Chapter Summaries

Liu Cheng surveyed Huainan during the spring plowing and carefully assessed the Zhu family’s position after Zhu Fu committed himself to Yuan Zhen. He returned to Shouchun for a gathering of Western Command generals, where Zhu Xian sought a way to avoid bearing the cost of the family’s divided loyalties.

• Liu Cheng weighed the Western Command’s factional hierarchy and concluded that recruiting Zhu Fu could strengthen his standing without directly challenging Mao Muzhi or Yuan Zhen.
• Liu Cheng inspected Huainan’s fields and settlements, then visited Hefei and questioned Zhu Di about farming, population, supplies, and local crafts.
• Liu Cheng wove a pair of grass sandals during his inspection, then sent Xie Xuan back to tell Zhu Di to organize the settlement’s production by specialty.
• Zhu Fu decided he had to honor his prior promise to Yuan Zhen, while Zhu Di urged him to explain the predicament through Zhu Teng and his sons.
• Liu Cheng returned to Shouchun in late February as Gao Heng took up station at Feikou and Xie Shang summoned nearby generals to meet him.
• Zhu Teng’s letter told Zhu Xian and Zhu Bin to accept offending Liu Cheng rather than break their commitment to Yuan Zhen, and Zhu Xian then looked to Zhu Chuo for a possible way to satisfy both sides.

Liu Cheng used a drinking gathering with the Zhu brothers to learn about the Western Command’s power hierarchy and discuss where his clan and Gao Heng’s family stood. At the generals’ meeting the next day, he asserted his imperial mandate and presented a three-part plan to improve supply routes, centralize military administration, and prepare troops to support Luoyang.

• Zhu Xian brought his youngest brother, Zhu Chuo, to serve under Liu Cheng, and Liu Cheng welcomed the brothers to drink with him.
• Zhu Xian told Liu Cheng that Wang Xia would lead the next day’s gathering and described the Western Command’s informal ranking of its prominent clans.
• Liu Cheng asked how the Liu Clan of Pengcheng and the Bohai Gao Clan ranked, then toasted the Zhu brothers while saying he lacked the achievements and seniority to claim a place above them.
• At the generals’ meeting, Xie Shang introduced Liu Cheng and said he would not attend the evening banquet for the officers to meet him.
• Liu Cheng stated that the emperor had charged him with strengthening the Huai River defenses and supporting Huan Wen’s advance on Luoyang, then distributed documents outlining his plans.
• Liu Cheng proposed establishing supply stations along Hanshan Road, unifying Shouchun’s military accounts and administration, and preparing at least three thousand troops to support Luoyang.

Liu Cheng defended his plans for supporting Luoyang and won Xie Shang’s approval after confronting Yuan Hong’s objections. Xie Shang ordered Yuan Hong and the Western Command’s staff to assist Liu Cheng, while asking him to treat Yuan Hong well.

• Wang Xia asked how Liu Cheng would select troops, and Liu Cheng promised to take whole banners rather than break apart the generals’ private forces.
• Zhu Xian questioned the proposed relief reserve fund, and Liu Cheng explained that contributions would be voluntary and supported by his family’s wealth and land grants.
• Yuan Hong challenged Liu Cheng’s plans, asking what role remained for the General Who Pacifies the West’s Office.
• Liu Cheng argued that the Western Command’s staff should help carry out his proposals and declared that only he could make them succeed.
• Xie Shang authorized Liu Cheng to proceed and told him to have Yuan Hong and the others assist, while asking him not to bully Yuan Hong.

Liu Cheng organized the repair of Hanshan Road and other Western Command logistics while visiting troops and preparing military registers. As his work began to show results, Zhang Zhong reported that Prefect Shen had crossed the river with a large force, and Liu Cheng set out to confront the General for the Pacification of the West about the cost of passing through his territory.

• Liu Cheng assigned Fan Ning responsibility for improving Hanshan Road, building supply stations and warehouses, and arranging support for military transport.
• Liu Cheng recommended that Liu Jili oversee cross-river transport and appointed Zhang Zhong to inspect postal stations along Hanshan Road.
• Liu Cheng visited the Western Command troops, while Zhu Chuo imitated his speech and Zhu Xian discussed the purpose of Liu Cheng's military registers with his officers.
• Liu Cheng continued working through the third month, trying to prepare the road, supplies, and troop records before Huan Wen might send out his army in winter.
• Zhang Zhong reported that Prefect Shen had crossed the river with four banners, two thousand combat troops, laborers, and supplies, and Liu Cheng went to see the General for the Pacification of the West.

