Chapter Summaries

Lin Yi reviewed his rewards and summoned Xun Yu, who advised him to make Ningchuan Commandery Xiliang’s main base and keep Xiliang Commandery as a secondary capital. Lin Yi appointed Xun Yu governor of Ningchuan Commandery and left him to integrate and rebuild it, despite the threat of Great Ning.

• Lin Yi assessed his rewards, including river warships, a doubled loyalty bonus, two hundred thousand people, and two thousand administrative talents.
• Lin Yi summoned Xun Yu and asked whether Xiliang’s administrative seat should be in Xiliang Commandery or Ningchuan Commandery.
• Xun Yu advised Lin Yi to focus on Ningchuan Commandery for its strategic position and river trade, while retaining Xiliang Commandery as a secondary capital.
• Lin Yi accepted Xun Yu’s recommendation and decided to settle most of the new population in Ningchuan Commandery to strengthen it.
• Lin Yi appointed Xun Yu governor of Ningchuan Commandery and charged him with its integration and reconstruction.

Lin Yi and Xun Yu discussed exploiting Great Ning’s conflicts and preparing to defeat the Northern Barbarians, while Xun Yu took charge of Ningchuan Commandery. Seeing that Xiliang’s forces had grown to four hundred thousand, Lin Yi called a military conference to reorganize them.

• Lin Yi agreed that Xiliang should use the fighting between Great Ning and the Northern Barbarians to strengthen itself, then target the Northern Barbarians when the weather allowed.
• Xun Yu urged Lin Yi to support the southern native chieftains rebelling against Li Zhengdao, Prince of Shu, to keep Great Ning occupied.
• Lin Yi appointed Xun Yu to direct those serving under him and tasked him with developing Ningchuan Commandery.
• Lin Yi calculated that Xiliang commanded four hundred thousand troops and decided to divide its forces into distinct branches rather than keep them grouped as Northern Liang Iron Cavalry.
• Lin Yi ordered Wang Yue to summon all Xiliang generals and above, including Jia Xu and Ma Chao, to a military conference at the princely residence in two days.

Lin Yi learned that Li Anlan’s imperial edict had been delayed because its substantial reward needed a ship to transport it, so he arranged to bring the envoys back quickly. He reviewed Cai Yan’s first newspaper and changed a military article’s headline to “Have you ever risked your life for someone!”

• Lin Yi questioned why Li Anlan’s imperial edict had not arrived, and Wang Yue said the reward was too large for ordinary transport.
• Lin Yi ordered Wang Yue to take a tower ship to Wuning Commandery and bring the imperial envoys back before Li Anlan could change his mind.
• Lin Yi deployed a tower ship and a warship, then attended to other arrangements, including Gao Shun and the Northern Liang cavalry.
• Haitang told Lin Yi that Cai Yan had worked through the night revising the newspaper, and Cai Yan soon brought him her completed first edition.
• Cai Yan explained the newspaper’s sections to Lin Yi, who approved the layout but replaced a military article’s headline with “Have you ever risked your life for someone!”

Lin Yi added a stirring account of his dream for the people to Cai Yan’s newspaper and showed her a design for rebuilding Ningchuan Commandery. He left Cai Yan and Haitang flustered after teasing that he would paint portraits of them without clothes.

• Cai Yan and Haitang praised Lin Yi for supposedly risking his life to avenge the dead people of Ningchuan Commandery, and Cai Yan offered to record his words for the newspaper.
• Lin Yi wrote an article describing his dream of abundance for the people and how sweet potatoes and potatoes could help make it real, then told Cai Yan to run it as the front-page headline for several days.
• Cai Yan noticed Lin Yi’s drawing of a grand new Ningchuan Commandery, and he confirmed that he had designed it himself.
• Haitang and Cai Yan asked Lin Yi to paint their portraits, and he teased that he specialized in painting natural beauty without adornment or clothes.
• Cai Yan blushed and retreated to the newspaper, while Haitang blushed but did not refuse Lin Yi’s offer.

