Chapter Summaries

Lin Yi arranged for the Great West Empire and Frostwest Empire envoys to compete for Great Liang’s favor while planning to publicly execute Jite to intimidate them. He left the court preparing to welcome the returning army and its prisoners the next morning.

• Zhao Yun reported that the Great West Empire and Frostwest Empire envoys had nearly fought at the capital’s gates, and Lin Yi ordered Zhang Fei to lodge them in the same courtyard.
• Jia Xu proposed extracting money and resources from both empires and the Black Skull Army in exchange for Great Liang’s friendship and peace.
• Lin Yi told Mi Zhu that an alliance to attack the Frostwest Empire would cost more than maintaining peace, and Mi Zhu hurried to discuss the price with Zhang Fei.
• Guo Jia guessed that Lin Yi planned to execute Jite to frighten the two western empires, and Lin Yi confirmed the plan.
• Lin Yi announced that he would welcome the army and its prisoners the next morning and publicly behead Jite and the others.

Lin Yi ordered a massive campaign against the Yamata Nation after confirming its location, while using the announced war to conceal Great Liang’s buildup in the southwest. The chapter left the Zhennan Dynasty unaware that Great Liang was preparing to invade it as well.

• Lin Yi ordered Cao Cao to prepare a public prisoner spectacle and invite foreign envoys to watch.
• Wang Yue reported that the nautical chart locating the Yamata Nation was genuine, and Lin Yi ordered four hundred thousand troops under five generals to attack it.
• Lin Yi gave Zhang Liao a blood-red card marked “Kill” for Ran Min and ordered Cao Cao to publicize the war against the Yamata Nation.
• Lin Yi told Guan Yu to continue preparing for war in the southwest and ordered him to join Zhang He and Meng Huo there.
• The court realized Lin Yi was using the Yamata campaign to hide Great Liang’s military buildup against the Zhennan Dynasty, and Guo Jia joked that Lin Yi showed no martial virtue.

Lin Yi approved a plan to catch the Zhennan Dynasty off guard and insisted that no one could criticize his martial virtue. Meanwhile, Frostwest Empire’s Ashley worried about Great Liang’s ties with the Great West Empire and planned to get Zhang Fei drunk to probe him.

• Lin Yi rejected Jia Xu’s offer to take the blame and accepted praise for devising a strategy against the Zhennan Dynasty.
• Ashley questioned Abucha about Great Liang’s talks with the Great West Empire and felt reassured that they were discussing payment for trade.
• Ashley asked about Zhang Fei’s temperament, and Abucha warned him that Zhang Fei was hot-tempered and a formidable fighter.
• Cha’er pointed out that Zhang Fei loved drinking, so Ashley decided to use the Frostwest Empire’s grape wine to get him drunk.

Zhang Fei drank with Ashley and the visiting Frostwest Empire delegation, turning their attempt to question him into a drinking contest. After Ashley mentioned Li Anlan, Zhang Fei got drunk and attacked him, leaving Xu You to apologize and promise to fetch ginger soup.

• Ashley praised Zhang Fei and offered him mild grape wine, while Zhang Fei ordered Xu You to bring out hard liquor.
• Zhang Fei bragged about his martial and artistic accomplishments, drank Ashley’s grape wine, and offered him Hero’s Wine in return.
• Ashley struggled with the strong liquor as Abucha and Cha’er joined the drinking, while Zhang Fei asked when Ashley had visited Great Liang.
• Ashley said Li Anlan had invited him when Great Liang was still Great Ning, and Zhang Fei flew into a rage and punched him.
• Cha’er explained that Zhang Fei became violent when drunk, and Xu You apologized to Ashley before going to prepare ginger soup.

Ashley questioned the drunken Zhang Fei about Great Liang’s plans and learned that its emperor was focused on trade with the West and had sent four hundred thousand troops to subdue the Yamata Nation. Ashley saw an opportunity for the Frostwest Empire to avoid being attacked from two sides by replacing the Great West Empire in trade with Great Liang.

• Ashley stopped Cha'er from intervening and ordered him to watch the door while he drank with Zhang Fei.
• Ashley coaxed Zhang Fei into revealing that the Great West Empire wanted to partition the Frostwest Empire, but Great Liang viewed it chiefly as a trade partner.
• Zhang Fei explained that Great Liang had established a Ministry of Commerce to develop trade with western markets.
• Zhang Fei told Ashley and Abucha that Great Liang had sent four hundred thousand troops to subdue the Yamata Nation.
• Abucha celebrated the Yamata Nation’s attack for drawing Great Liang’s attention away from the Frostwest Empire.
• Ashley concluded that the Frostwest Empire needed to replace the Great West Empire in trade with Great Liang, alongside pursuing a marriage alliance.

