Xia Chichi and Huangfu Qing had both long wanted to deal with the Three Jins and its merchants[1]. Xia Chichi managed to maintain her composure, but Huangfu Qing was far less patient. She had originally planned to have her brother lead an army straight north, but he had vehemently dissuaded her, leaving her fuming and returning to the capital with a bellyful of frustration. 1

Her anger was not without reason. Her father was stationed in Yanmen, now facing a dire situation of being surrounded on all sides, short on supplies, and essentially cut off from meaningful reinforcements. It felt as if Yanmen was almost entirely isolated.0

But her brother shared the same father, and he knew the limitations of their forces better than anyone. When he insisted that their troops were utterly unfit for battle, there was no room for debate. As much as it annoyed her, Huangfu Qing had no choice but to accept reality and return, left to only feel frustrated but unable to really do anything.0

The situation in the Three Jins had not always been this dire. In the past, Huangfu Yongxian’s position, while precarious, had never felt like being under siege. Ironically, back when the world was united against Xia Longyuan, the Shanxi merchants were one...0