Chapter Summaries

Lü Bu secured the Great Liang Empire’s new offshore base and prepared to support Guan Yu’s campaign against the Moses Empire. At sea, General Alute’s 200,000 reinforcements spotted a lone Moses warship returning, suggesting it had encountered the enemy.

• Lü Bu ordered hot-air balloons to surveil the area as the local people knelt and begged the Great Liang forces for mercy.
• Lü Bu had the captives gathered and assigned as laborers to build the base, while Xiao Yefu’s men reported that they had taken control of nearby mines.
• Lü Bu told his men to report the mining to the higher-ups and said the army would soon support Guan Yu and attack the enemy’s homeland.
• Alute led more than 200,000 Moses reinforcements toward the base and warned his deputy that the Great Liang Empire’s strength made the battle uncertain.
• Alute’s army spotted a lone Moses warship approaching on a crooked course, and he suspected it had fled after encountering the enemy.

Duke Alute learned that Great Liang had seized Sangjie and decided to attack from behind with his two hundred thousand troops. Instead, he encountered another fleet flying different banners, leaving him wondering who else had reached the continent.

• Alute met damaged Moses Empire warships, whose survivors reported that the enemy had crushed Sangjie's defenses with fewer than one hundred thousand men and powerful stone-throwing weapons.
• Alute ordered scouts to find a landing point and learned that Sangjie was now Great Liang Empire territory, with the Moses forces there apparently defeated.
• Alute blamed Asang Quinton for the loss and ordered his army to circle around the harbor and surprise Great Liang from behind.
• Alute found a dense fleet waiting along his route and suspected the survivors had misled him.
• The survivors insisted the fleet was a different force, pointing out that its banners differed from those of the Great Liang troops at the harbor.

Alute realized the Great Liang Empire had discovered his two-hundred-thousand-strong Moses force and ordered a retreat, but Chen Dao and Jiang Wei pursued them to claim a victory. The battle began as Great Liang's warships closed in, while Jiang Wei considered the possibility of striking the Moses Empire’s home base.

• Alute concluded that Great Liang had more forces nearby and ordered his army to withdraw before it was surrounded.
• Great Liang’s Black Dragon Banner appeared above the Moses force, revealing that its scouts had found them.
• Chen Dao and Jiang Wei spotted the fleeing Moses army and ordered their forces to attack.
• Great Liang’s warships caught up with the Moses rearguard as Jiang Wei discussed destroying the enemy force before its main army arrived.
• Jiang Wei said the Moses Empire’s three-million-strong army was attacking the Xinma Empire and imagined wiping out its home base.

Jiang Wei pursued Alute’s Moses Empire fleet and ordered a direct attack while small warships moved to outflank it. As the two forces prepared to clash, a Great Liang jar landed on a Moses warship, and Alute realized the smoking object might be dangerous.

• Jiang Wei dismissed Chen Dao’s concerns about the Moses Empire’s strength and ordered the fleet to trap and attack Alute’s forces.
• Alute saw the pursuing Great Liang warships, abandoned flight, and ordered his two hundred thousand troops to form up for battle.
• Jiang Wei and Chen Dao noted the Moses fleet’s battle formation and catapults, and Jiang Wei ordered the Great Liang attack.
• Alute ordered his men to target the small Great Liang boats, and a Moses officer aimed a catapult at one of them.
• A Great Liang small warship launched a black jar onto a Moses ship; the officer laughed at it, but Alute spotted the rising smoke and realized the danger.

Great Liang’s superior weapons overwhelm the Moses Empire fleet, leaving Alute’s forces unable to fight back. Alute orders a retreat, but Jiang Wei catches up and commands the fleet to attack.

• A bomb explodes on Alute’s warship, killing and injuring soldiers and blasting a hole through the deck.
• Alute orders his men to attack Great Liang’s ships, but their stones fall short while more bombs sink his warship.
• Alute climbs aboard another Moses Empire ship and orders a retreat as Great Liang’s main force inflicts heavy losses.
• The Moses Empire fleet sounds the gong and flees, while Jiang Wei and Chen Dao discuss Great Liang’s technological advantage.
• Jiang Wei waves his command flag and orders the fleet to launch an all-out attack.

Jiang Wei’s forces annihilated Alute’s fleet while Guan Yu, Ran Min, Guo Xin, and Pang De routed the Moses Empire’s reinforcements. The Great Liang army continued toward the Moses Empire’s homeland, where fishermen saw the approaching fleet and feared their own troops had been defeated.

