Chapter Summaries

After Aksu surrendered, Huo Qubing led the Feathered Forest Army toward Tiele City, determined to kill Ashina Tiandu. The army swept through Frostwest’s western cities, and its advance into the heartland left the people stunned and panicked.

• Huo Qubing explained that Aksu had surrendered because his strained relationship with Bill IV made defection the safer choice.
• Huo Qubing refused to wait for Aksu’s troops and rallied the Feathered Forest Army to march on Tiele City and kill Ashina Tiandu.
• Huo Qubing led more than three hundred thousand soldiers east under the Black Dragon Banner.
• The Feathered Forest Army captured Great Yue City, Bitter Leaf City, Yelü City, and more than twenty other towns in a single morning.
• Frostwest’s interior residents panicked at the invasion, while General Aili explained that Huo Qubing had defeated the million-strong western forces in separate battles.

Huo Qubing exploited Frostwest’s scattered defenses to break into its heartland, defeating Aili and his outnumbered troops despite their loyal resistance. News of his advance reached Tiele City, leaving Ashina Tiandu stunned and questioning where Aksu’s million-strong army had gone.

• Huo Qubing struck Frostwest’s western forces in concentrated attacks, destroying successive armies and weakening the region’s defenses.
• Aili heard Huo Qubing’s cavalry approaching, sent word to the emperor, and led fewer than five thousand men to block the advance.
• Huo Qubing offered Aili’s soldiers a chance to disperse, but Aili refused and fought; Huo Qubing killed him, and the Feathered Forest Army annihilated his men.
• Huo Qubing ordered Aili buried with full honors while the surrounding common people watched his army advance in despair.
• News that Huo Qubing had reached Frostwest’s heartland reached Tiele City, where Ashina Tiandu reacted with disbelief and asked where Aksu’s million-strong army was.

Ashina Tiandu learned that Huo Qubing had routed Aksu’s forces and was advancing on the capital, while Xue Rengui attacked from the north. With Tiele City threatened from both directions, Ashina Tiandu realized the enemy was targeting him and wondered whether he would have to flee.

• Zela warned that Aksu’s forces were weaker than the rumors suggested, while Kubo insisted the reports might be false.
• A guard captain reported that routed soldiers had reached the capital and Huo Qubing was coming.
• Ashina Tiandu tried to calm his ministers by pointing to the million troops near Tiele City.
• A scout reported that Xue Rengui had taken ten northern cities and was heading for Tiele City.
• Ashina Tiandu realized both armies were targeting him and wondered whether he would have to flee.

Ashina Tiandu struggled to respond as Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui threatened Frostwest, and Derby suggested that Aksu might have betrayed him. Ashina ordered an investigation and sought help from Abaddon and Great Liang, while secretly considering Derby’s proposal to provoke Lin Yi.

• Ashina Tiandu asked Xiaoniu how to stop the enemy, but Xiaoniu warned that his fifty thousand soldiers might not be enough to hold off Xue Rengui.
• Derby suggested that Aksu had rebelled, and Ashina Tiandu ordered Zela to investigate Aksu and protect his residence.
• Ashina Tiandu questioned Kubo about Aksu’s loyalty, and Kubo denied knowing anything about a betrayal.
• Ashina Tiandu offered to cede some southern territory to Abaddon in exchange for troops to attack Huo Qubing, and he called for renewed negotiations with Great Liang.
• Derby proposed disguising soldiers as Xue Rengui’s troops to attack Great Liang’s retired emperor, and Ashina Tiandu publicly condemned the idea while signaling that he wanted to discuss it privately.

Ashina Tiandu arranged to cede the strategically vital Xiling Corridor to Abaddon in exchange for reinforcements, hoping to draw the Great West Empire into Frostwest’s conflict with Great Liang. His plans were shaken when Zela reported that Aksu’s household had vanished, confirming Ashina Tiandu’s fears that the chief minister had defected.

