Recaps

Zhang Xing executed Duke Gao and Chancellor Zhang, then negotiated with Liang Commandery’s officials for supplies and the release of the hostages. Before leaving with the Empress and Prefect Cao, he reunited with Qin Bao and made an agreement with him about sparing each other in future battles.

• Heavenly King Xiong proclaimed Duke Gao’s crimes, and an Exorcising the Dragon Gang rider beheaded him and cast his body into the Huan River.
• The gang executed Chancellor Zhang as well, released several captives, and kept the Empress, a princess, and Prefect Cao as hostages.
• Liang Commandery’s officials offered supplies and agreed to withdraw their garrison troops in exchange for the hostages and the gang’s departure.
• Zhang Xing met Qin Bao on the ice, accepted his bow, and agreed that whichever of them spared the other three times first would join him.
• Zhang Xing returned to Gushu and accepted the officials’ terms, then advised Prefect Cao to go back and serve the people.

Zhang Xing organized the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s next steps after abducting the empress, including negotiations, security, and preparations for spring plowing. As the gang considered the Meng Clan Brothers and the imperial party’s fate, Eunuch Wang offered to serve the gang in exchange for weapons, grain, and Xiayi, and Zhang Xing agreed to his proposal.

• Zhang Xing assigned Niu Da and Zhou Xingfan to negotiate grain, money, and weapons from Liang Commandery, ordered Xiong Bonan to watch Luo Fang’s group, and tasked Xu Shiying with overseeing the imperial party at Rabbit Garden.
• Zhang Xing’s advisers debated whether to expand into Liang Commandery and admit the Meng Clan Brothers; Zhang Xing chose to leave them Yucheng as a buffer and prioritized consolidating the gang and preparing for spring plowing.
• Zhang Xing appointed Yan Qing to seek virtuous local protectors and planned to assess subordinate officials and officers, while Zhang Shizhao adopted the alias Zhang Daxuan and advised Zhang Xing on organizing his advisers and leaders.
• Zhang Xing decided that the princess and consort should be sent to Governor Wang of Ji Commandery for temporary protection before being returned to the Eastern Capital.
• Eunuch Wang asked Zhang Xing for weapons, armor, grain, and Xiayi, offering palace valuables and the eunuchs’ service as repayment; Zhang Xing accepted his pledge.

Dan Tonghai and Cheng Dalang planned a surprise attack on Zhang Xuguo’s army across the Wen River, but learned the government forces might be preparing a similar night march. Both commanders pressed ahead, and Zhang Xuguo ordered his generals and himself to lead successive spearheads into the coming clash.

• Dan Tonghai proposed that Cheng Dalang draw Fan Hu’s attention while Dan led twenty thousand troops across the Wen River to attack Bocheng.
• Cheng Dalang advanced toward Liangfu with five hundred cavalry, clearing enemy outposts as Dan Tonghai moved his main force by night toward the crossing.
• During a day-long series of mounted duels against Fan Hu’s men, Jia Runshi prepared to fight, but the enemy postponed the bout until the next day.
• Cheng Dalang sent Jia Runshi to warn Dan Tonghai that Zhang Xuguo might be planning the same attack, but Dan continued the crossing and chose to meet the enemy head-on.
• Zhang Xuguo concluded that Dan Tonghai was using the same strategy and ordered Zhang Vermilion Sash, Yu Baimei, Fan Bao, Jia Wugen, and himself to lead successive spearheads.

Zhang Xing led the Exorcising the Dragon Gang back from Liang Commandery with the Empress, palace attendants, and captured valuables, distributing spoils upon reaching Jiyin. As he settled the expedition’s aftermath, Zhang Xuguo prepared a surprise attack against Dan Tonghai on the eastern front, where large-scale fighting had already begun.

• Zhang Xing arranged grain and supplies for the Rabbit Garden eunuchs, while the Exorcising the Dragon Gang and Liang Commandery officials jointly emptied Songcheng’s public storehouses.
• Xiong Bonan led the gang’s riders in a clash at Zhecheng, driving the Jing'an Directorate remnants out of Liang Commandery.
• Zhang Xing led the convoy through Chuqiu, met Meng Shangong and Wei Xuanding, and later distributed a third of the expedition’s spoils at the Jiyin border.
• Little Zhou reported that Wang Zhen had handed Xiayi to Eunuch Wang’s armed eunuchs and that a clash with Mount Dang bandits had been settled; Zhang Xing also ordered a suspected defector questioned and a pursuing squad leader rewarded.
• Zhang Xing returned to Jiyin on the third day of the first lunar month, while Zhang Xuguo’s forces defeated the Know-the-World Army and drove Wang Hou toward Langya.
• Zhang Xuguo planned to lure Dan Tonghai’s forces toward Gongqiu, then cross the Wen River with his main force and attack them from the flank.

