Chapter Summaries

After helping secure Xuchang, Liu Cheng arranged the battle report and divided the credit fairly, then married Ashe, Yao Xiang’s widowed former daughter-in-law. Before leaving, he bluffed Yuan Hong into handing over a small box containing the Imperial Seal, which he intended to deliver to Huan Wen.

• Liu Cheng berated Yuan Hong for arriving late and occupying Xuchang, then made him summon Hu Bin to defend the city and prepare a report recognizing the battle’s contributors.
• Liu Cheng and Yuan Hong dispatched orders for Hu Bin to return to Xuchang, the fresh troops to march for Hulao Pass, and the other forces to regroup and secure the battlefield.
• Liu Cheng wrote Gao Rou a private account of the battle and arranged for Hu Bin, Wang Qia, Liu Jian, and Liu Shi to receive credit for their roles.
• Liu Cheng accepted Yao Xiang’s offer of a political marriage and married Ashe, who was escorted into Xuchang by Yao Xiang.
• Liu Cheng used Ashe’s dagger to frighten Yuan Hong into revealing the box he had brought from his lodgings, and found the Imperial Seal inside.

Liu Cheng reported his Central Plains campaign to Huan Wen and presented him with the jade seal seized from Yuan Hong, turning a contested relic into a powerful symbol of Huan Wen’s legitimacy. Huan Wen promised Liu Cheng a county marquisate and a future military command, and they agreed to advance into Guanzhong together.

• Liu Cheng entrusted A She to Liu Huzi and rode west, joining Huan Qian before they continued to Xiangyang to meet Huan Wen.
• Liu Cheng recounted his dealings with Xie Shang, Yao Xiang, and Yuan Hong, described the campaign that recovered Xuchang, and presented his records on the Qiang and Di.
• Huan Wen praised Liu Cheng’s abilities and promised him a county marquisate, but Liu Cheng revealed that he had also taken a concubine from the Lüeyang She clan.
• Liu Cheng unwrapped the jade seal he had seized from Yuan Hong, and Xi Zaochi and Sun Sheng explained why it could be recognized as the Imperial Seal despite its imperfect inscription.
• Huan Wen accepted the seal and pledged to defend Liu Cheng’s loyalty before the court, grant him a county marquisate, and help him obtain a northern command and General’s title.
• Liu Cheng said he wished to govern a northern commandery and fight the northern invaders, and Huan Wen invited him to join the advance into Guanzhong.

Liu Cheng watched Huan Wen’s Northern Expedition set out and worried that even a formidable army might fail to conquer Guanzhong. As the campaign advanced, a defender at Lantian Pass killed the Di commander and surrendered, shaking Guanzhong.

• Amid disputes over the Imperial Seal and staff appointments, Sun Sheng volunteered to escort the seal to Jiankang, and Xi Chao took over supervising the supply lines.
• Huan Wen departed Xiangyang on June twenty-second with an army proclaimed to number a hundred thousand, while Sun Sheng publicly received the Imperial Seal for its journey east.
• Liu Cheng praised Huan Wen’s ability to organize and supply a great army, then told Xi Chao he feared the expedition could still fail and wondered whether he could change history.
• Liu Cheng’s actions had already shifted events and brought the Northern Expedition forward by a year and a half compared with history.
• At Sanhu Pavilion, Huan Wen issued a proclamation calling on Guanzhong’s people to support the Imperial Army and urging the Di people to surrender; at Lantian Pass, a defender killed the Di commander and surrendered the pass.

Huan Wen’s army entered Guanzhong through Lantian Pass, but the Di forces rapidly gathered in strength and forced an imminent showdown near Lantian. Unsure whether the enemy had committed its full army, Huan Wen sent Liu Cheng and Deng Xia to investigate the city before battle.

• After Huan Wen entered Wuguan Road, Deng Xia’s troops and civilian laborers rushed to harvest wheat, prompting the Di people and the Wubao Lords to harvest theirs as well.
• Huan Wen reached Lantian Pass, examined the route to Chang’an, and ordered Xue Zhen to attack Qingni City while Deng Xia occupied Lantian’s county seat and the wings advanced along the Ba River.
• Deng Xia reported that Di cavalry had retaken Lantian’s county seat, and scouts later estimated that nearly thirty thousand Di troops, including close to ten thousand horsemen, had gathered there.
• At a military council, Huan Wen accepted Luo You’s argument that the opportunity for decisive battle had arrived and ordered the army to march on Lantian at dawn.
• Huan Wen sent Liu Cheng and Deng Xia to approach Lantian’s county seat as an envoy and escort, tasking them with confirming whether the Di had committed their entire army.

