his own death Prince An remained alive, leaving the Royal House exposed to the danger Luo Cheng feared.

• Luo Cheng met Ji Zhao, reflected on his work, and resolved to keep striving despite the uncertainty of the future.
• Luo Cheng oversaw Zhou State’s recovery and alliances, then collapsed and summoned Ji Fu to his bedside.
• Luo Cheng warned Ji Fu to protect Zhou State’s alliances and kill or exile Prince An, then entrusted his ring to Luo Jiang for Luo Ren.
• Ji Zhao praised Luo Cheng as the Luo Clan’s most outstanding head since A Su, and Luo Cheng died after receiving his ancestor’s approval.
• Ji Zhao received the mystic-tier Nobody Card after Luo Cheng’s lifetime assessment, while Ji Fu held a grand funeral for Luo Cheng.
• Ji Fu fell ill and died without executing Prince An, leaving Luo Cheng’s warning unheeded.

Prince An seized the Zhou throne by murdering Crown Prince Jin and the rest of the Close Royal House Lineage, prompting Luo Ren to withdraw from Luoyi and end Luo State’s tribute to Zhou. The other states split between condemnation, recognition, and war, as the Royal House’s authority began to unravel.

• Prince An killed Crown Prince Jin and the Close Royal House Lineage, while Queen Chu Mi fled toward Chu State.
• Luo Ren learned of the coup, rejected Prince An’s legitimacy, and returned to Luo State rather than march on Luoyi.
• Luo Ren condemned Prince An, withdrew from service at the Royal Domain, and declared that Luo State would halt its tribute for a hundred years.
• Jin State and Qi State condemned Prince An and stopped their tributes, while Count of Qin Zao Fei barred Royal House members from Hangu Pass and halted Haojing City’s annual tribute.
• Chu State raised an army to attack Zhou, while Marquis Shen, the Marquis of Sui, and the Marquis of Tang recognized Prince An’s throne, and the Marquis of Zheng prepared to support him.
• The lords’ responses left the realm divided, and the chapter’s historical account described the coup as the beginning of a long era of regicide and the collapse of Zhou authority.

Luo Ren died from grief over the Luo State’s sacrifices for Zhou, and Luoyang became ruler and began pulling the state back from its military commitments. As Chu’s army approached Luoyi, Ji An ceded the Tang State to avert a battle, while the realm’s upheaval continued.

• Luo Ren refused Ji Zhao’s offer of a cure, confessed his shame over the Luo State’s losses, and died after kneeling to honor the Sage King.
• Luoyang succeeded Luo Ren, restored the clan succession system and the Rites of Zhou, and publicly displayed the revisions on bronze pillars.
• Luo Yan gave up his command and traveled with Chu’s delegation to mourn, while Luo Zhongshu let the Chu army pass through Ying and supplied it with provisions.
• With Chu’s forces camped near Luoyi, Ji An accepted the Marquis of Zheng’s proposal and offered the Tang State to Queen Mother Chu Mi to secure Chu’s withdrawal.
• Luoyang ordered the Luo State to abandon some territory and recall its ruling-clan soldiers so they could rebuild the population.

Marquis Luo Xiu planned to remove Lü Wu Jiu and install Prince Xiaobai as Marquis of Qi so Qi State could unite the feudal lords under the Zhou king’s banner. Luo Lianshe killed Lü Wu Jiu, while Guan Zhong independently conceived the call to “Venerate the King.”

• Ji Zhao reviewed the Luo Clan’s descendants and Luo Xiu’s achievements, including the Sage Academy and its mystic-tier reward, the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart.
• Luo Xiu told Crown Prince Xi that Luo State would arrange Lü Wu Jiu’s death and support Prince Xiaobai’s return to Qi State, using the Royal House’s legitimacy to unite the feudal lords.
• Guan Zhong explained to Lü Xiao Bai that the declining Royal House could still serve as a banner for the kingly way, and asked him to submit an essay titled “Venerate the King” to Luo Xiu.
• The An Clan coordinated with Luo State to assassinate Lü Wu Jiu, while Luo Lianshe secretly prepared to ensure the attempt succeeded.
• Luo Lianshe shot and killed Lü Wu Jiu at the hunting grounds, and he later reported the success to Luo Xi.

After Lü Wu Jiu’s death, Luo Xiu helped Lü Xiao Bai return to Qi and claim the throne, sending troops and support with him. Lü Xiao Bai recruited Guan Zhong as his chief minister, reached Qi, and began assembling the ministers who would help restore the state.

