Recaps

Tuoba Yu led the Northern Barbarian army toward Dayu County to plunder Xiliang Commandery, only to discover that Lin Yi had built formidable walls and a moat. The army fired a siege-crossbow bolt at the fortifications, leaving the attack’s result unknown.

• Tuoba Yu reminded his commanders not to kill the Heir of Northern Liang as the army advanced toward Dayu County.
• Xiao Shan warned that Lin Yi had blockaded the area and might have prepared traps, so Tuoba Yu ordered his troops to proceed cautiously.
• Tuoba Yu spotted the towering walls around Dayu County and realized they could not quickly overrun the commandery.
• The Northern Barbarian commanders saw the walls’ smooth face and the moat, and debated whether the newly built defenses would hold.
• Yelü Dashan ordered the siege crossbow brought forward and fired a bolt at the walls.

Lin Yi’s supposedly impregnable wall stopped Tuoba Yu’s siege crossbow, forcing the Great General to withdraw and prepare siege equipment. Lin Yi then signaled that he would not let Tuoba Yu leave unchallenged, and war drums sounded as the chapter ended with Tuoba Yu realizing a fight was coming.

• A siege crossbow bolt snapped against Lin Yi’s wall, leaving only a faint mark and convincing Tuoba Yu that he could not take the gate without siege equipment.
• Tuoba Yu considered attacking Little Pine Mountain but chose to withdraw and return with siege equipment.
• Lin Yi taunted Tuoba Yu about their earlier discussion of attacking Li Sansi, then invited him to stay; Tuoba Yu declined and left in anger.
• Lin Yi told Li Sansi that the wall was part of his strength and hinted that Tuoba Yu would not be allowed to leave peacefully.
• Zhou Cang beat the war drum, but Dayu County’s people stayed at their posts as their village chiefs reminded them to follow Lin Yi’s orders.
• Tuoba Yu recognized the war drums as a call to fight and feared Lin Yi’s forces were about to attack.

Zhang Liao led the Formation-Breaking Camp and crossbowmen against Tuoba Yu’s larger force, using the narrow road and repeated crossbow volleys to suppress the Northern Barbarians. Tuoba Yu ordered a retreat after suffering heavy losses, while Lin Yi’s allies praised Zhang Liao’s victory as the battle continued.

• Zhang Liao led thirty thousand troops out of the woods and attacked Tuoba Yu’s seventy thousand men with heavy infantry and crossbowmen.
• Yelü Dashan and Xiao Shan realized the enemy crossbows could fire repeatedly, and Tuoba Yu sent Evil Bodhisattva’s troops to circle around and attack the crossbowmen.
• Zhang Liao countered the flanking maneuver with the Formation-Breaking Camp, whose armor withstood the Northern Barbarian attacks.
• Tuoba Yu ordered his archers to target the heavy infantry’s eyes, but Zhang Liao signaled another crossbow barrage that forced Tuoba Yu’s army to retreat.
• Li Sansi, Li Yunqing, Bai Zizai, and Yi Yun praised Zhang Liao’s tactics as Lin Yi remarked that the battle was not over yet.

Lin Yi’s forces overwhelmed Tuoba Yu, who began retreating under Zhang Liao’s pursuit. News of an assassination attempt at Little Pine Mountain left He Zudao gravely wounded, and Li Sansi confronted a captured member of the Great Ning Guard as the attack’s source remained uncertain.

• Jia Xu and Lin Yi judged that Tuoba Yu could not overcome the Formation-Breaking Camp and Zhuge Repeating Crossbow formation, while Lin Yi revealed that equipping the three thousand soldiers had cost over a hundred thousand strings of cash.
• Lin Yi ordered Zhang Liao to pursue Tuoba Yu, and the Northern Barbarian rear guard suffered heavy casualties as it retreated.
• Wang Yue reported that an assassination attempt at Little Pine Mountain had gravely wounded He Zudao, and Lin Yi suspected Tuoba Yu was behind it.
• Lin Yi told Li Sansi that the Great Ning Guard had asked him to return to take charge, then had Wang Yue bring forward a captured member of Li Sansi’s force.
• The captured man dropped to his knees before Li Sansi, whose expression turned murderous as he demanded to know where his man was.

After an assassination attempt wounded He Zudao, Li Sansi hurried back to Little Pine Mountain while Lin Yi maneuvered Tuoba Yu toward a clash with Li Sansi. Lin Yi then announced victory to the people of Xiliang, who celebrated their safety.