Liu Cheng welcomed Shen Jin to Shouchun and persuaded him to serve under his command rather than seek a post with Mao Muzhi. After Xie Shang confirmed the arrangement, Liu Cheng asked Shen Jin to resume minting Shenlang Coins.

• Liu Cheng welcomed Shen Jin and introduced him to Liu Huzi and the other generals, while Shen Jin eagerly cultivated their connections.
• Shen Jin told Liu Cheng that Wang Huzhi was gravely ill and explained his plan to serve under Mao Muzhi while avoiding allegiance to Huan Wen.
• Zhu Chuo brought Shen Jin and Shen Chiqian to meet Xie Shang, who tore up Wang Maozhi's recommendation and ordered Shen Jin to serve under Liu Cheng.
• Liu Cheng explained that serving under him would protect Shen Jin's political position and let him help maintain control of Qiao Commandery.
• Shen Jin agreed to follow Liu Cheng's command, and Liu Cheng asked him to start minting Shenlang Coins again.

Liu Cheng persuaded Shen Jin to mint high-quality Shenlang Coins, using them to strengthen trade and win over soldiers and fortified manors in the Huai River region. As the army completed its combat-soldier roster, Liu Cheng gained a clearer grip on the Western Command and its forces.

• Liu Cheng explained to Shen Jin that the Huai River region’s coin shortage made minting good Shenlang Coins profitable and strategically useful.
• Liu Cheng ordered Shen Jin to prioritize coin production and distribution, with Awu inspecting the coins and Chiqian overseeing their arrival and allocation.
• Shen Chiqian explained to Xie Xuan that private coin minting could succeed where court administration would fail, and Liu Cheng connected the problem to the gulf between gentry and commoners.
• Rumors spread that Liu Cheng had brought Shen Jin’s troops to Shouchun to strengthen his control, while Liu Cheng pushed ahead with registering the army’s combat soldiers.
• Liu Cheng and his staff completed the Western Command’s combat-soldier roster, which counted 13,781 men, and Liu Cheng felt he had secured a vital source of leverage.

Liu Cheng secured authority over the Western Command's army and began bringing the Shao Lake military colonies under his control by registering their people and appointing local officials. After explaining that the new officials would act on his behalf, he asked the colony residents to report generals who were exploiting their labor, then called Zhu A Ming over.

• Liu Cheng required each banner to update its roster monthly, giving him a reliable count of the troops under his command.
• Liu Cheng slowed his pace in Shouchun, hosted local leaders and literati, and sent Shen Jin and Huan Yi to establish a base in Qiao Commandery.
• Liu Cheng visited the Shao Lake military colonies and had Wang Xianzhi, Xie Xuan, Huan Bucai, and Zhu Chuo pull weeds alongside him.
• Liu Cheng offered the colony elders paid official posts in new townships, wards, and posts, explaining that they would administer the refugees on his behalf.
• The colony residents told Liu Cheng that a general had been forcing them to repair his camp and build lodgings without feeding them, so Liu Cheng called Zhu A Ming over.

Liu Cheng investigated Guo Man for breaking military rules and gathered Zhu Xian and Wang Xia to prepare for the case. Instead of punishing Guo Man, Liu Cheng apologized for failing to uncover his poverty and promised to send relief to refugee camps across Huainan.

• Liu Cheng learned that Guo Man had requisitioned refugees for labor without feeding them and discovered that Zhu Xian was his backer.
• Liu Cheng summoned Zhu Xian and Wang Xia, ordered Zhu Xian to bring Guo Man in, and asked Wang Xia to surround Guo Man’s camp to prevent unrest.
• Zhu Xian’s riders disarmed Guo Man and escorted him to the Commandery Office, where Guo Man begged Zhu Xian for help.
• Liu Cheng listened to Guo Man’s account of his clan’s hardship, accepted responsibility for failing to investigate and provide aid, and asked for a month to send relief to impoverished refugee camps in Huainan.

Liu Cheng settled Guo Man’s abuse of the Shao Lake refugees by demanding compensation and repairs rather than punishing him with death, while using the crisis to display his authority over Zhu Xian and Wang Xia. Zhu Xian finally recognized the maneuver, and the chapter ended with Wang Xia lifting the encirclement of Guo Man’s camp.