• Frostwest’s ministers urged Bill IV not to openly provoke Great Liang, and he kept Derby’s proposal for secretly targeting Xue Rengui under consideration.
• Ashina Tiandu ordered Kubo to negotiate Abaddon’s reinforcements by ceding the Xiling Corridor and withdrawing Frostwest’s garrison there.
• Kubo recognized the corridor’s strategic importance and understood that its location would pressure Abaddon to prevent Great Liang from taking it.
• Ashina Tiandu told Derby to carry out his other instructions so Frostwest could share the pressure of the crisis.
• Zela reported that Aksu’s household had disappeared and some servants had been silenced, prompting Ashina Tiandu to rage over Aksu’s apparent betrayal.
• Kubo and the other ministers condemned Aksu and urged punishment, while Ashina Tiandu set aside his anger to deal with the immediate crisis first.

At the Western Regions commandery, Lin Rusong urged Jia Xu to attack Frostwest as its armies and people fell into turmoil, but Jia Xu explained that Great Liang’s stillness was part of a larger plan. The report revealed that the Land of the Far West had joined the conflict, leaving Great Liang to face three forces at once.

• Reports said Huo Qubing had broken into Frostwest’s heartland, Xue Rengui was advancing from the north, uprisings were spreading, and Ashina Tiandu sought a meeting with Lin Rusong.
• Lin Rusong pressed Jia Xu to launch the invasion, while Bai Zizai and Northern Liang’s generals complained that Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui were taking all the fighting for themselves.
• Jia Xu explained that Great Liang’s three million troops were meant to exert pressure while His Majesty pursued a broader plan than simply conquering Frostwest.
• Wang Ziwen guessed that Great Liang intended to draw the Great West Empire into the war, and Jia Xu confirmed the plan also involved a third force.
• Jia Xu gave the commanders a report revealing that the Land of the Far West had entered the conflict after Frostwest and the Great West Empire contacted it.

Ran Min and his allies prepared to exploit the chance to fight Frostwest, the Great West Empire, and the Land of the Far West at once. An imperial envoy arrived with Ashina Xiuli, who agreed to help Great Liang overthrow Ashina Tiandu but begged to be separated from Li Yu.

• Ran Min welcomed the prospect of defeating the three hostile powers, and Li Ling and the others saw a chance to win glory and spoils.
• Lin Rusong thanked Jia Xu for urging caution and asked when Great Liang should strike.
• Jia Xu explained that Huo Qubing and Xue Rengui were marching on Frostwest's capital, and predicted Ashina Tiandu would call on the Great West Empire and the Land of the Far West for help.
• An imperial envoy arrived, and the group recoiled when they recognized Li Yu as the emperor's messenger.
• Li Yu explained that the emperor had sent him to reform Ashina Xiuli, who had agreed to help Great Liang eliminate Ashina Tiandu and begged to be taken away from Li Yu.

Great Liang learned that the Great West Empire and the Land of the Far West had mobilized forces to aid Frostwest, while Ashina Tiandu ceded the Xiling Corridor to secure Abaddon's support. Jia Xu and Lin Rusong declared a war of justice against Ashina Tiandu, and Great Liang's two-million-strong army marched toward Frostwest.

• Ashina Xiuli appeared broken after Li Yu's actions, and Lin Rusong ordered him taken under guard while Jia Xu said Frostwest's people had already begun to waver.
• A red-marked carrier pigeon brought news that the Great West Empire had sent five hundred thousand troops toward the Xiling Corridor and the Land of the Far West had sent three hundred thousand to attack Huo Qubing.
• Ran Min and Jia Xu judged the new forces unlikely to threaten Great Liang, and Lin Rusong revealed that Ashina Tiandu had ceded the Xiling Corridor to Abaddon to secure his support.
• Jia Xu called on Lin Rusong to act against Ashina Tiandu, and Lin Rusong ordered the armies assembled to offer sacrifices to Heaven and march to war.
• Lin Rusong declared the campaign a war of justice, killed the sacrificial offering, and led Great Liang's army toward Frostwest.