• Jiang Wei ordered a full assault, and Great Liang’s warships sank Alute’s ship as he gave up hope of escape.
• Guan Yu, Ran Min, and their allies defeated the Moses Empire’s three hundred thousand reinforcements at sea.
• Ran Min and Guo Xin condemned the Moses Empire’s aggression, while Pang De urged the army onward to attack its homeland.
• Guo Xin ordered the advance, and the Great Liang army of over five hundred thousand sailed toward enemy territory.
• Moses Empire fishermen saw the approaching fleet, guessed their army had fallen, and urged one another to flee.

Alanduo ordered Seaside City evacuated when the Great Liang Empire’s army arrived, but Guan Yu’s forces quickly seized the city and captured fleeing civilians. The civilians surrendered without resistance, and Ran Min ordered them guarded and put to work building a supply base as he pursued the fleeing enemy.

• Alanduo recognized the Great Liang Empire’s Black Dragon Banner and ordered Seaside City’s people and officials to flee rather than defend the city.
• As residents hurried to evacuate, the Great Liang Empire’s army of more than five hundred thousand charged in and occupied over half the city.
• Guan Yu ordered his troops to guard the captured civilians and kill anyone who resisted.
• The civilians surrendered and said they would accept Great Liang rule, surprising Guan Yu and prompting Guo Xin to scorn their lack of loyalty.
• Ran Min ordered guards to watch the civilians and have them build a supply base, then pursued the fleeing enemy.

Ran Min, Guo Xin, Guan Yu, and Lü Bu led Great Liang’s invasion deep into the Moses Empire, capturing cities and forcing many to surrender. In Kunsi City, Emperor Char learned that over five hundred thousand enemy troops had invaded under renowned Great Liang generals, and the Moses leadership began planning how to stop them.

• Guan Yu left a trusted man behind to guard prisoners and supervise construction of a rear base, then caught up with the army.
• Ran Min, Guo Xin, Guan Yu, and Lü Bu led four armies into the Moses Empire, capturing cities and prompting many places to surrender.
• News of the invasion reached Kunsi City, where young people marched to demand that they join the war and drive Great Liang out.
• Emperor Char and the elders feared the missing front-line armies had been destroyed, while Chief Elder Amu urged them to send elite troops against the invaders.
• Ashan reported that over five hundred thousand Great Liang troops were advancing under Ran Min, Guan Yu, Lü Bu, and Guo Xin.
• Emperor Char condemned Lin Yi for trying to destroy the Moses Empire with so few men, and a general proposed using the chance to wipe out Great Liang’s elite forces.

Emperor Char ordered Amu to lead two million Moses Empire troops against a million Great Liang soldiers, confident they could crush the enemy. Meanwhile, Yingge reported that Great Liang forces had seized seven colonies and reached the Moses Empire's homeland, prompting celebration at the Great Liang court.

• Emperor Char ordered Amu to muster two million troops and annihilate the Great Liang army.
• Amu selected ten generals to join him, and the Moses commanders voiced confidence in victory.
• Emperor Char celebrated the planned attack while several advisers kept their doubts to themselves.
• Yingge reported that Great Liang forces had taken seven enemy colonies and reached the Moses Empire's homeland.
• Guo Jia and Li Si praised the advance, while Zhao Zilong lamented that they could not bring enough warhorses for cavalry charges.

Lin Yi and his commanders planned to transport warhorses by sea so Great Liang could deploy cavalry against the Moses Empire, despite the risks of seasickness and losses. Several famous generals volunteered for the campaign, and Lin Yi invited others to sign up while warning them about the dangers of crossing the ocean.

• Xue Rengui explained that transporting warhorses across the sea was difficult because the horses consumed large amounts of food and suffered from seasickness.
• Lin Yi proposed sending horses that were comfortable near the ocean ahead and training others for sea travel by covering their eyes and ears.
• Li Ru and Wang Ziwen agreed that a trial was worthwhile, and Lin Yi ordered a hundred thousand healthy horses selected for transport.
• Cao Cao condemned the Moses Empire for attacking the Xinma Empire and supported teaching it a lesson.
• Huo Qubing, Xue Rengui, and Qi Jiguang volunteered to join the campaign against the Moses Empire.
• Lin Yi accepted the volunteers and invited others to sign up, warning that anyone unable to tolerate the ocean should not go.

