Chapter Summaries

Frostwest’s leaders learned that Great Han was advancing south and might attack them, while beacon fires summoned reinforcements to defend the Great Jade River. The deputy envoy then revealed that Great Han and Great Tang had come from the Land of the Far West alongside the force that attacked the Great West Empire, leaving the royal court stunned.

• Akeshang ordered beacon fires lit at the Great Jade River, and nearby garrisons began rushing to reinforce the defense.
• Sang Mo’s deputy envoy returned to Tiele City and told Ashina Tiandu and the ministers that Great Han had destroyed the Black Skull Army and was heading south.
• Ashley urged Ashina Tiandu to contact Great Han and learn its intentions, while Aksu warned that an attack could draw other countries into the conflict.
• The deputy envoy revealed that Xue Rengui had said Great Tang and Great Han came from the Land of the Far West with the people who had attacked the Great West Empire, shocking the royal court.

Frostwest's ministers feared that Great Han and Great Tang came from the Land of the Far West, so Ashina Tiandu ordered envoys to contact Great Han, the Great West Empire, Abaddon, and Great Liang. A report then revealed that two hundred thousand Black Skull troops were attacking the Great Jade River, and the ministers suspected Great Han had captured them and was advancing with its own army.

• Ashley warned Ashina Tiandu that Frostwest might face an invasion from the Land of the Far West, and Ashina ordered him to seek friendly relations with Great Han.
• Ashina sent Aksu to contact Abaddon and instructed officials to tell Great Liang to investigate Xue Rengui.
• A messenger reported that two hundred thousand Black Skull troops had attacked the Great Jade River, despite reports that Great Han had destroyed the army.
• Ashley reasoned that the remaining Black Skull troops might be prisoners deployed by Great Han, and Ashina feared Great Han was attacking Frostwest with a much larger force.
• Aksu and Ashley urged Ashina to reinforce the Great Jade River and prevent the northwest from falling.

Ashina Tiandu used the Black Skull Army’s threat to try to weaken Aksu and other powerful ministers by sending them to defend the northwest. Aksu rallied officials with interests in the region, and Ashina Tiandu approved a 200,000-strong reinforcement force led by Aksu, who resolved to use the campaign to expand his control over the northwest.

• Ashina Tiandu privately considered how the Black Skull Army threatened Aksu’s and Ashley’s interests, then claimed Great Liang’s threat left Frostwest short of troops.
• Aksu called on Ali, Kubo, Xili, and other ministers with northwest interests to propose a solution.
• Kubo, Xili, and several ministers volunteered to reinforce the northwest, forcing Ashina Tiandu to accept their deployment rather than risk alienating commanders.
• Ashina Tiandu declared that Frostwest must protect the northwest and promised to face Great Liang himself if it attacked.
• Ashina Tiandu ordered Aksu to lead 200,000 troops to the Great Jade River, and Aksu resolved to bring the northwest under his control.
• Frostwest assembled reinforcements, and Aksu led them toward the Great Jade River.

Abaddon learned that Great Han had defeated the Black Skull Army and was attacking the Frostwest Empire, then chose to seek friendly relations while avoiding an immediate obligation to aid his ally. He planned to remain with Hill in Roland and send her husband, Amur, to the border.

• Abaddon visited his lover Hill in Roland and gave her a necklace of sapphires.
• A guard reported that Great Han had appeared at the border and destroyed the Black Skull Army.
• Abaddon learned Great Han was attacking the Great Jade River in Frostwest and decided to send reinforcements to his own border and contact Great Han.
• When the guard warned that Frostwest might request allied support, Abaddon decided to leave Roland and claim he was meeting Great Han.
• Abaddon told Hill he would promote Amur and send him to the border so he could stay with her.

Abaddon investigated the mysterious Great Han and Great Tang, learned of a rumor linking Xue Rengui to the Land of the Far West, and ordered measures to protect Great West. He also saw Frostwest’s weakened state as an opportunity to seize.

• Abaddon summoned Delin and asked what the intelligence department knew about Great Han, Xue Rengui, and their connection.
• Delin reported a rumor that Xue Rengui had claimed Great Tang came from the Land of the Far West, while doubting the report and suggesting a possible link to Great Liang.
• Abaddon judged Great Han a serious threat and ordered Delin to investigate its origins, infiltrate it, and monitor its movements.
• Abaddon ordered his royal uncle Adolf to guard Great West’s border against Great Han.
• Abaddon ordered close surveillance of Frostwest, hoping to exploit its vulnerability, while Delin suspected the assignment also served to weaken Adolf.

