Chapter Summaries

After the Exorcising the Dragon Army defeated Hejian’s western detachment, Zhang Xing marched east to join forces and then turned north to relieve Gao Shitong’s besieged army at Leling. As the rival forces prepared for a decisive clash, Dou Lide proposed a bold move to help the Hebei Righteous Army retain a voice in the coming struggle.

• Zhang Xing ordered the captured government troops to march north after selective executions, and Qian Tang opened Ande City’s gates to the fleeing survivors despite Feng Wuyi’s warning.
• Zhang Xing chose to advance east cautiously, joined Wei Xuanding and other allies, and led a force of more than thirty thousand toward Ban County after Hejian’s eastern detachment abandoned Pingchang.
• The Exorcising the Dragon Army occupied Ban County and Pingchang, then learned that Gao Shitong’s main force was trapped inside Leling by Hejian and Bohai troops.
• Zhang Xing called for reinforcements and marched north toward Leling on October twenty-fifth, prompting factions inside and outside the city to react to his advance.
• Dou Lide told Gao Shitong he intended to take several thousand men and feign surrender to Zhang Shiyu’s Bohai camp, then seize an opportunity to disrupt the siege; Gao praised him and promised to make him second-in-command if he returned.

Young Miss Dou left Gaoji Lake to seek supplies for the starving survivors and tried to rob a caravan, but Feng Wuyi gave her a mule cart. Government riders then gathered at the crossroads, where a man from Gaoji Lake recognized her and brought news that someone had sent gifts for her and others.

• The freezing survivors at Gaoji Lake struggled for food and water, and Madam Cao and Young Miss Dou agreed that the girl had to seek supplies.
• Young Miss Dou traveled to Zhangnan for salt and news of Dou Lide, then waited at a crossroads to rob a suitable caravan.
• Young Miss Dou stopped the Changle Feng Clan caravan and demanded a cart with provisions and winter clothes, but Feng Wuyi explained that they had none to spare.
• Feng Wuyi gave Young Miss Dou a mule cart loaded with fodder, and Su Jingfang arrived with Wuan Commandery riders and recognized Feng Wuyi.
• Lady Li and another group of riders arrived, and a man asked Young Miss Dou whether she knew Cao Xi, a girl surnamed Dou, and a young sister-in-law of the Gao family, saying he had brought red hair cord for them.

Feng Wuyi met Li Ding in Wuan Commandery and found that Li would remain loyal to Great Wei for now, though he expected the dynasty’s collapse to make neutrality impossible. Li arranged aid for Wang Xiongdan, Ma Ping'er, and Dou Xiaoniang, then criticized Zhang Xing’s restrained approach to executions; as snow began falling, Li recalled Zhang’s warning that the snow might prevent a worse drought and locust disaster.

• Feng Wuyi, Wang Xiongdan, Ma Ping'er, Dou Xiaoniang, and Su Jingfang met at Qiucheng Post Station, where Wang and Ma argued that Cao Che and Guanlong stood in the way of peace.
• Feng Wuyi met Li Ding at the Black Emperor Temple, and Li said he would not rebel while Great Wei remained standing but might have to act if the dynasty collapsed.
• Li Ding explained that Wuan Commandery depended on Taiyuan’s military system and support, rather than Zhang Xing’s movement in southeastern Hebei.
• Li Ding promised Wang Xiongdan, Ma Ping'er, and Dou Xiaoniang an official escort and a reply to Zhang Xing, while condemning Zhang’s selective executions as overly merciful for the times.
• Su Jingfang assembled the convoy, and the group left Wuan Commandery as heavy snow began to fall.
• Li Ding told Zhang Shiniang that Zhang Xing had warned him the snow might save Hebei from next year’s drought and locusts, despite the immediate hardship it would bring.

Zhang Xing’s army attacked the Hejian camp and, after a stubborn defense, broke through with a True Qi military array. As the Hejian forces collapsed, Zhuge Yang and Wang Qi tried to escape, while Zhang Xing’s troops closed in on the remaining commanders.