• Liu Cheng rejected Guo Man’s offer to die and ordered him to compensate the refugees and repair their homes.
• Guo Man described the hardships his clan had endured after leaving Qiao Commandery, while Liu Cheng shared his own struggles in Jingkou.
• Liu Cheng gave Zhu Xian the formal order to lift Wang Xia’s encirclement and told Guo Man to reassure his clan.
• On the ride back, Zhu Xian realized Liu Cheng had used him and Wang Xia to establish authority over the army while showing favor to Guo Man.
• Zhu Xian found his younger brother serving as Army Supervisor, then told Wang Xia that Liu Cheng had resolved Guo Man’s case and ordered the encirclement lifted.

Liu Cheng expanded relief, registration, and military projects in Huainan while using letters to manage appointments and respond to Quan Yi’s offer to negotiate. After receiving messages from Xi Chao and Huan Wen, he sent Xie Xuan to seek a meeting with Yuan Zhen.

• Liu Cheng intercepted Shen Jin’s military supplies, gave Shen Chiqian the task of organizing refugee relief, and announced a June Willow-Shooting competition under Yuan Hong’s charge.
• Liu Cheng agreed with Huan Yi’s proposal to recruit a member of the Ding Clan and build a military and administrative team in Qiao Commandery.
• Liu Cheng instructed Awu and Liu Jili to arrange coin production and secure Five-Zhu Coin molds or craftsmen.
• A Di warrior delivered Quan Yi’s letter asking whether Yao Xiang and the Qiang people could negotiate, and Liu Cheng replied that they must surrender unconditionally and urged Quan Yi to join his service.
• Liu Cheng read Xi Chao’s account of Xie An’s difficulties in Jiangling and Huan Wen’s instructions to cooperate with Yuan Zhen and make room for Xie An.
• Liu Cheng ordered Xie Xuan to ask whether Yuan Zhen had written and to arrange a visit to him in Shucheng.

Liu Cheng met Yuan Zhen beneath a pavilion in Shucheng to signal that neither would challenge the other while Huan Wen remained powerful. On the ride back, Liu Cheng explained how Huan Wen and the Chen Commandery Xie Clan constrained them, then asked Xie Xuan about his uncle’s warning; the group continued toward Chao Lake.

• Liu Cheng praised Yuan Zhen’s reputation and military achievements until Yuan welcomed him into the pavilion.
• Xie Xuan and Zhu Chuo stood with weapons, unsettling the Yuan family’s young men, so Liu Cheng sent them outside.
• Liu Cheng and Yuan Zhen discussed the Northern Expedition, military supplies, and opening the water route before parting without a public declaration.
• Liu Cheng explained to Xie Xuan that Huan Wen’s power and the Chen Commandery Xie Clan prevented him and Yuan Zhen from fighting for supremacy.
• Xie Xuan revealed that his uncle had warned against keeping Liu Cheng near Huan Wen, and Liu Cheng dismissed the warning as unsurprising.
• Zhu Chuo offered to shoot a wild duck as the group rode on toward Chao Lake.

Liu Cheng postponed several Willow-Shooting Gathering events, reassured Fan Ning about unfinished preparations, and declared a summer break. At Shimen Pool, he presented Fan Ning with a poem that later became associated with the growing lotuses there.

• Liu Cheng agreed with Yuan Hong that the summer heat made boat racing and archery the most suitable events, but told him to present the remaining contests as scheduled for after the autumn harvest.
• Liu Cheng dismissed Fan Ning's worries about delayed work and announced a summer holiday, with gifts for the workers and a feast at Shimen Pool.
• Fan Ning lay awake reflecting on his difficult work repairing Hanshan Road, his own pride, and the political obligations that could constrain Liu Cheng.
• Liu Cheng gathered his staff and Shouchun's generals at Shimen Pool, composed a poem about a budding lotus, and gave it to Fan Ning.
• The account recalled that the poem's lotus grew from a crack in the pool's rocky bed, and that lotuses later multiplied throughout the pool.

Liu Cheng prepared the Western Command for a Northern Expedition by securing the Ding Clan’s logistical support, rebuilding and rewarding his forces, and gathering about seven thousand men. After receiving Huan Wen’s order to assist the attack on Luoyang, Liu Cheng crossed the river and led his army up the Sha River toward Chen County.