Liu Cheng rode as Huan Wen’s envoy to the Fu army, where he met Fu Sheng, Fu Chang, Fu Xiong, and other leaders before tomorrow’s battle. He returned with a white sheep and warned Huan Wen that the battle would be fierce but might not decide the war, then shared the meal with Luo You and discussed the Hu-Han divide.

• Deng Xia fought off Di cavalry attacks and escorted Liu Cheng toward Lantian County, where Fu Sheng met them under the banner of the King of Huainan.
• Liu Cheng entered the Fu leaders’ hall, explained the challenge ceremony, and revealed his connection by marriage to the Di and Qiang through Yao Xiang.
• Liu Cheng warned Fu Chang and Fu Xiong that ruling Han people with Hu elites would create a serious political crisis, and declined Fu Chang’s invitation to join the Fu court.
• Fu Xiong confirmed that the armies would fight the next day, and Fu Shuo gave Liu Cheng a small white sheep as a personal gift.
• Liu Cheng returned to Huan Wen and assessed the Fu leaders as formidable, predicting a fierce battle that might not be decisive because the Fu army could retreat using its cavalry.
• Liu Cheng cooked the sheep and shared it with Luo You, who praised his honesty and urged them to survive the coming battle.

Liu Cheng joined Huan Wen’s army as it marched out to face the Di forces in a decisive battle near Lantian County. The two armies advanced into combat, and Deng Xia’s vanguard became heavily engaged.

• Liu Cheng visited Gao Heng’s banner before sleeping, offering the soldiers casual conversation instead of promises or letters.
• At dawn, Huan Wen issued orders, divided the forces between those marching and those staying at camp, and prepared the Central Army for battle.
• Liu Cheng urged Huan Wen to lead the army forward, and Huan Wen marched out with the Central Army.
• Deng Xia reported that the Di army had formed up near Lantian County, and Huan Wen ordered him to wait for the other Jingzhou forces before advancing.
• Both vanguards moved forward and surged into battle, with Deng Xia’s banners and personal guards heavily engaged.

The Di cavalry attacked both wings, forcing Huan Wen to commit Huan Qian to the left and send Liu Cheng to supervise Ying Dan on the right. Fu Sheng then led the Di armored cavalry into Ying Dan’s formation and killed Liu Hong, leaving Liu Cheng to witness the force’s devastating charge.

• Liu Cheng warned Huan Wen that Fu Xiong’s infantry screened cavalry, and scouts soon reported Di cavalry advancing on both Jingzhou wings.
• Huan Wen sent Huan Qian to reinforce Huan Chong’s left wing and ordered Liu Cheng to supervise Ying Dan on the right.
• Fu Chang dispatched Fu Sheng and Fu Shuo with a thousand armored cavalry to support Lei Ruo’er and strike Ying Dan’s force.
• Liu Cheng joined Ying Dan’s advancing right wing and warned him not to underestimate the Di cavalry, but Ying Dan continued forward.
• Fu Sheng’s armored cavalry cut through the corner of Ying Dan’s formation, then killed Liu Hong when he rode to rescue the separated troops.

Liu Cheng and Ying Dan’s forces fought off Fu Sheng and Fu Shuo’s armored cavalry, but Fu Sheng eventually killed Ying Dan and seized his canopy. Liu Cheng raised Huan Wen’s Red Banner to rally the right wing, while Fu Sheng turned back into the encirclement; the chapter ended with Huan Wen ordering his carriage and command guard to advance eight hundred paces toward the Central Army.

• Fu Sheng and Fu Shuo regrouped their depleted cavalry and feigned a retreat, drawing Ying Dan into sending troops out to surround them.
• Fu Sheng led a renewed charge through the Jingzhou ranks, struck Ying Dan down, and dragged away his canopy.
• Liu Cheng raised Huan Wen’s Red Banner where Ying Dan’s canopy had stood and used command flags to keep the right wing from scattering.
• Fu Sheng turned back toward Liu Cheng’s banner, and Liu Cheng’s troops joined the encirclement as the armored cavalry collapsed; Fu Shuo fell, while Fu Sheng’s fate remained unclear in the account.
• Huan Wen received Wu Fusheng’s report of the right wing’s losses, and Luo You urged him to advance his carriage eight hundred paces to hasten victory in the Central Army.
• Huan Wen drew his saber and ordered the guards to protect Luo You and move his carriage and ceremonial guard forward.