Ashley tried to probe Zhang Fei and win his goodwill while seeking an alliance between Frostwest and Great Liang, but both men pretended to pass out drunk. After Zhang Fei and Xu You discussed the diplomatic game, Zhang ordered information about Ashley’s visit passed to the Great West Empire to pressure both rivals into making better offers.

• Ashley explained that he wanted to disrupt the Great Liang–Great West alliance, secure trade and a marriage alliance, and establish ties with Great Liang.
• Zhang Fei collapsed drunk, and Ashley told Abucha to introduce his cousin to Zhang Fei before pretending to pass out himself.
• After Abucha and the others left, Zhang Fei revealed that he had been pretending, and Xu You emerged from behind a hidden door and criticized his plan to use the handsome-man stratagem.
• Xu You explained that Ashley might have genuinely been overwhelmed by Hero’s Wine, though his offer to introduce his cousin was also a gesture of goodwill.
• Zhang Fei ordered Xu You to secretly inform the Great West Empire that Ashley had visited, intending to use the rivalry to secure better terms for Great Liang.

Morandi and Alusi prepared to meet Lin Yi after learning that the emperor had arranged a ceremony to present Jite, while Lin Yi gathered officials, envoys, and citizens at the city gate. The victorious army arrived as ceremonial music began, and the story left the captives’ presentation about to start.

• Morandi dismissed Alusi’s concern about Ashley approaching Zhang Fei and decided to seek an alliance by visiting Lin Yi with gifts.
• A guard told Morandi that Lin Yi had invited the envoys to a ceremony for the returning army and the captured Jite, and Morandi agreed to attend despite suspecting a show of force.
• Lin Yi canceled morning court and brought his officials to the city gate, where crowds gathered to celebrate Great Liang’s victory in the Western Regions.
• Lin Yi asked Cao Cao whether the foreign envoys had arrived, and Cao Cao confirmed that Zhang Fei had pressured them into attending.
• The returning army approached the city gate, and Cao Cao ordered ceremonial music to welcome the soldiers.

The Qihuo Army arrives before the foreign envoys, displaying Great Liang’s military strength, and Lin Yi praises the soldiers as heroes. Ran Min then brings Jite and other Western Regions war criminals before the emperor, where Jite begs for mercy.

• The Qihuo Army arrives under Ran Min, and foreign envoys react with fear as Morandi recalls its victories over the Western Regions and the Frostwest Empire.
• Ashley denies that the Frostwest Empire retreated without fighting, while Lin Yi observes that the army’s presence proves strength matters in diplomacy.
• Ran Min salutes Lin Yi, who praises the soldiers for defending Great Liang and reclaiming its old Western Regions territory.
• Ran Min orders Jite, Ase, and the other prisoners brought forward.
• Jite kneels before Lin Yi and calls himself a guilty subject, hoping the emperor will spare his life.

Lin Yi executed Jite’s remaining captives and announced rewards for Great Liang’s troops, including the Heroes Memorial Tower for those who served the country. The announcement filled Great Liang’s soldiers with zeal and left the Western delegations fearing the growing empire.

• Lin Yi condemned Jite as a criminal against Great Liang, and Ran Min silenced him by planting a foot on him.
• Lin Yi ordered Zhang Fei to dispose of Jite and had the other captives executed, sparing Ase because of his supposedly inventive surrender.
• Lin Yi promised campaign soldiers promotions, rewards, benefits for their descendants, and a place in the Heroes Memorial Tower for anyone who rendered meritorious service.
• Wang Yue knelt and thanked Lin Yi on behalf of the Net, moved that its fallen members could finally be honored.
• Ashley and Morandi feared that the Heroes Memorial Tower would make Great Liang’s troops fight more fiercely and concluded that the powerful empire threatened the West.

Great Liang celebrated the Heroes Memorial Tower and eagerly prepared for war against the Yamata Nation. In Yong'an City, Princess Anne and envoy Ashley met Lin Yi, whose frankness about his reputation as an invader unsettled their diplomatic performance.

• Great Liang's soldiers and citizens rejoiced over the Heroes Memorial Tower, whose honors and benefits extended to descendants and were open to anyone who made great contributions.
• After news spread that Great Liang would send four hundred thousand troops against the Yamata Nation, soldiers rushed to volunteer, while Western countries felt relieved that Great Liang would turn its attention overseas.
• Ashley brought Princess Anne of the Frostwest Empire to meet Lin Yi at the imperial palace, where Anne showed admiration and curiosity about him.
• Lin Yi praised Anne's beauty, and Ashley presented her as an admirer who had come to Great Liang because of Lin Yi's reputation.
• Anne praised Lin Yi's conquests, but Lin Yi remarked that the West probably regarded him as an invader, leaving Ashley uncomfortable.