Li Shu held his forces inside the besieged city while rumors and spring-plowing pressures undermined Zhang Xuguo’s campaign, forcing him to retreat toward Qi Commandery. Meanwhile, Imperial Uncle Cao faced a farming boycott by Guanlong’s great clans and pressure to turn his forces against Zhang Xing.

• Dan Tonghai and Cheng Zhili discussed whether people, resources, or cultivation ultimately determined power, and Jia Runshi explained Li Shu’s plan to spread rumors about levies and corvée labor in Qi Commandery and Lu Commandery.
• Li Shu rejected calls to summon Fifth Wang Lang back for relief and instead ordered him to keep attacking eastward while Zhang Xuguo’s troops remained divided.
• As spring plowing began, Zhang Xuguo struggled to obtain grain transport and labor in Lu Commandery, then sent Fan Hu to conscript transporters and later dispatched Yu Baimei to sweep the countryside, but Li Shu did not take the bait.
• Unrest and robber attacks disrupted Zhang Xuguo’s supply lines, prompting him to withdraw; he learned that Cheng Zhili had returned to adjudicate farmers’ field-boundary disputes and arrange the redistribution of land.
• In Eastern Capital City, Imperial Uncle Cao angrily questioned whether the Exorcising the Dragon Gang or Guanlong was the greater threat as Guanlong’s great clans refused to farm and officials urged him to attack Zhang Xing.

Dan Tonghai and Cheng Dalang prepared a surprise attack across the Wen River, but learned that Zhang Xuguo was planning a similar night raid. Both armies continued toward a clash, and Zhang Xuguo ordered himself and his commanders to lead successive spearheads.

• Dan Tonghai proposed attacking Bocheng during the thaw, and Cheng Dalang agreed to screen the crossing by pressing Fan Hu at Liangfu.
• Cheng Dalang’s cavalry cleared enemy outposts while Dan Tonghai marched his army by night toward the Wen River crossing.
• Cheng Dalang’s men fought Fan Hu’s troops in a bloody series of mounted duels, and Jia Runshi rode out to challenge them before the contest was postponed.
• Jia Runshi warned Dan Tonghai that Zhang Xuguo might be planning a matching raid, but Dan Tonghai continued the crossing and Cheng Dalang joined him.
• Zhang Xuguo concluded that Dan Tonghai was using the same strategy and ordered his commanders to form spearheads, declaring that he would lead the army himself.

Cao Lin accepted the Jing'an Directorate youths’ proposal to compromise over spring plowing and send political rivals’ capable young relatives to local posts, then expanded local military and administrative authority and issued a wave of appointments. As officials and commanders traveled to their new posts, Bai Yousi entered Taiyuan City alone.

• Li Qingchen, Qin Bao, and Qian Tang urged Cao Lin to compromise over spring plowing and appoint capable young men from rival lineages to local offices and armies.
• Cao Lin reaffirmed the legality of the Previous Emperor’s special policies, ordered slave requisitions accelerated, and proposed sending Guanlong officials to Hebei and the Central Plains with expanded local authority.
• The court introduced wartime rules that increased commanders’ and local officials’ powers, expanded commandery forces, and improved communication between Jing'an Directorate outposts.
• Cao Lin appointed Li Ding governor of Wuan, Qian Tang vice governor of Pingyuan, Luo Fang governor of Fengyi, Xue Liang governor of Fufeng, Qin Bao commandant in Nanyang, Li Qingchen commandant of Huaiyang, and Lü Changheng commandant of Ji Commandery.
• Zhang Xuguo became campaign commander of the Eastern Territories, while Zhang Changgong became acting governor of Lu Commandery; negotiations over the Empress and Liang Commandery remained unresolved.
• Bai Yousi entered Taiyuan City alone on horseback with one sword.