• Zhang Xing ordered his forces to encircle and annihilate the Hejian army, then explained to Xu Shiren why defeating the Hejian Grand Camp was essential to securing Hebei.
• When Fan Dachang’s force turned toward undefended Ande City to loot it, Zhang Xing ordered it to return and help destroy the Hejian army.
• The Hejian troops resisted the assault, but at noon Zhang Xing formed a True Qi array and led it against the camp.
• Zhuge Yang and Wang Qi urged Xue Wanliang to flee, but Xue Wanliang ordered them to reinforce the defenses; the two instead freed the abducted civilians and tried to escape in disguise.
• Zhang Xing’s array smashed through the camp’s defenses, and the Exorcising the Dragon Army swept through as the Hejian troops fled east.
• Zhuge Yang took to the air and fled as Wu Jingfeng pursued him, while other cultivators converged on the great Xue banner and Wang Qi remained trapped among the fleeing soldiers.

Zhang Xing investigated a makeshift civilian market beside the Hebei camp and ordered measures to protect its impoverished residents while deciding how the Exorcising the Dragon Gang should respond. He then asked Dou Lide to help bring his people’s families from Gaoji Lake to safety.

• During the military sports gathering, Zhang Xing noticed civilians gathering in crude huts beside the camp and sent Jia Runshi and Wang Xiongdan to investigate their services, prices, and circumstances.
• After hearing that the women charged as little as half a sheng of old millet, Zhang Xing told Zhou Xingfan to organize the market, protect the residents, and provide work and support if their poverty demanded it.
• Dou Lide admitted to Cao Chen that Zhang Xing’s benevolence and ability had unsettled him, abandoning his hope of gaining greater influence in Hebei if Zhang Xing failed there.
• Zhang Xing summoned Dou Lide and introduced Lady Li, then arranged for her, Ma Ping'er, and Wang Xiongdan to travel to Gaoji Lake with documents and bring Dou Lide’s family and people to the camp.

Su Jingfang watched the Exorcising the Dragon Gang capture and redistribute the Huang Lineage estate, then followed Zhang Xing’s forces through a vast winter mobilization to the Ban County Grand Camp. There, Zhang Xing questioned him about Li Ding’s refusal to join forces and urged him to remain with the Righteous Army.

• The Exorcising the Dragon Gang captured the Huang Lineage’s fortified estate and executed seven or eight leaders after a makeshift trial.
• Dan Tonghai’s troops distributed the estate’s spoils under military discipline, impressing Su Jingfang and the local residents.
• Su Jingfang accompanied Dou Lide’s force toward Ban County and encountered Zhang Xing directing a massive firewood-hauling operation.
• Zhang Xing made Su Jingfang and his Wuan soldiers haul firewood as the army dismantled more fortified estates and gathered supplies.
• At the Ban County Grand Camp, Zhang Xing explained possible reasons Li Ding would not join him and invited Su Jingfang to stay with the Righteous Army.

Wang Xiongdan, Ma Ping'er, and Dou Xiaoniang met Feng Wuyi and Su Jingfang on their way to Wuan Commandery, where Li Ding agreed to help transport the Righteous Army families and criticized Zhang Xing's selective executions. Li Ding warned that any rebellion in Wuan would likely begin with Taiyuan, while a new snowfall threatened the vulnerable people of Hebei; he took comfort in Zhang Xing's letter that snow could prevent an even worse drought and locust disaster.

• Wang Xiongdan, Ma Ping'er, and Dou Xiaoniang joined Feng Wuyi and Su Jingfang at Qiucheng Post Station, where Wang recounted Zhang Xing's praise of Li Ding and argued that the people of the realm opposed Cao Che and Tyrannical Wei.
• Feng Wuyi met Li Ding at the Black Emperor Temple, and Li explained that he did not plan to rebel but that Wuan's fate depended on Taiyuan and Bai Hengqiu rather than Zhang Xing.
• Li Ding arranged for Su Jingfang to escort Wang Xiongdan, Ma Ping'er, and Dou Xiaoniang and the Righteous Army families, and sent Zhang Xing a sharp criticism of his policy of selective executions.
• Su Jingfang led the party out of Wuan Commandery, but snow began falling as they traveled, deepening Dou Xiaoniang's worry for the people of Hebei.
• Li Ding told Zhang Shiniang that Zhang Xing's letter had explained how snowfall might cause some deaths now but prevent a worse drought and locust disaster the following year.

