None of the soldiers had returned from the campaign. Every last one of them had been defeated, and news of their failure quickly reached their respective kingdoms. Already overwhelmed by the foreign civilization’s invasion, the kingdoms saw their fates decline even further with this latest loss.0

Yet, they soon learned that Han Wu had not killed all their soldiers. Instead, he had imprisoned them. This revelation sparked urgent discussions among the ten kingdoms about how to rescue their captured men. Raising a single soldier to peak condition required tens of thousands of Gold Coins. Training a general cost even more. It made more sense to pay a ransom for the captured soldiers and generals than to lose them completely.0

Envoys from the ten kingdoms traveled to meet Han Wu, seeking...0