Bai Yousi confronted her father, Bai Hengqiu, about his plans for rebellion and the kind of realm he would build, then challenged his refusal to aid starving people in Northern Jin. After witnessing refugees forced to rob travelers, she defied him and set out to distribute grain at Fenyang Palace.

• Bai Yousi told Bai Hengqiu and Zhang Shijing that the Exorcising the Dragon Gang was unlikely to prevail in the Eastern Territories and discussed Bai Hengqiu’s potential rebellion and plans for a new realm.
• Bai Yousi said she intended to travel widely before joining her father’s strategy, then left Taiyuan for the north to investigate Northern Jin after the siege of Yunnei.
• Near Loufan Pass, Bai Yousi found refugees robbing travelers and learned that authorities had sealed the roads and were withholding grain despite famine in Northern Jin.
• Bai Yousi returned to Bai Hengqiu and challenged him over whether Northern Jin’s common people counted as the foundation of the realm.
• Bai Yousi told Bai Hengqiu she would go to Fenyang Palace to distribute grain, rejected his warning that compassion would hinder her, and left despite his objections.

Bai Yousi seized half the grain and weapons at Fenyang Palace, then recruited Hong Changya to help remove Governor Wang Rengong and restore order in Mayi. After arranging a plan to petition Wang for relief, she sensed something unusual at Heavenly Lake and later met Yuchi Qilang, whose support could strengthen Hong’s effort.

• Bai Yousi took half of Fenyang Palace’s grain and arranged for Hong Changya to distribute it through West Pass.
• Hong Changya explained that Mayi’s governor, Wang Rengong, was withholding grain while preparing for possible conflict with Taiyuan.
• Bai Yousi appointed Hong Changya to take charge of local affairs and help pacify Northern Jin, and Hong pledged to serve her.
• Hong Changya proposed coordinating petitions for grain and tax relief in Yunnei City while blocking word from reaching Youzhou, and Bai Yousi agreed to join them there.
• Bai Yousi visited Heavenly Lake, sensed its extraordinary nature, and reflected on her ambitions and her feelings for Zhang Xing.
• Five days later, Bai Yousi met Yuchi Qilang, whose martial skill and cultivation made Hong Changya’s plans for Mayi more promising.

Bai Yousi took grain from Fenyang Palace and recruited Hong Changya to help relieve Mayi’s people and challenge Governor Wang Rengong. She then examined Heavenly Lake before joining Hong’s planned campaign, where she met Yuchi Qilang.

• Bai Yousi took half the grain at Fenyang Palace and asked Hong Changya to distribute it through West Pass and Yanmen.
• Hong Changya explained that Wang Rengong was withholding grain while guarding against Taiyuan and preparing for military action.
• Bai Yousi offered Hong Changya authority to take over Mayi’s affairs and bring peace to its people, and he pledged his support.
• Hong Changya proposed a plan to petition Wang Rengong for grain and tax relief while keeping his main force hidden, and Bai Yousi agreed to meet him in Yunnei City.
• Bai Yousi visited Heavenly Lake, sensed its unusual nature, and reflected on her duties and her feelings for Zhang Xing.
• Five days later, Bai Yousi met Yuchi Qilang, and he asked Hong Changya whether she was his backer.

Yuchi Rong and Bai Yousi drove the Youzhou army out of Yunnei City, securing the uprising’s victory, but the resulting chaos left Bai Yousi scrambling to restore order. Meanwhile, Zhang Xing met Sima Zheng by the Ji River and agreed to hand over the Empress after Sima Zheng promised not to attack the rebels.

• Yuchi Rong led the Yuchi clan’s surprise attack against the Youzhou troops and Wang Rengong’s personal soldiers in Yunnei City.
• Luo Xin challenged Yuchi Rong, but Bai Yousi intervened and overwhelmed both fighters before either could land a decisive blow.
• Bai Yousi told Luo Xin that Wang Rengong was dead and offered him a chance to withdraw; Luo Xin accepted, and the Youzhou army left Yunnei City.
• Bai Yousi saw looting, arson, and revenge killings spreading through the city, so she went to find Hong Changya and Yuchi Rong to organize a restoration of order.
• By the Ji River, Zhang Xing asked Sima Zheng whether the Sage had ordered him to kill the rebels; Sima Zheng promised not to act against them.
• Zhang Xing agreed to have the Empress brought to Sima Zheng, while Du Pozhen accepted responsibility for the transfer.

