Recaps

Wu Shuangren welcomed his parents and Liao Yu to Yi Prefecture City, then appointed them to train the militia’s cavalry. When more than fifteen thousand Mount Liang fighters advanced toward Yi Province, Wu Shuangren promised to defend Linwen County and asked Guo Jiwang how to protect it.

• Wu Dongrong, Xu Nanzhi, and Liao Yu arrived from Bo County, and Wu Shuangren reassured them about his injury and recounted his recent victories.
• Wu Shuangren appointed Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu to lead the cavalry, and Xu Jing praised their mounted combat skills.
• Luo Heng delivered word that more than fifteen thousand Mount Liang fighters were heading from Rong Province toward Yi Province.
• Yan Bin warned Wu Shuangren that Linwen County would be first in the invaders’ path, and Wu Shuangren promised to help defend it.
• Wu Shuangren consulted Guo Jiwang and Xu Jing, and Guo Jiwang advised evacuating some residents to nearby mountains and forests and retreating with the rest to the prefectural city.

Wu Shuangren decided to evacuate Linwen County ahead of Mount Liang’s approaching army, then chose to risk more lives to save the county’s elderly and their families. He summoned Yi Province Militia officers to explain the threat and his decision to attempt the evacuation.

• Guo Jiwang and Xu Jing advised Wu Shuangren to abandon Linwen County and defend Yi Prefecture City, so Wu ordered the county’s people to evacuate and arranged supplies for those unable to reach the city.
• Yan Bin told Wu Shuangren that miasma made the surrounding mountains dangerous for the elderly and that thousands of frail people could not travel to the city in time.
• Guo Jiwang suggested that those left behind surrender, but Xu Jing warned Mount Liang might force them to attack Yi Prefecture City and cause the militia to turn against itself.
• Wu Shuangren decided to move the elderly by handcarts or on people’s backs, arguing that saving them would protect morale and prove the militia stood by Yi Province’s people.
• Wu Shuangren summoned the militia’s commanders and told them Mount Liang was sending more than fifteen thousand men toward Yi Province and that Linwen County had to be evacuated.

Wu Shuangren led the Yi Province Militia to Linwen County to delay Mount Liang’s army and help its people evacuate to Yi Prefecture City. After most residents escaped and the militia entered the county seat, scouts watched the torchlit procession and reported an estimate of eight or nine thousand troops.

• Wu Shuangren declared that the Yi Province Militia would defend Linwen County, and he assigned it to delay Mount Liang rather than fight head-on.
• Wu Shuangren led the militia toward Linwen County, while Guo Jiwang expressed disappointment in his risky choices and Zhou Zhengqing defended him.
• Yan Bin and the county officials organized an evacuation, and the people began leaving for Yi Prefecture City.
• Wu Shuangren sent militia soldiers to assist evacuees along the road, leaving just over four thousand troops with him by the time he reached Linwen County.
• Yan Bin reported that about ninety percent of the residents had evacuated, and Wu Shuangren brought his remaining troops into the county seat using torches to make their numbers appear greater.
• Two concealed scouts counted the torchlit procession and estimated that eight or nine thousand militia soldiers had entered the city.

Wu Shuangren used a staged show of force and a calculated ride to make Mount Liang believe he had brought the Yi Province Militia to defend Linwen County, intending to delay the enemy rather than fight it head-on. As he rode north with his guards, his men spotted Mount Liang scouts and Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu pursued them.

• Wu Shuangren secretly cycled militiamen through Linwen County to make Mount Liang's spies believe more than nine thousand soldiers had entered the city.
• Yan Xiaobing's vanguard learned that Wu Shuangren had brought the Yi Province Militia to Linwen County, and Yan Xiaobing chose to slow down and wait for Mount Liang's main army.
• Lin Qian wondered whether Wu Shuangren had brought his troops to cover the civilians' withdrawal, but Yan Xiaobing dismissed the idea.
• Wu Shuangren led more than three hundred riders north from Linwen County to meet Mount Liang's vanguard and deepen the enemy's suspicions.
• Liao Yu and Wu Dongrong chased five Mount Liang scouts after they spotted Wu Shuangren's riders on the road.

Wu Shuangren’s force reached the Mount Liang vanguard, where he taunted its commander into keeping his troops in formation rather than engaging. After returning to Linwen County, his men considered how to withdraw safely while the county’s residents evacuated to Yi Prefecture City.

• Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu killed four Mount Liang scouts and let the last one escape after Wu Shuangren ordered them to hold back.
• Wu Shuangren led his riders to the Mount Liang vanguard, which Yan Xiaobing had formed on a slope, and called for its commander to speak.
• Wu Shuangren and Yan Xiaobing traded challenges and insults, but Yan Xiaobing refused to risk a duel or bring his troops down to fight.
• Wu Shuangren withdrew with his riders after keeping the Mount Liang soldiers in their defensive formation for nearly half an hour.
• Wu Dongrong explained that the encounter had blunted the enemy’s momentum and worn down its troops, while the men considered how to retreat safely as Linwen County’s evacuation continued.

Wu Shuangren used his forces to cover the evacuation of Linwen County, but Yan Xiaobing’s vanguard uncovered the ruse and pursued him. In Yi Prefecture City, Guo Jiwang worried that his plan depended too much on Mount Liang making mistakes and feared Wu Shuangren would face a hard fight.

• Wu Shuangren provoked Mount Liang’s vanguard with his cavalry while more than four thousand of his men withdrew from Linwen County.
• After receiving orders from Lu Yulin, Yan Xiaobing led the vanguard toward Linwen County to investigate, despite suspecting Wu Shuangren was trying to lure them into an attack.
• Wu Shuangren learned that the vanguard was approaching at full speed and withdrew his personal guard and cavalry from the already evacuated town.
• Yan Xiaobing sent three hundred men into Linwen County and discovered it was empty, then ordered the vanguard to pursue Wu Shuangren with only three days of rations.
• In Yi Prefecture City, Guo Jiwang told Zhou Zhengqing that his plan relied on Mount Liang making mistakes and that Wu Shuangren needed to be prepared to lay down his life.

Wu Shuangren’s riders harassed Yan Xiaobing’s advancing vanguard, but withdrew when the terrain and Mount Liang’s formation made further attacks too dangerous. As civilians continued toward Yi Prefecture City, the First, Second, Third, and Sixth Battalions were ordered to turn back, leaving Shi Chen to suspect they would face the approaching enemy.

• Guo Jiwang recalled Wu Shuangren’s willingness to risk his life for the civilians and the Yi Province Militia, though he still felt the stakes did not justify it.
• Yan Xiaobing prepared his three thousand troops for an ambush and kept his formation advancing as Wu Shuangren’s cavalry exchanged arrows and crossbow bolts with them.
• Wu Dongrong warned Wu Shuangren that Mount Liang’s cavalry could trap his riders, and Wu Shuangren decided they needed to find a place to fight a blocking action instead of continuing to harass the vanguard.
• The First, Second, Third, and Sixth Battalions caught up with the civilians and helped them along the road before mounted messengers ordered the battalions to turn around.
• Shi Chen asked a messenger why the battalions had been recalled and concluded that Wu Shuangren had sent them back because the enemy was catching up.

Wu Shuangren’s four battalions ambushed Mount Liang’s vanguard, and the two forces fought fiercely on the official road. As Yan Xiaobing and Zhigang pressed Wu Shuangren, Lin Qian hesitated to join the attack until Wu Shuangren targeted Zhigang’s injured arm, prompting Lin Qian to charge forward.

• Yan Xiaobing received orders to pursue Wu Shuangren’s forces and prevent their withdrawal.
• Wu Shuangren and his armored guards ambushed Mount Liang’s vanguard, cutting through its formation as the four Yi Province battalions attacked from the forest.
• Yan Bin led the Sixth Battalion’s Linwen County militiamen into the battle, and the fresh militia pushed Mount Liang’s weary front ranks back.
• Wu Shuangren fought Yan Xiaobing while Xu Yu engaged Liang An; Zhigang then joined the attack despite his unhealed broken arm.
• Yan Xiaobing called on Lin Qian to carry out their planned sneak attack, but Lin Qian hesitated until Wu Shuangren threatened Zhigang’s injured arm, then charged in.

Wu Shuangren’s Trait [Match for One Person] upgraded as he fought Yan Xiaobing’s guards, letting him read and counter their movements with extreme precision. As he advanced toward Yan Xiaobing, Lin Qian launched a sudden three-thrust attack against Xu Nanzhi, leaving their duel unresolved.

• Xu Nanzhi intercepted Lin Qian, and the two fought as his injured shoulder weakened his spearwork.
• Wu Shuangren exploited his opponents’ injuries to seriously wound Zhigang, then forced Yan Xiaobing to retreat toward his guards.
• Wu Shuangren’s [Match for One Person] upgraded, allowing him to predict and efficiently counter weaker opponents.
• Wu Shuangren fought through Yan Xiaobing’s personal guards, leaving many dead or wounded and terrifying the survivors.
• Lin Qian switched from defense to offense and attacked Xu Nanzhi with three connected spear thrusts.