Abaddon saw the arrival of new forces as a chance to weaken Frostwest and eventually seize its territory, while still resenting Lin Yi. At Great Jade River, Huo Qubing launched his three hundred thousand Feathered Forest Army troops past the fighting Frostwest and Black Skull forces, beginning his planned attack.

• Abaddon hoped the new forces would crush Frostwest so the Great West Empire could seize the spoils and rise to dominance over the west.
• The Black Skull Army and Frostwest legions fought a desperate battle at Great Jade River, suffering heavy casualties.
• Ake Qing warned Akeshang that the Black Skull Army’s unnatural aggression suggested a greater threat or objective behind them.
• Frostwest received reports that more reinforcements were arriving from the west and south, easing the commanders’ fears.
• Huo Qubing decided the momentum was set and ordered three hundred thousand Feathered Forest Army troops to charge toward the lower reaches of the Great Jade River.
• The Feathered Forest Army swept past the river and directly before Akeshang’s eyes.

Akeshang realized Huo Qubing’s Great Han army had bypassed the Great Jade River and was advancing toward Frostwest’s heartland. Huo Qubing revealed that Tiele City was his target, while Akeshang rushed to warn the country and pursue him.

• Akeshang mistook Great Han’s arrival for reinforcements to the Black Skull Army, then sent Frostwest troops to reinforce the Great Jade River.
• Huo Qubing’s Feathered Forest Army avoided the river battle and slipped past the battlefield, prompting Akeshang’s deputy to realize they were heading deeper into Frostwest.
• Akeshang ordered messengers sent into the country and troops dispatched to pursue Great Han after fearing for Tiele City and the Ake Clan’s ancestral lands.
• Mo Yi and Mo Er were shocked that Huo Qubing had left the Black Skull Army behind, but Huo Qubing said he intended to capture Tiele City.
• Huo Qubing ordered Mo Yi to keep attacking the Great Jade River and bring only a few men to deal with the battlefield, then rode onward as some Frostwest troops moved to defend their positions.

Huo Qubing led the Feathered Forest Army in a charge that annihilated Lixiu’s Frostwest force of nearly thirty thousand soldiers. After Lixiu killed himself, Huo Qubing ordered Mo Yi to bury the dead and collect their equipment before continuing onward.

• Huo Qubing ordered the Feathered Forest Army to attack Lixiu’s Frostwest army.
• Lixiu ordered his soldiers to fire arrows at Huo Qubing, but his armor and shield stopped them.
• Huo Qubing and the Feathered Forest Army broke through the Frostwest front ranks and slaughtered the soldiers, causing the survivors to flee.
• The Feathered Forest Army pursued and wiped out the fleeing Frostwest troops, and Lixiu killed himself after declaring the defeat was not his fault.
• Huo Qubing ordered Mo Yi to bury the dead and take a portion of their weapons and equipment as a reward.
• Mo Yi shuddered at the battlefield and felt relieved that he had surrendered quickly before.

Huo Qubing led the Feathered Forest Army across Frostwest, defeating a small defending force and compelling Senli to guide them toward Tiele City. Because his troops spared the civilians and took little from them, some Frostwest commoners began to wonder whether a new ruler might bring them a better life.

• Huo Qubing led more than two hundred thousand cavalry toward Tiele City, intent on striking Frostwest's imperial center directly.
• The Feathered Forest Army overwhelmed a force of over two thousand, and Huo Qubing captured Senli, the defending commander.
• Huo Qubing ordered Senli to lead the army toward Tiele City and took only some supplies before continuing his advance.
• After the army left, Frostwest civilians were bewildered that the soldiers had spared them and their belongings, and some decided to return to their farms.
• A middle-aged man suggested that the people of Frostwest might have welcomed an enlightened ruler, prompting curious commoners to ask what he meant.

Aksu learned that Huo Qubing’s Great Han forces had swept through more than twenty towns and continued advancing, but he resolved to march with three hundred thousand troops to join the defense. In Great Tang, Xue Rengui received Huo Qubing’s invitation to join a hunt at Tiele City, leaving him stirred by the audacious plan.

• Aksu questioned refugees and learned that enemy forces had advanced beyond Great Jade River.
• Scouts reported that Chaotic Stone Shoal, West Mountain, and Cloud City had fallen, General Lixiu was dead, and the enemy had captured more than twenty towns.
• Aksu learned that Huo Qubing led a Great Han force of over two hundred thousand, with the Black Skull Army serving under him.
• Aksu dismissed fears that Great Jade River had fallen and ordered his forces reinforced to three hundred thousand for an advance against Huo Qubing.
• Xue Rengui received Huo Qubing’s letter inviting him to join a joint hunt at Tiele City.

