Chapter Summaries

After Elder Yang learned that Shen Jingchuan was looking for a home, he arranged for Secretary Zhou to show him an empty courtyard house at West Mountain Separate Garden. Shen Jingchuan and Meng Ke toured the spacious, modernized residence, and he recognized the gift as a gesture from Elder Yang.

• Professor Wen told Elder Yang that Shen Jingchuan had agreed to ask around for more medicine, while Elder Yang said he would not pressure him and hoped only to help his weakening old comrades.
• After learning Shen Jingchuan was looking for a house, Elder Yang ordered Secretary Zhou to offer him a courtyard house bought by his second son, with all costs charged to a private account.
• Professor Wen invited Shen Jingchuan to view a house on West Mountain, and Shen Jingchuan agreed to meet Secretary Zhou at Meng Ke's shop.
• Shen Jingchuan and Meng Ke rode with Secretary Zhou to West Mountain Separate Garden and arrived at the courtyard house known as Zero One.
• Secretary Zhou described the property's size and modern amenities, and Shen Jingchuan realized Elder Yang had arranged the viewing as thanks for his help.

Shen Jingchuan agreed to buy the Yang Household’s West Mountain courtyard for its original cost of eighteen million after Professor Wen explained that paying market price would reject Elder Yang’s kindness. As Shen Jingchuan and Meng Ke left, they planned to make the property their marital home, while he considered repaying the favor with wild ginseng.

• Meng Ke admired the courtyard as Secretary Zhou described its maintenance, garage, and other facilities.
• Shen Jingchuan insisted on paying for the residence, and Secretary Zhou called Professor Wen for guidance.
• Professor Wen offered the courtyard at its original cost of eighteen million, and Shen Jingchuan accepted the arrangement.
• Secretary Zhou promised to prepare the transfer paperwork and explained that the villa district had discreet security.
• Shen Jingchuan and Meng Ke discussed renovating the courtyard as their marital home and putting both their names on it.
• Shen Jingchuan decided to pay the agreed amount and later deliver wild ginseng to repay Elder Yang’s kindness.

Shen Jingchuan settled into the West Mountain Separate Courtyard, brought Meng Ke to plan how to furnish it, and rented a secluded warehouse for transferring supplies. After Factory Director Zhou delivered the custom carriage, Shen Jingchuan stored it in his space and considered how it could connect him with the upper circles of the other world.

• Shen Jingchuan moved into Courtyard No. 1 and decided to use it as a home and for small supplies, while handling bulk shipments at a separate warehouse.
• Meng Ke toured the courtyard, claimed the sunny guest room for herself, and planned how to furnish and arrange the rooms and garden.
• Shen Jingchuan rented a 1,200-square-meter warehouse beyond the Sixth Ring Road, complete with climate controls, surveillance, and a freezer room.
• Factory Director Zhou delivered the finished custom carriage, and Shen Jingchuan inspected it and paid the remaining balance.
• Shen Jingchuan used his space to store the carriage and realized he could use it to build ties with the upper circles of the other world.

Shen Jingchuan brought a custom four-wheeled carriage into the other world and decided to build a large luxury-carriage business to reach its wealthy elite. He tested the carriage with Liu Hu and the horses, while curious passersby watched.

• Shen Jingchuan told Meng Ke he was going to look for ginseng, then traveled to the other world.
• Shen Jingchuan summoned his custom black four-wheeled carriage outside the north house and decided to sell such carriages on a large scale.
• Shen Jingchuan showed the carriage to Liu Hu, who marveled at its design and craftsmanship.
• Big Black refused to be harnessed, so Shen Jingchuan chose Little Black and Treading Snow to pull the carriage instead.
• Liu Hu drove the carriage around the street to test it as pedestrians slowed to look, while Shen Jingchuan shut the protesting Big Black inside the stable.

Shen Jingchuan test-drove his new four-wheeled carriage to the Lin Household Escort Agency and showed it to Lin Weiyuan and his sons. The Lin family marveled at its design, and Lin Weiyuan asked whether it was awkward to drive.

• Shen Jingchuan inspected the carriage's smooth suspension, roomy interior, hidden bed, bathroom, and tea station during the ride.
• Liu Hu drove the carriage through the city, drawing curious stares from pedestrians.
• Shen Jingchuan arrived at the Lin Household Escort Agency and asked to see Chief Escort Lin.
• Lin Weiyuan, Lin Shan, and Lin Yue followed Shen Jingchuan to the gate and examined the striking four-wheeled carriage.
• Lin Weiyuan asked Shen Jingchuan whether the carriage felt awkward while moving.