Wu Shuangren and the Yi Province Militia routed Mount Liang’s vanguard in an ambush, then treated their wounded and counted the costs. After ordering the army to collect useful spoils and prepare to withdraw, Wu Shuangren learned they had suffered nearly two hundred casualties while capturing more than seven hundred enemies.

• Yan Xiaobing, Lin Qian, and Zhigang retreated, breaking the morale and formation of Mount Liang’s vanguard as Yan Bin fought on despite his wounds.
• Wu Dongrong, Liao Yu, and Xu Jing led more than two hundred cavalry around the vanguard’s rear, fired a volley, and charged, completing the rout.
• Xu Nanzhi gave Wu Shuangren a medicinal pill, then told him Lin Qian had hesitated to attack and that his spear technique was improving.
• Wu Dongrong, Liao Yu, and Xu Jing returned from pursuing the fleeing soldiers, and Wu Shuangren confirmed they were unharmed.
• Wu Shuangren’s forces tallied nearly two hundred casualties, killed or wounded nearly six hundred Mount Liang soldiers, and captured more than seven hundred.
• Wu Shuangren ordered the troops to load armor and weapons, have prisoners carry the wounded and supplies, and prepare to withdraw.

After the Yi Province Militia’s victory, Wu Shuangren pushed his exhausted column toward the provincial capital while prioritizing his men over their horses. Lu Yulin and Wu Yan joined the defeated vanguard and marched in pursuit, while Wu Shuangren’s forces paused to rest and regroup.

• Wu Shuangren ordered exhausted militiamen to take turns resting on horseback and told Wu Dongrong that people mattered more than horses, changing Xu Jing’s opinion of him.
• Yan Xiaobing regrouped the surviving Mount Liang vanguard and learned that Lin Qian believed Xu Nanzhi was as strong as Wu Shuangren.
• Yan Xiaobing reported that the vanguard had lost over half its strength, then received word that Lu Yulin was approaching with five thousand elite troops.
• Lu Yulin and Wu Yan arrived, heard Yan Xiaobing’s account, and considered Xu Nanzhi’s strength and Wu Shuangren’s fighting style before deciding to pursue the Yi Province Militia.
• Wu Shuangren organized the column’s midday rest, ordered the horses cooled and watered, and arranged the battalions’ meals.

As Wu Shuangren’s retreating force faced pursuit by Mount Liang’s army, Linwen County militia volunteers offered to cover the rear, but Wu Shuangren refused to assign the danger to one battalion alone. Meanwhile, Shi Chen decided to turn the Fifth Battalion around to support Wu Shuangren, and the chapter ended as he prepared to act on that choice.

• Xie Zhou volunteered with other Linwen County militia to bring up the rear, but Wu Shuangren told Yan Bin that the duty would not fall to the Sixth Battalion alone.
• A scout reported that more than five thousand Mount Liang soldiers were about a dozen li behind Wu Shuangren’s moving column, and Wu Shuangren consulted Xu Jing, Wu Dongrong, and Liao Yu about dividing the forces.
• A scout from the front then reported that another force was approaching the column.
• Shi Chen told the Fifth Battalion’s officers that he wanted to turn back and help Wu Shuangren, arguing that the militia had a duty to protect Yi Province and that Qulin County might need help in the future.
• Qian Fan objected but left Shi Chen to decide; Shi Chen then called the Fifth Battalion’s company commanders and captains to a meeting, and Qian Fan later came back to him.

The Yi Province Militia battalions returned to support Wu Shuangren, swelling his force to more than seven thousand as it retreated. The next morning, the Mount Liang leaders learned of the unexpected buildup, and Guan Sheng proposed testing the militia with a cavalry attack.

• Qian Fan persuaded Shi Chen to bring the Fifth Battalion back to help Wu Shuangren, and Shi Chen sent word to the other battalions.
• Guo Jiwang learned that several battalions had turned back, ordered aid for the arriving civilians, and warned Wu Shuangren not to act rashly.
• Shi Chen rejoined Wu Shuangren, and other militia soldiers and battalions returned in succession, raising the force from more than four thousand to over seven thousand by morning.
• Wu Yan's scouts reported that Wu Shuangren's camp held at least six thousand troops, prompting Wu Yan to call a meeting with Lu Yulin and the other Mount Liang leaders.
• Guan Sheng urged Lu Yulin and Wu Yan to let him lead the cavalry in a probe against the militia.