Chen Dao told Lin Yi that Li Yunqing was gathering former subordinates and seeking Youning Commandery’s help to assassinate Tuoba Yu, while Tuoba Yu had invaded Great Wasteland Commandery. Lin Yi chose to let those matters unfold and heard that Ningchuan’s people supported him after he restored order and returned their stolen goods.

• Chen Dao reported that Li Yunqing had failed to recruit former subordinates and was seeking help from Youning Commandery to assassinate Tuoba Yu.
• Chen Dao said Tuoba Yu had entered Great Wasteland Commandery, where resistance was ineffective, and Lin Yi ordered his forces to finish purging Ningchuan Commandery and wait until their meeting before acting.
• Lin Yi and his companions heard teahouse patrons praise him for returning stolen grain and money, providing work, and planning to distribute sweet potatoes and potatoes.
• Lin Yi reflected that ordinary people wanted little beyond food and fair treatment, and noted that most of the supplies Tuoba Yu had plundered remained after the stolen goods were returned to the people.

Lin Yi inspected the reconstruction of Ping'an City and learned that some wealthy merchants and aristocratic scions wanted to flee, so he left their fate to Gongsun Zan. An imperial reward arrived amid great fanfare, and Lin Yi discovered it consisted of two enormous elephants.

• Lin Yi visited Ping'an City's damaged walls and praised the workers' progress under Liu Feng.
• Liu Feng told Lin Yi that wealthy merchants and aristocratic scions had tried to leave for other commanderies, and Lin Yi left Gongsun Zan to deal with them.
• An imperial envoy arrived with a reward so heavy that Wang Yue described it as strange and frightening.
• Two decorated elephants approached the prince's estate, and Lin Yi recognized them in shock.

Lin Yi and his advisers interpreted Emperor Li Anlan’s gift of two elephants as a deliberate insult, but Lin Yi chose to hear the envoy out before reacting. Tan Cheng approached the Prince of Northern Ning’s residence confident that Lin Yi could not challenge Great Ning, while Wei Tong warned him indirectly from experience.

• Gongsun Zan, Wang Yue, and Xun Yu reacted to the elephants and suspected Li Anlan had sent them to mock Lin Yi as a mayfly challenging a great tree.
• Qu Yi and Zhang Liao proposed answering the insult by capturing a tiger or killing the elephants, but Lin Yi refused and considered the elephants useful mounts.
• Lin Yi decided to wait for imperial envoy Tan Cheng and thought that his four hundred thousand troops made it unclear who would put whom in their place.
• Tan Cheng dismissed the danger from Lin Yi, while Wei Tong recalled how his own confidence had cost him his position as commander of the Great Ning Guard.
• Tan Cheng’s convoy brought the elephants toward the Prince of Northern Ning’s residence, drawing crowds who wondered whether the creatures were mounts or food.

Lin Yi stopped Tan Cheng’s elephant procession from endangering the people, then received an imperial decree making him Prince of Xiliang for his military service. The crowd concluded that the Lin Clan’s power now made it supreme in the north.

• Lin Yi ordered Gao Shun and the Formation-Breaking Camp to stop the charging elephants, threatening to kill them if necessary.
• Wei Tong warned Tan Cheng that Lin Yi’s men would attack, and Tan Cheng halted the procession and ordered the elephants restrained.
• Lin Yi challenged Tan Cheng’s claim that the elephants were divine rarities, and Tan Cheng presented the imperial decree.
• Tan Cheng proclaimed Lin Yi Prince of Xiliang and awarded him ten thousand taels of gold, the elephants, and jewelry for defeating Tuoba Yu and relieving Ningchuan Commandery.
• The commoners marveled at Lin Yi’s promotion and predicted that the Lin Clan would dominate northern Great Ning.

Lin Yi accepted the title of Prince of Xiliang, then learned the emperor had appointed Ran Zijin as Xiliang’s chancellor to keep a loyal presence in his territory. As Tan Cheng inspected Lin Yi’s forces and asked about the White Horse General, Lin Yi claimed he had no authority over the mercenary troops.

