Before those men could fire their signal flares, Emperor Ruicheng and his troops arrived. Caught in a pincer attack, the group was swiftly annihilated.
As the slaughter neared its end, Sun Ce suddenly recognized one of the men. Dressed in the humble garb of a foot soldier and keeping a remarkably low profile—who else could it be but the Left Prince, Huyan Lihuo?
Huyan Lihuo's mother was Queen to Zhuo Erhe. As Zhuo Erhe's eldest son, Huyan Lihuo held formidable status in the Western Regions Royal Court. However, the King of the Western Regions had later taken several other consorts, doting heavily on these younger women.
Huyan Lihuo's mother had fallen out of Zhuo Erhe's favor. Furthermore, because the combined power of mother and son posed a growing threat to his throne, Zhuo Erhe had begun elevating his other sons and their mothers to suppress Huyan Lihuo and the Queen.