Shen Jingchuan showed Lin Weiyuan, Lin Shan, and Lin Yue the four-wheeled carriage and asked them to assess whether it would sell. After they experienced its smooth ride and clever features, they were astonished by its comfort and practicality.

• Shen Jingchuan explained that the carriage was an exclusive technique of the Shen family and asked Lin Weiyuan to judge its market potential.
• Shen Jingchuan invited Lin Weiyuan, Lin Shan, and Lin Yue aboard, and Liu Hu drove them around the street.
• Lin Yue, Lin Shan, and Lin Weiyuan marveled at how quietly and steadily the carriage traveled over the uneven road.
• Liu Hu turned the carriage around smoothly, surprising Lin Yue with its maneuverability.
• Shen Jingchuan showed the men a sealed portable privy and a built-in tea room, and Lin Yue praised their designs.

Shen Jingchuan showed the Lin Household the carriage’s convertible bed and glass roof, then explained his plan to build and sell four-wheeled carriages locally using imported steering mechanisms. Lin Weiyuan praised the tiered business plan, and the group ended their discussion considering the carriage venture’s potential.

• Shen Jingchuan transformed the carriage’s seat into a bed and showed the Lin Household the glass pane in its roof.
• Lin Weiyuan declared that wealthy households, merchants, and escort teams would eagerly buy the carriage if its price was right.
• Lin Shan and Lin Yue discovered that Whirlwind Horses pulled the carriage and marveled at them from a distance.
• Shen Jingchuan told Lin Weiyuan that he would open a local workshop, supplying steering mechanisms while local craftsmen built the carriages.
• Shen Jingchuan outlined low-cost local models, refined models assembled from imported components, and a limited number of expensive complete carriages.
• Lin Weiyuan praised Shen Jingchuan’s plan to target different buyers with passenger and freight carriages at several price levels.

Shen Jingchuan proposed that the Lin Household run a carriage-making workshop while his Shen Household supplied the indispensable core components. After they agreed to share the workshop’s net profits, the chapter left them discussing the next steps.

• Shen Jingchuan offered the Lin Household the carriage workshop, with the Shen Household supplying core parts and plans while the Lin Household managed production and sales.
• Lin Weiyuan worried that powerful rivals might seize the business, but Shen Jingchuan explained that without the Shen Household’s components, a stolen workshop would be useless.
• Lin Weiyuan agreed the Lin Household could proceed and suggested sharing profits if necessary to protect the partnership.
• Lin Weiyuan proposed a fifty-fifty split, but Shen Jingchuan negotiated his share down to twenty percent.
• Lin Weiyuan accepted the twenty-percent arrangement, and the group began discussing the workshop’s next steps.

Lin Qingyao visited Shen Jingchuan and admired his four-wheeled carriage before inviting him to attend Chang'an’s Mid-Autumn poetry gathering. Lin Weiyuan arranged for Shen Jingchuan to travel there with the Weiyuan Escort Agency, and Lin Qingyao eagerly insisted on joining them.

• Lin Qingyao visited Master Lin and Shen Jingchuan, then went with Lin Shan and Ju'er to see Shen Jingchuan’s carriage and Whirlwind Horses.
• Lin Qingyao joined Shen Jingchuan and the Lin family for a meal and told them about Hongwen Academy’s Mid-Autumn poetry gathering in Chang'an.
• Shen Jingchuan considered traveling to Chang'an, and Lin Weiyuan offered to have him accompany the Weiyuan Escort Agency’s shipment.
• Lin Weiyuan told Lin Shan and Lin Yue to protect Shen Jingchuan on the journey and agreed that the young people could attend the gathering.
• Lin Qingyao insisted on going with them after Lin Yue teased her, then hurried out with Ju'er.

Shen Jingchuan learned that armor was legal but too heavy and cumbersome for ordinary escort runs, then sought lighter custom protection for people and horses. Professor Wen agreed to connect him with a military-standard protective equipment factory, leaving Shen Jingchuan to discuss the specifications with its manager.

• Shen Jingchuan asked Lin Yue whether the Great Qian court prohibited civilians from owning armor, and Lin Yue and Lin Shan explained why heavy armor was impractical on escort runs.
• Lin Yue and Lin Weiyuan said Shen Jingchuan's Whirlwind Horses could carry armored riders and horses, which could make them powerful defenders for an escort party.
• Shen Jingchuan returned to his modern-day home and searched for suitable armor online, but found only heavy or flimsy options.
• Shen Jingchuan messaged Meng Ke, then called Professor Wen and described a fabricated friend who needed lightweight protective gear for mountain journeys.
• Professor Wen agreed to contact a factory that supplied the military and police and have its manager call Shen Jingchuan to discuss custom equipment.