Guan Sheng led Mount Liang’s cavalry to probe Wu Shuangren’s formation as the Yi Province Militia faced its first real battle. The militia held its formation under the cavalry’s opening attacks, but Mount Liang’s horsemen changed tactics and began inflicting casualties among the archers and crossbowmen.

• Wu Yan approved Lu Yulin’s order for Guan Sheng to lead the cavalry ahead and probe the enemy, while Lin Qian accompanied him.
• Wu Shuangren’s force formed up among the hills, and Xu Jing predicted Mount Liang would send its cavalry ahead.
• Liao Dayong directed the bow and crossbow battalion to fire in stages and retreat through a passage in the militia formation.
• Mount Liang’s cavalry swept across the militia’s front and fired crossbow bolts and arrows, while the militia raised shields and held its line.
• Liao Dayong organized the militia’s return fire from behind the formation, but Mount Liang’s cavalry moved closer and shot arrows among the bowmen and crossbowmen.

The Yi Province Militia repelled Mount Liang cavalry attacks with hidden crossbowmen and disciplined infantry, while Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu anticipated the enemy’s maneuvers. The chapter left Guan Sheng unable to break through the Fifth Battalion’s shield wall as the Mount Liang cavalry continued circling and firing.

• Liao Dayong steadied the bow and crossbow unit and ordered it back thirty paces, while Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu advised Wu Shuangren on the enemy’s likely tactics.
• Wu Shuangren had crossbowmen hide in the front ranks, and they inflicted heavy losses when Mount Liang cavalry approached within ten paces.
• Wu Dongrong correctly predicted that Mount Liang cavalry would split up and circle toward the militia’s flank, where Wu Shuangren had already positioned several hundred men.
• Wu Dongrong and Liao Yu led more than two hundred militia cavalrymen to harass Guan Sheng’s riders, then withdrew through openings in Xu Jing’s infantry formation.
• Xu Jing’s Fifth Battalion closed ranks under Shi Chen’s leadership and held its shield wall against Guan Sheng’s arrows.

Wu Shuangren led the Yi Province Militia in an orderly retreat to the outskirts of Yi Prefecture City while Mount Liang followed without committing to an attack. With reinforcements inside the city and Guo Jiwang’s support, Wu Shuangren prepared to turn the tables by attacking Mount Liang the next day.

• Guan Sheng reported that the Yi Province Militia had held its formation against Mount Liang’s cavalry and that Wu Dongrong had matched him in mounted combat.
• Wu Yan urged Lu Yulin to avoid a rash assault, while Wu Shuangren ordered the militia to withdraw in turns under Xu Jing’s command.
• The militia camped outside Yi Prefecture City instead of entering, and Wu Yan believed Mount Liang’s reinforcements would further weaken its morale.
• Guo Jiwang told Wu Shuangren that the city’s defenses were secure and agreed that the militia now had at least a fifty percent chance of winning an offensive battle.
• Commanders from the two Rong Province Battalions joined Wu Shuangren’s war council, where he announced that the militia would attack Mount Liang the next day.

Wu Shuangren rallied the Rong Province troops by promising to rescue their homeland, and the commanders pledged to fight beside him. At dawn, he led the militia out of Yi Prefecture City to meet Mount Liang’s army in open battle, while Lu Yulin and Wu Yan prepared to attack.

• Wu Shuangren listed the militia’s advantages and promised to drive the Mount Liang rebels from Rong Province, prompting Huang Cheng and the other Rong Province commanders to pledge their troops to him.
• Chen Tie and the other militia commanders knelt and vowed to follow Wu Shuangren and kill the bandits.
• Wu Shuangren had the reasons for the battle and his promise shared with ordinary soldiers, then led more than seven thousand men out of camp to form ranks outside Yi Prefecture City.
• Scouts signaled that the north gate was open, and Lu Yulin sent Guan Sheng’s cavalry to harass the enemy as Mount Liang’s troops prepared to advance.
• After scouts reported that Wu Shuangren was bringing his forces out to fight, Wu Yan urged Lu Yulin to target the Rong Province troops, and Lu Yulin ordered the army forward.

Wu Shuangren’s Yi Province Militia met Mount Liang’s army outside Yi Prefecture City, enduring a fierce exchange of arrows before the two forces collided. As the spear formations fought and Mount Liang tried to outflank them, Wu Shuangren followed Xu Jing’s advice and sent his saber-and-shield soldiers to block the attack, leaving the battle raging on both flanks.