Lin Yi approved an all-out invasion of the Moses Empire, confident Great Liang could prevent its forces from returning and defeat its navy. He sealed the imperial edict, setting Great Liang’s war machine in motion against a rival empire.

• Lin Yi asked Ma Jun about Great Liang’s ironclad fleet, learned it had ten ships, and ordered construction of a hundred.
• Cao Cao warned that the Moses Empire might recall its army and trap Great Liang’s forces, while Xun Yu questioned recalling Sun Jian from his exploration.
• Lin Yi revealed that Zheng Chenggong was leading a million naval troops, with Zhou Yu, Gan Ning, Lu Kang, and Guan Yu’s forces positioned to help intercept the Moses Empire’s fleet.
• Guo Jia said Great Liang could use the Moses Empire’s homeland as a base, and the ministers agreed with Lin Yi’s plan to launch an all-out offensive.
• Lin Yi stamped the jade seal on the imperial edict, and the ministers cheered Great Liang’s coming war against the Moses Empire.

The Great Liang Empire issued a war mobilization order against the overseas Moses Empire, prompting widespread enthusiasm and a massive buildup of ships and supplies. In Xinma, Princess Dada faced her mother’s concerns about her allegiance and admitted she believed Xinma could never defeat Great Liang.

• The emperor’s war order against the Moses Empire inspired people across Great Liang to enlist, contribute supplies, and support the campaign.
• The Great Liang Empire accelerated warship construction, building more than 150 ironclad warships, while fleets of transports and escorts crossed the ocean.
• The empress of Xinma summoned Princess Dada and questioned why Great Liang was mobilizing despite Dada’s earlier belief that it would not send troops.
• Princess Dada warned that Great Liang might destroy the Moses Empire, but said she did not know the details of its plans.
• The empress cautioned Dada to put Xinma and its people before Great Liang, while Dada insisted she knew what she was doing and acknowledged Xinma could not defeat Great Liang.

Princess Dada warned Princess Nancy that the Great Liang Empire posed an overwhelming threat to the Xinma Empire and urged her to help avert a disastrous war. Nancy realized their mother’s marriage-alliance offer was only a delaying tactic, leaving her to consider the danger Great Liang posed.

• Princess Dada left the palace after warning her mother that Great Liang would disrupt the balance of power and headed to her sister, Princess Nancy.
• Princess Nancy teased Dada about returning from the Central Continent, but Dada said the Xinma Empire faced an unprecedented crisis and asked for her help.
• Nancy dismissed the danger as the Moses Empire’s stalled invasion until Dada explained that Great Liang could easily overcome Xinma’s defenses.
• Dada told Nancy that their mother’s offer to hand Xinma over as a dowry was a delaying tactic that Great Liang would not believe.
• Dada described Great Liang’s vast territory, five-million-strong regular army, and ironclad warships, warning that Xinma could not defeat it without outside help.

Princess Dada staged a coup to bring the Xinma Empire under Great Liang’s control after learning that Great Liang planned to invade with six million troops. She led nearly a hundred thousand soldiers into the royal palace and confronted the Empress, insisting she acted to save the people.

• Princess Dada warned Princess Nancy that Great Liang’s naval power and military movements threatened the Xinma Empire, but Nancy said she needed time to decide whether to rebel against their mother.
• Dada revealed that she had removed Nancy’s guards with help from Wang Yue and demanded Nancy’s military tally; Nancy handed it over after Wang Yue disclosed Great Liang’s six-million-troop mobilization and the threat of an invasion.
• Nancy accepted that she could not stop Dada, and Dada rallied the soldiers to her cause.
• Dada led nearly a hundred thousand troops to surround the royal palace, fought the imperial forces, and broke into the palace.
• Dada confronted the Empress, who accused her of betraying the Xinma Empire for a man; Dada replied that she was trying to save the people from Great Liang’s invasion.

Princess Dada used the claim that Great Liang had six million troops to urge the Xinma Empire to submit, then led a rebellion against Mary An Da. Mary An Da’s hidden soldiers drove Dada’s forces back, but another unknown army appeared and broke through the empress’s guards.