• A messenger told Li Sansi that assassins had attacked his main tent and gravely wounded He Zudao, prompting Li Sansi to suspect Tuoba Yu and rush back to Little Pine Mountain.
• Lin Yi refused Bai Zizai and Yi Yun’s suggestion to kill Li Sansi, then ordered Wang Yue to tell Zhang Liao to drive Tuoba Yu to Jumbled Shi Lin and withdraw.
• Yi Yun wondered whether Tuoba Yu’s assassination attempt had been orchestrated by Lin Yi’s Net and feared remaining in Xiliang Commandery.
• The common people gathered at the city gate, and Lin Yi confirmed that his forces had won and driven off the northern barbarians.
• The people cheered Lin Yi and celebrated the safety of Xiliang and Dayu County.

After suffering a devastating defeat outside Dayu County, Tuoba Yu’s forces regrouped at Jumbled Shi Lin and assessed Lin Yi’s strength and possible schemes. With provisions running low, Tuoba Yu decided to attack Little Pine Mountain instead of returning empty-handed.

• The Evil Bodhisattva blamed Xiao Shan for failing to discover Dayu County’s new defenses, but Tuoba Yu defended him and said Lin Yi had deliberately kept the preparations hidden.
• Tuoba Yu rejected Yelü Dashan’s call to fight back, warning that Lin Yi had likely planned for their attack and might have more schemes in reserve.
• Xiao Shan described Lin Yi’s capable subordinates, including Chen Qun, Jia Xu, Wang Yue, and Zhang Liao, and the Evil Bodhisattva and Tuoba Yu worried about the unexplained absence of Ma Chao.
• Tuoba Yu said his army could not afford to return without provisions and ordered an attack on Little Pine Mountain, which he considered easier to take than Great Yu Mountain.

After failing to break through Lin Yi’s defenses, Tuoba Yu chose to attack Li Sansi at Little Pine Mountain, while Li Sansi realized the Heavenly Eagle Guard’s scouts were preparing for the assault. The chapter left Li Sansi suspecting Song Zixi might be compromised as he prepared for battle.

• Xiao Shan’s scout reported that Zhang Liao had withdrawn into Dayu County, leading Tuoba Yu’s allies to conclude that Lin Yi had driven them toward Li Sansi.
• Tuoba Yu ordered his forces to rest briefly, then attack Little Pine Mountain, and told Xiao Shan to have the scouts sabotage its defenses.
• Li Sansi berated Song Zixi after learning assassins had entered his camp and ordered an investigation into the Heavenly Eagle Guard.
• A guard reported that more Heavenly Eagle Guard members had arrived, and Li Sansi realized Tuoba Yu was preparing to attack Little Pine Mountain after losing to Lin Yi.
• Li Yunqing suggested Song Zixi might have been bought off, so Li Sansi told him to watch Song while he went to see He Zudao.

Li Sansi and He Zudao discussed the failed assassination and Tuoba Yu’s likely threat after his defeat by Lin Yi. Li Sansi summoned reinforcements, but rejected asking Lin Yi for help because he had refused to aid him earlier.

• Li Sansi found He Zudao alive but badly wounded and concluded that the attacker had likely targeted him.
• He Zudao suspected Tuoba Yu, and Li Sansi explained that the Heavenly Eagle Guard had also attempted to assassinate him.
• Li Sansi told He Zudao that Lin Yi had defeated Tuoba Yu’s army, killing more than twenty thousand troops.
• He Zudao urged Li Sansi to summon the thirty thousand troops in the rear, and Li Sansi sent a trusted guard with his order.
• He Zudao suggested asking Lin Yi for support, but Li Sansi refused because he had not helped Lin Yi when Tuoba Yu attacked.

Li Sansi prepared to defend Little Pine Mountain as Tuoba Yu launched another attack, while Xiliang celebrated Lin Yi’s victory and spread astonishing stories about Zhang Liao. The chapter left the battle at Little Pine Mountain underway and Xiliang’s people marveling at claims that Zhang Liao was impervious to weapons.