• Zhang Ci and Hao Datong speculated that the emperor had made Lin Yi a prince because his army had become too powerful to ignore.
• Lin Yi accepted the imperial edict naming him Prince of Xiliang and invited Tan Cheng into his residence.
• Tan Cheng produced a second edict appointing Ran Zijin, Lin Yi’s old enemy, as Xiliang’s chancellor.
• Ran Zijin accepted the appointment and paid his respects to Lin Yi, while Lin Yi’s subordinates watched him with hostility.
• Tan Cheng asked where Lin Yi’s White Horse General was, and Lin Yi said the White Horse Volunteers only worked for money and did not obey him.

Lin Yi hosted Tan Cheng and Ran Zijin while concealing the truth about the White Horse Tribe, then discussed elephants and cavalry with his subordinates. He decided Ran Zijin was a threat to Xiliang’s rapid development and ordered his men to kill him that night.

• Tan Cheng questioned Lin Yi about the White Horse Tribe, and Lin Yi claimed its warriors were savage fighters who would do anything for gold.
• Lin Yi had Zhou Cang recount the pursuit of Tuoba Yu while he excused himself from the reception.
• Gao Shun proposed using elephants as mounts for the Formation-Breaking Camp, but Lin Yi rejected large-scale use and pointed to Western Regions warhorses as a more practical option.
• Gongsun Zan warned Lin Yi that Li Anlan had sent Ran Zijin to stir up trouble in Xiliang.
• Lin Yi ordered his subordinates to take Ran Zijin out that night.

Lin Yi learned from Tan Cheng’s probing that Li Anlan still planned to make a comeback and decided to prepare his warships sooner. Meanwhile, Tan Cheng dismissed warnings about Lin Yi and judged his forces to be divided and weak.

• Lin Yi assigned Gongsun Zan to deal with Ran Zijin, while Xun Yu and He Jin explained that Ran was gambling on surviving long enough to become Xiliang’s chancellor.
• Lin Yi concluded that Tan Cheng’s probing showed Li Anlan remained unwilling to accept defeat and decided to deploy his warships sooner.
• Tan Cheng returned from dinner with Zhou Cang furious that Lin Yi had sent him a braggart instead of receiving him personally.
• Ran Zijin warned Tan Cheng that Lin Yi had warships and should not be provoked, but Tan Cheng dismissed him as frightened.
• Tan Cheng argued that Lin Yi’s troops were a divided motley force, describing Gongsun Zan, Qu Yi, Guan Hai, and He Jin as liabilities or potential defections.

Ran Zijin learned that Lin Yi had secured Ningchuan Commandery and positioned his forces to defend it, then angrily rejected Tan Cheng’s reckless plan to sow discord. He prepared to visit the Prince of Xiliang with gifts, leaving Tan Cheng behind in Xiliang.

• Wei Tong reported that Lin Yi returned Tuoba Yu’s stolen valuables to the people, reassured them, and recruited workers to build the city walls.
• Wei Tong described Lin Yi’s troop deployments: Gao Shun and Guan Hai guarded Xiliang Commandery, Gongsun Zan’s White Horse Volunteers watched Little Pine Mountain, He Jin’s troops prepared to garrison the Great Ning River, and Qu Yi protected Lin Yi.
• Ran Zijin recognized that Lin Yi’s forces were positioned to hold Ningchuan Commandery against Great Ning.
• Tan Cheng proposed sowing discord among Lin Yi’s commanders, and Ran Zijin shouted at him to get out before warning him not to cause trouble.
• Ran Zijin went to the Ran Clan’s inn and ordered his relatives to prepare gifts so they could visit the Prince of Xiliang immediately.

Ran Zijin tried to placate Lin Yi, but Gongsun Zan killed him at the inn. After learning of the murder, Tan Cheng and Wei Tong fled Ningchuan Commandery to save themselves.