• The ministers feared the rumored six-million-strong Great Liang army and urged Mary An Da to reconsider resisting it.
• Mary An Da offered to forgive Princess Dada if she withdrew, but Dada rejected her offer and ordered her soldiers to attack the palace.
• Mary An Da’s concealed troops ambushed Dada’s forces, forcing them back and revealing that the empress had prepared for the rebellion.
• Mary An Da urged Dada to abandon her rebellion, while Dada accused her mother of sacrificing the people to keep her throne and led a counterattack.
• A whistle and an explosion signaled the arrival of another army, which charged through the empress’s guards with devastating force.

Wang Yue joined Princess Dada’s forces as Great Liang’s navy entered Xinma, prompting Mary An Da to surrender rather than risk the empire’s destruction. Dada took the throne and pledged Xinma to Great Liang, while the Moses Empire prepared to respond to Great Liang’s intervention.

• Wang Yue arrived with more than five thousand men and helped Princess Dada’s forces gain the upper hand.
• A messenger reported that Lu Kang’s Great Liang navy had breached Xinma’s defenses, and Mary An Da recognized that Xinma could not repel the invasion alone.
• Mary An Da ordered her army to stand down, and Xinma’s forces surrendered as Princess Dada entered the royal palace.
• Mary An Da was placed under house arrest and warned Dada not to regret her decision.
• Dada proclaimed herself Xinma’s new empress, announced the empire’s union with Great Liang, and called on her people to defend against Moses.
• Second Elder Yize and Abide Xisi welcomed Great Liang’s advance as an opportunity to destroy its forces.

Yize and his commanders debated whether to attack the Great Liang Empire's apparently isolated troops, then learned that Great Liang had mobilized six million soldiers against the Moses Empire. Yize was left facing the choice of returning to defend the homeland or continuing the campaign against the Xinma Empire.

• Asam urged Yize to trap and destroy the Great Liang Empire's troops, while Abide Xisi warned that their advance might be a trap.
• Asam accused Abide Xisi of disloyalty because Abide William had been attacking Moses colonies, and Abide Xisi denied any connection to his brother's actions.
• Yize ended the argument and ordered scouts to investigate the enemy's apparent opening.
• The scouts reported that Lin Yi had mobilized six million troops, with more than three million already inside Moses territory and the rest surrounding them.
• Asam asked whether they should return to reinforce the homeland, leaving Yize caught between defending Moses and continuing the attack on the Xinma Empire.

After learning that the Xinma Empire had joined Great Liang, Yize ordered the Moses army to retreat rather than risk being trapped between their enemies. The warships set sail, but the army soon heard enemy horns and realized they were being pursued.

• Yize considered seeking an alliance with the Xinma Empire to counter Great Liang.
• A scout reported that Princess Dada had become empress and aligned the Xinma Empire with Great Liang.
• Yize ordered the Moses army to withdraw before Great Liang and Xinma could attack it from both sides.
• The defeated Moses army set sail after losing nearly six hundred thousand men, with morale low.
• The army heard a blast of horns shortly after departing, and Asam realized the enemy was coming.

As the Great Liang fleet approached, Yize ordered the Moses Empire fleet to retreat rather than risk being trapped at sea. He forced Abide Xisi to choose men to stay behind and cover the retreat, leaving them facing near-certain death.

• Abide Xisi recognized the approaching fleet's Black Dragon Banner, and Yize realized Great Liang might trap his army of nearly three million soldiers.
• Yize ordered the Moses Empire fleet to withdraw at full speed, but the faster enemy ships began closing in.
• Yize decided to leave men behind to delay the pursuers while the rest of the fleet continued toward the Moses Empire.
• Yize invoked a traitor in Abide Xisi's family to force him to provide men for the rearguard.
• Abide Xisi selected several men, and Yize sent them in small boats to cover the retreat.

Zheng Chenggong attacked the Moses Empire’s retreating fleet, while Abide Xius’s force was ordered to cover the main army’s escape. Great Liang’s hidden ships cut off the retreat, and Xius’s men were overwhelmed as they tried to flee.

• Abide Xius told his soldiers that the second elder had ordered them to stay behind with a hundred thousand men and cover the retreat.
• Zheng Chenggong recognized that the Moses Empire’s main force was fleeing and signaled Zhou Yu and the others to intercept it.
• Zheng Chenggong ordered his warships to attack Abide Xius’s covering force as the Moses Empire’s ships turned to flee.
• Great Liang’s shells struck Xius’s warships, and fast small boats drew alongside and sent fighters aboard.
• Great Liang’s fighters slaughtered the defenders and shattered Abide Xius’s force, ending its attempt to escape.