Chapter Summaries

Abide Leier led the Land of the Far West’s forces against the Great West Empire, then decided to gather intelligence and secretly bring in reinforcements so his family could seize the continent. In Great Liang, Abaddon and Morandi discussed how Great Liang’s strength had left them unable to pursue their plans against the Frostwest Empire, while Abaddon awaited the banquet where Lin Yi’s intentions would be revealed.

• Abide Leier questioned whether the Great West Empire could have plundered his family’s fleet, as its soldiers and equipment seemed too weak.
• Abide Leier rebuked James Quinton’s jokes and concerns, then declared that the Abide Family had to avenge the theft of its tribute and protect its honor.
• Abide Leier ordered his subordinates to gather intelligence, summon more troops from home, and conceal their plans from the Moshli Family and the Adolf Family.
• Abide Leier and James Quinton anticipated profits from conquering the new continent and treating its people and resources as spoils.
• Abaddon told Morandi that Great Liang’s strength had made it difficult to pursue a joint partition of the Frostwest Empire, and he awaited the banquet where Lin Yi’s purpose would become clear.

Abaddon and the allied kings attended Great Liang’s birthday banquet, where they learned that the gathering concerned the Land of the Far West. Lin Yi appeared and warned them that the distant power did concern them, leaving the kings alarmed and uncertain about his plans.

• Abaddon entered Yong'an City with the allied rulers and admired the birthday decorations, telling A Long to arrange a similar celebration for him.
• Abaddon noticed Bill III was already in the palace looking dejected and found him seated beside Li Yu, the former ruler of Southern Tang.
• Li Yu recited a sorrowful poem, and Bill III told Abaddon that Lin Yi had deliberately seated him beside a fallen ruler to curse the Frostwest Empire.
• Bill III said he knew only that Great Liang’s plans involved the Land of the Far West, prompting the small-country kings to question Abaddon about it.
• Lin Yi approached and told Abaddon and the other kings that the Land of the Far West did concern them.

Lin Yi revealed that an army from the Land of the Far West had landed on the Great West Empire’s coast, and explained how its colonial conquests enslaved occupied peoples. Abaddon and the western kings realized their nations faced a grave threat, while Bill III feared his empire would be next if the Great West Empire fell.

• Lin Yi told Abaddon that Great Liang’s intelligence had uncovered a new threat, prompting Abaddon to ask whether the Land of the Far West had reached his empire.
• Lin Yi handed Abaddon a report stating that one hundred thousand soldiers from the Land of the Far West had landed on the Great West Empire’s coastline.
• Abaddon had Alusi translate the report, which described the invading army’s plundering and warned that its colonial expansion could eventually threaten Great Liang.
• Lin Yi explained that the Land of the Far West occupied foreign territories, seized their resources, and enslaved their people as soldiers and laborers.
• The western kings feared their countries would be conquered and enslaved, while Bill III worried that his empire would be the invaders’ next target if the Great West Empire fell.

Abaddon learned that the Land of the Far West planned to seize colonies and resolved to defend the Great West Empire, but he had little information about the enemy. He sought Great Liang’s aid against the threat and instead gave Lin Yi an opening to send a massive force into the Western Regions, alarming Bill III.

• Abaddon learned that the Land of the Far West intended to take colonies and vowed to resist its invasion.
• Abaddon asked Lin Yi for more intelligence, but Lin Yi said Great Liang knew little beyond the information already shared.
• Abaddon appealed to Lin Yi for help against the Land of the Far West, presenting it as a common enemy of the continent.
• Lin Yi agreed and announced that he had ordered five hundred thousand troops to assemble and reinforce the Western Regions.
• Bill III realized Lin Yi’s reinforcements threatened him, while Abaddon regretted giving Lin Yi a pretext to send troops.

At Lin Yi’s birthday banquet, Abaddon and the Western kings tried to prevent Great Liang from sending reinforcements to the Western Regions, but Lin Yi insisted the army would go. After the hostile kings departed, Lin Yi reassured the rulers who had pledged allegiance and laid out their future status under Great Liang.

• Abaddon and the other Western kings insisted they could defeat the Land of the Far West without Great Liang’s help, but Lin Yi declared that reinforcements would be sent anyway.
• Lin Yi ended the discussion for his birthday celebration, and Abaddon and the other Western kings drank reluctantly before leaving the banquet.
• Li Yu warned Lin Yi that the departing kings would likely become enemies, while Lin Yi revealed that Xue Rengui was preparing a covert strike against the small countries.
• Guo Jia told the remaining kings that the Zhennan Dynasty was close to falling, prompting them to swear their loyalty to Great Liang.
• Lin Yi welcomed the pledged kings in Yong'an City, said their families could serve in Great Liang’s army but would lose their royal titles, and gave them Great Liang’s First Decree to read.