Xue Rengui accepted Huo Qubing’s challenge and invaded Frostwest, while Sang Mo warned that the attack could leave the empire exposed. As Bill IV faced threats from Great Tang and neighboring powers, a declaration by Princess Anne circulated in Frostwest and challenged the legitimacy of his succession.

• Xue Rengui accepted Huo Qubing’s challenge, mustered Great Tang’s troops, and showed Sang Mo the message daring him to attack Tiele City.
• Xue Rengui placed Sang Mo under house arrest and led Great Tang’s forces across Frostwest’s northern frontier toward Tiele City.
• Bill IV condemned Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui’s attacks as Ashley warned that Frostwest could not leave its other borders vulnerable to Great Liang and the Great West Empire.
• A guard brought Bill IV a circulating declaration by Princess Anne, which accused him of murdering his father and declared his succession illegitimate.

Bill IV learned that Great Liang had intervened on Princess Anne’s behalf and circulated a proclamation accusing him of murdering Bill III and usurping the throne. As his ministers considered how to counter the accusation, Bill IV ordered a foolish adviser executed and asked Ashley for a solution, but the minister of commerce stepped forward first.

• Bill IV revealed that Great Liang had sent out a proclamation under Princess Anne’s banner, declaring its intent to interfere in Frostwest’s internal affairs.
• Ashley and the ministers read the proclamation and feared it would undermine Bill IV’s authority and turn Frostwest’s people toward Princess Anne.
• Bill IV warned the ministers that they had supported his accession, and an elderly minister dismissed the proclamation as Great Liang’s slander.
• A quick-witted minister suggested claiming that Bill IV was not Bill III’s son, and Bill IV ordered him dragged out to be torn apart by five horses.
• Bill IV asked Ashley how to deal with the crisis, but the minister of commerce stepped forward before Ashley could answer.

Kubo advised Bill IV to appease Great Liang by recognizing Princess Anne as Grand Princess of the West and acknowledging her succession rights, while Frostwest dealt with Great Tang and Great Han. Ashley suspected Great Liang had orchestrated the crisis, and Bill IV asked him to negotiate with Anne and promised to explain himself in person.

• Kubo urged Bill IV to delay Great Liang by honoring Princess Anne and reopening discussion of succession while Frostwest confronted Great Tang and Great Han.
• Bill IV accepted the proposal and threatened to ally with Great Liang unless Abaddon helped Frostwest.
• Ashley warned Xiaoniu that the attacks might not be coincidental and privately suspected Great Liang was behind them.
• Bill IV ordered Ashley to negotiate with Great Liang, offer Anne the title of Grand Princess of the West and succession rights, and promise to visit in person.

At Great Liang’s first court assembly in the newly completed Great Ming Palace, Lin Yi rewarded Zhang Jiao and heard that Huo Qubing had risen to power in the west. System notifications revealed Huo Qubing’s sweeping campaign toward Frostwest’s capital, leaving Lin Yi wondering whether he intended to attack Bill IV directly.

• Lin Yi praised the Great Ming Palace at its first court assembly and rewarded Zhang Jiao with a Ruyi Horsetail Whisk for his work designing it.
• Xu Fan reported that Huo Qubing had defeated the Black Skull Army, become the ruler of a western region, and attacked Frostwest.
• Lin Yi checked his system and found numerous notifications reporting Huo Qubing’s victories and the troops, spies, and other rewards they had earned.
• Lin Yi viewed the Heavenly Eye Map and saw Huo Qubing advancing toward Tiele City, Frostwest’s capital, and wondered whether he planned to take out Bill IV.

Lin Yi decided to save the Constitution Enhancement Card for Lin Rusong, his father in this life, and rewarded Xu Fan for his service. After Guo Jia and Li Si condemned Ashina Tiandu for killing Lin Yi’s father-in-law and threatening Great Liang, the ministers urged Lin Yi to destroy him.

• Lin Yi reviewed the rewards from Huo Qubing’s campaign and set aside the Constitution Enhancement Card for Lin Rusong, choosing to repay his father’s affection rather than use it himself.
• Liu Feng and other veteran ministers suspected Lin Yi was plotting against Bill IV, while Xu Fan asked whether Great Liang should support the retired emperor.
• Lin Yi said the Net would investigate Huo Qubing, exempted the Ministry of War from further involvement, and promised rewards to Xu Fan and the intelligence department.
• Guo Jia warned that Ashina Tiandu had killed Lin Yi’s father-in-law and threatened to teach Great Liang a lesson.
• Li Si and Xun Yu called Ashina Tiandu a threat and urged Lin Yi to have him destroyed.

Lin Yi used Ashina Tiandu’s threat to justify sending a million troops against the Frostwest Empire, then faced ministers demanding that he fill his harem and produce an heir. He claimed his future children needed time to gestate because they would be unmatched throughout the ages, and agreed to select more women for the palace.