Princess Anne tried to persuade Lin Yi that Great Liang’s conquest of the Western Regions made him its rightful ruler, while Ashley worried that Great Liang’s military strength threatened the Frostwest Empire. Lin Yi praised her but showed no intention of negotiating without tangible benefits, leaving Ashley to rely on her to salvage the talks.

• Ashley warned Cha’er that Great Liang still had over two million troops despite sending four hundred thousand to the Yamata Nation, and could threaten the Frostwest Empire.
• Princess Anne told Lin Yi that the victor became king and that Great Liang therefore ruled the conquered Western Regions.
• Lin Yi praised Princess Anne’s intelligence and fluency in Great Liang’s language, but made clear that compliments would not secure an agreement.
• Princess Anne explained that she had studied Great Liang’s language and aimed to delay its move against the Frostwest Empire.
• Lin Yi repeatedly redirected discussion of relations between the two countries, prompting Ashley to fear the negotiations would fail without concrete concessions.
• Ashley looked to Princess Anne for help, and she gave him a slight nod.

Lin Yi rejected Bill III’s proposed marriage alliance with Princess Anne and used the talks to press the Frostwest Empire for more concessions. Ashley left without an agreement and encountered Morandi, whose Great West Empire delegation prepared to negotiate next despite concerns that the Yamata Nation’s invasion would occupy Great Liang’s forces.

• Ashley presented Bill III’s letter proposing Princess Anne’s marriage to Lin Yi and promising Great Liang unrestricted passage through Frostwest trade routes.
• Lin Yi refused the proposal, citing Anne’s freedom to choose her husband, and Ashley failed to secure a clearer commitment from him.
• Lin Yi agreed to let Anne stay in the palace under the empress’s care and directed Ashley to seek help from Grand Herald Zhang Fei.
• Ashley encountered Morandi outside the hall and warned that Great Liang’s war against the Yamata Nation could undermine the Great West Empire’s plans.
• Alusi reported that the Yamata Nation had mobilized four hundred thousand troops, but Morandi remained confident that Great Liang’s larger forces left room for negotiation.

Lin Yi and his officials discussed Princess Anne, judged the Frostwest Empire weak and stingy, and received a more generous offer from the Great West Empire. After Morandi arrived, he asked Lin Yi what he thought of partitioning the Frostwest Empire.

• Xun Yu and Cao Cao praised Princess Anne as a suitable imperial consort, and Lin Yi struck Cao Cao for joking about winning her over with love.
• Guo Jia and Zhang Liao argued that the Frostwest Empire was declining, while Lin Yi said it still needed more pressure.
• Zhao Yun presented the Great West Empire’s gift list, which showed that Abaddon had offered Frostwest resources as an advance.
• Morandi and his delegation entered the hall and paid respects to Lin Yi, who welcomed them warmly.
• Morandi asked Lin Yi for his thoughts on partitioning the Frostwest Empire.

Lin Yi weighed the Great West Empire’s request to partition the Frostwest Empire against the Frostwest Empire’s offer of Princess Anne as a concubine. He acknowledged the Great West Empire’s friendship but left the partition question open, while Morandi recognized that the Frostwest Empire’s alliance with Great Liang was a serious danger.

• Morandi urged Lin Yi to partition the Frostwest Empire, warning that its ambitions threatened Great Liang.
• Jia Xu revealed that the Frostwest Empire had offered gifts and Princess Anne as a concubine, making an attack politically difficult for Great Liang.
• Morandi argued that Princess Anne should not outweigh the strategic need to prevent the Frostwest Empire from rising again.
• Lin Yi accepted the Great West Empire’s friendship but said he would consider partitioning the Frostwest Empire.
• After leaving the palace, Morandi condemned Bill III’s decision to offer Princess Anne, while Alusi and Sangdu described Great Liang’s military strength.

Morandi and the Great West delegation reconsider how to deal with Great Liang, then discover Great Liang is mobilizing troops to attack Yamata Nation. They watch the Qihuo Army assemble and recognize its formidable discipline and equipment.

• Morandi ordered his side to send more gifts and beauties to Great Liang while waiting for the Frostwest Empire to become more desperate.
• Sangdu pointed out that Lin Yi was unlikely to be swayed by Princess Anne because he already had beautiful palace guards.
• Morandi concluded that Great Liang was using competition between the Great West and Frostwest Empires to secure greater benefits.
• Morandi and his delegation saw troops and supplies moving east and realized Great Liang was preparing to attack Yamata Nation.
• Morandi recognized the assembling force as the Qihuo Army and admired its discipline, full-body armor, and strength.