• Wu Shuangren arranged the Yi Province Militia in a broad formation, with archers in front, spear battalions at the center, and cavalry guarding the left flank.
• Liao Dayong’s archers exchanged volleys with Mount Liang’s larger force, then withdrew behind the militia’s front ranks as Wu Shuangren ordered the formation to advance.
• Guan Sheng sent dismounted Mount Liang soldiers to fill the horse pits and clear barricades while Wu Dongrong’s cavalry guarded the left flank and fired arrows at them.
• The spear formations collided, and Wu Shuangren’s wider wild goose formation began closing around Mount Liang’s flanks.
• Xu Jing stopped Wu Shuangren from deploying his saber-and-shield soldiers too early, then signaled him to send them forward when Mount Liang’s flanking troops changed course.
• Wu Shuangren’s saber-and-shield soldiers clashed with Mount Liang’s on both flanks as the battle descended into chaotic close combat.

The Yi Province Militia and Mount Liang fought to a stalemate as both commanders committed reserves and Mount Liang sent its cavalry around the flanks. Wu Shuangren’s Rong Province Battalions held their Crescent Moon Formation against a cavalry assault, leaving both sides waiting for the decisive move.

• Xu Jing advised Wu Shuangren as the Yi Province Militia and Mount Liang exchanged reserves, and the militia’s larger spear force gradually gained ground.
• Wu Yan ordered Guan Sheng to send Mount Liang’s cavalry against both flanks, with one group pursuing Wu Dongrong and the other circling toward the militia’s rear.
• Wu Shuangren had the Rong Province Battalions form a Crescent Moon Formation, where they endured repeated cavalry volleys and inflicted losses without breaking.
• Lu Yulin recalled the unsuccessful right-flank cavalry to attack the militia’s front, but the First Battalion formed a defensive line in its path.
• Lu Yulin wanted to lead an elite charge, but Wu Yan and Wu Shuangren held back, waiting for the opposing side to commit its reserves.

Wu Dongrong led the Yi Province Militia cavalry against Guan Sheng’s larger Mount Liang force, while Liao Yu and Xu Nanzhi helped turn the clash in their favor. Guan Sheng was thrown into the confusion on foot as Lin Qian protected him, and Wu Yan watched Mount Liang’s wider battle lines falter.

• Wu Dongrong turned his cavalry around and charged Guan Sheng’s larger force in an Arrowhead Formation, with Liao Yu and Xu Nanzhi beside him.
• Wu Dongrong used Thunder Treader’s strength to break through Mount Liang’s cavalry, while Liao Yu shot down the men he unhorsed.
• Wu Dongrong challenged Guan Sheng, and Xu Nanzhi leaped in to strike; Lin Qian intercepted her sword before it could reach Guan Sheng.
• Liao Yu shot Guan Sheng’s horse in the head, forcing Guan Sheng to leap to the ground as Xu Nanzhi and Lin Qian fought.
• Wu Dongrong charged Guan Sheng again, and Mount Liang’s cavalry fell into chaos as its riders rushed to protect their commander.
• Wu Yan saw that Mount Liang’s cavalry had failed to gain an advantage while the Yi Province Militia’s spear formation pressed its attack.

Wu Shuangren and Lu Yulin led their forces into a decisive clash, while the two commanders tested each other in a series of mounted duels. The battle remained unresolved as Lu Yulin, exhilarated by Wu Shuangren’s skill, sensed their fight might help him break through toward the Grandmaster realm.

• Wu Yan sent Lu Yulin and his heavily armored guards to attack the Yi Province Militia’s weakened flank and stop its saber-and-shield soldiers from circling Mount Liang’s spearmen.
• Xu Jing sent Wu Shuangren and more than three hundred men to meet Lu Yulin, and Wu Shuangren dismounted most of his force before engaging the enemy’s heavy infantry.
• Wu Shuangren and Lu Yulin fought on horseback, each parrying the other’s powerful spear and saber attacks without gaining an advantage.
• The two forces’ heavily armored infantry collided, and Yan Xiaobing led Mount Liang’s men through the Yi Province Militia’s front before reinforcements arrived to hold them back.
• Wu Shuangren and Lu Yulin exchanged another mounted duel, and Lu Yulin recognized Wu Shuangren as an extraordinary opponent who might help him approach the Grandmaster realm.