• He Zudao urged Li Sansi to muster able-bodied men, and Li Sansi agreed because the emperor could send no reinforcements.
• Li Yunqing reported that Tuoba Yu’s cavalry was approaching, and Li Sansi led his men to defend Little Pine Mountain.
• Tuoba Yu learned that He Zudao had been attacked in Li Sansi’s command tent, suspected Lin Yi was behind the plot, and ordered his forces to assault Little Pine Mountain.
• Yelü Dashan led thirty thousand troops against the mountain defenses, Xiao Shan took ten thousand to clear the perimeter, and Tuoba Yu led the remaining cavalry into battle.
• Xiliang’s people celebrated the victory and repeated stories that Zhang Liao and his three thousand men were impervious to blades and spears.
• Duan Yingxiong wondered whether Zhang Liao was a demon because even axes and battle-axes supposedly could not harm him.

Wang Chengfei and Duan Yingxiong discussed Zhang Liao’s armored victory over Tuoba Yu and concluded that Lin Yi was preparing a major plan. They decided to use their old trading connections to secure grain and other vital supplies for Lin Yi, hoping to prove their value.

• Wang Chengfei explained that Zhang Liao’s troops had worn armor from the Heavenly Craft Workshop when they defeated Tuoba Yu’s forces.
• Duan Yingxiong and Wang Chengfei discussed Lin Yi’s growing ambitions and the increased demand for iron ore and other resources.
• Wang Chengfei pointed out that Ma Chao had disappeared from public view, suggesting he was carrying out an important task.
• Wang Chengfei proposed that they acquire grain, fodder, sugar, fruit, minerals, and other supplies for Lin Yi.
• Duan Yingxiong agreed to help use their old trading connections to obtain whatever Xiliang Commandery needed.

Lin Yi discussed expanding the Formation-Breaking Camp and rewarded Duan Yingxiong and Wang Chengfei for supporting his plans. He gave the two men a chance to profit from refined salt and intended for them to establish a foothold among the southern native chieftains to share the pressure on Xiliang.

• Duan Yingxiong agreed to help Wang Chengfei obtain supplies for Lin Yi in hopes of earning the heir’s favor.
• Lin Yi praised Zhang Liao’s exaggerated reputation, then ordered Pu Yuan to produce ten thousand sets of special armor for the Formation-Breaking Camp.
• Pu Yuan reported that Duan Yingxiong had volunteered his tribesmen to help mine ore on Cloud and Mist Mountain.
• Wang Yue told Lin Yi that Duan Yingxiong and Wang Chengfei planned to buy grain and salt to present to him.
• Lin Yi offered the two men distribution rights for Northern Liang’s refined salt so they could make a fortune.
• Lin Yi revealed that he wanted Duan Yingxiong and Wang Chengfei to establish themselves in the south and help share the pressure after Xiliang’s strength became known.

Lin Yi learned that Tuoba Wanli had sent 200,000 troops toward Mountain and River Pass, increasing pressure on Li Anlan and Great Ning. While the Heavenly Pillar Peak passage neared completion, Lin Yi planned to let Tuoba Yu and Li Sansi weaken each other and ordered Wang Yue to keep Li Sansi alive until their larger conflict.

• Jia Xu told Lin Yi that Tuoba Wanli had marched 200,000 troops toward Mountain and River Pass, forcing Li Anlan and Lin Yi’s father to respond to the threat.
• Zhou Cang urged Lin Yi to rebel amid Great Ning’s troubles, but Lin Yi said he lacked the authority and needed to strengthen himself first; Chen Qun advised reporting his victory over Tuoba Yu to the imperial capital.
• Jia Xu reported that the Heavenly Pillar Peak passage would be completed within four days, giving Lin Yi a route toward Tuoba Yu’s territory and control of Great Yu Pass.
• Wang Yue reported that Li Sansi and Tuoba Yu were fighting at Little Pine Mountain, where Tuoba Yu had infiltrated the area and Li Sansi remained under pressure.
• Lin Yi instructed Jia Xu to prolong the fighting between Tuoba Yu and Li Sansi, then ordered Wang Yue to help Li Sansi and ensure he survived until their major battle.

Lin Yi refused Wang Yue’s offer to kill He Zudao and considered how the Northern Region Barbarians’ invasion could draw Northern Liang into the conflict. In the imperial palace, Li Anlan ordered ministers to address the invasion and publicly called for Lin Yi to be kept alive, while Gongsun Gui suspected he wanted the heir dead.