As Xue Changxiong prepared to march against the Exorcising the Dragon rebels before the river thawed, Feng Wuyi failed to persuade him to protect spring sowing and local people. Chen Bin rejected Xie Minghe’s invitation to join Zhang Xing, and Xue’s army set out for a decisive battle as Zhang ordered exposed estates to withdraw.

• Chen Bin explained that Xue Changxiong had to attack during the brief period before ice breakup severed the northern and southern supply routes, while Feng Wuyi warned that marching would hurt spring sowing and further alienate the people.
• Xue Changxiong refused Feng Wuyi’s appeal for stricter military discipline, then told Xue Wanquan that he planned to fight early because local officials and powerful families already distrusted the army.
• Chen Bin asked Feng Wuyi about unrest in Jiangnan and challenged his concern for Hebei’s common people; Feng admitted his shame and left for Xindu.
• Xie Minghe told Chen Bin he had joined Zhang Xing personally and invited him to come along, but Chen refused, saying the rebels might also make costly mistakes.
• Xue Changxiong mobilized fifty thousand elite troops and a hundred thousand auxiliaries and laborers, requested reinforcements, and swore to defeat the rebels before the ice breakup.
• Zhang Xing ordered the most exposed fortified estates to abandon their defenses and withdraw as Xue Changxiong’s army marched.

Xue Changxiong’s Hejian army advanced with reinforcements from Youzhou, forcing Zhang Xing’s forces to abandon their exposed positions and prepare a defensive line. Shen Yan and Li Cheng assessed the likely campaign and its risks, while Shen Yanye’s possible intervention and rivalries within the government forces left the coming battle uncertain.

• Xue Changxiong led the Hejian army out of its base, and Zhang Xing ordered his troops to abandon several exposed strongholds and withdraw.
• Xiong Bonan reported that eight thousand troops from Youzhou Grand Camp, including Luo Shu and Li Li, had joined the Hejian army, prompting Zhang Xing to order a broader retreat and preparations for defense.
• Shen Yan predicted that Shen Yanye, Xue Changxiong, and possibly troops from Wuan Commandery would join the campaign, and he ordered Qutu Da to investigate Youzhou’s commitment.
• Li Cheng argued that Su Jingfang’s army would struggle to exploit the brief ice-flood season if the defenders held their positions, and he ordered his troops to wait for an urging dispatch before marching.
• Shen Yan planned to delay Dou Lide and Li Cheng’s forces and draw Xue Changxiong into conflict with Zhang Xing, while advising his followers to hold their defenses through the campaign.
• As the Hejian army marched along the frozen Turbid Zhang River, Xue Wannian and Xue Wanbi rode toward it as vanguard commanders.

Xue Changxiong’s army advanced toward the rebels as reinforcements gathered, but a banquet in Changhe exposed the distrust between him and the local governors. Qian Tang left after confronting Xue Changxiong, questioning whether his own conduct had truly served the country.

• Xue Changxiong ordered his sons to abandon their awkward display of a giant white fish, and his disciplined army won cooperation from officials along its route.
• Eastern Capital orders brought promises of reinforcements, while Xue Changxiong dismissed most Commandery Troops as ineffective and praised Luo Shu’s Youzhou cavalry.
• Qian Tang and Cao Shancheng arrived at the banquet, where Cao Shancheng proposed an independent western force and a two-pronged attack on the rebels.
• Qian Tang rebuked Xue Changxiong’s officers for disrespecting the governors, then rearranged the tables so Cao Shancheng could present his plan directly to Xue Changxiong.
• Luo Shu backed Xue Changxiong’s decision to keep command of the forces centralized, and Cao Shancheng’s proposal was rejected.
• Qian Tang left the banquet and reflected on whether his own outburst and decision to endure had been driven by selfishness rather than public duty.