Zhang Xing completed the Empress’s handover to Sima Zheng, then confronted a female official for discarding the flour she had earned. After Du Pozhen fled north and returned to Jiyin, he reunited with Zhang Xing at Zhouqiao Great Market, where the leaders gathered for negotiations.

• Sima Zheng received the Empress and three female officials from Zhang Xing, who explained why the other trusted female officials had not returned.
• Zhang Xing stopped the carts to return a sack of flour to a female official, insisting that it was wages she had earned and belonged to her.
• The Empress’s party traveled safely through Liang Commandery to the Xuzhou Garrison, while Du Pozhen later fled north with the Ma Father and Daughter and trusted followers.
• Du Pozhen visited Xiayi but did not meet Eunuch Wang, then continued through the Meng Clan Brothers’ territory toward Jiyin.
• At Zhouqiao Great Market, Du Pozhen reunited with Zhang Xing and met Meng Shangong and Eunuch Wang for a gathering, where Zhang Xing called Du’s guardians his nephews.

After the defeat in Jibei, Zhang Xing prepared the Exorcising the Dragon Gang to weather the government’s advance while waiting to learn whether Xuzhou would change commanders. News from Yuncheng and Xuzhou eased some fears, but with armies mobilizing and defections spreading, the chapter ended with Xu Shiying choosing to entrust himself and his family to Zhang Xing rather than flee.

• After Wang Shuyong’s defeat, Li Shu silenced calls to retreat and withdrew the battered eastern army to fortify Yuncheng, where he forced Zhang Xuguo’s troops into a standoff.
• Zhang Xing told Du Caigan that he had arranged for Zhou Xingfan and Du to try to replace Sima Zheng as Xuzhou’s commander, and ordered preparations to defend Jiyin and retreat if necessary.
• As rumors spread and merchants, wealthy households, and soldiers began leaving, Zhang Xing strengthened patrols, ordered fugitives with military equipment arrested, and assigned Jia Yue to oversee Zhang Jinshu’s unit.
• Zhang Xuguo withdrew from Yuncheng after Cheng Zhili persuaded Sun Xuanzhi and Gao Shitong to divert troops into Qi Commandery, while Wei Xuanding warned Zhang Xing that Youzhou and Hejian were sweeping Hebei.
• Ma Ping'er and Wang Xiongdan reported that Han Yingong had marched from Xuzhou as deputy commander while Sima Zheng remained there, and that Zhou Xingfan had been placed under protective arrest.
• After Zhou Weishi was caught fleeing, Xu Shiying let him return to his duties and declared that he would go to Jiyin to entrust his life and family to Zhang Xing.

Zhang Xing negotiated with Du Pozhen and the other leaders over cooperation against the approaching Xuzhou Garrison, but Du refused to rebel unless the court attacked the Huaiyou Alliance. After reviewing the unreliable alliances and looming threats, Zhang Xing realized he had begun to consider staying with the Exorcising the Dragon Gang, despite his earlier plan to leave with Bai Yousi.

• Zhang Xing welcomed Du Pozhen and his foster sons, then heard from Zhang Jinshu and Du about the forces and political divisions across the Eastern Territories and Jianghuai.
• Du Pozhen reported that twenty or thirty thousand Xuzhou elite troops were likely heading west through Qiao and Liang commanderies toward Zhang Xing’s territory.
• Zhang Xing asked Du to rise in rebellion and disrupt Xuzhou’s supply lines if the Xuzhou Garrison and Zhang Xuguo attacked together, but Du said the Huaiyou Alliance would remain neutral unless the court moved against it.
• Zhang Xing and the other leaders agreed to coordinate intelligence and defense, while Meng Shangong left dissatisfied with the meeting’s outcome.
• Du Pozhen questioned his foster sons about Zhang Xing, and Kan Leng judged that Zhang’s mildness came from either hidden resolve or extraordinary restraint.
• Zhang Xing reviewed the dangers facing the alliance, then spoke with Sima Zheng and realized he had begun to consider staying to help the Exorcising the Dragon Gang through its crisis.

Zhang Xing and the Exorcising the Dragon Gang debated whether to attack Ma Hu, then marched south after Meng Shangong launched his own campaign against Dang County. When the Gang’s army encountered Meng Shangong’s routed troops at the Bian River, Zhang Xing organized a defense and rode forward in plain robes to rally them.