Lin Yi’s court explained Great Liang’s new decree, which ranked people by their loyalty and gave native citizens priority above all others. The surrendered kings learned they had been spared captive status and thanked Lin Yi, who told them to work diligently.

• The foreign rulers eagerly studied Great Liang’s First Decree with translators after Lin Yi presented it.
• Guo Jia and Jia Xu explained that the decree divided people into four classes and placed Great Liang’s native citizens’ interests above all else.
• Lin Yi said the decree would strengthen Great Liang’s people and help make Great Liang the world’s hegemon.
• The kings realized voluntary surrender had spared their people the burdens of fourth-class captive status and thanked Lin Yi for his mercy.
• Lin Yi pardoned the kings and told them to work diligently, saying he did not mistreat talented people.

Lin Yi secured the submission of several small kingdoms as Great Liang prepared to enter the West, then comforted Princess Anne and learned that her brother had been purging her supporters in the Frostwest Empire. He resolved to use her mistreatment as a reason to take action against the empire.

• Lin Yi accepted the kings' submission and ordered them to arrange a careful handover before Great Liang's forces entered the West.
• The kings agreed to send representatives immediately, while Lin Yi said Xu You would contact them.
• Lin Yi visited Princess Anne and reassured her that Great Liang would be her home.
• Princess Anne told Lin Yi that her brother had removed her mother's supporters and would not tolerate her return to the Frostwest Empire.
• Lin Yi condemned Anne's brother for bullying her and vowed to see justice done.

Princess Anne secured Lin Yi’s promise to spare Bill III, while Lin Yi prepared to exploit the West’s turmoil. After Abaddon and the other western rulers left Great Liang, the new Grand Western Alliance faced threats from both Great Liang and the powerful force from the Land of the Far West.

• Princess Anne tearfully asked Lin Yi to conquer the Frostwest Empire and spare her father, and Lin Yi agreed to keep Bill III under house arrest.
• News of the Land of the Far West spread through Great Liang, where people trusted that Lin Yi and General Ran Min would defend them.
• Abaddon accused Lin Yi of deceiving his people and ordered the western rulers to return home.
• Bill III demanded that Abaddon provide the promised troops and supplies, warning that he would surrender to Great Liang if he could not withstand its forces.
• Abaddon and Bill III privately plotted against each other as they hurried west with the other rulers, leaving the Grand Western Alliance facing dangers from both sides.

Great Liang's commanders prepared to attack Zhennan's million-strong army at Flying Hero Pass, where Zhou Yu's navy had already landed behind enemy lines. Li Ru proposed flooding the pass by diverting water from Dalang Valley, leaving the commanders to consider his plan.

• Zhang Liao and the other commanders discussed Zhou Yu's surprise landing behind Zhennan's lines and the coming battle at Flying Hero Pass.
• Lü Bu and Guan Yu competed to lead the vanguard, but Zhang Liao said the cannons would take the lead, and both men backed down.
• Zhang Liao warned that Flying Hero Pass's narrow Gourd Mouth and Nan Ke's prepared kindling could make a frontal assault costly.
• Li Ru pointed to Dalang Valley and proposed opening waterways to flood Flying Hero Pass because the pass lay at a lower elevation.

Li Ru revealed a plan to dam Dalang Valley and divert its floodwaters toward Flying Hero Pass, potentially annihilating Nan Ke’s million Zhennan soldiers, and the Great Liang commanders approved. As they finished planning the cleanup, Wang Yue arrived with an unknown companion, leaving the group anticipating important news.

• Li Ru explained that opening a passage for Dalang Valley’s waters could flood Flying Hero Pass, but said there was not enough time to do so secretly.
• Li Ru proposed blasting down mountains to dam Dalang Valley and diverting the flood toward Flying Hero Pass through channels his men had dug.
• Meng Huo and Zhang Liao supported the plan to spare Great Liang soldiers, and Li Ru claimed the stratagem had been devised by his subordinate Li Xu.
• Zhang Liao and Lü Bu praised Li Ru and agreed to defend him from criticism as the group arranged the cleanup.
• Wang Yue, commander of the Net, requested an audience and entered with an unfamiliar companion, surprising Zhang Liao.