• Wen Tianxiang and other ministers denounced Ashina Tiandu and urged Great Liang to strike first.
• Lin Yi ordered a million troops, led by the retired emperor, to punish the Frostwest Empire.
• Wang Hui and Zhang Wanhao pleaded with Lin Yi to fill his harem and produce heirs, with Zhang Wanhao pretending to charge at a pillar.
• Xun Yu and the other ministers joined the demand for Lin Yi to strengthen Great Liang’s imperial line.
• Lin Yi said his extraordinary children needed time to gestate and promised to order a selection of women for the harem.

After Zhang Jiao claimed Lin Yi’s children would be heaven-sent prodigies, officials and aristocratic clans fought to put their daughters forward for the imperial harem. Lin Yi stopped the brawl, assigned Zhao Gao to screen candidates, and allowed the clans to take part in the selection.

• Zhang Jiao told Xun Yu and the other officials that Lin Yi’s extraordinary destiny meant his offspring would be powerful from birth.
• Lu Yafu and Xu Fan each promoted a granddaughter or daughter as a worthy imperial consort, then argued over whose was more beautiful.
• Duan Yingxiong praised his daughter as the finest beauty in Xiliang, and Wang Chengfei punched him, sparking a brawl among officials and clans.
• Lin Yi stopped the fighting and ordered Zhao Gao to compile and screen the candidate list before Cai Yan and Shenle presided over the selection.
• Lin Yi allowed Zhang Wanhao and the other aristocratic clans to enter their young women in the palace selection, and they gladly accepted.

Lin Yi agreed to hear a Frostwest Empire envoy seeking forgiveness, then discovered the envoy was Ashina Tiandu’s young son, Ashina Mafa. Princess Anne recognized her nephew, while Lin Yi was startled that Ashina Tiandu had sent his eldest son as a hostage.

• Zhang Wanhao and the other clansmen thanked Lin Yi for trusting them to manage Southern Liang and vowed to serve him faithfully.
• Lin Yi ended court, but Dun Ruo told him that a Frostwest Empire envoy had been kneeling outside the palace gates to beg forgiveness.
• Lin Yi ordered the envoy brought to the imperial garden and summoned Princess Anne to meet someone from her homeland.
• Princess Anne suspected that Ashina Tiandu was seeking amends because he could no longer hold out against her.
• The envoy arrived, and Dun Ruo identified the child as Ashina Tiandu’s eldest son, Ashina Mafa, likely sent as a hostage.
• Ashina Mafa moved toward Princess Anne and called her aunt, and she recognized him as her nephew.

Lin Yi rejected Frostwest’s denials after exposing its alliance proposal, and he recognized that Ashina Tiandu’s offer of submission and a hostage was meant to buy time. He left the envoy’s fate to Zhao Gao, who beat Amu but ordered that he be treated rather than killed.

• Princess Anne questioned why her seven-year-old nephew, Ashina Mafa, had arrived in Great Liang as a hostage, and Amu claimed Frostwest had sent him to prove its peaceful intentions.
• Lin Yi showed Amu an alliance proposal bearing Ashina Tiandu’s name and official seal, revealing Frostwest’s plan to attack and divide Great Liang.
• Amu denied the evidence and offered submission in exchange for mercy for Frostwest, while Princess Anne warned Lin Yi that the offer was a trick.
• Lin Yi recognized Frostwest was trying to buy time, told Ashina Mafa to spend time with Princess Anne, and left without accepting Amu’s terms.
• Zhao Gao struck Amu and broke several of his ribs, then ordered his men to take him away for treatment.

Lin Yi received reports from Tian Feng and Guo Jia about western power struggles and ordered Zhou Yu to locate the Land of the Far West’s forces. The chapter ended with Lin Yi discussing Ashina Tiandu’s efforts to weaken Aksu.

• Lin Yi visited the imperial study, praised Tian Feng’s work, and scolded Guo Jia for his drinking and visits to pleasure houses.
• Guo Jia reported that Abaddon had tried to enlist Abide Leier, a lord’s son from the Land of the Far West, and that Leier’s people were sending men back by sea to investigate.
• Lin Yi ordered Zhou Yu to find the Land of the Far West’s colonies and naval forces so Great Liang could destroy them.
• Guo Jia reported that Abaddon was vying with Adolf for power, hiding with Hill, and sending Adolf toward the Frostwest border to exploit Huo Qubing’s campaign.
• Guo Jia reported that Ashina Tiandu had begun stripping Aksu of power and leaving him to face Huo Qubing alone; Lin Yi said Ashina Tiandu could not tolerate Aksu’s influence.