Recaps

As Great Liang’s armies pressed into Frostwest, Ashina Xiuli sought Lin Yi’s intervention while Aksu surrendered and Huo Qubing swept through the empire. Ashina Tiandu faced enemies on multiple fronts and tried to secure Abaddon’s aid, while Aksu’s defection left Frostwest’s defenses in collapse.

• Lin Yi rejected Ashina Tiandu’s concessions and ordered Great Liang’s campaign to continue, while Guo Jia reported the southwestern army’s victorious return.
• Ashina Xiuli asked Lin Yi to save Frostwest, and Lin Yi agreed to send troops against Ashina Tiandu, and Xiuli then promised Anne he would secure her succession.
• As Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui advanced, Ashina Tiandu tried to rally his forces, suppress rumors, and seek help from Abaddon.
• Aksu withdrew his troops from Huo Qubing, but Meng Hu confronted him with Great Liang’s strength and persuaded him that surrender was the safer choice.
• Aksu laid down his army’s weapons, and Great Liang’s banner replaced Frostwest’s over Ake Prefecture as Huo Qubing pressed toward Tiele City.
• Huo Qubing captured towns across Frostwest, defeated Aili’s blocking force, and reached the empire’s heartland, while Ashina Tiandu learned that Xue Rengui was also advancing on the capital.
• Ashina Tiandu considered fleeing, sought Abaddon’s reinforcements by offering the Xiling Corridor, and kept Derby’s secret attack proposal under consideration.
• Zela reported that Aksu’s household had vanished, and Ashina Tiandu raged over the apparent betrayal before turning back to the immediate crisis.

Lin Rusong led Great Liang’s invasion of Frostwest while Lin Yi countered the Land of the Far West’s intervention with a naval campaign. Great Liang broke through Frostwest’s defenses and destroyed the Far West fleet, leaving Abaddon to suspect that Great Liang was the unknown power behind the defeat.

• Jia Xu revealed that Frostwest, the Great West Empire, and the Land of the Far West were joining the conflict, and Lin Rusong led Great Liang’s army to war after Ashina Xiuli agreed to help overthrow Ashina Tiandu.
• Wang Xuance persuaded Frostwest officers to defect, while Lin Rusong’s forces battered Nishu’s fortress with Red-Coat Cannons and explosives, then broke through its walls with Xu Zhong and Li Ling leading the assault.
• Lin Yi assigned Zhou Yu and Gan Ning to destroy the Land of the Far West’s three hundred thousand troops, while Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui continued their advances through Frostwest.
• Lin Yi received Huo Guang, Wei Zifu, elite Great Han troops, and the Sky Piercer, then ordered Gan Ning to join Zhou Yu in attacking the Far West fleet.
• Gan Ning and Zhou Yu ambushed Abide William’s fleet with cannons and other weapons, sank or captured its ships, and took William prisoner as Abide Leier and James Quinton watched the defeat.
• Abide Leier abandoned the joint attack on Great Liang, while reports of the fleet’s destruction reached Abaddon and alarmed him about the unknown army.
• Abaddon considered aiding Ashina Tiandu against Great Liang after Morandi warned that Frostwest was close to falling, and Alusi suggested that Great Liang might be the mysterious power.

Lin Yi strengthened Great Liang’s naval ambitions, drew the southwestern peoples into the empire, and sent Zheng He to explore overseas. As Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui advanced on Frostwest’s capital, Ashina Tiandu faced the prospect of their surrender to Great Liang.

• Abaddon blamed Lin Yi for Great Liang’s growing reach and sent forces to support Frostwest, while Ashina Tiandu struggled against Great Liang’s invasion and the loss of Moses Empire reinforcements.
• Great Liang destroyed the Moses Empire’s 300,000 reinforcements, and Lin Yi rejected Bill IV’s peace overtures while preparing for war with the Moses Empire.
• Lin Yi praised Ma Jun’s steam-engine experiments and workshop innovations, and ordered him to advance research on steam-powered warships.
• Zhang Ruohai and northern great families sponsored Great Liang’s maritime campaign, giving Liu Feng funds for hundreds of warships.
• Huo Guang defeated the southwestern delegation’s challengers, after which Kunshan agreed to submit to Great Liang and relinquish sovereignty.
• Zan Rihong told Lin Yi about a nautical chart of other continents, and Lin Yi recruited Zan Rihong and Nan Yiming for the Western Continent campaign.
• The system rewarded Lin Yi for winning over the southwestern leaders, and Lin Yi appointed Zheng He to lead an overseas expedition with ten thousand southwestern men.
• Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui led Great Liang’s two-million-strong army toward Frostwest’s capital, while Ashina Tiandu learned Lin Yi had sent envoys to seek the commanders’ submission.

Great Liang conquered Frostwest as Ashina Tiandu drew Great West and Moses forces into the conflict, while Lin Yi prepared to counter the invasion and received a delegation from the Xinma Empire. The stretch ended with Xinier explaining Xinma’s female-ruled origins and Cao Cao offering diplomatic help.

• Ashina Tiandu ordered Frostwest’s capital moved south and threatened Abaddon, who sent troops into Frostwest while plotting to take control of it.
• Huo Qubing captured Tiele City, and he and Xue Rengui submitted to Great Liang as Lin Rusong began securing Frostwest and undermining Ashina Tiandu’s authority.
• Zhang Bao exposed Ashina Tiandu’s agent David to Tiele City’s people, who killed him, then warned them that Great West and Moses forces were approaching.
• Lin Rusong defeated Frostwest’s army and took its capital, while Great Liang’s people celebrated and Li Siyuan resolved to join the western campaign.
• Lin Yi ordered Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui to strike into Great West and assigned Zhou Yu and Gan Ning to stop Abide Leier’s Moses troops.
• Lin Yi offered Ashina Mafa refuge in Great Liang under lifelong confinement and promised that Frostwest’s people would continue living under Liang rule.
• Lin Yi investigated the Xinma delegation, went incognito to meet its visitors, and defended Xinma women from Zhang Long and Zhao Hu’s crude behavior.
• Xinier described Xinma’s many islands and female-ruled society, and Cao Cao introduced himself as Great Liang’s Minister of Rites and offered to assist the delegation.