Shen Jingchuan ordered custom lightweight armor for his companions and horses in Great Qian, then commissioned a heavy spear for himself. With the armor scheduled for delivery in fifteen days and the spear in seven, he prepared to strengthen his protection before the journey ahead.

• Shen Jingchuan arranged for six men’s suits, seven horse armor sets, and one fitted women’s suit, then collected measurements from the Lin Household, his groom, and his horses.
• Shen Jingchuan sent the measurements to Zhou Qisheng and paid 500,000 yuan for seven human armor suits and eight horse armor sets with expedited delivery.
• Shen Jingchuan decided he needed a weapon suited to his growing strength and chose a custom 2.8-meter tiger-head spear.
• Shen Jingchuan paid a deposit for the spear and told the Longquan workshop to use genuine materials and finish it within seven days.

Shen Jingchuan prepared to leave for the provincial capital in search of Spirit Stones, equipping himself and the Lin siblings with specially made lightweight armor. The group finished outfitting their horses and prepared to set out.

• Shen Jingchuan reassured Meng Ke that he would be careful during his trip, despite her worries about him losing contact in remote mountain areas.
• Lin Shan, Lin Yue, and Lin Qingyao arrived at Shen Jingchuan's courtyard to collect him for the journey.
• Shen Jingchuan had Lin Yue test Big Black's horse armor, revealing that metal plates beneath the cowhide could withstand a saber strike.
• Shen Jingchuan demonstrated the strength of the horse armor with his spear and explained that the custom equipment was lightweight and protective.
• The Lin siblings put on their armor and fitted their horses with the matching gear, marveling at its quality and ease of use.

Shen Jingchuan set out from Yuxi Prefecture with Lin Qingyao and an escort party, taking Xiaoyue along after she revealed she had prepared for the journey. On the road toward Chang'an, he galloped Big Black across the open countryside, then stopped on a hill to practice with his spear and wait for the others.

• Shen Jingchuan prepared the horses and carriage for departure, then agreed to take Xiaoyue along while telling Su Qingshu and Su Qinghua to stay home.
• The party left Yuxi Prefecture through the south gate, drawing attention with its four-wheeled carriage and Whirlwind Horses.
• The escort procession headed toward Chang'an and passed through drought-stricken countryside.
• Shen Jingchuan urged Big Black into a gallop and raced ahead of the escort runners before slowing the horse.
• Shen Jingchuan stopped on a hill, practiced a few spear moves, and waited for the party to catch up.

Shen Jingchuan traveled south with the Lin family escort, whose brothers tried to pay him for the valuable armor and horse barding he had provided, but he refused. The convoy was stopped by Chief Hu and hundreds of starving bandits demanding two hundred taels, and Lin Yue drew his spear to confront them.

• Lin Yue and Lin Shan offered to pay Shen Jingchuan for the armor and barding, but he insisted they treat them as payment for his escort.
• The convoy traveled toward Chang'an, and Lin Shan learned that Chief Hu's bandits had blocked the official road despite receiving the customary passage money.
• Lin Shan rode ahead to negotiate, while Lin Qingyao stayed back and Shen Jingchuan followed to observe.
• Chief Hu demanded two hundred taels because drought had left his three hundred-odd followers starving, and he refused Lin Shan's offer of fifteen taels.
• Lin Yue drew his spear and challenged Chief Hu, declaring that the Zhenyuan Escort Agency would not be intimidated.

Lin Yue, Lin Shan, and Shen Jingchuan charged a bandit force and routed it with their armored horses and weapons. The bandits fled into the woods, and the three riders returned to the convoy unharmed.

• Lin Yue wounded the bandit chief and charged into the bandits, knocking attackers down with his spear while their weapons failed to pierce his armor.
• Lin Shan and Shen Jingchuan joined the fight, and Lin Shan pulled the wounded chief from his horse with a spear strike.
• Shen Jingchuan and Lin Shan broke through the crowd, while Lin Yue fought his way out from the other side.
• The three riders charged again, broke the remaining bandits’ courage, and sent them fleeing up the mountainside.
• The Lin brothers pursued some fugitives before returning with Shen Jingchuan to the convoy, leaving the escort hands stunned.

After the convoy defeated the bandits, Shen Jingchuan treated the wounded bandit chief, Hu Tieniu, and arranged to give the bandits rice. The convoy continued on, with Hu Tieniu alive and supplied with medicine and food.