• Zhang Xing summoned Xu Shiying, Wei Xuanding, and Niu Da to discuss whether to attack Ma Hu, and chose to fight despite their concerns about casualties and Han Yingong’s response.
• After Ma Hu split his forces to besiege Xiayi, Meng Shangong marched twelve thousand men toward Dang County without coordinating with the Gang and captured the county after its defenders fled.
• Xu Shiying and Niu Da brought troops to Jiyin, and Zhang Xing ordered his assembled force to march south rather than withdraw or wait for Niu Da.
• Zhang Xing led the army through Chuqiu and onward into Yucheng, where they found Meng Shangong’s troops in full retreat as the Gang was still crossing the Bian River.
• Zhang Xing ordered Xu Shiying to organize the troops and Wei Xuanding to enforce discipline at the riverbank, then led the Gang’s core members forward beneath the Exorcising banner to rally the routed soldiers without putting on armor.

Zhang Xing rallied the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s vanguard, defeated pursuing government troops, and used a daring raid on their crossbowmen to buy time for Xu Shiying to bring up reinforcements. As Ma Hu’s force braced for the arriving infantry, Zhang Xing led his remaining riders in a charge toward Ma Hu’s banner.

• Zhang Xing gathered the disorganized white-clad vanguard beneath the Chu banner and learned from Meng Ghost-Eater that Ma Hu’s troops had retaken Dang County and Yucheng and pursued the Righteous Army south.
• Wang Xiongdan killed a government company commander, and Zhang Xing’s riders routed two small groups of exhausted armored soldiers.
• Zhang Xing sent Yan Qing to tell Xu Shiying to send troops forward in successive groups, while Jia Yue and Zhang Jinshu stayed behind to enforce discipline.
• Zhang Xing led the vanguard against the exposed crossbowmen, scattering them and distracting Ma Hu until Xu Shiying’s fully equipped infantry appeared from the north.
• Ma Hu ordered his troops to hold their position and wait for reinforcements, while Zhang Xing took the Dragon-Awakening Sword and led Ma Ping'er, Wang Xiongdan, and the remaining riders toward Ma Hu’s banner.

Zhang Xing and the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s leaders debated whether to attack Ma Hu, then rushed south after Meng Shangong marched on his own and captured Dang County. When the Exorcising the Dragon Army encountered Meng Shangong’s routed troops at the Bian River, Zhang Xing ordered his forces organized and rode forward in plain clothes to face the fleeing soldiers.

• Zhang Xing argued that the Exorcising the Dragon Gang should seize opportunities to fight, though Xu Shiying, Wei Xuanding, and Niu Da warned of the risks of attacking Ma Hu.
• After Ma Hu split his five thousand troops to besiege Xiayi, Meng Shangong marched alone with twelve thousand men toward Dang County.
• Meng Shangong captured Dang County, and Zhang Xing ordered his army to advance south without waiting for Niu Da’s troops.
• The Exorcising the Dragon Army crossed the Bian River and encountered Meng Shangong’s fleeing soldiers, triggering panic among its unprepared ranks.
• Zhang Xing ordered Xu Shiying to organize the army and Wei Xuanding to maintain discipline, then led the gang’s core members toward the routed troops without putting on armor.

Zhang Xing dealt with the aftermath of government troops’ atrocities in Yucheng and Dang County, then agreed to accept captured soldiers while deciding not to annex the Meng Clan’s territory. Exhausted by the violence and political disputes, he was reunited with Bai Yousi, who revealed that she had led Hong Changya in a rebellion in Mayi.

• Zhang Xing entered Yucheng, ordered the fires’ aftermath documented, and directed Wei Daoist and Guo Jingke to help survivors and bring prisoners forward for identification and execution.
• Zhang Xing oversaw executions in Yucheng, ordered Guo Jingke to investigate misconduct and use confiscated valuables to compensate victims, then hurried to Dang County after receiving Xu Shiying’s assurances.
• Xu Shiying urged Zhang Xing to accept the remaining captured government soldiers, and Zhang Xing agreed on the condition that the prisoners be dispersed among Xu’s forces.
• Zhang Xing decided not to absorb the Meng Clan and proposed offering Yucheng and Dang County to Xiayi and Mount Mangdang if they chose to take them over.
• Bai Yousi entered Zhang Xing’s room and told him that she had led Hong Changya in a rebellion in Mayi.

