Recaps

Liu Bei faced Cao Cao’s superior army in Yanzhou, abandoned a direct battle, and approved Luo Qi’s plan to supply Yan State so it would clash with Cao Cao and delay his control of Jizhou. After ordering a retreat, Liu Bei heard Luo Qi’s guarded proposal for what to do next.

• Liu Bei confronted Cao Cao and vowed to avenge his earlier defeat, while Cao Cao declared that his forces would defeat Liu Bei’s army.
• Liu Ye argued that Cao Cao’s political troubles could weaken Wei, but news of Zhao State’s surrender revealed that Liu Bei’s plan to trap Cao Cao had failed.
• Liu Bei briefly considered fighting Cao Cao, but after hearing his generals’ eagerness to charge, he chose to retreat rather than risk a head-on battle.
• Luo Qi urged Liu Bei to keep pressuring Cao Cao by selling grain and supplies to Yan State, encouraging it to fight Wei and delay Cao Cao’s control of Jizhou.
• Liu Bei ordered his army to withdraw from Yanzhou and hold the passage to Qingzhou, then asked Luo Qi to explain his further proposal in private.

Liu Yan sent Zhang Song to persuade Luo Chu not to attack Shu while Shu fought the Southwestern Yi, and Luo Chu held Wu State back despite pressure from his ministers. Liu Yan then died during an epidemic in the campaign, leaving Zhang Song to wonder whether he should seek a new lord.

• Zhang Lu attacked Shu without Wu State's support and was driven back into Hanzhong, while the Southwestern Yi gathered under a capable leader and threatened Liu Yan's control of Yizhou.
• Zhang Song persuaded Liu Yan to send an envoy to Luo Chu, and Luo Chu promised to hold Wu State's army back while warning Shu not to use the campaign as a pretext to provoke him.
• Luo Chu refused his ministers' calls to exploit Shu's vulnerability, declaring that Wu State would wait until the fighting ended before attacking.
• Zhang Song advised Liu Yan to draw the Southwestern Yi onto the plains, and Liu Yan agreed after Zhang Song warned that Shu might otherwise be unable to resist Wu State or Zhang Lu.
• Zhang Song privately considered leaving Liu Yan's service and weighed whether Wu State could offer him a place of influence.
• An epidemic struck the armies during the campaign, and Liu Yan died after arranging Shu State's succession and delivering the words he wanted recorded in history.

After Liu Zhang’s succession threw Shu into turmoil, Ma Chao and Fa Zheng lured Han Sui’s coalition into a battle on the Wei River Plain and crushed it with the help of Qiang cavalry. As they pursued Han Sui, new information arrived that forced them to reconsider their plans.

• Liu Zhang recalled the troops campaigning against the Southwestern Yi to face Zhang Lu, but Zhang Song and others persuaded him to keep them in the field.
• Han Sui gathered Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu, and other Guanzhong lords to attack Ma Chao, while Ma Chao and Fa Zheng prepared to seize the region.
• Ma Chao confronted Han Sui, defended his status as Ma Teng’s legitimate son, and challenged Zhang Xiu when he rode out to fight.
• Ma Chao overcame Zhang Xiu’s spear technique and offered him a place in his service, but Zhang Xiu refused.
• Ma Chao revealed that Qiang cavalry had joined him, and their charge routed Han Sui’s coalition as Ma Chao’s forces pursued the defeated army.
• A sudden report arrived while Ma Chao and Fa Zheng pursued Han Sui, forcing them to adjust their plans.

Ma Chao and Fa Zheng confronted the unexpectedly powerful Western Regions army as the King of Central Xia invaded Liangzhou, and their war in the Hexi Corridor became a four-month stalemate. With Ma Chao considering retreating into Guanzhong, Fa Zheng warned that the Central Plains lords might know how badly Yong State’s army had been weakened.

• After receiving reports that the Western Regions army was advancing through Liangzhou, Ma Chao abandoned the pursuit of the defeated coalition and led his forces west.
• Ma Chao and Fa Zheng discovered that the King of Central Xia had brought tens of thousands of elite troops, and Ma Chao rejected the king’s offer to make him a subordinate.
• Ma Chao and the King of Central Xia committed their armies to battle across the Hexi Corridor, where the Western Liang Iron Cavalry met the Western Regions Iron Cavalry.
• After four months of fighting and severe losses on both sides, Ma Chao drew reinforcements from the Qiang tribes and Guanzhong while his plans to expand elsewhere collapsed.
• Ma Chao considered abandoning Liangzhou and defending Guanzhong’s passes, but Fa Zheng asked whether the Central Plains lords knew Yong State’s army had suffered grievous casualties.