Zhennan’s eldest prince, Nan Yiming, arrived at Great Liang’s camp offering to defect, but Li Ru decided to keep him in reserve until Nan Ke’s army was destroyed. Zhang Liao then hinted that Li Ru had prepared a way to break Flying Hero Pass without losing soldiers.

• Wang Yue brought Nan Yiming before the ministers and said he had chosen to help Great Liang restore order in the southwest.
• Zhang Liao and Li Ru discussed Nan Yiming’s limited usefulness, while Nan Yiming worried that Great Liang might reject his defection.
• Li Ru warmly welcomed Nan Yiming but told him he would not be forced to act against Zhennan, then had him escorted away under guard.
• Li Ru explained that Nan Yiming would be more valuable as Zhennan’s legitimate heir after Nan Ke’s army was destroyed, allowing Great Liang to advance under his name.
• Wang Yue learned that Great Liang still had to attack Flying Hero Pass, and Zhang Liao said Li Ru had devised a plan to destroy Zhennan’s million-strong army without sacrificing soldiers.

Li Ru revealed that his explosive-backed plan to flood Zhennan was ready to proceed, while Zhennan’s leaders trusted Lu Donghuchen’s new defenses to stop Great Liang. The chapter ended with Nan Ke wondering why his eldest son Yiming had sent no news.

• Wang Yue learned from Zhang Liao that Li Ru had devised a plan to overwhelm Zhennan and praised its ingenuity.
• Li Ru reported that preparations were complete and that the flood operation could begin that night.
• Zhang Liao and the others resolved to move quickly against Zhennan and welcomed the prospect of further campaigns in the west.
• Lu Donghuchen built trenches and low parapets to blunt Great Liang’s cannon fire and cavalry, earning praise from Nan Ke, Zan Rihong, and Zeri Longxi.
• Nan Ke approved using incendiary materials and poisons against Great Liang, then wondered why Yiming had not reported back.

Nan Ke learned that Great Liang had withdrawn its troops and credited the retreat to the treasures he had sent with the eldest prince. He planned to celebrate and negotiate over the passes, while believing Lin Yi had been bought off.

• Nan Ke hoped the gifts and the eldest prince would persuade Lin Yi to avoid war, but Lu Donghuchen warned him that Great Liang might take the gifts and attack anyway.
• A guard reported that Great Liang had withdrawn from the Flying Hero Pass area, and Nan Ke celebrated, assuming his son had persuaded Lin Yi.
• Nan Ke boasted that he had bought off Lin Yi, while Lu Donghuchen and Zan Rihong reacted with relief at the retreat.
• Nan Ke sent trusted aides to verify the report, and they confirmed Great Liang had withdrawn from Flying Hero Pass and yielded part of Pingyu Pass.
• Nan Ke announced a banquet and plans to negotiate over Pingyu Pass and Daxin Pass the next day.

After the announcement that Great Liang had withdrawn lifted morale in Zhennan, a flood suddenly rushed toward Flying Hero Pass, revealing a possible Great Liang trap. Nan Ke and his men fled toward the mountains, leaving the panicked crowd to fend for itself.

• Nan Ke announced Great Liang's withdrawal, and the people of Zhennan celebrated while crediting him with forcing the enemy to retreat.
• A distant rumble shook Flying Hero Pass, and Lu Donghuchen recognized the approaching sound as a flood.
• Zan Rihong suspected that Great Liang had diverted the waters of Dalang Valley toward Flying Hero Pass.
• Lu Donghuchen urged Nan Ke to flee to the highest mountain, and Nan Ke abandoned the crowd to escape.
• When the panicked people blocked the way, Nan Ke ordered Lu Donghuchen to carve a path through them.
• Lu Donghuchen and the guards killed civilians as they shouted, "Let His Majesty go first!"

Nan Ke ordered Lu Donghuchen to shoot Zhennan commoners who tried to stop them escaping, but the flood overtook Zhennan and devastated the city. At Flying Hero Pass, Li Ru celebrated his plan while Zhang Fei and the others looked forward to fighting survivors, and Sima Yi explained to Meng Huo why servants of a ruler should avoid earning too much merit.

• Zhennan commoners attacked Nan Ke and his party after they blocked their escape, and Nan Ke ordered Lu Donghuchen to have archers kill them.
• Nan Ke fled up a mountain as the flood reached Zhennan and swept away everything below.
• Li Ru watched the flood destroy Flying Hero Pass and claimed credit for the feat, while Zhang Fei complained that he had earned no merit.
• Zhang Liao pointed out that survivors might find shelter in the heights, cheering Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Lü Bu with the prospect of battle.
• Meng Huo asked Sima Yi why their command was not pursuing merit, and Sima Yi warned that a subject who eclipsed the ruler or exhausted the honors available could invite disaster.