Xue Changxiong prepared a major campaign against the Exorcising the Dragon rebels before the Great River’s ice-flood season, while Feng Wuyi and Chen Bin confronted their doubts about the Court and the rebellion. As Xue’s army marched into Hebei, Zhang Xing ordered the forward fortified estates abandoned to avoid its advance.

• Chen Bin explained that Xue Changxiong had to attack during the brief ice-flood season, despite the disruption to spring plowing and the opposition of local officials.
• Feng Wuyi urged Xue Changxiong to restrain his troops, but Xue rejected his criticism, and Chen Bin challenged Feng over the Court’s treatment of Hebei and its people.
• Feng Wuyi left Hejian for Xindu, accepting that he could not serve as a bridge between Xue’s camp and local authorities.
• Xie Minghe visited Chen Bin and tried to recruit him to Zhang Xing’s cause, but Chen refused and said he expected the Court to defeat itself through its own follies.
• Xue Changxiong mobilized fifty thousand elite troops and a hundred thousand auxiliaries, sought reinforcements, and swore to defeat the rebels.
• As Xue’s army set out, Zhang Xing ordered the forward fortified estates to withdraw rather than face its strength.

Xue Changxiong prepared to march against the Exorcising the Dragon rebels before the river’s ice floods cut off southern support, while Feng Wuyi failed to persuade him to protect spring planting and the people. Chen Bin rejected Xie Minghe’s invitation to join Zhang Xing, and the chapter ended with Xue Changxiong’s army advancing as Zhang Xing abandoned the foremost fortified estates.

• Chen Bin explained to Feng Wuyi that Xue Changxiong had to attack during the brief window before ice floods blocked transport across the river.
• Feng Wuyi urged Xue Changxiong to enforce discipline and safeguard the people, but Xue defended his actions and refused to reconsider the march.
• Chen Bin escorted Feng Wuyi out and questioned him about Jiangnan, then challenged him to recognize the divide between Guanlong and Hebei; Feng left for Xindu.
• Xie Minghe visited Chen Bin and urged him to join Zhang Xing, but Chen refused, saying he would rather watch Cao Wei defeat itself.
• Xue Changxiong dispatched fifty thousand elite troops and supporting forces, called for reinforcements, and swore to defeat the Exorcising the Dragon rebels.
• Zhang Xing ordered his defenders to abandon the foremost fortified estates and withdraw from the approaching army.

Xue Changxiong’s army advanced toward Ban County as reinforcements gathered, but a banquet exposed deep mistrust between the commander and local officials. After Cao Shancheng’s proposed strategy was dismissed and Qian Tang stormed out, Qian questioned whether his own actions had served the state or only himself.

• Xue Changxiong ordered Xue Wanbi and Xue Wannian to abandon their staged display of a great white fish, and his army continued its disciplined march.
• Reinforcements from several commanderies and the Eastern Capital promised to join Xue Changxiong, who said the Youzhou Cavalry would be more useful than a mass of Commandery Troops.
• At a banquet, Cao Shancheng proposed forming a western force and striking the rebels from the flank, but Chen Bin and Xue Changxiong rejected his plan.
• Qian Tang denounced the officers for disrespecting the local governors, then moved his table opposite Chen Bin and insisted Cao Shancheng present his strategy directly to Xue Changxiong.
• Xue Changxiong backed Luo Shu’s objection to Cao Shancheng’s plan, while Qian Tang left the banquet and questioned whether his own actions had been motivated by public duty or private interests.

Xue Changxiong prepared a major campaign against the Exorcising the Dragon rebels, while Feng Wuyi and Chen Bin confronted the divided loyalties and grievances shaping Hebei. As Xue’s army marched toward Pingyuan and Bohai, Zhang Xing ordered the forward fortified estates to retreat rather than meet its advance head-on.

