Recaps

Gongsun Zan’s White Horse Volunteers routed Hua Zigan’s cavalry, while Hua and Sima Yu escaped to White Jade City and reported that Xuanyi City had fallen. Chen Sishui learned of the defeat and confronted Sima Yu as a scout brought him further news.

• Sima Yu warned Hua Zigan that Gongsun Zan’s fifty thousand White Horse Volunteers were pursuing them, and Hua’s thirty thousand cavalry fled.
• Gongsun Zan’s White Horse Volunteers slaughtered most of Hua Zigan’s troops before stopping near Great Wind Commandery’s city walls.
• Ma Chao arrived with the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, and Gongsun Zan told him to have prisoners clear the battlefield.
• Hua Zigan and Sima Yu reached White Jade City, where Hua blamed Sima for the disastrous retreat.
• Chen Sishui slapped Hua Zigan and demanded an explanation, then learned Xuanyi City had already fallen.
• A scout whispered new information to Chen Sishui, who turned an angry gaze toward Sima Yu.

After Jiang Wei captured Xuanyi City and killed Ning Kun, Xiliang celebrated the victory and its northern great clans pledged their full support to Lin Yi. The fighting continued at White Jade City as Xiliang forces pressed toward the capital, while Lin Yi ordered the occupation of Great Wasteland Commandery and received rewards for the victory.

• Chen Sishui learned that Xuanyi City had fallen and Mountain and River Pass was under attack, then prepared to defend White Jade City as the Xiliang Iron Cavalry rode past and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry attacked.
• A messenger announced Jiang Wei's victory at Xuanyi City, where he killed Ning Kun, destroyed 150,000 enemy troops, and secured the surrender of 50,000 more.
• The Zhang Ruoyun brothers and other northern great clans celebrated the victory and pledged money, men, and full support to Lin Yi.
• At Great Ning Port, Lin Yi ordered Xun Yu to take over Great Wasteland Commandery and appoint Ao Zang as a general serving under Jiang Wei.
• Lin Yi received system rewards for conquering Great Wasteland Commandery, killing Ning Kun, and winning Ao Zang's allegiance.

Lin Yi received Zhang Fei, a hundred thousand Danyang Soldiers, and a hundred thousand loyal commoners among the rewards for taking Xuanyi City. In the capital, news that Lin Yi had destroyed Ning Kun’s army and was advancing south left Li Anlan and his ministers scrambling to raise troops.

• Lin Yi welcomed Zhang Fei, the hundred thousand Danyang Soldiers, and the loyal commoners as rewards, while Ao Zang provided more than two thousand administrative talents.
• A dispatch informed the court that Lin Yi’s army had taken Great Wasteland Commandery, crossed the Fishtail Mountain Range, and was heading toward Great Wind Commandery.
• Li Anlan learned that Lin Yi had destroyed Ning Kun’s army and still had hundreds of thousands of troops, leaving the ministers too frightened to propose a response.
• Zhang Zhiwei urged Li Anlan to resume conscription, and Li Anlan ordered five hundred thousand troops raised to reinforce Chen Sishui.
• Qin Li warned that raising another five hundred thousand troops would be extremely difficult, so Li Anlan offered battlefield honors and a marquisate to recruit men in Shu Region and Jiangling.

Li Anlan’s court received news that Xiliang and several other forces were attacking Great Ning from multiple directions, and Li Anlan collapsed after hearing that Li Yifeng had joined them. He ordered emergency measures after recovering, while news of Xiliang’s victory and advance toward the capital spread across Great Ning.

• Li Anlan offered a marquisate to anyone who could stop the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, but learned that one hundred thousand Xiliang troops had bypassed Great Wind Commandery and were marching on the capital.
• Li Anlan learned that Mountain and River Pass was also under attack and ordered nearby governors to send troops against the Xiliang army.
• Reports revealed that Pang De had invaded Wuning Commandery with two hundred thousand troops, Guan Yu was raiding Great Ning’s coast, and the southern native chieftains had declared war in support of Lin Yi.
• Li Anlan heard that Li Yifeng had raised nearly fifty thousand troops and planned to attack Great Cang Commandery, then vomited blood and fainted.
• Zhang Zhiwei locked down the palace and brought in the crown prince and empress; after recovering, Li Anlan ordered officials to seek reinforcements, recruit Guan Yu, investigate Li Yifeng’s rebellion, and arrange talks with the great clans.
• News spread that Xiliang had defeated Ning Kun’s three-hundred-thousand-strong army at Xuanyi City and that its cavalry was advancing toward the capital, prompting panic and thoughts of flight among Great Ning’s people.