Cao Cao seized the chance created by Ma Chao’s war with Han Sui and the Western Liang lords to launch an invasion of Guanzhong, while Luo Yan advised him on the region’s forces and refused an offer to marry into the Cao family. Cao Cao’s armies advanced with little resistance as the Western Liang commanders surrendered, and he left Cao Ang in charge of the eastern front.

• Fa Zheng warned Ma Chao that Cao Cao would exploit the war in Guanzhong, prompting them to seek help from a group of men.
• Xun You urged Cao Cao to invade Guanzhong, and Cao Cao ordered his armies to advance by the Hangu Pass and across the river.
• Cao Cao summoned Luo Yan and Qu Yi to Luoyang, where Luo Yan advised him to watch Ma Chao and take in the Western Liang lords after their armies were weakened.
• Cao Cao expressed regret that Luo Yan had not married his daughter, but Luo Yan declined and Cao Cao decided he could be used but not trusted.
• Cao Cao declared Cao Ang his future successor and tasked him with holding the eastern front against Liu Bei.
• Cao Cao marched into Guanzhong, where Zhang Xiu and most of the defeated Western Liang lords surrendered to him.

Cao Cao invaded Guanzhong while Ma Chao fought the Western Regions, then Ma Chao ceded the Hexi Corridor to secure an alliance and turned to resist Wei. During a surprise attack on a detached Wei army, Cao Pi was killed, leaving Ma Chao and Fa Zheng to consider surrendering to Cao Cao despite the danger.

• Cao Cao entered Guanzhong and prepared to advance against Ma Chao, while Ma Chao and Fa Zheng concluded that they needed to choose between fighting and surrendering.
• Fa Zheng advised Ma Chao to cede the Hexi Corridor to the King of the Western Regions in return for an alliance against Cao Cao, and the king accepted the offer.
• Ma Chao withdrew Yong State's forces from the Four Hexi Commanderies, then led his army east after assessing the heavy losses from the war.
• Cao Cao divided his forces to attack Ma Chao, who ambushed a detached Wei army and routed it with a sudden cavalry charge.
• Xiahou Yuan discovered that Cao Pi was missing, and Cao Pi was killed by an arrow while surrounded by soldiers on the battlefield.
• Ma Chao and Fa Zheng realized Cao Cao might seek vengeance for Cao Pi's death, and Ma Chao chose to surrender while Fa Zheng began considering his own escape.

After Ma Chao surrendered and Zhao Hong joined him, Cao Cao consolidated his control over Guanzhong and Nanyang and returned east in triumph. Liu Xie was forced to approve Cao Cao’s demands for further rewards, leaving him convinced that the Han Dynasty was nearing its end.

• Ma Chao surrendered to Cao Cao, who appointed him Marquis of Fufeng and General Who Guards the East, while the King of the Western Regions retreated to Hexi.
• Cao Cao left Xiahou Dun and Sima Yi to hold Chang'an, then returned east with Ma Chao and nearly twenty thousand Western Liang Iron Cavalry.
• Zhao Hong surrendered Nanyang to Cao Cao, giving Wei control of another strategic commandery.
• Cao Cao’s messengers announced the victories in Guanzhong and Nanyang at Xuchang, and Liu Xie was shaken by the news.
• Xi Zhicai presented Liu Xie with Cao Cao’s demands for rewards, and Liu Xie approved them despite his despair.

Fa Zheng joined Liu Bei’s court and proposed a strategy to reverse Cao Cao’s expansion by winning a decisive victory in Jizhou, with Lü Bu striking Cao Cao’s rear through the Taihang passes. Luo Qi said he would try to secure Lü Bu’s support, and Fa Zheng recognized that the plan depended on Luo Qi.

• Liu Bei grieved that Cao Cao was closing in on taking the Han realm, and Luo Qi reassured him that Cao Cao’s newly conquered territories and widespread opposition left him vulnerable.
• Liu Ye announced that Fa Zheng had arrived from Guanzhong, and Liu Bei warmly welcomed the famed strategist into his service.
• Fa Zheng explained that Cao Cao’s brutality and his own enmity with the Cao clan had led him to reject Cao Cao and seek Liu Bei instead.
• Fa Zheng argued that an alliance of feudal lords would not suffice, and that Chu State and Wu State could cooperate only temporarily because they would ultimately clash over territory.
• Fa Zheng proposed that Liu Bei first drive Wei forces from Jizhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou, then push them out of Shandong, with Lü Bu’s forces striking Cao Cao’s rear through the Taihang passes during a major battle in Jizhou.
• Luo Qi said he would try to secure Lü Bu’s support, and Fa Zheng realized that Luo Qi made the strategy possible.