Ashley and Abucha saw Great Liang’s army heading to destroy the Yamata Nation and feared its strength, while Lin Yi and his advisers assessed the Frostwest Empire’s vulnerable position. The chapter left Great Liang considering the conquest of the west, with Zhang Juzheng warning that the Frostwest Empire and Great West Empire might unite, though Xun Yu doubted they could trust each other.

• Ashley and Abucha watched Great Liang’s elite force depart for the Yamata Nation and worried that its weapons and armor could overwhelm the Frostwest Empire.
• Lin Yi, Guo Jia, and the others studied a detailed sand table showing the western powers and the Frostwest Empire’s multiple fronts.
• Lin Yi judged that the Frostwest Empire was nearing collapse and that Bill III lacked the ability to save it.
• Cao Cao and Jia Xu joked that Lin Yi could conquer the Frostwest Empire and rescue Princess Anne, while Lin Yi dismissed the need for a pretext for conquest.
• Zhang Juzheng warned that the Great West Empire and Frostwest Empire might join forces, but Xun Yu argued their mutual distrust would prevent an effective alliance.

Lin Yi learned that Net had infiltrated the Western Regions and cultivated dozens of bandit groups amid the west's turmoil. He ordered Great Liang to prepare a swift campaign against the Zhennan Dynasty, clearing the way for a future invasion of the west.

• Wang Yue presented Lin Yi with a register showing that Net had infiltrated more than three thousand agents and established around forty organizations in the west.
• Lin Yi rewarded Wang Yue with access to two treasury treasures and a large residence after hearing of Net's success.
• Wang Yue explained that Net had exploited chaos among the Frostwest Empire, the Great West Empire, and the Black Skull Army to cultivate dozens of bandit gangs.
• Jia Xu said that Net's backing from Great Liang could let it grow powerful enough to rival the Black Skull Army and eventually become a major western power.
• Lin Yi told Zhang Liao to send weapons, especially red-clad cannons, to the Zhennan Dynasty front and declared that Great Liang would destroy the dynasty's million-strong army.
• Lin Yi said that after more than a month of recovery, Lü Bu and the others were ready to strike at the Zhennan Dynasty.

Lin Yi outlined Great Liang’s plans to exploit the southwestern countries’ destruction, stock supplies for the campaign, weaken the Great West Empire through luxury trade, and monitor the Yamata Nation. Meanwhile, Princess Anne entered the imperial harem and met Li Mingzhu, the Empress of the Western Palace.

• Lin Yi’s ministers discussed how Great Liang would let the Zhennan Dynasty destroy the small countries and then seize their territory.
• Lin Yi ordered Mi Zhu to ensure ample grain for the southwest and directed officials to use eastern luxury goods to erode the Great West Empire.
• Lin Yi instructed the Net to watch the Yamata Nation, while Zhang Liao reported that Zhou Yu’s exploration ships could cut off its retreat and assist in a crisis.
• Princess Anne admired the imperial garden but worried that her fate lay in Great Liang’s hands.
• Princess Anne met Li Mingzhu, the Empress of the Western Palace, and respectfully paid her respects.

Li Mingzhu welcomed Princess Anne to Great Liang and explained how far Lin Yi surpassed even the empire’s strongest fighters. When Anne questioned his strength, Li Mingzhu challenged her to a sword fight, leaving them poised to duel.

• Li Mingzhu greeted Princess Anne and invited her to call her Sister Shenle.
• Anne praised Great Liang but admitted that her marriage to Lin Yi was a matter of state, not choice.
• Li Mingzhu said Lin Yi could defeat Lü Bu, Wang Yue, and Qiling even if they fought together.
• Anne expressed disbelief at Lin Yi’s strength, so Li Mingzhu drew her sword and challenged her.
• Anne realized Li Mingzhu meant to fight in Lin Yi’s stead and drew her own sword.

Princess Anne challenged Princess Shenle to a sword fight but lost, and Ma Ling'er then stepped forward to challenge Anne so she could cut in line to marry His Majesty. The chapter ended with Anne staring nervously at Ma Ling'er's massive greatsword and wondering whether to fight.

• Princess Anne and Princess Shenle fought with their swords, and Shenle gained the upper hand.
• Cai Yan and Ma Ling'er arrived to watch, and Cai Yan explained Shenle's skill while Ma Ling'er mocked Anne's fencing.
• Princess Shenle disarmed Anne, returned her rapier, and told her to learn her place and submit to the strong.
• Ma Ling'er blocked Anne with her greatsword and said she wanted to defeat her and cut in line to marry His Majesty.
• Princess Anne swallowed as she faced Ma Ling'er and wondered whether to fight.