• Chen Bin explained to Feng Wuyi that Xue Changxiong had to exploit the brief ice-flood season to attack before river transport reopened, despite the damage the march would cause to spring planting.
• Feng Wuyi urged Xue to restrain his troops, but Chen Bin argued that officials and commoners were more likely to trust the rebels’ promises than the court’s forces; Xue later told Xue Wanquan that he needed a decisive battle to address local resentment.
• Chen Bin escorted Feng Wuyi from the residence and challenged him over his concern for Hebei’s people, leaving Feng ashamed and convinced he could not serve as a bridge between Xue’s camp and local officials.
• Xie Minghe visited Chen Bin, revealed that he had joined Zhang Xing personally, and tried to recruit Chen; Chen refused, saying he expected the court to undermine itself and the rebels to make their own mistakes.
• Xue Changxiong mobilized fifty thousand elite troops and a hundred thousand auxiliaries, called for reinforcements, and swore to defeat the rebels as his army set out for Pingyuan and Bohai.
• Zhang Xing ordered the foremost fortified estates to abandon their positions and withdraw from the advancing army.

The government army and the Exorcising the Dragon Army escalated their battle, with Xue Changxiong launching a fierce attack that Zhang Xing’s formation eventually helped repel. After heavy losses on both sides, Zhang Xing planned to bring down an earthen hill to exploit the government army’s internal distrust, while Wang Yu ordered the death of a rebel who had surrendered.

• Luo Xin reported that the government troops had taken the corridor to Pingchang County and found a powerful expert there, so Xue Changxiong ordered Luo Shu and Li Li to probe westward.
• Sun Xuanzhi warned Zhang Xing that a squad commander had defected and might reveal the tunneling plan, and Zhang Xing ordered a camp rotation to protect the tunnels.
• Dou Lide proposed sending small groups to feign surrender and feed false information to the government army, and Zhang Xing approved the plan.
• Xue Changxiong led a formation attack against Zhang Xing’s forces, and the battle intensified when Zhang Xing’s formation collided with the government formation and Youzhou cavalry attacked from the east.
• Luo Shu killed Sun Xuanzhi during a cavalry strike, but Xu Shiren’s arrival prompted the Youzhou troops and then Xue Changxiong’s forces to withdraw.
• After reviewing the dead and wounded, Zhang Xing ordered Dan Tonghai to try collapsing one tunnel beneath an earthen hill, while Wang Yu later ordered his subordinate to kill the surrendered squad commander.

Xue Changxiong prepared to exploit the approaching river floods by marching against the Exorcising the Dragon rebels, while Feng Wuyi and Chen Bin confronted their own doubts about the Court and the rebellion. As Xue’s army advanced, Zhang Xing withdrew defenders from the foremost fortified estates to avoid its attack.

• Chen Bin explained to Feng Wuyi that Xue Changxiong had to march before the ice-breakup floods cut off river transport, despite the damage the campaign would cause to spring planting.
• Feng Wuyi urged Xue Changxiong to enforce military discipline, but Xue defended his campaign, and Feng left Hejian for Xindu after Chen Bin challenged his loyalties.
• Xie Minghe visited Chen Bin and tried to recruit him to Zhang Xing’s cause, but Chen refused, believing the rebels might ultimately repeat the foolish mistakes of those in power.
• Xue Changxiong sent fifty thousand elite troops and a large auxiliary force toward Pingyuan and Bohai, swore to defeat the rebels, and requested reinforcements from nearby regions.
• Zhang Xing ordered his forces to abandon the foremost fortified estates and withdraw their defenders from the army’s advance.

Zhang Xing’s Exorcising the Dragon Army won a minor victory after luring Xue Wanbi into a trap, while Xue Changxiong punished his son and ordered the government troops to build earthen hills against the rebel camps. The chapter ended with Zhang Xing identifying the rebels’ dependence on their camps as a weakness and asking his leaders how to counter the coming siege works.