• Ran Zijin ordered Uncle De to visit Lin Yi immediately and show respect, hoping to avoid provoking him.
• Gongsun Zan broke into Ran Zijin's room, killed him, and ordered his men to dispose of the bodies.
• A surviving Ran Clan member reported Ran Zijin's murder to Tan Cheng, who realized Lin Yi's men were responsible.
• Wei Tong told Tan Cheng that Gongsun Zan had been seen entering the inn, though they had no proof.
• Tan Cheng and Wei Tong decided to flee at once rather than risk becoming the next targets.

After Tan Cheng fled and Ran Zijin was killed, Lin Yi rejected Li Anlan’s apparent attempt to claim Ningchuan Commandery and ordered Xiliang to reinforce its defenses and train its troops. As preparations continued for the first Xiliang conference, Wang Yue confirmed that Ma Chao and the others would arrive the next day, while Lin Yi revealed that Bai and Yi Yun were already there.

• Wang Yue told Lin Yi that Tan Cheng had fled and Ran Zijin had been killed by Gongsun Zan while bringing gifts.
• Wang Yue reported that the emperor had appointed Ran Zijin’s youngest son, Ran Hao, governor of Tianshui Commandery, and Lin Yi concluded the appointment was part of a deal.
• Lin Yi refused to pursue Tan Cheng, declared that he would not hand over Ningchuan Commandery, and ordered stronger defenses along the Great Ning River.
• Lin Yi ordered Chen Dao and Gao Shun to train He Jin’s imperial guards and Guan Hai’s Yellow Turban Army, and assigned He Jin a guide to pig farming to improve the soldiers’ meals.
• Wang Yue told Lin Yi that Ma Chao and the others were expected to arrive at Little Pine Mountain the next day, and Lin Yi said Bai and Yi Yun were already there.

Bai Zizai and Yi Yun heard rumors that the Prince of Xiliang had killed Chancellor Ran Zijin and struggled to comprehend how far Lin Yi had surpassed their expectations. They encountered Zhang Ci, who asked Lin Yi for help defending Youning Commandery from the Northern Barbarians.

• Bai Zizai and Yi Yun heard people in Xiliang claim that the Prince of Xiliang had killed Chancellor Ran Zijin, and the frightened crowd scattered.
• Bai Zizai admitted that Lin Yi had become unfathomable, while Yi Yun lamented that his Northern Liang Guard had failed to learn of Lin Yi's conquest of Ningchuan Commandery and his 150,000 troops.
• Bai Zizai spotted Zhang Ci and Hao Datong near the prince's residence and drew his saber, suspecting they had come to plot against Lin Yi.
• Zhang Ci explained that he wanted to ask Lin Yi for support because Tuoba Yu's invasion of Great Wasteland Commandery threatened Youning Commandery.
• Bai Zizai refused to decide the matter and told Zhang Ci to speak with Lin Yi.

Zhang Ci and Hao Datong watched Lin Yi’s forces arrive and realized that he had seized the Northern Barbarians’ rear base and commanded five powerful legions. Zhang Ci warned Hao Datong not to provoke Lin Yi, but Wang Yue suddenly appeared behind him.

• Zhang Ci hesitated to seek Lin Yi’s help because Lin Yi had openly killed Ran Zijin, but feared Great Wasteland Commandery would fall to Tuoba Yu.
• Ma Chao returned with the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, and Hao Datong inferred that Lin Yi had attacked the Northern Barbarians’ home base while Tuoba Yu marched away.
• Zhang Liao, Gongsun Zan, Qu Yi, and Gao Shun arrived with the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, White Horse Volunteers, Vanguard Dare-to-Die Warriors, and Formation-Breaking Camp, revealing Lin Yi’s five legions.
• Hao Datong warned Zhang Ci not to offend Lin Yi, and Zhang Ci told him to keep quiet and remember Ran Zijin’s fate.
• Hao Datong agreed to pretend he had seen nothing, but Wang Yue suddenly placed a hand on Zhang Ci’s shoulder.