Guan Yu turned his coastal forces into the East Sea Righteous Army and launched an attack on Great Ning, while news reached Lin Rusong that the heir had destroyed Ning Kun’s army and sent Xiliang cavalry toward the capital. The chapter left Lin Rusong’s forces energized as the campaign against Great Ning accelerated.

• Commoners in Great Granary Commandery heard rumors that the Prince of Xiliang was advancing on the capital and treated a statue resembling him as proof of Heaven’s mandate.
• Guan Yu celebrated the Xiliang Iron Cavalry’s advance and ordered Huang Gai and Gu Yong to prepare an assault on Great Ning.
• Guan Yu renamed his pirates the East Sea Righteous Army, raised a new banner, and led one hundred thousand troops toward the Min River region.
• Yi Yun told Lin Rusong that the heir had defeated Ning Kun and annihilated the three hundred thousand troops in Great Wasteland Commandery.
• Yi Yun reported that one hundred thousand Xiliang Iron Cavalry were heading for the capital, prompting the Northern Liang generals to praise the heir.

Lin Rusong received explosive weapons from his son and prepared to break Liangshan Pass as Xiliang forces advanced across Great Ning’s fronts. Pang De secured the four Xining commanderies, while reports of Jiang Wei’s and Ma Chao’s victories revealed Great Ning’s worsening position.

• Lin Rusong praised his son’s rise and learned that he had sent weapons powerful enough to destroy a city.
• Yi Yun told Lin Rusong that Xiliang forces were overwhelming Great Ning on multiple fronts, and a messenger reported that Pang De had captured Xining Commandery.
• Lin Rusong ordered his troops to clear the area around Liangshan Pass and prepare to attack alongside Pang De.
• Pang De accepted the Western Regions’ troops, swept through four commanderies, purged Li Anlan’s followers, and appointed Xiahou Yuan administrator of Xining Commandery.
• Xiahou Yuan reported that Jiang Wei had defeated three hundred thousand troops and that Ma Chao was advancing toward Great Ning’s capital.

As Xiliang prepared to attack Wuning Commandery, Shangguan Yun learned that Ning Kun’s army had been destroyed and Ma Chao had reached the capital, leaving Great Ning under severe threat. Lin Yi launched the battle across the Great Ning River with Gan Ning commanding the naval assault.

• Pang De, Tu Xiu, and Meng Chihu pledged to help the Prince of Xiliang take Liangshan Pass and advance on Great Ning’s capital.
• Shangguan Yun learned that Ning Kun’s three hundred thousand troops had been wiped out and Ma Chao had raided toward the capital.
• Li Ruyu spotted Xiliang’s warships approaching Wuning Commandery, and Shangguan Yun ordered his forces to prepare for battle.
• Lin Yi told Gan Ning to lead the main assault across the river and relieve pressure on Ma Chao.
• Gan Ning rallied the Brocade Sail Navy, and thousands of Xiliang ships surged toward Wuning Commandery.

Lin Yi and Guo Jia watched Gan Ning outmaneuver Great Ning’s defenses with upstream patrols and multiple landing forces. Gan Ning then used Xiliang’s longer-range weapons to devastate Shangguan Yun’s first line and send ships toward the bank, where Shangguan Yun ordered archers and cavalry to counterattack.

• Lin Yi reassured Zhao Yun that Gan Ning and the Net were guarding against fire ships sent downstream.
• Gan Ning split his fleet into several smaller forces to threaten landing sites across Wuning Commandery and stretch Great Ning’s defenses.
• Gan Ning ordered his catapults and ship-mounted ballistae to fire from beyond the enemy’s range.
• Xiliang’s barrage destroyed Shangguan Yun’s first line of defense, shattered obstacles, and caused heavy casualties with stones and explosive charges.
• Several hundred Xiliang ships approached the riverbank as Shangguan Yun ordered archers to cover the defenses and three thousand cavalry to attack them.