• Wang Yue offered to kill He Zudao, but Lin Yi said He Zudao would meet his end when Little Pine Mountain fell.
• Lin Yi recognized that Tuoba Wanli’s grain shortage had forced him to invade and considered contacting his father about the changing situation.
• Li Anlan condemned Tuoba Wanli for attacking Great Ning and asked Qin Li whether the troops at Mountain and River Pass could hold him back.
• Qin Li reported that nearly two hundred thousand troops had gathered to defend Mountain and River Pass.
• Wei Tong reported that Tuoba Yu had sent eighty thousand troops toward Xiliang Commandery, and Li Anlan told the Prince of Beining Commandery to keep Lin Yi alive.
• Gongsun Gui privately suspected that Li Anlan would prefer Lin Yi to die rather than grow Northern Liang’s power.

A victory report announced that Lin Yi had defeated Tuoba Yu’s much larger army, stunning the imperial court and cheering the capital. The emperor questioned whether Lin Yi had won unaided, but the messenger insisted the Prince of Beining Commandery brought no troops, leaving officials to debate how Lin Yi had prevailed.

• Gongsun Gui and Ran Xianhua discussed the Heir of Northern Liang’s grim prospects as the court heard a commotion outside.
• A victory messenger announced that Lin Yi routed Tuoba Yu’s eighty-thousand-man army with thirty thousand troops and killed thirty thousand enemies.
• Wei Tong reported the news to Li Anlan, who summoned the messenger and questioned whether Lin Yi had received help from the Prince of Beining Commandery.
• The victory messenger declared that the prince brought no soldiers and that Lin Yi’s troops won the battle, angering Li Anlan with his defiance.
• Tan Cheng suggested Lin Rusong had secretly helped Lin Yi, but Qin Li said the prince’s forces had not moved and the victory was likely Lin Yi’s own.

Li Anlan’s court debated Lin Yi’s unregistered troops and the strange delays in his reports, then rewarded him for defeating Tuoba Yu. In Northern Liang, Lin Rusong and Wang Ziwen celebrated Lin Yi’s victory and the reputation his forces had earned.

• Li Anlan’s ministers questioned how Lin Yi had gathered thirty thousand troops, and a Ministry of War aide revealed that Lin Yi had requested funds to train a hundred thousand men.
• Ran Xianhua accused Lin Yi of exceeding his authority, but the aide explained that Lin Yi had reported his forces in a memorial that arrived late because Xiliang Commandery had no relay station or proper warhorses.
• Tan Cheng noticed that Lin Yi’s victory report had arrived quickly despite the slow horse, and Li Anlan realized Lin Yi had deliberately exposed the empire’s communications failures.
• After Qin Li warned against punishing Lin Yi for a recent victory, Li Anlan appointed him Great General of Divine Might, promoted him one rank, awarded him ten thousand taels of gold, and authorized an army of fifty thousand with supplies.
• Lin Rusong and Wang Ziwen praised Lin Yi after reading that his thirty thousand men had routed Tuoba Yu’s forces and that the Formation-Breaking Camp had stood against eighty thousand troops.

Lin Rusong’s allies celebrated the heir’s victory over Tuoba Yu, then worried that Great Ning would demand Northern Liang’s aid against an invading army. Lin Rusong rejected talk of rebellion and warned that Great Ning’s million-plus troops and spies made careless words dangerous.

• Lin Rusong and his confidants praised the heir, Zhang Liao, and the Formation-Breaking Camp for their victories over Tuoba Yu’s forces.
• Wang Ziwen reported that two hundred thousand Northern Barbarians had attacked Great Ning’s Mountain and River Pass, and Xu Zhong predicted Great Ning would ask Northern Liang for military help.
• After several men suggested rebellion, Lin Rusong silenced them and invited everyone to a banquet, then let them leave.
• Lin Rusong told Xu Zhong and Wang Ziwen that he feared spies would carry the rebellion talk to Li Anlan and force Northern Liang into a disastrous conflict.
• Lin Rusong estimated that Great Ning commanded 1.2 million troops, including powerful forces controlled by Li Anlan and the Princes of Shu and Min.

Lin Rusong and his advisers discussed purging corrupt officers, supporting Lin Yi’s development in Xiliang, and moving more people there. Their plans were interrupted by the arrival of an imperial envoy, who turned out to be Prime Minister Lu Yafu.