• Luo Xi reported that Lian She had killed the Marquis of Qi, Wu Jiu, and Luo Xiu ordered preparations to escort Xiao Bai back to Qi while secretly arranging for Prince Shao to be killed.
• Lü Xiao Bai accepted his uncle’s offer to return, vowed to avenge his family, and promised Luo five cities in Lu Land in gratitude.
• Lü Xiao Bai persuaded Guan Zhong to accompany him to Qi and serve as chief minister, and Guan Zhong accepted his invitation.
• Luo Xi escorted Lü Xiao Bai to Qi’s border with five thousand troops, while three hundred Luo warriors joined Lü Xiao Bai and Guan Zhong on the crossing.
• Lü Xiao Bai met Minister An Ning and Qi’s nobles, introduced Guan Zhong as a leading adviser, and received their acclaim as the returning ruler.
• Guan Zhong later recommended Zhang Qi, Wang Cheng, An Ning, and Lu Chan for key offices, and Duke Huan approved their appointments.

Lü Xiao Bai attacked Qu against Guan Zhong’s advice and was defeated at Long Fields, then feared Guan Zhong would abandon him. Guan Zhong reaffirmed their friendship and returned to advising him, while Luo Xiu took Qi’s defeat as proof that its army had grown stronger.

• Lü Xiao Bai insisted on attacking Qu to defend Guan Zhong’s honor, and Guan Zhong reluctantly agreed.
• Lü Xiao Bai and Minister An Ning led Qi’s army to Long Fields, where Qu’s troops broke Qi’s formation after waiting through three rounds of drums.
• Lü Xiao Bai returned to Qi ashamed and avoided Guan Zhong, while Lady Xi Yi reassured him that Guan Zhong would remain loyal.
• Guan Zhong visited Lü Xiao Bai and promised that their bond would endure, and Lü Xiao Bai asked the court historian to record their friendship as “lofty mountains and flowing waters.”
• Luo Xiu read the report of Qi’s defeat and concluded that Qi’s reformed army had grown formidable despite its inexperienced commanders.

After five years of Guan Zhong’s reforms, Qi State had grown wealthy and strong, and he persuaded Lü Xiao Bai that a victory against the Lai Yi would establish Qi’s prestige among the states of All Xia. Qi State prepared a hundred-thousand-man expedition under Zhang Qi, who departed with Guan Zhong after pledging to conquer Lai Yi State.

• Guan Zhong explained that Qi State needed a great victory against the barbarians to gain recognition from the Marquis of Luo and become hegemon.
• Lü Xiao Bai agreed to attack the Lai Yi, and Qi State began raising troops and gathering supplies for the campaign.
• Guan Zhong spent three months preparing the expedition and selected Zhang Qi to command the army, accompanying him as chancellor.
• Lü Xiao Bai saw Zhang Qi and Guan Zhong off outside Linzi, and Zhang Qi vowed to repay his lord’s trust by conquering Lai Yi State.

Zhang Qi led Qi to destroy the Lai Yi State through a series of decisive victories, while Guan Zhong supported the campaign. The fall of Lai Yi earned Ji Zhao a surge of Fortune Points and advanced All Xia’s power.

• Zhang Qi crushed the Lai Yi army in a major battle, and Guan Zhong urged him to press the advantage before Lai Yi could regroup.
• Zhang Qi routed Lai Yi’s regrouped forces on the Banks of the Jiao River, then advanced toward their capital with Guan Zhong.
• Zhang Qi recognized that Lai Yi’s more than two hundred thousand troops were an unruly levy and concentrated Qi’s elite armored warriors to break them.
• Qi’s elite assault shattered Lai Yi’s formation, and the panicked army collapsed as Qi’s troops advanced on Laiyang City.
• Qi captured Laiyang City and destroyed the Lai Yi State, earning Ji Zhao Fortune Points as All Xia’s power advanced.

After Qi State’s decisive victory over the Lai Yi, Lü Xiao Bai called the lords to an alliance assembly to establish his hegemony. Luo Xiu supported him but stayed away so Luo Xi could represent Luo State without overshadowing him, leaving the plan for the assembly in motion.

• Lü Xiao Bai celebrated Qi State’s victory with Guan Zhong and announced that his ambition to lead All Xia could now be realized.
• Luo Xi reported that Qi State had defeated the Lai Yi, captured their capital and nobles, and more than doubled its territory.
• Luo Xiu praised Guan Zhong’s achievements and recognized that Lü Xiao Bai’s alliance assembly would help establish his hegemony in the Son of Heaven’s name.
• Luo Xiu decided that Luo Xi would attend the assembly in his place, allowing Luo State to support Lü Xiao Bai without taking the alliance leadership from him.
• Luo Xiu told Luo Xi that if Lü Xiao Bai later went to Luoyi, Luo State would cite its ancestors’ instructions and let the alliance leader carry its tribute.