• Zhang Xing directed the Exorcising the Dragon Army to surround Xue Wanbi after he pursued Fan Wang into a trap, and Xue Changxiong sent Chen Bin to order him back.
• Xue Wanbi resisted the order until Murong Zhengyan, Wang Yu, and Wang Changxie restrained him; he withdrew as the trapped government soldiers called after him.
• Xue Changxiong had Xue Wanbi whipped, then pardoned him and replenished his force with two thousand soldiers after the generals pleaded for him.
• Qian Tang told Lü Changheng that the Hejian Grand Camp could neither reward powerful generals with meaningful offices nor punish them without provoking resentment.
• Zhang Xing warned his leaders that the rebel army relied too heavily on its camps, then revealed that the government troops were building earthen hills and asked how to counter them.

Xue Changxiong questioned whether his army could defeat the Exorcising the Dragon Army, then ordered an assault using earthen hills while Zhang Xing countered with panel-built fortifications. When the hills failed to give the government troops an advantage, Xue concluded that someone in his command tent had betrayed his plan.

• Xue Changxiong warned his sons and commanders that the Exorcising the Dragon Army might have hidden experts and that the battle’s outcome remained uncertain.
• Chen Bin urged Xue Changxiong to claim authority beyond the Court, but Xue rejected the proposal and ordered the army to focus on taking the stockades.
• Xue Changxiong sent troops to mark the ground and build earthen hills, while Xue Wanbi personally charged into the fighting.
• Zhang Xing ordered his forces to withdraw and assemble multistory panel fortifications, then placed Fifth Wang Lang in command of their archers and crossbowmen.
• Xue Changxiong’s army fired a volley from the hills, but the Exorcising the Dragon Army’s wooden defenses sheltered its troops and returned fire.
• After Xue Changxiong blasted apart one fortification with his bow, he realized the defenses had been prepared to counter the hills and declared that there was a traitor in the command tent.

Chen Bin defected to the Exorcising the Dragon Gang and revealed that a detached government force was approaching Bean Ridge, prompting Zhang Xing to propose a decisive attack on Xue Changxiong. As the Gang prepared to abandon its defenses and strike, Xue Changxiong learned of Chen Bin’s defection, killed a deputy commandant, and collapsed; Qian Tang and Lü Changheng fled toward the earthen hill.

• Wang Zhen admitted Chen Bin’s army into Pingchang, and Chen Bin hurried west to report his intelligence to Zhang Xing.
• Zhang Xing welcomed Chen Bin before the Gang’s leaders, made him a great leader, and promoted Wang Fubei and Xu Shiren while appointing Xie Minghe a leader.
• Chen Bin revealed that more than twenty thousand government troops were moving around Bean Ridge and estimated they would be vulnerable while separated from Xue Changxiong’s main army.
• Zhang Xing rejected scouting or dividing the Gang’s forces and proposed abandoning the stockade and cities to attack Xue Changxiong with the entire army.
• Xue Changxiong accepted that Chen Bin had defected, beheaded a deputy commandant, and collapsed; Qian Tang and Lü Changheng disguised themselves and fled toward the earthen hill.

Zhang Xing dealt with Guo Jingke’s theft while keeping the army united, then rallied the Exorcising the Dragon Gang around its cause and defensive preparations. Xue Changxiong began a direct assault on the fortified camps, and Zhang Xing watched as the battle opened.

• Zhang Xing consulted Wei Xuanding and Xiong Bonan, then stripped Guo Jingke of his leadership and assigned Wei Xuanding to supervise his battalion while Guo earned merit in battle.
• Zhang Xing ordered Wang Shuyong and Hao Yide to raid the government camp, then praised their attack before the assembled commanders the next morning.
• Zhang Xing announced Guo Jingke’s punishment, urged the commanders to obey orders, and declared the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s cause righteous before directing them to spread his words among the troops.
• Zhang Xing and the leaders raised the Exorcise banner and organized the army in fortified camps as government forces approached without immediately engaging.
• Xue Changxiong rejected a flanking attack, ordered five generals to lead assaults on the stockades, and commanded the battle to begin.