Wang Yue brought Zhang Ci and Hao Datong to meet Lin Yi, who introduced Cai Yan’s newly completed newspaper to his assembled followers. The first article, “The Heir’s Dream,” proclaimed Lin Yi’s ambitions and Xiliang’s claim to Ningchuan Commandery, leaving Zhang Ci uneasy as Lin Yi’s men praised his vision.

• Wang Yue revealed that the Net had tracked Zhang Ci and Hao Datong since they entered Xiliang and escorted them to Lin Yi.
• Zhang Ci and Hao Datong entered Lin Yi’s residence and waited with Ma Chao and the others outside a guarded workshop.
• Lin Yi emerged with Cai Yan and announced that she had completed the newspaper, then distributed copies to everyone.
• Zhang Ci read the newspaper’s opening article, “The Heir’s Dream,” which described Lin Yi’s hopes for the common people and asserted Xiliang’s right to control Ningchuan Commandery.
• Xun Yu, Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, and Ma Chao praised Lin Yi’s ambition, while Zhang Ci grew alarmed at their talk of saving the people of Northern Liang and Xiliang.

Lin Yi revealed pinyin as a tool for teaching people to read and tasked Cai Yan with leading the Northern Daily. He announced that the paper would cost five wen with unlimited copies, while Zhang Ci realized its reach could threaten the emperor and Hao Datong became an enthusiastic supporter of Lin Yi.

• Lin Yi said he wanted the people under his rule to have enough to eat and live happily, deepening Zhang Ci's wariness of his influence.
• Xun Yu asked about pinyin, and Cai Yan explained how its letters, finals, and tones could teach readers to pronounce characters.
• Zhang Ci tried spelling his own name with pinyin and realized Lin Yi could use the newspaper to spread messages throughout the north, potentially turning people against the emperor.
• Xun Yu and Cai Yan discussed teaching pinyin through public notices and officials, and Lin Yi appointed Cai Yan editor-in-chief of the Northern Daily with Xun Yu's full cooperation.
• Lin Yi set the newspaper's price at five wen per copy with no limit on quantity, shocking Zhang Ci with the apparent expense.
• Hao Datong praised Lin Yi as a true man for standing against Tuoba Yu, and Zhang Ci was startled by his brother's fervor.

Lin Yi’s men praised his past victory over Tuoba Yu and declared their willingness to die for him, prompting Lin Yi to test Zhang Ci and Hao Datong’s allegiance. Zhang Ci asked Lin Yi to protect Youning Commandery from the Northern Barbarians, but Lin Yi refused payment and left them bewildered by his lack of interest in money.

• Hao Datong and Zhang Ci read about Lin Yi’s stand against Tuoba Yu’s hundred-thousand-man army and praised his courage.
• Ma Chao, Zhang Liao, Gongsun Zan, and the others declared they would risk their lives for Lin Yi.
• Lin Yi asked Zhang Ci and Hao Datong why they had come, and Zhang Ci requested help defending Youning Commandery from Tuoba Yu.
• Lin Yi refused to intervene because the Northern Barbarians did not currently threaten Xiliang.
• Zhang Ci offered compensation, but Lin Yi said he had no interest in money, leaving Zhang Ci and Hao Datong stunned.

Lin Yi refused to send troops to Youning Commandery without imperial authorization, while using a show of military strength to deter Great Ning and prepare for future expansion. He revealed plans to cultivate trade connections through Zhang Ci and Hao Datong, then told Cai Yan to begin distributing the newspaper.

• Lin Yi told Zhang Ci and Hao Datong that he could not intervene in Youning Commandery without an imperial order, but promised to shelter them and their people in Ningchuan Commandery.
• Zhang Ci and Hao Datong left after accepting Lin Yi's offer of refuge if Tuoba Yu attacked.
• Lin Yi explained that the military display was meant to deter Li Anlan from attacking and prevent Great Ning from disrupting his campaign against the Northern Barbarians.
• Wang Yue revealed that Zhang Ci and Hao Datong had influential northern connections that could help open trade routes.
• Lin Yi told Cai Yan to begin distributing the newspaper the next day so it could carry his message throughout Xiliang.