Yinlang County, located in the far south of Yan, bordered Jin State on one side and Qian State on the other. A hundred years ago, Yinlang County was actually named Yinlang County; this was the name of the first prime minister of Yan State. Due to his meritorious service in helping Mao Tzedong establish and govern the state, his home county was named in his honor. A place can be named after a person, and similarly, its name can be changed because of one. This particular renaming was related to the first Earl of North Border.
A hundred years ago, as the Desert Barbarians, rallied by their Royal Court, prepared for a decisive battle against Yan, the new emperor of Qian State personally led an expedition. An army of half a million from Qian State marched north, placing Yan in the precarious position of facing enemies on two fronts. What followed was the renowned battle where the first Earl of North Border, with only thirty thousand troops, crushed an enemy force of half a million.