• Xu Zhong urged Lin Rusong to purge people who were corrupt or influenced by Li Anlan, and Wang Ziwen agreed that Lin Yi would soon deal harshly with them.
• Lin Rusong decided to act against the misconduct and said he would provide Lin Yi with whatever support he needed.
• Wang Ziwen reported that Xiliang lacked people, and Lin Rusong ordered him to arrange voluntary migration from ten border counties.
• Lin Rusong offered to conquer one of Tuoba Wanli’s tribes for Lin Yi if more people were needed.
• An imperial envoy arrived, and Lin Rusong recognized him as his old friend Lu Yafu, the Great Ning prime minister.

Lu Yafu visited Lin Rusong before retiring from Great Ning’s court and delivered an imperial edict demanding Northern Liang send troops against Tuoba Wanli. Lin Rusong refused until they negotiated supplies and military pay, then watched his old friend depart.

• Lu Yafu told Lin Rusong he was retiring to the south to spend the rest of his life with his family, and Lin Rusong invited him to serve Northern Liang.
• Lu Yafu handed Lin Rusong the imperial edict, and Lin Rusong refused to send troops against Tuoba Wanli with only one hundred thousand soldiers remaining.
• Lu Yafu asked Lin Rusong to name his terms, and Lin Rusong demanded provisions, weapons, equipment, and back pay while rejecting a court promotion for his son.
• Lu Yafu agreed to provide six months of rations for three hundred thousand troops, equipment for one hundred thousand, and the missing military pay, then left.
• Lin Rusong complained that Lu Yafu had tried to lure his son to the imperial capital, then saw that the paper he held granted him Ran Zijin’s property.

Lin Yi received the honorary title of Great General Divine Might and learned that Emperor Li Anlan had sent Wei Tong to investigate Xiliang. As Li Sansi struggled against Tuoba Yu, Lin Yi waited for the passage through Heavenly Pillar Peak to be completed.

• Lin Rusong ordered Xu Zhong to bring the supplies back to Northern Liang and send weapons and equipment for a hundred thousand troops to Lin Yi.
• Lin Rusong decided to pressure Tuoba Wanli by sending him a threatening letter rather than risking a major battle.
• An imperial edict named Lin Yi Great General Divine Might, but Lin Yi recognized the title as an empty honorary post.
• Lin Yi learned that Wei Tong, commander of the Great Ning Guard, was investigating Little Pine Mountain and allowed him to remain under watch.
• Jia Xu reported that Li Sansi was struggling to match Tuoba Yu and that the Heavenly Pillar Peak passage would be completed by noon the day after tomorrow.

Lin Yi planned to seize Tuoba Yu’s territory through Heavenly Pillar Peak, hold Ziwu Road, and weaken Li Anlan rather than launch a wider war against the Northern Barbarians. He tasked Jia Xu with arranging a chance to take Ningchuan Commandery, while Wei Tong’s unexplained presence remained a concern.

• Lin Yi welcomed news that the passage through Heavenly Pillar Peak was nearly ready and explained how taking Tuoba Yu’s territory could let Xiliang Commandery qualify for the system’s highest-grade reward.
• Jia Xu reported that Ma Chao was working furiously on the road after hearing of Zhang Liao’s achievements, and Lin Yi approved of his growing drive.
• Chen Qun asked whether Xiliang should join Northern Liang in attacking the Northern Barbarians, but Lin Yi chose to hold Ziwu Road and avoid helping Li Anlan during the coming war.
• Jia Xu suggested letting Tuoba Yu invade Ningchuan Commandery so Xiliang could later arrive as its rescuer, and Lin Yi assigned Jia Xu and Wang Yue to arrange the plan while protecting the commoners.
• Lin Yi noted that Wei Tong had not left after delivering the imperial edict, making him a possible complication.

Lin Yi learned that Wei Tong wanted Xiliang’s cement and decided to offer Great Ning a weaker grade in exchange for benefits. On Double Ninth Festival, he sent cakes to his elders and went sightseeing in Xiliang, where he learned that people from Ningchuan had crowded into the city to escape fighting at Little Pine Mountain.

• Lin Yi told Mi Zhu and Jia Xu that he would only trade cement to Li Anlan for sufficient benefits, and explained that Pu Yuan’s workshop had developed a weaker grade suitable for sale.
• After learning that it was Double Ninth Festival, Lin Yi ordered Wang Yue to have cakes sent to his elders and invited his trusted aides to explore Xiliang City.
• Lin Yi and his disguised aides entered the crowded marketplace while the Net guarded them in secret.
• Lin Yi asked a local why the city was so crowded, and the man said merchants and wealthy people from Ningchuan Commandery had fled there because of fighting at Little Pine Mountain.