Wu Shuangren defeated Lu Yulin, prompting Mount Liang's army to collapse and retreat from Yi Prefecture City. As the pursuit spread across the battlefield, Lin Qian and Guan Sheng remained trapped by Xu Nanzhi and Wu Dongrong, with Wu Shuangren approaching.

• Lu Yulin's spear formation began to collapse, and Wu Shuangren used Leakless Golden Body to break Lu Yulin's wrist, disarm him, and chase him into a retreat.
• Yan Xiaobing and Mount Liang's soldiers saw Lu Yulin flee, while Wu Yan ordered a retreat and Guo Jiwang celebrated the turn of the battle from Yi Prefecture City's walls.
• Mount Liang's troops routed, and the Yi Province Militia advanced in formation to pursue and capture or kill the fleeing soldiers.
• Wu Shuangren rode toward the left flank, where Lin Qian, Guan Sheng, and the Mount Liang cavalry were still fighting Wu Dongrong, Liao Yu, and Xu Nanzhi.
• Xu Nanzhi and Wu Dongrong kept Lin Qian and Guan Sheng from escaping, and Lin Qian turned back to help Guan Sheng as Wu Shuangren approached.
• Guan Sheng urged Lin Qian to flee before Wu Shuangren arrived, but Lin Qian insisted they would leave together.

Wu Shuangren’s forces defeated Mount Liang’s army outside Yi Prefecture City, capturing prisoners and equipment while suffering significant casualties. After the battlefield was cleared, Xu Jing praised Wu Shuangren for saving Yi Province, and Wu Shuangren ordered careful records of the dead and military achievements.

• Lin Qian fled as Wu Shuangren approached, leaving Xu Nanzhi and Wu Dongrong to defeat and capture the wounded Guan Sheng.
• Wu Shuangren led cavalry to overwhelm Lu Yulin’s guards, who mostly surrendered after Lu Yulin fled.
• The Rong Province militiamen realized they had won, and Huang Cheng broke down while remembering Mount Liang’s earlier atrocities.
• Wu Shuangren halted the pursuit because his cavalry was exhausted and more Mount Liang troops were approaching, then reviewed the captured prisoners, weapons, armor, and casualties.
• Wu Shuangren ordered Chen Tie to record every fallen soldier and carefully verify military achievements.
• Xu Jing praised Wu Shuangren for saving Yi Province, and Wu Shuangren acknowledged Xu Jing’s help in preparing the militia.

After defeating Mount Liang, Wu Shuangren planned to strengthen his forces and eventually enter Rong Province, while Xu Jing worried that such a move could draw the imperial court’s suspicion. The Yi Province Militia honored its dead and rewarded its fighters, then Wu Shuangren expanded his personal guard brigade to three hundred men and assigned guards to senior officers.

• Xu Jing praised his first command of more than ten thousand men, and Wu Shuangren said he planned to rest and train before finding a way to fight into Rong Province.
• Lu Yulin and Wu Yan learned that Guan Sheng had been captured and, unable to turn their defeat around, decided to return to Rong Province and seek the chief commander's forgiveness.
• After scouts confirmed Mount Liang’s army was retreating, Wu Shuangren held a ceremony honoring the dead, distributed rewards and merit tokens, promoted soldiers, and punished those who had disobeyed orders or shown cowardice.
• Wu Shuangren rallied the assembled militia by declaring victory over Mount Liang and leading them in a cry of “Certain victory!”
• Wu Shuangren recruited three hundred men into his personal guard brigade, then assigned armor and guards to battalion commanders, deputy battalion commanders, and brigade commanders.

Wu Shuangren reorganized and reinforced the Yi Province Militia after its victory over Mount Liang, then learned that the Shannan Army had arrived to aid Yi Province. He told a Shannan Army envoy that the siege had already been lifted by his militia, leaving the envoy stunned.

• Wu Shuangren distributed armor among the militia, expanded the bow and crossbow and cavalry brigades, and approved recruiting replacements for the depleted battalions.
• Wu Shuangren selected nearly 700 screened warrior monks from the Mist Hidden Temple prisoners and assigned them across the battalions, while keeping the Mount Liang prisoners under observation and at labor.
• Luo Heng reported that over 6,000 Shannan Army troops, including more than a thousand cavalry, were approaching Yi Prefecture City.
• Wu Shuangren followed Guo Jiwang's advice to seek friendly relations with the Shannan Army, whose generals Xu Rong and Zhang Liao wondered why the city showed no signs of a siege.
• Wu Shuangren met a Shannan Army guard and told him that the Yi Province Militia had driven Mount Liang's forces back four days earlier; he asked the guard to return with someone else.