Bai Yousi helped Yuchi Rong drive Luo Xin and the Youzhou troops out of Yunnei City, securing the uprising’s victory, but the city descended into looting and bloodshed. Meanwhile, Zhang Xing met Sima Zheng beside the Ji River and agreed to hand over the Empress after Sima promised not to attack the rebels.

• Yuchi Rong led a fierce counterattack against Wang Rengong’s troops and the Youzhou garrison, forcing them from the western streets into the city’s main avenue.
• Luo Xin challenged Yuchi Rong, but Bai Yousi intervened with a powerful sword strike that defeated both generals and stopped their duel.
• Bai Yousi revealed that Wang Rengong was dead and offered Luo Xin a chance to withdraw; Luo Xin accepted, and the Youzhou forces hastily left Yunnei City.
• Bai Yousi discovered that looting, arson, and revenge killings had spread across Yunnei City, and she went to find Hong Changya and Yuchi Rong to restore order.
• Beside the Ji River, Zhang Xing asked Sima Zheng whether the Sage had ordered him to kill the rebels; Sima Zheng said he would not act while the Empress was in their hands.
• Zhang Xing agreed to hand the Empress over to Sima Zheng, who accepted responsibility for taking her back.

Zhang Xing arranged territorial handovers and prepared his army to withdraw as the threat of wider war grew. After Zuo Xiaoyou's rebellion devastated Qi Commandery, Zhang Xuguo ordered a return march but then raised the possibility of striking Yuncheng while its defenders expected him to leave.

• Zhang Xing offered Niu Da a share of the surrendered troops and ordered him to check military merits for killings of innocents and bury the collected heads.
• Zhang Xing agreed with Eunuch Wang to hand over Dang County and Xiayi, advance to Chuqiu, and arrange for government troops to recover Yucheng.
• Zhang Xing ordered Zhang Jinshu to contact Songcheng and prepare for withdrawal, then questioned Jia Yue about his loyalty and ambitions.
• Fan Hu reported that Zuo Xiaoyou had rebelled and captured Qi Commandery's seat, prompting Zhang Xuguo to conceal the news and order his army home.
• Zhang Xuguo received reports of widespread rebellion across Qi Commandery while his officers argued over rescuing their families and keeping the army together.
• Zhang Xuguo asked whether Yuncheng would let its guard down after learning of Qi Commandery's collapse.

Zhang Xuguo’s government army launched a surprise attack on Yuncheng, prompting Li Shu to abandon the city and retreat before he realized the attackers were not the feared Xuzhou troops. As government forces coordinated an encirclement and the eastern and western fronts faltered, Zhang Xing faced the possibility of retreat but chose to wait for Bai Yousi before deciding his course.

• Xiong Bonan reconnoitered the government army’s positions, while Zhang Xuguo’s commanders prepared a joint land-and-water attack on Yuncheng.
• When the Exorcising the Dragon Army advanced against nearby towns, Zhang Xuguo abandoned the planned date and ordered his forces to attack; Li Shu mistook the surprise assault across Juye Marsh for an invasion by Xuzhou troops and evacuated Yuncheng.
• Yu Baimei’s troops occupied Yuncheng, and Li Shu realized he had abandoned the city unnecessarily; after failed counterattacks, the Exorcising the Dragon Army withdrew to Fan County.
• Han Yingong advanced north as Zhang Xing learned that government forces were coordinating an encirclement; Zhang Shizhao urged him to unite the eastern and western fronts and watch for signs of cooperation between Han Yingong and Zhang Xuguo.
• After Li Shu warned Zhang Xing that the eastern army might withdraw, Niu Da reported that Qutu Da had brought ten thousand Eastern Capital troops to Luokou Granary; Zhang Xing took out his Compass but put it away, choosing to wait for Bai Yousi.

Zhang Xing redistributed surrendered troops, negotiated Dang and Xiayi’s return to Eunuch Wang, and ordered preparations to withdraw as he worried over the worsening political crisis. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuguo learned that Zuo Xiaoyou had seized Qi Commandery and faced a choice between rescuing his collapsing home territory and exploiting the enemy’s likely expectations.