Qu Yi’s Vanguard Dare-to-Die Warriors broke through Great Ning’s attacks while Shangguan Yun ordered fireships sent against the crowded fleet on the Great Ning River. Before he could act, he learned that the enemy navy had already attacked Li Ke upstream and was striking at their rear.

• Qu Yi’s Vanguard Dare-to-Die Warriors shot down Shangguan Yun’s charging cavalry with Divine Arm Bows and advanced behind layered shields to suppress Great Ning’s archers.
• Li Songshan and Li Ruyu recognized the attacking force as Lin Yi’s Vanguard Dare-to-Die Warriors, and Shangguan Yun ordered Li Songshan to use catapults against their shields.
• Shangguan Yun ordered a Blood Guard to tell Li Ke to send fireships downstream against the packed warships.
• The Blood Guard noticed flames upstream, prompting Shangguan Yun to suspect that something had already gone wrong and order an inspection.
• The Blood Guard reported that Li Ke had been attacked by the enemy navy, whose tower ships sank their warships with striking booms and were attacking their rear.

Lin Yi’s forces used Gan Ning’s mobile naval attacks to spread fighting across Wuning Commandery, while Chen Dao destroyed Shangguan Yun’s fireships and opened a second breach upstream. Lin Yi ordered Chen Dao’s remaining eighty thousand White Feather Soldiers to reinforce the advance and push through the breach.

• Shangguan Yun learned that Chen Dao’s forces had destroyed his fireships and landed upstream, while enemy troops threatened Wuning Commandery from multiple directions.
• Li Ruyu hurried to reinforce the upper and lower routes as Shangguan Yun struggled to respond to the expanding attacks.
• Gan Ning used his fleet to strike different points along the Great Ning River, forcing Shangguan Yun’s troops to rush between battlefields.
• A messenger reported that Chen Dao had defeated Li Ke’s fireships with tower-ship striking booms, landed upstream, and requested reinforcements.
• Lin Yi ordered Chen Dao’s remaining eighty thousand White Feather Soldiers to join the attack and drive through the upstream breach.

Li Anlan's court struggled to respond as Lin Yi's forces threatened Great Ning on several fronts. Li Anlan ordered troops concentrated at Liangshan Pass and committed his last two hundred thousand troops to defend Wuning Commandery, while the officials privately weighed their chances as Great Ning teetered on the brink.

• Wei Kuang reported that Lin Rusong had sent three hundred thousand troops to attack Liangshan Pass and that Pang De was advancing through the Northwestern Circuit.
• Qin Li and Zhang Zhiwei urged Li Anlan to concentrate Great Ning's scattered forces, and Li Anlan ordered troops from the northwestern commanderies to defend Liangshan Pass.
• Li Anlan asked about Ma Chao's raids on reinforcements, and General Zhou demanded troops to challenge Ma Chao to single combat.
• A scout reported that Lin Yi was leading three hundred thousand troops in an assault on Wuning Commandery.
• Qin Li urged Li Anlan to reinforce Wuning Commandery, and Li Anlan committed his last two hundred thousand troops to the defense.

Lin Yi landed on the Great Ning River’s shore and summoned two hundred thousand reinforcements, including Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong, to deliver the final assault against Shangguan Yun. As the new troops charged into battle, Zhang Fei challenged Shangguan Yun and his retreating forces neared collapse.

• Zhang Wanhao and other officials met privately, and Liu Kun argued they should back an emperor who needed the great clans rather than Lin Yi, who did not.
• Lin Yi ordered his forces to land and prepare to strike Shangguan Yun with Gongsun Zan’s Youzhou Legion and the Danyang Soldiers.
• Lin Yi reached shore and summoned two hundred thousand troops, astonishing the laborers who witnessed their sudden appearance.
• Lin Yi appointed Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong vanguard generals and put each in command of one hundred thousand troops.
• Lin Yi ordered the signal flare and horns, and Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong led their reinforcements into the battle as Shangguan Yun’s forces faltered.
• Zhang Fei roared a challenge to Shangguan Yun, declaring that Zhang Yide had arrived.

