Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

In the East Sea Paper Shop, Yang Zhonglan and intelligence officer Hou Zheng Yang discuss a report from Ma Yao Zong, a skilled scout who reveals that the Heng'an Martial Arts School is recruiting high-level warriors with suspiciously high salaries. Yang Zhonglan suspects the school is a front for a hidden agenda and sends Ma Yao Zong to investigate further. The school's background is linked to Chang Sun Wu Ao, a general, but Ma Yao Zong identifies a "Fourth Young Master" as the likely mastermind, possibly Chang Sun Wu Ji. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan is in Mayi County, overseeing the reconstruction of a section of the Great Wall to defend against Turkic invasions. Despite challenges, local laborers eagerly join the effort, and the construction nears completion. Zhang Xuan receives intelligence about the Tang army's strategic decisions, realizing they are consolidating their efforts against him, which raises concerns about a potential pincer attack from the Turks.

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