Wang Yue delivered Lin Rusong a potion from Lin Yi that could extend his life by five years, but Lin Rusong refused it and joined his old comrades on the march. As Great Liang launched its invasion of Frostwest, Nishu ordered the border forces to defend and sought ways to estimate the enemy’s strength.

• Wang Yue gave Lin Rusong Lin Yi’s life-extending potion, but Lin Rusong refused it, saying his mission was complete and the treasure should go to Lin Yi.
• Lin Rusong rejoined the army and called out to Bai Zizai, Wang Ziwen, Xu Zhong, Yang Shixiong, and the Northern Liang Army as they marched toward battle.
• Wang Yue arranged for the potion to be sent back to Lin Yi and hurried after the army to protect Lin Rusong.
• Great Liang’s two-million-strong army attacked Frostwest’s border, sending the local people fleeing toward the cities.
• Nishu saw the advancing troops and ordered scouts to investigate, reinforcements to be requested, and local commanders to hold their positions.
• When a subordinate said detailed intelligence was hard to obtain, Nishu told him to estimate the enemy’s movements from the fleeing commoners.

Nishu prepared Frostwest’s defenses against Great Liang’s attack, closing the gates on civilians still outside so the enemy could not enter with them. Meanwhile, Wang Xuance urged Frostwest officers inside the town to turn against their country as Great Liang advanced.

• Nishu recognized that Great Liang’s army was approaching and ordered the gates closed, leaving many civilians outside.
• The stranded civilians pleaded and cursed Nishu, but he ignored them and focused on the approaching enemy.
• Nishu identified the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Banner and concluded that Great Liang’s retired emperor, Lin Rusong, was leading the attack.
• Nishu dismissed an officer’s suggestion to capture Lin Rusong and ordered the troops and archers to hold Great Liang back from the walls.
• Wang Xuance told Frostwest officers that Great Liang had attacked and urged them to reconsider risking their lives for their country.

Wang Xuance persuaded Frostwest officers to defect to Great Liang by appealing to their families’ safety and Princess Anne’s claim to the throne. As Great Liang’s invasion began, the officers rushed to support it, while Wang ordered the Net to watch them and kill anyone who turned suspicious.

• Wang Xuance told the Frostwest officers that their families would be endangered if they remained loyal to Ashina Tiandu and argued that Princess Anne was Frostwest’s rightful heir.
• Cha'er declared that he would avenge his father and family by killing Ashina Tiandu, and the officers agreed to defect to Great Liang.
• An uproar outside revealed that Great Liang had begun its attack, and Wang Xuance said the retired emperor was leading two million troops.
• The officers hurried to gather their troops and welcome the retired emperor of Great Liang.
• Wang Xuance ordered a member of the Net to watch the officers and kill them if they made suspicious moves.

Nishu faced Great Liang’s invasion of Frostwest with confidence in his reinforced fortress, until he learned Lin Yi had sent nearly two million troops and pleas for help poured in from across the border. As the army arrived, Nishu stayed to defend the fortress and sent Hu'er away to protect their family, while Lin Rusong surveyed the formidable walls.

• Nishu and Hu'er trusted that Frostwest Fortress’s repeatedly reinforced, cement-strengthened walls could withstand a Great Liang attack.
• Lan Zhan reported that Great Liang had mobilized nearly two million troops, and more than eight towns urgently requested reinforcements.
• Nishu decided to hold the main fortress, ordered Lan Zhan to report the invasion to the emperor, and sent Hu'er to take their family to their father’s residence.
• As the thunder of approaching cavalry reached the walls, Nishu took up a bow and prepared to face the attack.
• Lin Rusong studied Frostwest’s extensive, sturdy walls and remarked on Nishu’s preparations.

Great Liang’s commanders recognized Nishu’s foresight in strengthening Frostwest’s defenses, but Lin Rusong refused to seek his surrender and ordered the Red-Coat Cannons to attack. The first cannon shot shattered the fortress wall and killed and wounded dozens, leaving Nishu demanding to know what weapon had struck them.