Shangguan Yun struggled to break the Vanguard Dare-to-Die Warriors while Xiliang’s attacks battered Great Ning’s flanks. Xiliang reinforcements arrived and unleashed a massive rain of arrows, forcing Zhou Yuan’s troops to retreat as Qu Yi ordered his men to pursue and destroy them.

• Shangguan Yun learned that Li Songshan had died under a storm of arrows and heard Li Ruyu’s reports of Xiliang’s successes on both flanks.
• Shangguan Yun decided that Great Ning had to defeat the Vanguard Dare-to-Die Warriors to regain the initiative.
• Signals and war drums announced Xiliang’s new attack, and Shangguan Yun saw hundreds of thousands of reinforcements arrive.
• Xiliang’s troops blanketed the battlefield with arrows, inflicting heavy casualties on Great Ning’s forces.
• Zhou Yuan ordered his vanguard to retreat, while Qu Yi commanded his men to expend every arrow and leave the hundred thousand attackers behind.

Xiliang routed Great Ning's forces outside Wuning Commandery, while Gan Ning's Brocade Sail Battalion overran seven downstream landing sites. Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu retreated into the city and prepared to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

• Xiliang's arrows killed tens of thousands of Great Ning troops, and Zhang Fei led the Danyang Soldiers in a charge that broke their ranks.
• Zhang Fei wounded Zhou Yuan with a thrown spear, and Zhou Yuan's flight caused the Great Ning army to collapse as Huang Zhong cut down the fleeing soldiers.
• Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu retreated into Wuning Commandery and shut the gates, leaving the infantry outside to be slaughtered.
• Shangguan Yun received reports that Gan Ning's Brocade Sail Battalion had attacked seven landing sites and wiped out nearly fifty thousand defenders.
• Li Ruyu urged Shangguan Yun to hold the city until reinforcements arrived, and Shangguan Yun agreed.

Lin Yi’s forces continued their assault on Wuning City, breached its walls, and were promised a corps-wide promotion and doubled bonuses for killing Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu. The reward sent Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong racing into the city while Qu Yi’s troops prepared to follow.

• Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu ordered Wuning City’s defenses reinforced and civilians conscripted as Lin Yi’s army resumed its attack.
• Xiliang’s arrows, catapults, and war chariots overwhelmed the defenders, and a section of Wuning City’s wall collapsed.
• Lin Yi offered an additional rank and doubled bonuses to the entire corps of whoever killed Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu.
• Zhang Fei led the Danyang Soldiers toward the breach, and Huang Zhong rushed into the city with his troops.
• Qu Yi complained that Zhang Fei and Huang Zhong had beaten him to the assault, while his deputy general urged him not to worry.

Xiliang forces breached Wuning City and overwhelmed Great Ning’s defenders, forcing Shangguan Yun to order a retreat. Zhang Fei’s challenge and Wu Ya’s outburst revealed Shangguan Yun’s location, and the enemy charged toward him.

• Shangguan Yun rallied Great Ning’s troops to defend the first breach, but Zhang Fei and the Xiliang legions stormed through under heavy arrow fire.
• Explosions brought down more of Wuning City’s wall, allowing nearly three hundred thousand Xiliang troops to flood inside and prompting tens of thousands of Great Ning soldiers to surrender.
• Shangguan Yun ordered a retreat after realizing the city could no longer be saved.
• Zhang Fei searched for Shangguan Yun and taunted him, while Shangguan Yun hid from the advancing enemy.
• Wu Ya answered Zhang Fei’s challenge and inadvertently revealed Shangguan Yun’s position, sending the Xiliang soldiers rushing toward the general.

After Shangguan Yun was killed and Wuning City fell, Lin Yi prepared to advance on the capital and overthrow Li Anlan. Wang Yunze then arrived with the head of Li Ruyu, the emperor’s uncle, as a gift to Lin Yi.

