Recaps

Liu Acheng built influence among Liu Rengong’s refugees by organizing work, supplies, and protection, while trying to secure a future for himself and the camp. After Liu Rengong departed for Jiangcheng, Liu Acheng stayed behind with Liu Jili to lead the remaining refugees through winter and confront the thieves threatening them.

• Liu Acheng joined Liu Rengong’s refugee party, learned that refugees on the White Register could settle and clear land in the south, and decided to build a fortified manor of his own.
• Liu Acheng learned sandal weaving, organized sandal and mat makers, and helped the refugees earn money and trade for supplies as they settled near Jingkou.
• After a soldier robbed and beat the refugees at the Huai River ferry, Liu Acheng knocked him unconscious and ordered the group to throw him into the river.
• Liu Acheng warned Liu Rengong that resentment could split the refugees and took charge of the sandal weavers, wounded, bereaved, and abducted people.
• Liu Acheng met Liu Jili, declared his ambition to enter office and reclaim the Central Plains, and joined Liu Huzi’s tiger hunt, which ended with the men killing a tiger at the Xie household.
• When Chu Pou’s expedition failed and the refugees received no relief, Liu Acheng rejected Liu Rengong’s offer to move to Jiangcheng and stayed to preserve the camp through winter.
• Liu Acheng set rules and escorted many refugees away, then discovered that the Straw-Sandal and Straw-Mat Groups had hidden pooled Shenlang Coins in the sandals they gave him.
• After Liu Rengong left for Jiangcheng, Liu Acheng and Liu Jili reorganized the remaining camp, captured a band of thieves, and identified Liu Dage as their organizer.

Liu Acheng built ties with the Xie and Xi families while seeking a path to restore the north, and he brought Lu Song, Gao Rou, and Shen Jin into plans for a major purification ceremony. The arc left the ceremony preparations underway as Xie An questioned Liu Acheng’s ability to manage them and Xi Chao defended his practical skill.

• Liu Acheng organized the refugees to sell firewood, then secured business with the Xie household through Steward Qian and helped the camp survive winter.
• Liu Acheng and Liu Jili met Xie An, who recommended Liu Jili to Cai Mo and gave Liu Acheng a letter to Xi Linhai.
• Liu Acheng left the camp with the Way of the Celestial Masters, helped Shen Jin with General Wang’s illness, and presented Xie An’s recommendation to Xi Chao.
• Liu Acheng persuaded Xi Yin to change his harmful Daoist practices and earned a place at the Xi estate, where he waited for Lu Song.
• Liu Acheng discussed the Northern Expedition with Wang Xizhi, Xi Yin, and Xi Chao, then proposed public and private purification ceremonies to promote unity.
• Liu Acheng reunited with Gao Rou, who warned him that family standing constrained advancement among Kuaiji’s celebrated scholars, and Liu Acheng vowed to heed his counsel.
• Liu Acheng persuaded Shen Jin to lend the Qianxi Music Troupe and confronted him after Shen Jin tried to place two girls in Liu Acheng’s room.
• Liu Acheng gathered Xi Chao, Gao Rou, and Lu Song in Qiuting to plan the ceremony, while Xi Chao proposed the event to Wang Xizhi and Xie An questioned Liu Acheng’s ability to manage it.

Liu Acheng organized the Orchid Pavilion gathering, then accompanied Xi Chao west to enter Huan Wen’s service. As Liu Cheng, he pressed for a Northern Expedition, but Huan Wen prioritized securing cooperation from Jiankang.

• Liu Acheng organized the Shangsi Festival rites and Orchid Pavilion gathering, where Wang Xizhi wrote his preface and the gentlemen signed joint letters.
• Liu Acheng sent supplies toward Jingkou, arranged for Liu Huzi to burn Master Du Ming’s manor, and accompanied Xi Chao to receive his bride.
• Xi Chao completed his wedding and obtained his parents’ consent to serve Huan Wen after swearing to avoid commanding troops.
• Xi Chao, Liu Acheng, and Fu Hong traveled to Jingzhou, where Huan Wen welcomed them and appointed all three to office.
• Huan Wen gave Liu Cheng the courtesy name Yulong and assigned him confidential instructions and complex matters outside headquarters.
• Liu Cheng carried Deng Xia’s requests to Huan Wen and secured approval for collecting local complaints and writing a popular history.
• Luo You explained Huan Wen’s priority of securing Jiankang, and Liu Cheng organized New Year preparations for Xi Chao, Fu Hong, and their retainers.
• Xi Chao proposed pressuring Jiankang with troops at Wuchang, Huan Wen reaffirmed that Jiankang came before Guanzhong, and Huan Xi offered to go to court as a hostage.

Liu Cheng secured Wang Qia’s surrender and helped Huan Wen prepare for a Northern Expedition before traveling to Jiankang to recruit allies and men for Jingzhou. The arc ended with Liu Cheng arranging a marriage alliance with the Shen family and seeking to win Wang Ahhuo’s loyalty.

• Liu Cheng enlisted Deng Xia and Huan Huo in a plan to reorganize Wang Qia’s troops, then persuaded Wang Qia and most of his officers to surrender and move to Xinye.
• Liu Cheng arranged for Huan Huo to receive Wang Qia’s troops, backed Wang Qia for a post in Ye County, and urged Huan Wen to avoid compromising his plans for Guanzhong.
• Liu Cheng helped organize Huan Wen’s willow-shooting ceremony, where Deng Xia won the mounted archery contest and Zhu Xu impressed Huan Wen with his foot archery.
• Huan Wen approved Liu Cheng’s mission to Jiangdong, and Liu Cheng sailed downstream with Awu, Fu Tao, Luo You, and Northern Migrant soldiers.
• In Jiankang, Liu Cheng defended Huan Wen’s intentions before Sima Yu’s officials, then stayed at Fan Wang’s residence and discussed the dangers of refusing a Northern Expedition.
• Liu Cheng visited the growing settlement in Jingkou, met with Liu Jili and other clan leaders, and recruited Liu Agan to join him in Jingzhou as a Banner Chief.
• Liu Cheng traveled south with several hundred guards, recruits, and laborers, and Wang Yan, also known as Wang Ahhuo, joined the party after meeting them at Zhangpu Pass.
• In Wuxing, Liu Cheng asked Shen Jin to arrange a marriage with a Shen family daughter and to help win Wang Ahhuo’s loyalty.