• Wang Ziwen praised Nishu for building up Frostwest’s defenses, and Wang Yue revealed that Nishu had secretly obtained Great Liang’s construction techniques and civilian cement.
• Ashina Xiuli felt ashamed that Nishu was defending Frostwest while he, a former prince, had defected to Great Liang.
• Lin Rusong rejected Wang Ziwen’s suggestion to send Ashina Xiuli to persuade Nishu to surrender and ordered the Red-Coat Cannons brought forward.
• Wang Yue told Ashina Xiuli that the cannons could split mountains and shatter walls, while Lin Rusong chose the fortress’s weakest point as their target.
• Lin Rusong ordered the cannons to open fire, and the first cannonball smashed the wall, killing and wounding dozens of Frostwest soldiers.
• Nishu narrowly escaped the blast and demanded to know what weapon had caused such devastation.

Nishu and Lan Zhan watched Great Liang’s bombardment devastate Frostwest’s defenses and tear open the city wall. Nishu ordered his troops to block the breach, but Lin Rusong declared that it was already too late.

• Nishu and Lan Zhan realized that Great Liang’s explosives could destroy the wall after a blast knocked down a merlon.
• Nishu tried to steady his soldiers, but a barrage of over a hundred shells killed and wounded archers and injured Nishu.
• Nishu saw the wall and its defenders devastated, while Lan Zhan warned that sending cavalry against the bombardment would only waste lives.
• Great Liang’s troops advanced under cover of explosions, and Nishu ordered his men to reinforce the threatened section of the wall.
• Lin Rusong’s forces planted a large explosive charge that blasted a breach through the wall.
• Nishu ordered his soldiers to seal the breach with whatever materials they could find, but Lin Rusong laughed that it was too late.

Lin Rusong’s army widened the breach in Frostwest’s wall, and Xu Zhong and Li Ling charged through to establish a bridgehead and deploy the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram. The story left them preparing to face the defending forces together while Lin Rusong watched from a distance.

• Lin Rusong ordered the artillery to blast the crack wider, creating a large breach in the wall.
• Lin Rusong sent Xu Zhong with ten thousand troops to secure a bridgehead, and Xu Zhong charged through the breach.
• Lin Rusong ordered Li Ling to take ten thousand troops and support Xu Zhong, and Li Ling followed him through the wall.
• Bai Zizai praised Li Ling’s potential, while Lin Rusong and Wang Ziwen discussed his future in the Northern Liang Army.
• Lin Rusong went to observe the battle and ordered Ran Min and the others to attack elsewhere.
• Xu Zhong and Li Ling prepared to deploy the Eight Trigrams Formation Diagram against the troops defending the breach.

Xu Zhong and Li Ling led Great Liang’s Eight Trigrams Formation through the Frostwest defenses while Lan Zhan’s hundred thousand men failed to break it. As Great Liang cleared the rubble from the breach and more troops poured through, Lan Zhan remained trapped outside the formation.

• Xu Zhong and Li Ling led the Eight Trigrams Formation forward, shielding Great Liang soldiers as they cleared stones from the breach.
• Nishu ordered Lan Zhan to take a hundred thousand men and break the formation before Great Liang opened the road.
• Lan Zhan’s attacks and a dare-to-die cavalry charge failed to overcome the shield wall, which was braced by wooden poles.
• Lan Zhan exploited a gap in the shields, but spearmen struck his men and the shields were pushed back into place.
• Great Liang troops finished clearing the breach as the gap in the formation widened and more soldiers poured into Frostwest.

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry broke through Nishu’s forces, and Xu Huang killed Lan Zhan with a flying axe, opening the way for Lin Rusong’s army to continue the battle. In the imperial palace, Lin Yi agreed to admit Zhang Yuehua to his harem.