• Huang Zhong shot Shangguan Yun through the throat, took his head, and earned a reward for his legion, while Zhang Fei continued the assault on Wuning City.
• Lin Yi ordered Shangguan Yun buried and reflected with Guo Jia, Xu Chu, and Zhao Yun on his campaign against Li Anlan and the defeat of the strong by the weak.
• Wang Yue reported that Gan Ning had captured towns and was coming to support Lin Yi, while Chen Dao’s White Feather Soldiers had defeated Li Ke and slain fifty thousand enemy troops.
• Lin Yi ordered his forces to clear nearby towns and villages and spare residents willing to submit to Xiliang.
• Wang Yunze arrived alone with a human head and presented it as a gift to Lin Yi, identifying it as Li Ruyu’s, the Imperial Clan Court director and the emperor’s uncle.

Lin Yi forced Wang Yunze to surrender the Wang Clan’s grain and accept appointment as governor of Wuning Commandery, then ordered him to give an interview criticizing Emperor Li Anlan and his allies. The chapter ended with Gan Ning, Qu Yi, and the other generals returning to report to Lin Yi.

• Wang Yunze claimed he killed Li Ruyu to stop him from forcing Wuning City’s men to fight the Xiliang army, and Xu Chu mocked his justification.
• Wang Yunze offered the Wang Clan’s grain and promised to help Lin Yi take Wuning Commandery.
• Lin Yi praised Wang Yunze, appointed him governor of Wuning Commandery, and told him to oversee the army’s operations.
• Lin Yi ordered Wang Yunze to give the first interview for the All Under Heaven Daily, with Guo Jia and Xu Chu conducting it.
• A guard announced that Gan Ning, Qu Yi, and the other generals had returned and requested an audience.

Lin Yi learned that Wuning Commandery had fallen and its people had supported his forces, triggering major system rewards, including Lü Bu and the Bingzhou Legion. He began rewarding his victorious generals, starting with Qu Yi and Gan Ning.

• Qu Yi reported that Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu had died, the remaining towns had surrendered, and people across Wuning Commandery had helped drive out Great Ning's garrisons.
• Lin Yi received system rewards for the victory, including Lü Bu, the Bingzhou Legion, Xu You, administrative personnel, and a maritime merchant group.
• Lin Yi assessed the new recruits and resources, then decided to reward the troops who had fought in the landing operation.
• Lin Yi promoted Qu Yi to Great General of Divine Martial Prowess and rewarded him and the Vanguard Dare-to-Die Warriors.
• Lin Yi bestowed on Gan Ning the title of Great General of the Brocade Sail and command of the Great Ning Navy, along with a warship and gold.

After rewarding his generals for the victory at Wuning Commandery, Lin Yi planned an assault on the capital and assigned Gan Ning and Zhao Yun separate missions. At the palace, Li Anlan learned that Shangguan Yun’s three hundred thousand troops had been destroyed and faced the threat of Lin Yi’s advance.

• Lin Yi rewarded his commanders and welcomed Wang Yunze, the newly appointed Governor of Wuning Commandery, into his ranks.
• Wang Yue reported that Li Anlan had withdrawn and reinforced his army at Liangshan Pass, while Gan Ning reported that Li Anlan’s reinforcements had retreated after Wuning fell.
• Lin Yi announced plans to attack the capital, ordered Gan Ning’s navy to harass the enemy along the Great Ning River, and sent Zhao Yun with fifty thousand cavalry to raid western commanderies.
• Lin Yi ordered the rest of his army to rest for one day before attacking the capital.
• A messenger informed the imperial palace that Wuning’s three hundred thousand troops had been wiped out and that Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu had been killed.
• Li Anlan demanded an explanation, and an official told him Lin Yi had brought his forces to five hundred thousand troops.

Li Anlan learned that Xiliang had overwhelmed Wuning Commandery and now threatened the capital with a vast army. With his ministers fearing defeat, he agreed to move Great Ning’s capital south to Jiangling and wait for reinforcements.