After the Imperial Army's victory at Lantian, Liu Cheng struggled with the battle's casualties but helped Huan Wen assign military merit and accepted appointment as a Protector-General. The army prepared to advance toward Bashang, where a new report revealed that the Di had gathered thirty thousand troops behind Ba River fortifications and repelled Huan Chong's crossing attempt.

• Liu Cheng spent a sleepless night reliving the battle and its losses, then listened as Huan Wen's staff reported the casualty figures and discussed military merit.
• Huan Wen credited the Right Wing with the greatest merit for defeating the Di armored cavalry, and Liu Cheng insisted that the fallen Ying Dan deserved the foremost credit.
• Huan Wen appointed Liu Cheng and Deng Xia as Protector-Generals, and Liu Cheng took responsibility for clearing the battlefield and gathering the dead.
• Liu Cheng recommended Gao Heng, Huang Wu, and Tian Shouzhi for advancement and asked Meng Jia to write a sacrificial address for Ying Longxiang and the fallen soldiers.
• After Huan Chong won another battle near Bashang, Huan Wen ordered the army to march there, but a new report said the Di had assembled thirty thousand troops across the Ba River and beaten back Huan Chong's crossing attempt.

Liu Cheng and Xi Chao assessed the army’s heavy losses and debated whether Huan Wen should press on toward Chang’an despite the risks posed by the New Di forces and uncertain local allies. Liu Cheng joined Huan Wen’s Central Army at Bashang to oversee military law as the campaign’s next move remained unsettled.

• Liu Cheng settled disputes over military merit, buried the dead, and sent Huan Wen his assessment of the thirty thousand Di troops across the Ba River.
• Xi Chao arrived at Lantian, and he and Liu Cheng discussed their troop shortages, the divided Di factions, and whether Huan Wen should continue advancing toward Chang’an.
• Fu Hong reported that villagers had taken weapons and armor from the battlefield, then chose to return to the Central Army rather than work among the wounded.
• A raiding force led by someone calling himself Fu Huangmei attacked Lantian County and fled, prompting Huan Wen to move Huan Chong’s troops back and strengthen patrols.
• Liu Cheng reached Bashang and urged Huan Wen to attack Chang’an rather than rely on local heroes; Huan Wen revealed that Sima Xun was expected to advance from Hanzhong, then assigned Liu Cheng to oversee military law.

As Huan Wen’s campaign gained momentum, Liu Cheng and Luo You received Wang Meng, who had come to offer his talents, and reenacted a famous encounter through their contrasting displays of eating noodle soup and picking lice. The chapter left Wang Meng and Huan Wen measuring one another while Liu Cheng quietly established his place in the scene.

• Sima Xun led ten thousand troops into Guanzhong, prompting local magnates to send envoys to Huan Wen and offer support in exchange for appointments.
• Zhang Yu secretly sent word that he would act as an insider and help Huan Wen defeat the thirty thousand Di reinforcements.
• Liu Cheng organized military-law registrars and inspection courts, then joined Luo You in receiving Huan Chong and several Guanzhong notables.
• Huan Chong introduced Wang Meng, who had come to seek an audience with Huan Wen, and the party entered the reception hall after surrendering their weapons.
• Wang Meng picked lice in public while Liu Cheng ate a fresh bowl of noodle soup, unsettling the gathering and allowing Huan Wen to continue his conversation calmly.

Liu Cheng helped Wang Meng persuade Huan Wen to abandon his plan to wait for Guanzhong’s local forces and advance toward Chang'an, then secured Wang Meng’s appointment as Protector of Weibei. Huan Wen ordered Liu Cheng and his troops to support Wang Meng across the Ba River as the campaign began.

• Liu Cheng drew Wang Meng into conversation and presented their shared poverty and ambitions to Huan Wen.
• Wang Meng urged Huan Wen to cross the Ba River and take Chang'an, warning that Guanzhong’s local clans would not act reliably while Huan Wen stayed at Bashang.
• Huan Wen revealed that Wang Zhuo had attacked Sima Xun, leaving Sima Xun’s forces’ whereabouts and condition unclear.
• Liu Cheng endorsed Wang Meng as the key to resolving the Guanzhong situation, and Wang Meng again advised Huan Wen to advance on Chang'an.
• Huan Wen committed to crossing the Ba River, appointed Wang Meng Protector of Weibei, and ordered Liu Cheng to support him with troops.

Liu Cheng and Wang Meng persuaded Xue Qiang to mobilize the Hedong Xue Clan, drawing Huyan Du and other Guanzhong magnates into Huan Wen’s campaign. Liu Cheng argued that Huan Wen’s greatest obstacle to unifying the realm might be his failure to integrate regions such as Shu and Guanzhong, while Wang Meng urged Xue Qiang to secure his family’s position by serving early.