Lin Yi celebrated the Double Ninth Festival with his companions and visited the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion, where Wei Tong and Mo Ni were secretly discussing Lin Yi’s rapid construction of Xiliang City and their failed attempts to infiltrate his industrial zone. When Mo Ni learned Lin Yi had arrived, Wei Tong slipped away while Mo Ni went to meet him.

• Villagers praised Lin Yi and said they had fled Ningchuan Commandery because Xiliang Commandery was safer, then set off to climb a mountain for the Double Ninth Festival.
• Lin Yi ordered his companions to try the festival pastries, and Zhou Cang teased Jia Xu by calling him an old fossil.
• Wang Yue explained that the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion had branches across the country and was hosting an all-chrysanthemum banquet.
• Wei Tong questioned Mo Ni about Lin Yi’s construction of Xiliang City and learned that their agents had failed to enter Lin Yi’s industrial zone.
• Wei Tong ordered Mo Ni to keep his people hidden and said he would send other members of the Great Ning Guard to investigate.
• Mo Ni learned Lin Yi had arrived at the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion, and Wei Tong left through another exit while Mo Ni went to greet him.

Wei Tong was caught by the Net while trying to leave the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion and claimed he had come to deliver an imperial edict. Lin Yi had him brought inside, where Wei Tong faced him and protested his arrest.

• Wei Tong was stopped by Net operatives, tried to flee, and revealed that he was Commander Wei Tong of the Great Ning Guard.
• Lin Yi, Chen Qun, and Jia Xu visited the crowded Wafting Fragrance Pavilion, where Lin Yi ordered its many chrysanthemum-themed festival specialties.
• Wang Yue told Lin Yi that the Net had caught Wei Tong near the pavilion’s rear courtyard, and Lin Yi questioned manager Mo Ni about knowing him.
• Lin Yi ordered Wang Yue to bring Wei Tong inside as a guest, while Mo Ni grew nervous about Lin Yi’s suspicions.
• Wei Tong met Lin Yi and insisted that he had only come to attend the all-chrysanthemum banquet, challenging the propriety of his arrest.

Lin Yi let Wei Tong leave after rejecting his request to rescue Li Sansi, then ordered the Net to seal the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion over suspicions that it concealed spies. The pavilion’s guests watched in alarm as Mo Ni protested, while rumors spread that the establishment was a nest of assassins.

• Lin Yi released Wei Tong and asked him to secure more supplies for Xiliang Commandery.
• Wei Tong asked Lin Yi to help Li Sansi at Little Pine Mountain, but Lin Yi refused, citing Li Sansi’s failure to aid Xiliang when it faced an army of eighty thousand.
• After Wei Tong departed, Lin Yi questioned Mo Ni about the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion’s backer.
• Lin Yi ordered Wang Yue and the Net to seal off the pavilion and arrest its people after Mo Ni denied wrongdoing.
• Mo Ni protested as guests and townspeople speculated that the pavilion was a network of spies and killers.

Lin Yi uncovered the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion’s connection to Wei Tong and ordered Jia Xu to warn the Prince of Northern Liang. At Little Pine Mountain, Li Sansi’s forces struggled against Tuoba Yu’s army, and Li Yunqing refused to abandon the mountain despite the danger.

• Lin Yi rejected Zhou Cang’s suggestion to kill Wei Tong and said exposing the Wafting Fragrance Pavilion was already a major gain.
• Jia Xu and Chen Qun reasoned that the pavilion had likely targeted the Prince of Northern Liang, so Lin Yi ordered a warning sent to his father to shut it down in Northern Liang Royal City.
• At Little Pine Mountain, Li Sansi berated Song Zixi after their forces suffered heavier losses than Tuoba Yu’s army.
• Li Yunqing suspected a spy, but Li Sansi insisted they focus on holding the third defensive line because the first two had fallen.
• Li Sansi said Mountain and River Pass was under attack by Tuoba Wanli, leaving Xiliang as the only possible source of reinforcements.
• He Zudao proposed abandoning Little Pine Mountain and using the Song Tao River to devastate the enemy, but Li Yunqing refused to retreat yet.