• Zhou Zifeng reported that Xiliang had taken Wuning Commandery, killed the emperor’s brother-in-law and the director of the Imperial Clan Court, and made Wang Yunze its governor.
• Li Anlan accused Wang Hui’s clan of siding with Lin Yi, but Wang Hui disowned Wang Yunze and offered one hundred thousand shi of grain, so Li Anlan let the matter go for now.
• Li Anlan asked his ministers how to stop Xiliang, and they feared that the approaching troops would soon besiege the capital.
• Grand Commandant Qin Li urged Li Anlan to move the capital to Jiangling, where the Tianshui River could help defend the south.
• Li Anlan approved the move and said he had contacted the southern native chieftains and the Frostwest Empire for aid.

After the Min River region fell to Guan Yu, Li Anlan abandoned plans to move the capital to Jiangling Commandery and ordered Qin Li to defend the capital. As news spread, people in Great Ning learned more about Xiliang’s growing power and its victories across the Western Regions and the northern steppe.

• Li Anlan’s court discussed seeking support from the Frostwest Empire and the southern native chieftains, but an urgent dispatch reported that Guan Yu’s hundred-thousand-strong army had routed the Min River defenses.
• Li Anlan coughed up blood after learning that Guan Yu had taken two-thirds of the Min River region and that Yang Dongyu and Zhao Dezhu had retreated to Jiangling Commandery.
• Qin Li said Guan Yu had previously commanded only tens of thousands of men and admitted he had not noticed the pirate’s rapid growth.
• Li Anlan decided to keep defending the capital and assigned Qin Li to oversee its defenses while he reconsidered Great Ning’s options.
• News of Wuning Commandery’s fall spread among the populace, and a merchant described Xiliang’s victories in the Western Regions and against the Northern Barbarians.

As Xiliang’s strength became clear, Zhang Wanhao persuaded the great clans to side with Lin Yi before they could be crushed. In the palace, Li Anlan learned that Shangguan Yun had died and asked the empress to use the Shangguan Family’s forces to suppress the wavering clans.

• Zhang Wanhao warned the great clans that Lin Yi had likely prepared to take the capital and that they would be in danger if they resisted him.
• Zhang Wanhao chose to side with Xiliang, and the other clan leaders agreed to contact the Prince of Xiliang.
• Li Anlan told the empress that her brother, Shangguan Yun, had died in battle.
• Li Anlan asked the empress to deploy the Shangguan Family’s strength against the great clans, planning to strike before they could join Lin Yi.

Li Anlan sent Shangguan Yan and the crown prince to safety, then used a staged raid to massacre the capital’s great families and seize their wealth while blaming Xiliang. The imperial guards clashed with the black-clad attackers, and Liu Tong watched his home burn, convinced Li Anlan was behind it.

• Li Anlan told Shangguan Yan that Lin Yi’s million-strong army was nearing the capital and decided to strike the great families first.
• Shangguan Yan gave Li Anlan her family token, allowing him to mobilize the fifty thousand private troops attached to the Eastern Palace.
• Li Anlan sent Shangguan Yan and the crown prince to Jiangling Commandery, refusing to relocate the capital or trust that Lin Yi would spare them.
• Black-clad men raided the great families, killing many and carrying their wealth toward Xiliang, while Li Anlan’s imperial guards sealed Chang'an and fought them under Hong Tao’s command.
• Liu Tong hid in a cave and watched his home burn as the attackers and imperial guards carried away belongings, then cursed Li Anlan.

The southern chieftains learned that Lin Yi had destroyed Shangguan Yun’s army and chose to join Xiliang, hailing Lin Yi as the Northern Emperor. At Liangshan Pass, Lin Rusong received news of Lin Yi’s victory and the arrival of Zhao Yun.

• Jiang Li and the southern chieftains learned that Lin Yi had sent five hundred thousand troops to defeat Shangguan Yun and capture Wuning Commandery.
• Li Siyuan urged Jiang Li to join Xiliang, and the southern chieftains agreed to form a blood alliance and march against Li Anlan.
• The chieftains assembled two hundred thousand troops and advanced toward the Shu Region, forcing Geng Jinzhong to request reinforcements from the emperor.
• At Liangshan Pass, Yi Yun delivered Lin Yi’s intelligence to Lin Rusong, who learned that Shangguan Yun and Li Ruyu had died and Zhao Yun was coming to meet him.