After Great Liang’s flood devastated Zhennan’s army at Flying Hero Pass, Nan Ke reached safety on a mountaintop with only a few thousand men. He learned that Zan Rihong had abandoned him, then collapsed after coughing up blood, leaving Lu Donghuchen to face the danger of starvation and a possible Great Liang attack.

• Sima Yi watched the hot-air balloons appear and concluded that Zhennan had no escape from its defeat.
• Nan Ke escaped to a mountaintop and grieved as the flood destroyed most of his million-strong army and its supplies.
• Lu Donghuchen explained that Great Liang had diverted a torrent from Dalang Valley toward Flying Hero Pass.
• Nan Ke learned that Zan Rihong had fled alone, despite Lu Donghuchen knowing he planned to leave.
• Nan Ke threatened Zan Rihong, coughed up blood, and collapsed; a physician said he would recover, while Lu Donghuchen worried about hunger and Great Liang’s army.

Lu Donghuchen watched the flood devastate Flying Hero Pass and feared Great Liang’s aerial surveillance, while Zhennan’s soldiers and civilians struggled to escape the torrent. The survivors fled uphill as the flood continued to sweep people away, leaving Zhennan’s military and future in ruins.

• Lu Donghuchen spotted people hovering in the sky, recognized them as Great Liang’s forces, and tried unsuccessfully to shoot them down.
• Lu Donghuchen ordered his deputy generals to rest and prepare to evacuate Flying Hero Pass the next morning.
• Millions at Flying Hero Pass were caught in the flood, and survivors wept as people around them were swept away.
• A Zhennan general rebuked his subordinates for blaming others and urged everyone to climb to higher ground.
• Zhennan’s soldiers and civilians scrambled uphill, while those who fell behind were carried into the flood.

Zhang Tao's hot-air balloon squad scouted Zhennan's flooded positions and urinated on the people below, while Nan Ke and Lu Donghuchen searched for a way to escape the rising waters. By dawn, the flood had climbed past the mountainside, and Nan Ke realized Zhennan was trapped with no clear way out.

• Zhang Tao ordered his balloon squad to scout enemy positions and report them by flag signals.
• Hu Qiang and the other balloon crewmen urinated on Zhennan's civilians, who recognized the foul rain and cursed them.
• Lu Donghuchen learned from the physician that Nan Ke had been given a pill, and Nan Ke woke to ask about the flood.
• Nan Ke proposed escaping downstream on wooden rafts, but Lu Donghuchen warned that the current and incoming debris made it too dangerous.
• At dawn, Nan Ke and Lu Donghuchen saw that the flood had risen past the mountainside and realized Flying Hero Pass left them no clear escape route.

Nan Ke and Zhennan’s trapped army faced starvation as they waited for help that never came, and Nan Ke prepared to surrender by raising his underwear. Just as he began, someone spotted the floodwaters receding.

• Nan Ke realized Great Liang’s forces and the rising water had left Zhennan with no safe escape, then pinned his hopes on his second son clearing the downstream waterways.
• After three days without rescue and with their food exhausted, Nan Ke’s people began jumping into the water while Lu Donghuchen urged him to risk escape on rafts.
• Nan Ke considered copying Ase’s underwear-raising surrender, despite Lu Donghuchen warning that it would destroy Zhennan’s morale.
• As Nan Ke started to pull down his underwear, someone below the mountain shouted that the water was receding, and Nan Ke stopped to look.

The floodwaters drained away, but Lu Donghuchen realized Great Liang was approaching, and Zhang Liao’s cavalry attacked the stranded Zhennan forces. Nan Ke surrendered to stop further deaths, then learned that Nan Yu had already taken the throne with Zan Rihong’s support.

• Nan Ke believed Nan Yu had drained the waterways to rescue him, but Lu Donghuchen recognized that the river had vanished because Great Liang was coming.
• Zhang Liao led the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry along the exposed watercourse, while Zhang Fei attacked the remaining Zhennan troops.
• Lu Donghuchen fought Zhang Fei for more than thirty rounds and refused his offer to join Great Liang.
• Nan Ke knelt and surrendered, explaining that he did not want more people to die, while Lu Donghuchen lamented the loss of hope.
• Zhang Fei revealed that Nan Yu had already ascended the throne with Zan Rihong’s support, leaving Nan Ke furious and stunned.