• Liu Cheng told Fan Ning he had no certain solution to his problems and resolved to focus on the Northern Expedition and repay those who had helped him by rising in power.
• Liu Cheng persuaded Ding Xing, Ding Zhun, and Ding Kuang to support his campaign by maintaining transport along the Sha River, and Ding Kuang joined his staff.
• Liu Cheng repaired and replenished his units, recruited additional troops and laborers, and assembled cavalry to protect the army.
• Xie An ordered Wang Xia to send two banners as a central force, while A She arrived with five million newly minted coins that Liu Cheng used to reward the troops and staff.
• Huan Wen ordered Liu Cheng to send five thousand men as the right-wing subsidiary force in the attack on Luoyang, and Liu Cheng submitted a memorial requesting permission for the Northern Expedition.
• On the twenty-first day of the ninth month, Liu Cheng entrusted Fan Ning with Huainan’s seal, held the army’s oath-taking ceremony, and led about seven thousand men up the Sha River toward Chen County.

Liu Cheng led his detached army through Qiao Commandery and into troubled Chen Commandery, where he drilled the troops, secured their route, and suppressed two armed threats. As complaints grew over the slow march, poor spoils, and the burden of carrying grain, he ordered seven thousand white ramie backpacks to be made.

• Liu Cheng questioned Liu Huzi about the army’s readiness and urged him to consider marriage ties with prominent families.
• Liu Cheng inspected his troops regularly and used the march through Qiao Commandery to bring local fortified manors under control.
• After entering Chen Commandery, Liu Cheng’s force captured a fortified manor whose people had spied on the army, then stationed Zhu Xian’s troops nearby for flank security.
• Liu Cheng’s troops trapped and defeated four or five hundred mutinous soldiers and bandits at Ningping City, then handed the stronghold to Guo Man and Ding Zhun.
• Shen Jin and Gao Heng complained about the slow advance and lack of useful spoils, while Liu Huzi warned that the troops feared having to carry their own grain.
• Liu Cheng ordered Guannu to ask A She to have the Shao Lake women workers sew seven thousand white ramie backpacks.

After reaching Chen County, Liu Cheng sought Zhu Teng’s advice on the divided forces around Xingyang and whether to relieve Dai Shi, but Zhu Teng hesitated amid political concerns. Liu Cheng then explained the danger of letting court rivalries undermine a Northern Expedition, and Zhu Xian delivered Zhu Teng’s military assessment supporting an advance north; Liu Cheng began planning a route toward Xingyang and a possible opening to Luoyang.

• Liu Cheng learned from Zhu Teng that Zhou Cheng had joined Yao Xiang and that Dai Shi was holding a river crossing near Xingyang while surrounded by hostile forces.
• At a welcoming banquet, Liu Cheng asked whether to stay in Chen County, gather at Xuchang, or march north to relieve Dai Shi, and Zhu Teng gave no clear recommendation.
• Liu Cheng sent Zhu Chuo to assure Zhu Teng that he wanted honest military advice, then told his officers how political infighting had contributed to Zu Shizhi’s death and warned them that a Northern Expedition required navigating southern court politics.
• Liu Cheng invited his officers to assess the military risks openly, and most favored relieving Dai Shi if the danger was manageable.
• Zhu Xian reported that Zhou Cheng, the Later Zhao generals, and Murong Ping were too divided to unite against Liu Cheng’s army, and that Murong Ping’s river crossing could be monitored.
• Liu Cheng accepted Zhu Teng’s assessment and began discussing routes to Xingyang, ways to contain the enemy, and whether Zhou Cheng could be persuaded to open the road to Luoyang.

The Imperial Army advanced through Chenliu, where Liu Cheng's diplomatic strategy secured Xunyi and a secret agreement with Wang Hui. After the army turned toward Xingyang, Administrator Zhuge Heng arrived as Dai Shi's envoy and tearfully submitted to Liu Cheng, while Emperor Taizu's campaign continued toward Hexia.

• The army marched from Chen County to Xunyi, and Wang Hui withdrew his troops under Fang Chen's negotiated terms.
• Fang Chen persuaded Wang Hui to sign a secret agreement promising cooperation and mutual intelligence, giving Wang Hui a potential path to the south if his position became untenable.
• Wang Hui reflected on the insecurity of his rule and wondered why Hebei scholars seemed able to survive amid the turmoil.
• Zhu Teng sent a thousand men to garrison Xunyi, and Liu Cheng led his force west along the Bian River into Xingyang.
• Zhuge Heng came from Yangwu as Dai Shi's envoy, fell at Liu Cheng's feet in tears, and received Liu Cheng's public praise for his loyalty.

