Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

Twenty thousand Tang soldiers were trapped in a valley for three days with dwindling supplies and low morale. Li Shen Fu, realizing their dire situation, decided to disguise himself as a common soldier to negotiate with the Zhou army for safe passage. After a tense exchange, the Zhou general, Liu Lan Cheng, agreed to let them go in exchange for Li Shen Fu's royal seal and sword, providing them with food and mules. However, upon discovering the deception, the Tang soldiers, enraged, surrendered en masse to the Zhou army, leading to the complete annihilation of the Tang forces in Bashu. Meanwhile, in Taiyuan, both armies engaged in drum competitions and simulated sieges to maintain morale amid a tense standoff, while the city itself fell silent, with citizens living in fear and commerce declining. Wang Yuan Ji, the magistrate of Taiyuan, arrived at his cousin Wang Shou's residence, indicating the ongoing political and social turmoil in the region.

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