Luo Qi and Lü Shen persuaded Lü Bu to ally with Liu Bei against Cao Cao by revealing Lü Bu’s ancestral genealogy and urging him to choose his own legacy. Back in Chu, Liu Bei thanked his ministers and declared that he was ready to fight Cao Cao for the Han Dynasty.

• Luo Qi and Lü Shen traveled secretly to Jin State with Zhao Yun to seek Lü Bu’s support against Cao Cao.
• Lü Qiling urged Lü Bu to hear the Chu envoys and make his own choices.
• Luo Qi and Lü Shen recited Lü Bu’s genealogy, revealing his ancestral ties to the ancient Jiang-surnamed Lü Clan.
• Lü Bu agreed to join Liu Bei’s alliance against Cao Cao, and Luo Qi and Lü Shen sealed the pact with a palm strike.
• Luo Qi and Lü Shen left Jin State and planned to enlist the Emperor of Yan and the Commandery Duke of Wu.
• Liu Bei thanked his ministers for restoring hope and declared that he would fight Cao Cao for the Han Dynasty.

Luo Qi summoned Zhuge Liang to entrust him with Chu’s affairs before accompanying the army to attack Jizhou. He warned Zhuge Liang about Wu, cautioned him against abusing Legalist methods, and handed him authority over audits of official governance and powerful clans.

• Luo Qi told Zhuge Liang that he would join the campaign against Jizhou while Zhuge Liang remained in Linzi to oversee logistics.
• Luo Qi warned Zhuge Liang that a Chu victory could lead to war with Wu and ordered him to prepare Xiapi City’s supplies and defenses.
• Luo Qi cautioned Zhuge Liang against relying too heavily on Legalist methods and reminded him to use statecraft with restraint.
• Luo Qi explained that lawless great clans and concealed households weakened the realm and said clean government was necessary to address them.
• Luo Qi entrusted Zhuge Liang with the Official Governance Audit so he could gradually gather evidence against Chu’s powerful clans.
• Zhuge Liang recognized that Wu’s great clans would hinder its unification and listened as Luo Qi named him Chu’s finest legacy.

Chu State, Wu State, and Yan State mobilized against Wei State as Cao Cao gathered a massive army and prepared to meet Liu Bei in Jizhou. The rival forces began arriving on the battlefield, and Liu Bei launched the first clash to test Wei State's strength.

• Chu State sent Liu Bei and Guan Yu north with its main force while Lü Shen and Taishi Ci guarded its rear, and Luo Qi left Linzi to maintain the alliance with Jin State.
• Luo Chu ordered Wu State to attack Runan, assigned Kuai Yue and Cai Mao to defend Xiangyang, and placed Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Sun Ce together in a separate force.
• Yan Lin responded to internal unrest over Liaodong's resettlement by accepting Liu Bei's offer and leading Yan State's cavalry south to fight Wei State and Chu State.
• Cao Cao learned that Chu State, Yan State, and Wu State had joined the war, celebrated with his ministers, and declared that he would personally lead Wei State's army against Liu Bei.
• Chu State and Yan State entered Jizhou but kept their armies separate, while Cao Cao advanced behind a forty-thousand-strong Wei vanguard with his main force.
• Liu Bei began fighting the Wei vanguard to test its strength and look for weaknesses.

The author reflected on Faker’s fourth championship and decided not to abandon Three States despite pressure from readers and declining confidence. He chose to finish the story without an outline, beginning its wrap-up, and vowed to return to the summit after it ended.

• The author deleted an earlier post about giving up on himself after Faker won his fourth championship.
• He recalled Three States’s past success and explained how reader criticism and pressure had made him anxious and harmed his writing.
• The author decided to mute more people and raise the fan-point threshold to protect himself.
• He abandoned the outline and planned to write whatever came to mind, even if everyone, including the Luo Clan, died.
• The author said Three States would begin wrapping up without the planned shining moments or final exits for its heroes, and he vowed to return to the summit after it ended.

Liu Bei’s alliance defeated Cao Cao at Jizhou after Ma Chao’s betrayal, Lü Bu’s assault, and a wind-driven inferno devastated the Wei camps. Luo Qi died after returning to Liu Bei, who mourned him before turning his attention to a coming war with Yan State.