• The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry charged through the opened Eight Trigrams Formation and attacked Lan Zhan’s forces.
• Xu Huang knocked Lan Zhan from his horse, then killed him with a thrown axe as Zhang He cut through his guards.
• Lan Zhan’s death weakened the enemy’s morale, while Lin Rusong praised the formation and sent Bai Zizai into the fighting.
• Lin Yi considered Zhang Yuehua’s suitability for the harem with Cai Yan and Li Mingzhu, then agreed to admit her.
• Zhang Yuehua thanked Lin Yi and blushed at his assurance that they were family.

Ma Ling'er joined the palace candidate selection, where the matron mocked her small breasts, before Lin Yi left to hear Yingge's report that the Land of the Far West was sending three hundred thousand troops against Great Liang. Lin Yi summoned his generals and officials, who eagerly called for the enemy to be smashed.

• Ma Ling'er entered the candidate selection and explained to Lin Yi that she wanted to compete for a place among his consorts.
• The matron described Ma Ling'er's breasts as jujubes, prompting Ma Ling'er to protest and Lin Yi to reassure her that he liked her.
• Lü Qiling told Lin Yi that Yingge had arrived with news about the Land of the Far West, so Lin Yi left Cai Yan and Shenle to oversee the candidates.
• Yingge reported that Abaddon and Ashina Tiandu had persuaded the Land of the Far West to send three hundred thousand troops east to attack Great Liang.
• Lin Yi summoned Guo Jia, Zhang Liao, Lü Bu, and the other officials, who dismissed the enemy's force and called for Great Liang to smash them.

Lin Yi ordered Zhou Yu and Gan Ning to lead five hundred thousand troops against the Land of the Far West, then revealed that Ashina Tiandu and Abaddon had invited the western army to target Great Liang. He said the retired emperor would deal with Abaddon after defeating Frostwest, leaving the ministers eager for later campaigns.

• Lin Yi assigned Zhou Yu and Gan Ning to receive the Land of the Far West's three hundred thousand troops, rejecting Lü Bu, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's offers to join them.
• Zhang Liao persuaded Guan Yu and Lü Bu that Great Liang would have further opportunities to fight, earning Guo Jia and Lin Yi's approval.
• Lin Yi ordered Zhou Yu and Gan Ning to lead five hundred thousand troops to intercept and destroy the Land of the Far West's forces.
• Li Si reported that the Frostwest Empire and Great West Empire had invited the Land of the Far West, and Lin Yi said Ashina Tiandu and Abaddon had plotted to divert the conflict onto Great Liang.
• Zhang Fei and other generals volunteered to attack the Great West Empire, but Lin Yi said the retired emperor would destroy Abaddon after defeating Frostwest.
• Wen Tianxiang praised Lin Yi for reserving those victories for the retired emperor.

Lin Yi prepared his commanders for future naval campaigns and learned that his father had refused the Constitution Enhancement Card’s extra five years of life. As Great Liang’s armies advanced through Frostwest, the system awarded Lin Yi new troops, commanders, and Wei Zifu, leaving him amused and conflicted about the unusual reward.

• Lin Yi declared naval warfare training a national policy and assigned Guan Yu to drill the other commanders.
• Dun Ruo delivered Wang Yue’s urgent dispatch, and Lin Yi read that Lin Rusong had given up the Constitution Enhancement Card’s five additional years for his son.
• Lin Yi used the Heavenly Eye Map and saw Great Liang’s forces breaking through Frostwest and nearing Tiele City.
• The system announced that Huo Qubing had forced Aksu’s army to surrender and awarded Huo Guang, one hundred thousand Great Han elite troops, and Wei Zifu.
• The system also rewarded Xue Rengui’s conquest of fifteen cities with an Elite-Grade Body Enhancement Card and Sky Piercer, and granted two thousand western spies for the gains in Frostwest.
• Lin Yi wondered whether accepting Wei Zifu would make him a scoundrel like Cao Cao, then decided he would be rescuing her.