• Liu Cheng crossed the Ba River with Xue Zhen and Wang Meng, enforced military discipline, and demanded troops and laborers from Huyan Du, who stalled for several days.
• Wang Meng visited Liu Cheng, and they discussed Huan Wen’s prospects and the political divisions that could obstruct the unification of the realm.
• Xi Chao and Xue Qiang arrived, and Wang Meng proposed that Xue Qiang return to Hedong to mobilize the Hedong Xue Clan and help spark an uprising across Weibei.
• Liu Cheng explained that Huan Wen’s treatment of Shu as a resource rather than a foundation could prevent him from holding Guanzhong, and Wang Meng argued that Xue Qiang should serve Huan Wen early to strengthen his family’s position.
• Huyan Xiang left to persuade his father to send troops, and Xue Qiang agreed to return to Hedong with Wang Meng.
• After Wang Meng and Xue Qiang departed, Liu Cheng told Xi Chao that Wang Meng had deliberately cultivated Xue Qiang’s support to build his own career.

Huan Wen’s forces drew Guanzhong’s local leaders into a coordinated advance toward Chang’an, while Fu Jian and Fu Xiong prepared for a battle that might force the Di to flee west. The chapter ended with Fu Jian urging his family to stay united if he died and Fu Xiong instructing his son Jiantou to win the Di clansmen’s allegiance.

• Huyan Du joined Liu Cheng’s forces, captured Gaolu, and then helped the Hedong army take Linjin and secure surrounding counties.
• Kong Te realized his position at Chiyang had been used to prevent the Di from reinforcing Weibei, then joined the growing allied army as it crossed the Jing River.
• Liu Cheng ordered the Weibei leaders to cross the Wei River on August 29 and join Huan Wen’s advance toward Chang’an.
• The Weibei army camped between the Jing and Wei Rivers to wait until it saw the Imperial Army crossing, while the Di prepared to fight or retreat west with their families.
• Fu Jian recalled his hopes for settling in Chang’an and told Fu Xiong to keep their family united if he died.
• Fu Xiong urged Jiantou to accommodate and win over their Di clansmen, and Jiantou kowtowed to Fu Xiong and Fu Chang.

As Huan Wen’s army prepared to cross the Ba River and attack Chang’an, the Fu clan sent its families toward the Jing River headwaters and debated Fu Jian’s state of mind. Huan Wen executed Zhang Yu and committed to his original battle plan, leaving the armies poised for battle.

• Fu Jian escorted Lady Gou and A Goumei with Lü Polou’s fugitives toward the headwaters of the Jing River.
• Fu Xiong, Fu Chang, and Fu Jing worried that the emperor’s title had clouded Fu Jian’s judgment, but Fu Chang decided against sending cavalry to intervene.
• Lei Ruo'er reported that Zhang Yu had fled, while Liu Cheng persuaded Xi Chao to accompany him to the battle line.
• Huan Wen ordered Zhang Yu killed as a sacrifice to the banners, and Deng Xia struck him before soldiers dragged him away.
• Huan Wen kept his original plan, ordering Deng Xia to cross the pontoon bridge and attack Fu Jian’s position while the main army followed.

Fu Xiong chose to attack Deng Xia rather than Huan Wen, hoping to prevent the Jin forces from joining up while keeping a chance to rescue his elder brother. As the Di army moved to intercept Deng Xia, Xue Zhen led most of Liu Cheng’s troops south to reinforce him, while Liu Cheng and Wang Meng redirected the allied army toward the battle.

• Fu Xiong assessed the risks of both strategies and ordered the Di army to intercept Deng Xia before he reached Chang'an.
• Huan Chong and Huan Wen recognized the Di army’s westward turn but continued their planned crossing and advance.
• Deng Xia’s vanguard encountered Di cavalry harassing its rear, while Huan Wen sent his assessment of the situation to the other commanders.
• After receiving Huan Wen’s assessment, Xue Zhen took six thousand of Liu Cheng’s troops south to reinforce Deng Xia.
• Liu Cheng asked Wang Meng to bring the Weibei Allied Army across the Wei River, and they agreed to abandon the planned attack on Weicheng and head south.

Liu Cheng used the disorderly Weibei Allied Army to occupy Chang'an and give Huan Wen’s forces a secure position, while arranging for the main battle to be fought south of the city. Fu Xiong recognized the danger and ordered a retreat before Huan Wen arrived, and a later historical account credited Liu Cheng with recovering Chang'an.