• Fa Zheng urged Liu Bei to use Ma Chao’s fear of Cao Ang to turn him against Cao Cao, and Liu Bei rallied his ministers to keep fighting for the Han.
• Liu Bei and Yan State launched a night attack on the Wei camps, while Ma Chao rebelled, burned the granaries, and spread chaos among Cao Cao’s troops.
• Lü Bu and Luo Qi led the Bingzhou Cavalry into the battle as Cao Cao ordered his forces to hold their camps until dawn.
• Luo Qi used a northwest wind to drive burning oil and smoke through the Wei encampments, forcing Cao Cao to retreat as the fire consumed hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
• Liu Bei celebrated Cao Cao’s defeat, but Luo Qi returned gravely wounded, commended Zhuge Liang and Fa Zheng, and died before Liu Bei could answer him.
• At dawn, Liu Bei surveyed the burned battlefield and then prepared to fight Yan State for Jizhou after Cao Cao fled toward Henei.

After Cao Cao’s defeat in Jizhou, he moved Liu Xie to Luoyang and accepted his abdication, founding Wei, while Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor of Han and established his capital at Linzi. With three emperors now ruling, the chapter ended by asking whether Luo Chu of Wu would also claim the title, as Ji Zhao remained dormant after merging with the Heavenly Pillar.

• Cao Cao ordered Liu Xie and Wei’s nobles moved from Xuchang to Luoyang as Wei’s defeat forced a retreat toward Guanzhong.
• Liu Bei captured half of Jizhou after Yan Lin withdrew from Handan, then prepared to campaign against Yanzhou and Yuzhou.
• Cao Cao accepted Liu Xie’s abdication in Luoyang, founded Wei, and named Liu Xie the Duke of Longxi Commandery.
• Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor of Han in Linzi and established an ancestral temple honoring the Han emperors, including Liu Xie.
• The rise of Wei and Han left three emperors in the realm, and observers wondered whether Luo Chu of Wu would proclaim himself emperor.
• The chapter settlement awarded the Luo family Fortune Points and Imperial Fortune, while Ji Zhao remained dormant after merging with the Heavenly Pillar.

Luo Jiaojiao was framed by an elderly woman and her son after she stopped to help the woman, then lost her case in a Jinling court. After Luo Jiaojiao publicized the judge’s reasoning, the imperial family intervened, punished the corrupt judges and convicted the pair, while Luo Jiaojiao later joined her senior’s company.

• Luo Jiaojiao stopped to help Chen Xiuyun, who accused her of knocking her down, and Zhao Chengcai joined in demanding compensation.
• The Ministry of Justice transferred the case to the Court of Judicial Review after the surveillance cameras were found to be broken, and Luo Jiaojiao refused to settle.
• The Tongcheng District Court of Judicial Review found Luo Jiaojiao guilty, ordered her to pay expenses, and sentenced her to several months in prison, so she appealed.
• Luo Jiaojiao told her senior what had happened, and he helped spread the judge’s remark across the internet.
• The Luo Clan Imperial Family sent the Dare-to-Fight Warriors Corps to investigate Jinling’s courts, and nearly seventy percent of the judges were taken to Luoyang for trial.
• The old woman and her son were convicted of the moral disorder crime and sentenced to life imprisonment, and Luo Jiaojiao later joined her senior’s company.

Ji Zhao discovered that forces from the Reincarnation Hall had invaded his world and confronted them on the battlefield at Shangyi. After killing Kameda Taro and surviving William’s Blood Pearl, Ji Zhao faced the remaining reincarnators and declared himself the tallest in his world.

• Ji Zhao warned Taigong Wang that an ominous threat might appear as the Zhou Army prepared to attack Shangyi.
• William killed the Marquis of Tang with a Blood Pearl, causing panic among the Zhou and Shang soldiers.
• Ji Zhao restored the Zhou Army’s courage, then killed Kameda Taro with a single spear thrust when the ninja attacked him.
• William’s Blood Pearl exploded in front of Ji Zhao, but its force failed to harm his body or soul.
• Seven or eight more reincarnators appeared, and Ji Zhao identified himself as the tallest person in the world.

Ji Zhao used the Celestial Card to become a celestial being and destroyed the reincarnation squad that had invaded his world. After the Main God erased the squad’s leader, Ji Zhao resumed the Zhou campaign, while the author added a progress note about the next volume.