• Zhang Xing offered Niu Da some of the surrendered soldiers for his command, and told him to inspect the severed heads for false claims of military merit.
• Zhang Xing toured Dang County, found a grain shop serving local people at famine prices, and then agreed to give Dang and Xiayi to Eunuch Wang while advancing the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s line to Chuqiu.
• Zhang Xing asked Jia Yue why he stayed with him, and Jia Yue said he believed Lord Black Emperor had sent him south and that following Zhang Xing was part of his destiny.
• Zhang Xing ordered Zhang Jinshu to contact Songcheng and prepare for withdrawal, while Yan Qing remained missing and other trusted allies were away.
• Fan Hu reported that Zuo Xiaoyou had rebelled and taken Qi Commandery, prompting Zhang Xuguo to conceal the news and order his army to prepare to return and suppress the rebellion.
• After scouts brought further reports of Qi Commandery’s collapse, Zhang Xuguo asked whether Yuncheng would lower its guard, leaving his officers silent in the rain.

Zhang Xing gathered the western forces at Lihu and tried to rally the disorganized eastern army into joining a decisive battle against Zhang Xuguo. After inspecting the dead and sick, he urged the soldiers to honor their fallen comrades and follow him south to Lihu, where he had prepared supplies.

• Wei Xuanding arranged civilian laborers, boats, and fair transport rates as Zhang Xing armored for the march; Zhang Xing ordered deserters in Chengshi punished with hard labor or public execution.
• Zhang Xing marched through the rain from Jiyin to Lihu, where Niu Da and Xu Shiying joined him, bringing the assembled western army to about twenty-one thousand troops.
• Xiong Bonan reported that the eastern army had lost control and was retreating chaotically, so Zhang Xing rode out with Bai Yousi and other leaders to find Li Shu and rally the troops.
• Zhang Xing persuaded Li Shu and the assembled leaders to gather their forces at Lihu and prepare to defeat Zhang Xuguo near Mount Li.
• At Huang Village, Zhang Xing ordered the sick cared for and the dead prepared for burial, then addressed the soldiers, honoring the fallen and urging the army to put on armor and follow him to Lihu.

At Lihu, Zhang Xing persuaded the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s leaders to fight Zhang Xuguo’s Qi-Lu Army while preparing for the possibility of Han Yingong’s intervention. Li Shu then warned that the imperial troops might stop pursuing and volunteered to return to Zhencheng as bait to draw them into an ambush.

• Zhang Xing presented the gang’s numerical, logistical, and local-terrain advantages and argued that it should fight the approaching Qi-Lu Army.
• Protector Shen Qing asked what would happen if Han Yingong reinforced Zhang Xuguo, and Zhang Xing explained when the gang would retreat, delay, or proceed with battle.
• Xu Shiying, Li Shu, and other leaders supported fighting before the imperial forces could respond, and Zhang Xing ordered Cheng Zhili to bring the Putai Army and demanded strict obedience to military discipline.
• Li Shu argued that Han Yingong was unlikely to commit his main force and warned that Zhang Xuguo’s pursuers might stop at Zhencheng instead of advancing to Lihu.
• Li Shu proposed using a genuine defeat as bait to lure the enemy onward and volunteered to return to Zhencheng, where the imperial troops hated him most.

At Lihu, Zhang Xing persuaded the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s leaders to unite for a decisive battle against Zhang Xuguo’s Qi-Lu Army, while planning for the possibility of Han Yingong’s intervention. Li Shu warned that the enemy might not pursue them and volunteered to return to Zhencheng as bait to draw them into battle.

• Zhang Xing outlined the gang’s numerical and local advantages and won support for fighting Zhang Xuguo’s forces, while Protector Shen Qing raised the risk of Han Yingong arriving with reinforcements.
• Zhang Xing explained that the gang would retreat if Han Yingong arrived with his full army before the battle, but could hold off a smaller or later force; he also ordered Cheng Zhili to go to Putai and bring over the Putai Army.
• Zhang Xing demanded that the gang’s members obey military orders, warning that the leaders would punish anyone whose disobedience caused a defeat.
• Li Shu cautioned that Zhang Xuguo’s forces might stop at Zhencheng instead of pursuing, and suggested using a genuine defeat as bait to lure them toward Lihu.
• Li Shu offered to return to Zhencheng himself, arguing that the Qi-Lu Army hated him and would be eager to pursue him.