Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

Du Fuwei, having set up a network of spies in Jiang Du, deduces the Sui army's intentions to attack him upon receiving messages via carrier pigeons. After realizing Liyang County is the target, he leads an ambush at Taoye Mountain but only manages to kill a few Sui cavalrymen before retreating to Zhongli County. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan learns of the ambush's failure and the retreat of Du Fuwei's forces, which fuels his anger over the loss of his men. Upon arriving at Liyang County, Zhang Xuan confronts Governor Jiang Xiaobo, arresting him for his inaction against Du Fuwei. Zhang Xuan appoints the deputy governor, Yang Li, to report on the bandits and warns the officials of their connections to Du Fuwei. As the Sui army settles in Liyang County, Du Fuwei secretly returns to his stronghold, planning to strike back at the Sui forces.

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