• The reincarnators attacked Ji Zhao, but he resisted their force fields and mental assaults and killed several of them.
• The black-haired Sword Cultivator and other powerful reincarnators pressed Ji Zhao, while a wizard disarmed him with Expelliarmus.
• Ji Zhao activated the Celestial Card, summoned thirty thousand li of purple qi, and became powerful enough for the reincarnators’ escape abilities to fail.
• Ji Zhao killed the squad’s weaker members, shattered the Sword Cultivator’s flying swords, and hunted down those who fled.
• Ji Zhao captured the woman in white, but the Main God erased its will within her; he then ordered Taigong Wang to continue east toward Haojing.
• The author noted that the main text had reached three hundred characters and that posting would begin after fifteen thousand had accumulated.

Wang Cheng of the Progressive Faction and Luo Ziye helped spark a public debate over whether society should respect the old and cherish the young. Ji City University lost its debate against Ji City Art Institute, but the negative side’s arguments ignited a major online discussion, while Luo Ziye gained a large following.

• Wang Cheng saw conflicting reports about elderly people and began considering how to challenge the traditional principle of respecting the old and cherishing the young.
• Luo Ziye’s debate team received the negative position, and he persuaded them to compete rather than appeal the assignment.
• Luo Ziye’s team argued that age alone did not merit respect or care and proposed respecting the worthy and cherishing the good instead.
• Luo Ziye’s closing speech argued that law should punish wrongdoing regardless of age, and Ji City University lost the debate.
• The debate went viral, young people argued over the principle online, and Luo Ziye’s follower count soared.

A time traveler awakens as Fusu and assumes he can use his future knowledge to secure Great Qin, while Luo Ling considers the empire’s structural weaknesses. At court, Fusu proposes relocating the old nobles, but Li Si explains that the Qin Dynasty lacks the local power to carry out such an order without provoking widespread revolt.

• Ji Zhao senses that a time traveler has entered the world and leaves Luo Ling and Xiang Yu to deal with matters.
• The time traveler awakens as Fusu and resolves to strengthen Great Qin by eliminating rival clans and using capable figures from history.
• Luo Ling reflects on the Qin Dynasty’s dependence on continual warfare and concludes that its policies will drive it toward collapse.
• At the Grand Court Audience, Fusu warns Qin Shi Huang about unrest among the former states and argues that their nobles should be relocated to guard the imperial mausoleum.
• Qin Shi Huang questions Fusu about the number of nobles in Chu, and Li Si explains that relocating them would trigger widespread rebellion because they dominate local society.
• Fusu realizes the Qin Dynasty lacks the grassroots control needed to enforce his proposal and privately blames the Qin enthusiasts who misled him.

An unnamed orphan in the Luo State grew up in a loving adoptive family, excelled academically, and eventually recognized Ling'er's feelings for him. After university, he became a senior Aid Society fund manager and worked to improve the lives of children like his younger self.

• The orphan received annual welfare inspections and agreed to be adopted at seven by the parents of Ling'er, a friend whose life he had saved.
• His adoptive parents transferred both children after classmates targeted his orphan status, and the authorities disciplined the school community and the offending children's parents.
• He excelled at school, earned government scholarships, and attracted the Education Department's attention while remaining devoted to his family.
• He entered Luoyang University while Ling'er enrolled at the nearby Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and he befriended a member of the Luo Clan.
• He finally recognized Ling'er's feelings and joined the Aid Society for Widowers, Widows, Orphans, and the Childless Elderly through his Luo Clan friend's introduction.
• He rose to manage numerous foundations with Ling'er's help and returned to his childhood orphanage, where he met the daughter of the psychologist who had inspected his welfare.

After Fusu ordered Liu Bang and Xiang Yu killed, he learned that the Qin Court suspected his sudden change in temperament and persuaded the First Emperor that his knowledge came from a dream of Great Qin’s fall. The First Emperor intensified his search for the Luo Clan and traveled to Chu, while the Xiang Clan remained beyond Qin’s reach and Xiang Yu declared that the First Emperor could be replaced.

• Fusu gained the First Emperor’s trust, ordered Liu Bang killed, and sent Qin Officials to capture Xiang Yu and the Xiang Clan.
• Luo Ling went to Jiangdong, met Xiang Yu, and recognized his strength and potential to help restore Chu State.
• Qin Officials returned to Xianyang with borrowed heads, claiming they had killed Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, and Fusu believed his two greatest rivals were gone.
• The First Emperor questioned Fusu about rumors that he had changed, and Fusu claimed a dream had shown him Great Qin’s fall and the falsehood of the Elixir of Immortality.
• The First Emperor increased his attention to Chu and began searching more aggressively for the Luo Clan, while Fusu kept quiet and postponed his plans for reform.
• News spread that the Luo State Ruling House had survived in Southern Heaven; the First Emperor traveled to Chu, where Xiang Yu declared, “He can be replaced!”