• Lin Yue lamented the scratches on his armor and horse while Lin Qingyao checked whether Shen Jingchuan was hurt.
• The convoy reached the battle site, where Hu Tieniu accused the Zhenyuan Escort Agency of bullying the poor, and Lin Yue prepared to attack him.
• Shen Jingchuan stopped Lin Yue, treated Hu Tieniu's wounds, and gave him instructions and antibiotics.
• Shen Jingchuan asked Lin Shan to spare the bandits two sacks of rice, and Lin Shan ordered the escorts to bring them.

Shen Jingchuan, Lin Qingyao, and the Lin escort party traveled toward Chang'an in the comfortable four-wheeled carriage, which impressed Lin Qingyao and Lin Yue. Shen Jingchuan bought more than a hundred watches for the other world, and the party reached the provincial capital after four days on the road.

• Shen Jingchuan invited Lin Qingyao to ride in the carriage, and Lin Yue persuaded her to accept.
• Yue'er showed Lin Qingyao the carriage’s comfortable interior and private toilet while Lin Yue praised its smooth ride.
• The party reached a familiar inn and spent the night, while Shen Jingchuan returned to the carriage to rest and practice his Qi.
• Shen Jingchuan traveled to his modern home, ordered more than a hundred watches using ancient timekeeping units, then returned to sleep in the carriage.
• Lin Shan, Lin Yue, and Shen Jingchuan took turns riding outside as the others rested in the carriage, and the party reached Chang'an on the afternoon of the thirteenth.

Shen Jingchuan and the Lin Household arrived in Chang'an City, where he marveled at its walls, crowds, and bustling night markets. Over dinner, Lin Qingyao explained the prestigious Mid-Autumn poetry gathering at Jade Autumn Lake and the requirements for entering it.

• Shen Jingchuan and the Lin Household passed the strict gate inspection and entered Chang'an City with their unusual four-wheeled carriage.
• Lin Shan and Lin Yue delivered the cargo while Shen Jingchuan, Lin Qingyao, and Xiao Yue'er settled at the Yuelai Inn.
• Lin Shan invited Shen Jingchuan and the others to explore Chang'an's night market, and the group strolled through its crowded streets and markets.
• Lin Shan treated Shen Jingchuan and the others to a lavish meal at a well-known restaurant.
• Lin Qingyao described the Mid-Autumn poetry gathering at Jade Autumn Lake and explained the three ways scholars could gain entry.

Shen Jingchuan prepared to enter the Jade Autumn Garden poetry gathering by taking its poetry assessment, confident that he could compose suitable poems. As he and the Lin siblings waited in line, a young man named Su Yan approached and introduced himself.

• Shen Jingchuan collected his delivered watches in the modern world, chose a pocket watch for himself and three as gifts for Lin Qingyao, Lin Shan, and Lin Yue, then returned to the other world and slept.
• At breakfast, Lin Qingyao explained that she and her siblings lacked the qualifications to enter the Jade Autumn Garden, while Lin Shan and Lin Yue described how difficult its poetry assessment was.
• Shen Jingchuan said he could compose poems for the assessment, and Lin Qingyao proposed they go that day to avoid the Mid-Autumn Festival crowds.
• Shen Jingchuan and the Lin siblings traveled to the Jade Autumn Garden with Liu Hu, Yue'er, and Big Black, then joined the long assessment line.
• Su Yan approached Shen Jingchuan, introduced himself as a young man from Chu, and asked his name.

At the Poetry Appreciation Terrace, Shen Jingchuan met Su Yan, Zhou Tong, and Xu Mo while waiting to take the test for admission to the garden. When the topic was announced as “autumn,” Shen quickly wrote a poem from memory, while Zhou Tong copied a prepared piece and Su Yan began composing.

• Shen Jingchuan told Su Yan, Zhou Tong, and Xu Mo that his workshop’s four-wheeled carriage would first be sold in Yuxi Prefecture, with wider sales planned later.
• Zhou Tong offered Shen Jingchuan a prepared poem by Xu Mo to help him pass the poetry test, but Shen declined for the time being.
• Yue'er brought tea for Shen Jingchuan and his companions as they waited in line, and the four men entered the testing tent together in the fourth group.
• The supervisor set the topic as “autumn” and gave the candidates a quarter of an hour to write a poem or short fu.
• Shen Jingchuan wrote a poem from memory and titled it “Autumn Mountain Journey,” while Zhou Tong copied a prepared poem and Su Yan began writing.