Liu Cheng organized his forces around Yangwu and demanded that Zhou Cheng either surrender Sishui Pass or lay down his arms, while preparing to attack. After Ju Zhong defected north, Liu Cheng joined Dai Shi at Huting, where he raised morale beside the Yellow River by roaring toward Hebei with his young companions.

• Liu Cheng learned Yangwu’s situation from Zhuge You and Zhuge Heng, then divided his forces to secure the approaches to Xingyang and Juan County.
• Liu Cheng reached Yangwu and found that Dai Shi had already crossed the Lesser Ji River to occupy Juan County; he took control of Yangwu’s stores and defenses.
• Jiang Gan delivered Zhou Cheng’s proposal for a truce, but Liu Cheng rejected it and offered Zhou the choice of helping capture Sishui Pass or surrendering.
• Liu Kui reported that Ju Zhong had crossed north to join his uncle Ju Yin, and Liu Cheng sent him back to Puyang to watch for enemy movements.
• Liu Cheng traveled to Huting to meet Dai Shi and brought Xie Xuan, Wang Xianzhi, Huan Yi, and others to the Yellow River, where they roared toward Hebei.

Liu Cheng’s army seized several towns around Xingyang and reached the formidable Dasuo City, where a direct assault seemed impossible. After inspecting the mountain behind the city, Liu Cheng agreed that setting it on fire might offer a way forward.

• Dai Shi explained Xingyang’s surrounding strongholds and the dangers posed by Yao Xiang, and Liu Cheng’s council settled on a cautious plan to capture nearby towns while watching the rivers and pursuing diplomacy.
• Liu Cheng ordered the army south across the Bian River, and Dai Shi’s troops captured Li City before Gao Heng was assigned to hold it.
• Liu Cheng’s forces surrounded Long City, while Guanzi City’s commander surrendered after encountering the central army; an attempt to infiltrate Dasuo City using captured soldiers failed.
• After Long City fell and Shen Jin’s forces arrived, Liu Cheng crossed the Zhanran River and inspected Dasuo City’s defenses from Southern Mountain.
• Huan Yi suggested setting fire to the mountain and its timber palisades, and Liu Cheng agreed that they could try it.

Liu Cheng’s attempt to burn Dasuo City failed when the city’s packed-earth firebreaks stopped the flames, but he used the apparent destruction to plan a deception that could bring Jiang Gan and Zhou Cheng’s forces over without a costly siege. Dai Shi and Liu Yi returned to Xingyang with Liu Cheng’s proposal, and Jiang Gan ordered Staff Officer Quan sent to meet his Di son-in-law.

• Huan Yi urged Liu Cheng to evacuate across the Zhanran River as the mountain fire raged, and Liu Cheng let several hundred Dasuo City soldiers escape rather than intercepting them.
• The fire burned through an outer palisade but stopped before consuming Dasuo City, so Liu Cheng sent crack troops to test the city and dispatched Huan Yi to Long City with instructions for Dai Henan.
• Dai Shi met Jiang Gan and Zhou Cheng in Xingyang, where Jiang Gan demanded a hostage and proof that Attendant-in-Chief Miao was alive before his men would consider surrendering.
• Dai Shi captured Liu Yi on the way south and brought him to Liu Cheng, who proposed using the false belief that Dasuo City had fallen to persuade Xingyang’s forces to lure Yao Xiang’s troops into a trap.
• Dai Shi and Liu Yi returned to Xingyang as hostages and presented Liu Cheng’s terms; Jiang Gan accepted the plan in principle and ordered Staff Officer Quan seized and sent over.

Liu Cheng secured Quan Yi’s cooperation after capturing him and laid out careful steps to consolidate his gains around Xingyang. As the army prepared for a possible attack by Yao Xiang during the garrison change, Liu Cheng called for wood ash to help plan their defenses.

• Liu Cheng refused to release Quan Yi and urged him to stay, warning that Yao Xiang’s position in Luoyang was likely doomed.
• Quan Yi agreed to remain and asked Liu Cheng to include his advice in a letter to Yao Jingguo.
• Liu Cheng’s forces secured Dasuo, returned prisoners and supplies, and arranged for Zhou Cheng’s troops to move away from Xingyang as negotiations continued.
• Huan Yi and Xie Xuan examined Liu Cheng’s fire-resistant palisades, and Quan Yi discussed the strategic weaknesses of the Three Terraces and Guanggu.
• Liu Cheng asked Quan Yi how to respond if Yao Xiang attacked during the Xingyang garrison change, then ordered someone to bring wood ash from the hillside.