Recaps

Cao Mao tightened his grip on Great Wei through harsh purges, public reforms, and new political alliances while Wu was torn apart by Sun 𬘭’s rise and Shu debated whether to keep fighting. The stretch ended with Cao Mao preparing to exploit divisions among his enemies and restore School Affairs for intelligence gathering.

• Cao Mao appointed He Zeng to lead the Censorate and entrusted him with crushing Tao Qiu Yi’s conspiracy, while warning Zhang Hua that He Zeng’s brutality would have limits.
• He Zeng arrested and killed Tao Qiu Yi and other ministers, and Guo Jian’s guards broke up protests over Wang Rong’s arrest, driving Sima Zhao away from confronting Cao Mao.
• Cao Mao’s reforms spread books and agricultural tools while officials faced punishment for corruption, and public opinion among common people improved even as the literati turned against him.
• Sun Jun died after placing Sun 𬘭 in charge, and Sun 𬘭 purged rivals including Teng Yin and Lü Ju, prompting Sun Yi to flee to Wei.
• Cao Mao and Guanqiu Jian discussed exploiting Wu’s internal conflict and preparing campaigns against Shu, while Cao Fang assured Guanqiu Jian that he had no desire to reclaim the throne.
• Cao Mao welcomed members of the Imperial Clan and assigned Cao Yan to serve as Minister of the Imperial Clan, while Shu’s court promoted Qiao Zhou after his essay opposed further warfare.
• Cao Mao appointed Sun Yi Inspector of Jiaozhou and directed Zhong Hui to contact Ding Feng, then decided to revive School Affairs to gather intelligence after learning Wu had refused Shu’s request for grain.

Cao Mao took advantage of Wu’s turmoil to seize Jiangling and Xiling while advancing reforms to examinations, agriculture, and court administration. The stretch ended with Cao Mao pressing the Imperial Academy to teach practical skills and preparing to address the Southern Xiongnu and regional threats.

• Ding Feng escaped Sun 𬘭’s purge, but Sun 𬘭 deposed Sun Liang and was later captured and killed in a palace plot led by Sun Xiu, Zhang Bu, and Wei Miao.
• Cao Mao sent Ma Long, Wen Yang, and Jiang Ban to support Wang Ji’s campaign, and Wei captured Jiangling and Xiling as Shi Ji and Ding Feng retreated.
• Shu sent Yan Yu toward Xiling, but Wang Ji’s forces drove him back to Yongan, while turmoil and a new military tax stirred rebellion in Shu’s south.
• Cao Mao launched the first County Examination, then advanced the farmland reform by leasing public fields to cultivators and placing Lu Zhi in charge of implementation.
• Cao Mao ordered Liu Lu to bring covert Affairs Officers under official cover, disband the mountain stronghold, and settle its people, then welcomed Guo Ze back and asked him to serve as a moral adviser.
• Cao Mao changed how the Imperial Secretariat issued decrees, while officials agreed to test the farmland policy and debate examinations, printing, and military agriculture.
• Cui Hong passed through the County Examination to face the more difficult Commandery Examination, where officials uncovered cheating and Cao Mao ordered a magistrate punished for neglecting searches.
• Liu Bao brought Liu Yuan to Luoyang and warned Cao Mao about Tuoba Liwei and Liu Meng, while Cao Mao assigned Pei Xiu to oversee the assimilation of Hu peoples and urged Zhong Yu to reform Imperial Academy teaching.

Cao Mao consolidated his authority, rehabilitated those condemned under Sima Shi, and backed Wang Su’s new political interpretation of the classics. As Wang Learning spread through Wei, Chen Zhi died and Huang Hao seized influence in Shu, leaving Cao Mao to turn his attention toward destroying Shu.

• Jiang Wei returned to Chengdu and urged a northern campaign, but Chen Zhi revealed Shu lacked the resources and instead arranged for Luo Xian to feign surrender and attempt to assassinate Cao Mao.
• Luo Xian reached Luoyang, was impressed by Wei’s prosperity and Cao Mao’s plans, and accepted a post in the Ministry of War while keeping his assassination mission in mind.
• Cao Mao tested Wang Su’s handling of court dissent, curbed the Sima family’s influence, and reopened the cases of Xiahou Xuan and others condemned under Sima Shi.
• Cao Mao ordered the Central Army to form Mountain and Navy Battalions after Ma Long warned him not to underestimate Shu’s mountain troops or Wu’s navy.
• Wang Su developed annotations linking the Supreme Mystery to Cao Mao’s practical policies, and Cao Mao and Pei Xiu arranged to spread the work through rumors and public praise.
• Shi Ji’s effort to secure an alliance between Wu and Shu failed after Chen Zhi died and Huang Hao sent the Wu envoys away.
• After Chen Zhi’s death, Liu Shan appointed Huang Hao to powerful posts, and Huang Hao began purging officials who opposed him while Jiang Wei refused to act against him.
• Cao Mao learned that Huang Hao’s influence was growing, reviewed practical proposals from the Palace Examination, restricted the circulation of Wang Su’s books among trusted ministers, and chose destroying Shu as his next goal.

Cao Mao strengthened Wei’s administration and preparations while Zhong Hui’s stratagems deepened Shu’s divisions. Shi Bao’s harsh campaign against the Qiang and Hu drew Jiang Wei north, as Wei and Wu forces threatened Shu from other directions and Deng Ai prepared to engage Jiang Wei.

• Cao Mao reshaped his court, promoted Zhong Hui, and sent him to prepare for the destruction of Shu while expanding Wei’s military and industrial readiness.
• Zhong Hui spread rumors that Zhuge Zhan should replace Jiang Wei, prompting Liu Shan to elevate Zhuge Zhan and intensifying discord among Shu’s leaders.
• Jiang Wei confronted Liu Shan over Huang Hao and later urged Zhuge Zhan not to take command, but Liu Shan continued to strengthen Zhuge Zhan’s position.
• Hu Zun rescued Cao Zhi from an assassination attempt, arrested Gongsha Hong and Liu Jie, and forced local great clans to return seized public fields.
• Cao Mao tasked Shi Bao with subduing the Qiang and Hu, and Shi Bao executed late-arriving tribal leaders before Wei troops crushed the resulting rebellion.
• Jiang Wei marched north to aid the tribes, while Wang Ji pressured Yongan and Wu’s court refused to send forces to help Shu.
• Lu Qin ordered Deng Ai to halt the suppression, treat surrendered tribes leniently, and yield pacification duties to Zhuge Xu, while Deng Ai secretly planned to lure Jiang Wei into battle.
• When scouts reported Jiang Wei marching toward Longxi and Jincheng, Deng Ai welcomed the chance to destroy his army.