In this chapter, we learn about the history of the zhou empire and its people. We learn that the northern lord has a protection army stationed at the border with the north. In the past seven years, there has been a war between the north and the south. The northern barbarians have invaded the south, and the northern protection army has been sent to repel this invasion. The southern protection army eventually defeats the northern barbarian army and returns home, but while the northern troops have been defeated, the emperor has sent an official to take charge of the war. When the emperor fails to defend his father from the northern invaders, he is convicted of false charges and sentenced to prison. On the second day of his imprisonment, the authorities found his father in his jail cell, saying he had committed suicide to escape his prison sentence. This is the first time we hear of this incident, and we learn that hong-lin wants to avenge his father and uncle's deaths. He tells inghe that he is not a fit to join the northern army because he is a commoner like him. .