Valentina recounted her life in Luo State, where she studied art, married Luo Chengye, and worked to bring the Snow Country’s artistic traditions into Luo State’s culture. She ended by reflecting proudly on her efforts to enrich people’s inner lives.

• Valentina arrived in Luo State, settled with her aunt’s family, and began studying at Qing Saint University, where students nicknamed her the Flower of the Snow Country.
• Valentina learned from her cousin how Luo State’s strict laws connected morality and public conduct, and she gradually adapted to life there.
• Valentina met Luo Chengye, questioned whether their different family standings made them unsuitable, and came to understand her aunt’s view of equality in marriage.
• Valentina saw Luo Chengye’s grandfather’s Sacred Mark, married Luo Chengye before finishing university, and began organizing art exhibitions and studying ways to combine Snow Country and Luo State art.
• Valentina researched Luo State’s art history, gave birth to her daughter Luo Ling, and continued her work with encouragement from Luo Chengye and her aunt.
• Valentina looked back on her life and took pride in working to enrich people’s inner worlds.

Luo Xing traveled to the Western Regions with Diao Chan to take up the High Priest’s position at the Sage King Temple and help preserve stability. After reaching Unshuang City, he received the High Priest’s scepter and robes, then won the Temple Army’s recognition, leaving him with a powerful base of religious and military authority.

• Luo Xing told Diao Chan that he had come west to serve the Luo Clan’s interests and maintain the Western Regions’ stability through the Sage King Temple.
• The King of Xia asked Luo Xing to help spread his prestige, and Luo Xing promised support if the king reached Guanzhong and occupied Chang’an.
• Luo Xing and Diao Chan arrived in Unshuang City, where the people welcomed him and a white-haired Luo Clan elder led him to the temple.
• Luo Xing was named High Priest and received the temple’s scepter, robes, and other ritual regalia.
• Three Temple Army commandants invited Luo Xing to their barracks, where the soldiers welcomed him as their High Priest and pledged themselves to the Sage King’s cause.

The chapter traced the Hu’s rise toward unification and chronicled the shifting wars among the late Han successor states after Cao Cao and Liu Bei proclaimed themselves emperors. It ended with Wei conquering Hanzhong and Liu Zhang seeking terms with Wu, while the author announced that the main story would begin in the next chapters.

• The Hu tribes reorganized into a military empire, chose the name Xia, and sought to unite the Grasslands under their Chanyu Khagan.
• Cao Cao died after moving Wei’s capital to Chang’an, Cao Ang succeeded him, and Liu Bei’s forces attacked Wei’s eastern defenses.
• Liu Bei died and appointed Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, Lü Shen, Liu Ye, and Fa Zheng as regent ministers for Liu Shan.
• Wei, Han, Wu, and Yan repeatedly fought over territory as their rulers and commanders died, shifting the balance of power among the states.
• Wu’s Lu Xun defeated Han’s army on the Huai River and captured Pengcheng, while Yan and Wei also pressured Han from other fronts.
• Wei conquered Hanzhong, and Liu Zhang sent envoys to Wu to seek protection from Wei.

After Ji Zhao vanished into the Heavenly Pillar, the Luo Clan could no longer reach its ancestor and feared the calamity foretold in his prophecy. Luo Jin ordered Zhao City partially sealed and called the descendants home, leaving the clan preparing to face an uncertain future without its ancestor.

• Ji Zhao merged with the Heavenly Pillar, and the Luo Clan lost contact with him and the Divine Artifacts he had taken.
• Luo Jin and Luo Xuan prayed in the Ancestral Temple, while Ji Lingjun chose to remain in the Void Heavenly Realm and wait for the Old Ancestor.
• A crack appeared on Luo Su’s statue in the Hall of Heroes, revealing skin beneath its stone surface.
• Luo Jin reviewed the Luo Clan’s remaining resources and Divine Artifacts and recalled the Old Ancestor’s warning that the Hu mandate would flourish and the Xia mandate wane.
• Luo Jin summoned the Luo Clan’s descendants and Zhao State’s ministers, ordered most descendants living elsewhere to return within three years, and announced that Zhao City would be partially sealed.
• Luo Xuan declared that the measures were the will of the Sage King Sovereign, silencing the gathered crowd.