The Alliance Arc is the 7th significant story arc of Yasuhisa Hara's manga "Kingdom", One year after the Bayou War, Ryo Fui invites Shun Pei Kun, the Zhao king's lover, to Qin's capital to improve relations but secretly plans to kidnap him. King Tou Jou, valuing Shun Pei Kun, agrees to exchange him for Zhao's prime minister, Ri Boku.
Ri Boku arrives with his lieutenants, and Ryo Fui plans to assassinate them, but Ri Boku proposes an alliance. This alliance would help both states expand without fearing each other.
Summary[]
One year after the Bayou War, Ryo Fui messaged Shun Pei Kun, the Zhao king's lover, and asked him to visit him in Qin's capital, in order to work together to repair a small measure of the Qin-Zhao relations. However, his secret intention was to kidnap the young boy and ask from the Zhao king to send prime minister Ri Boku in Kanyou as an exchange hostage. King Tou Jou had no choice but to abide by Ryo Fui's demands, as Shun Pei Kun was too valuable for him to spare.
So, Ri Boku moved to Kanyou accompanied by his lieutenants and appeared in the king's hall, where the Ryo Faction, Ou Ki's vassals, Shin, Kyou Kai, and the king himself with his advisers were present. Ryo Fui revealed his intention to assassinate Ri Boku and his vessels on the spot, but Ri Boku had a counterproposal prepared, in order to save his life. He offered the forging of an alliance between the two states, which would help them expand their borders without fearing each other. After cruel negotiations, Ryo Fui accepted the offer, and the alliance was forged. After that, a huge banquet was held to honor the agreement, in which Ri Boku and Shin had a brief talk.
During the first months of the alliance, the state of Qin held many skirmishes around the borders with the state of Wei, where the Hi Shin Unit, as well as other small units, had the chance to raise their fame and gain experience.
Characters Introduced[]
Zhao[]
Qin[]
Story Impacts[]
- Shin is promoted to the rank of a 300-Man Commander and the Hi Shin Unit is promoted to a 300-man unit. They remain independent from any specific armies and tour numerous battlefronts as reinforcements while becoming more famous.
- A battle between Zhao and Yan takes place with Ri Boku as the Commander-in-Chief.
- Ri Boku and his entourage travel to Kanyou.
- Ryo Fui kidnaps Shun Pei Kun, one of the Zhao king Tou Jou's lovers, and blackmails Tou Jou into sending Ri Boku and his entourage to personally retrieve Shun Pei Kun.
- Tou Jou threatens Ri Boku to get Shun Pei Kun back under the threat of execution.
- Shou Hei Kun summons Shin and Kyou Kai to Kanyou should Ryo Fui want Ri Boku to be killed.
- Tou, Roku O Mi, Kan Ou, Ryuu Koku, and the remaining remnants of the Ou Ki Army's commanders arrive to participate in Ryo Fui's assumed plans for Ri Boku.
- Mou Bu is also summoned.
- Ryo Fui meets Ri Boku.
- The Qin Military personnel gain some insight into Ri Boku's ability as a military commander as they see the Great Heaven.
- The Chancellor threatens to kill Ri Boku and the Zhao officials.
- Ryo Fui shows off his incredible ability as a politician and negotiator as he acquires the city of Kankou.
- An alliance between the states of Qin and Zhao is established.
- Shin meets Ri Boku for the first time.
- Shin challenges Ri Boku as the Great Heaven promises to remember his face.
- Ten meets Kaine once again.
- Ei Sei stays in the background of the entire meeting and successfully fools the Zhao into thinking that he's Ryo Fui "puppet".
- Sei tells Shin and Ten that they only have five tears till his Coming of Age Ceremony and by that time he will destroy Ryo Fui's grip of power in the courts.
- Sei promises Shin if he can become a General in five years, he will be the one to set out on his very first decree as the official king of Qin.
- Heki tells Shin and the Hi Shin Unit about the upcoming invasion of wei as High Command has already devised a grand strategy that aims to conquer the city of Sanyou.
- Duke Hyou and Mou Gou are nominated as potential candidates to lead the campaign as the Commander-in-Chief.
- Ou Hon, Ban You, and the Gyoku Hou Unit are introduced.
- Ou Hon reveals that he is a relative of the late Great General Ou Ki.
- Kou and the members of the Hi Shin Unit start aiming to become members of the Qin Military's soldier caste.
- The Hi Shin and Gyoku Hou Units become rivals.
- Mou Ten, Ko Zen, Riku Sen, and the Gaku Ka Unit are introduced.
Trivia[]
- A man appearing to be Gi Ka can be seen in the front of Ri Boku’s entourage. This could've been a mistake or a funny easter egg done by Hara.
- Ei Sei mentions Zheng Guo, (jap: Tei Koku), a famed Chinese hydraulic engineer who lived in the Warring States Era. He is best known for designing the Zhengguo Canal, which was named after him.