• Wang Meng and Xi Chao worried that the Weibei Allied Army could not fight effectively, but Liu Cheng said he had a plan and sent them to organize the troops.
• Liu Cheng sent Xue Qiang and Huyan Du’s contingents toward Chang'an’s southern approaches to receive Xue Zhen and Deng Xia, then ordered the remaining allies to march on the city.
• Scouts reported that Fu Xiong’s forces had surrounded Deng Xia, while Xue Zhen’s troops had arrived to relieve the pressure; Fu Xiong planned to draw the Weibei troops into battle and rout them with cavalry.
• Liu Cheng ordered the allied army to enter dilapidated Chang'an, form ranks along its southern wall, and raise every contingent’s banners, while messengers carried orders for Huan Wen’s forces to join the troops south of the city.
• Xi Chao and Wang Meng recognized that Chang'an could serve as a camp like Luoyang had in Shi Le’s battle against Liu Yao, and Liu Cheng confirmed the plan and ordered the army to deploy inside the city.
• Seeing the banners on Chang'an’s southern wall and learning Huan Wen was approaching, Fu Xiong ordered his forces to withdraw west before the armies could unite.

After Chang'an fell, Liu Cheng visited Xi Chao and asked him to help remonstrate with Huan Wen. On the city wall, Liu Cheng warned Huan Wen that appointing Huan Chong to govern Guanzhong would cause the region to be lost.

• Huan Wen celebrated recovering Chang'an while rumors spread about Xi Chao's low spirits and his relationship with Liu Cheng.
• Liu Cheng brought Xi Chao fruit and asked him to help save his life by accompanying him to remonstrate with Huan Wen.
• Xi Chao agreed to go with Liu Cheng, and Wang Meng joined them as they sought Huan Wen around Chang'an.
• Liu Cheng recited the final lines of his poem for Huan Wen on the city wall, then asked him to dismiss the others so he could speak privately.
• Huan Wen said Huan Chong would oversee Guanzhong, and Liu Cheng warned that this appointment would certainly cost them the region.

Liu Cheng urged Huan Wen to remain in Guanzhong and build a northern foundation, but Huan Wen rejected the plan in favor of relying on Jing and Yang. Liu Cheng’s final comparison of Huan Wen to Xiang Yu enraged him, and Huan Chong, Meng Jia, Xi Chao, and Wang Meng intervened to prevent him from killing Liu Cheng.

• Wang Meng and Huan Chong warned Huan Wen that Guanzhong could not be pacified with only twenty thousand troops, while Huan Wen argued that he could pursue the Northern Expedition from Jing and Yang instead.
• Liu Cheng urged Huan Wen to remain in Guanzhong, build a northern army, and use the opportunity to reunify the realm before the Murong Xianbei weakened.
• Huan Wen rejected Liu Cheng’s prediction that the North and South might remain divided for a hundred years, insisting that his existing six-province foundation and other routes to victory made Guanzhong unnecessary.
• Liu Cheng reflected that his appeal was a sincere effort to prevent generations of further warfare, then compared Huan Wen unfavorably with Emperor Gaozu of Han for failing to endure the difficulties of ruling from Guanzhong.
• Huan Wen drew his sword in fury, but Huan Chong, Meng Jia, Xi Chao, and Wang Meng pleaded for Liu Cheng’s life and escorted him away.
• Huan Wen lowered his sword without saying the words Liu Cheng had provoked, while the appended historical accounts disputed the motives and wisdom of the men’s decisions.

After the breach between Liu Cheng and Huan Wen, envoys from Jiankang arrived with news of the court’s rewards and appointments. Huan Wen decided to send Liu Yulong north to Yecheng as an imperial envoy, leaving their damaged relationship unresolved.

• Liu Cheng resumed his carefree routine in Chang'an, while Huan Wen stayed in bed and Huan Chong and Xi Chao concealed the dispute between them.
• Huan Chong and Xi Chao held back Liu Cheng’s new Popular Historical Romance of the Three Kingdoms installments because they feared others might read political insinuations into them.
• Sun Sheng reported the court’s treatment of the imperial seal and its rewards for the Western Command, prompting Huan Wen to denounce Xie Shang and order Sun Sheng to write impeachments against Xie Shang and Yin Hao.
• Sun Sheng told Huan Wen that the court had granted Liu Yulong the title of Marquis of Zan and explained why it had limited Xie Shang’s punishment.
• Huan Wen rejected sending Liu Yulong to Jiankang and instead appointed him the court’s envoy to Yecheng, giving him the Staff of Authority and ordering him to ask Murong Jun when he would return Hebei’s commanderies.