Chapter Summaries

Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the captured Yuan Emperor imprisoned and paraded through Yingtian, then approved Zhu Ying’s plan to use him to claim Northern Yuan territory. Zhu Ying also secured increased compensation for soldiers killed or wounded in the Northern Expedition, and the court adjourned with Zhu Biao approaching him.

• Zhu Yuanzhang had the Yuan Emperor brought before the court, rejected his pleas to surrender, and ordered him paraded through Yingtian for five days before being confined in the Heavenly Prison.
• Zhu Ying proposed making the Yuan Emperor sign a state letter ceding Northern Yuan territory to Great Ming, and Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Tang Duo to obtain the letter and imperial seal.
• Zhu Ying petitioned to use Northern Yuan’s seized wealth to increase compensation for fallen soldiers, while Zhao Mian warned that the treasury was strained.
• Zhu Biao proposed using half the seized treasure for soldiers’ compensation, and Zhu Yuanzhang approved the plan and ordered Tang Duo and Zhao Mian to prepare the lists and inventory.
• Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed court until three days later, and Zhu Biao approached Zhu Ying as the officials dispersed.

After Zhu Ying returned to court, officials praised his achievements and discussed his plans to secure pensions for fallen soldiers. At Wenyuan Pavilion, Zhu Biao accepted Zhu Ying’s Azure Rainbow Sword, and Zhu Ying watched Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao joke about abdication before wondering what the Ming Dynasty would have become if Zhu Biao had lived.

• Zhu Biao invited Zhu Ying to a welcoming banquet at Wenyuan Pavilion, where officials including Tang Duo, Zhao Mian, and Lu Ben came to greet him.
• Zhu Ying explained that he had promised to petition for higher pensions and pay for the soldiers who had died in the campaign, and Zhao Mian agreed that the funds should support them.
• Lu Ben arranged for Zhu Ying’s portrait and achievements to be announced, and Zhu Ying agreed to visit the Ministry of Rites the day after tomorrow.
• Zhu Biao met Zhu Ying outside Wenyuan Pavilion with the Azure Rainbow Sword, and Zhu Ying offered him the sword in thanks for caring for his family.
• Zhu Yuanzhang joked that he could abdicate and leave Zhu Biao to handle the memorials, while Zhu Biao protested that he could not yet bear the burden of the throne.
• Zhu Ying reflected on the unusual father-and-son exchange and wondered how the Ming Dynasty might have changed if Zhu Biao had not died.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao welcomed Zhu Ying after his triumphant return, discussed the punishment of Zhu Shuang and their hopes for the Ming Dynasty, then shared a banquet with him. During dinner, Zhu Yuanzhang asked about Zhu Ying’s parents, and Zhu Ying recalled their names.

• Zhu Ying praised Zhu Quan’s sincerity and ambition, while saying Zhu Di had long wanted a military life.
• Zhu Yuanzhang told Zhu Ying that Zhu Shuang had been stripped of his princely title and imprisoned, and Zhu Biao said the Imperial Clan Court would publicize Prince of Qin’s crimes as a warning.
• Zhu Ying praised Zhu Yuanzhang as an Emperor of the Ages and told Zhu Biao that the people expected him to become a benevolent ruler.
• Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Ying shared wine and food, including wine from Zhu Ying’s family winery.
• Zhu Ying told Zhu Yuanzhang that his parents were named Zhu Zhi and Zheng Rong, and Zhu Yuanzhang instructed Zhu Biao to record their names in the family genealogy.

At Zhu Ying’s reward banquet, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao drank with him and noticed the many scars from his battles. Zhu Yuanzhang recognized a childhood bite mark on Zhu Ying’s arm as matching the one Xu Miaojin had left on Zhu Xiongying, leaving him wondering whether Zhu Ying could be Xiongying.

• Zhu Yuanzhang toasted Zhu Ying for his victory at Fenglangjuxu, and the three men drank together.
• Zhu Ying described the Northern Frontier and defended his harsh campaign against Northern Yuan while insisting that no ancestral Central Plains territory should be lost.
• Zhu Biao and Zhu Yuanzhang saw the scars on Zhu Ying’s arm, and Zhu Ying explained that he led from the front because commanders who risked their lives inspired their soldiers.
• Zhu Yuanzhang found a child’s bite mark on Zhu Ying’s arm and remembered Xu Miaojin biting Zhu Xiongying when they were children.
• Zhu Yuanzhang silently compared the matching bite marks, while Zhu Ying noticed that Zhu Biao had fallen asleep drunk at the table.

After drinking with Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Ying woke in the Eastern Palace and tried to return to his residence. He left after Zhu Yunteng mistook him for his long-lost elder brother, and Zhu Ying finally arrived home.

• Zhu Yuanzhang spoke to Zhu Ying about Zhu Biao's exhaustion and grief over losing his wife and grandson, and the two drank until they fell asleep.
• Zhu Ying woke in the Eastern Palace and declined Lu clan's invitation to meet, asking a Golden Guard to lead him out.
• Zhu Yunteng saw Zhu Ying, called him his elder brother, and tearfully insisted that Zhu Ying had raised and protected him as a child.
• Zhu Ying gently told Zhu Yunteng he had mistaken him for someone else, freed himself, and left; Zhu Yunteng went to class while Lu clan heard what had happened and grew wary.
• Zhu Ying returned to his residence in Yingtian, where the guards welcomed him home.

After returning to Yingtian, Zhu Ying revealed that Shen Yu'er was Liu Bowen’s granddaughter and prepared to reconnect her with her surviving relatives. He also tightened security around his household and cut ties with Zhu Di’s businesses, leaving Zhu Di furious over the attacks on Beiping’s caravans and the closure of Zhu Ying’s shops.

• Zhu Ying returned to his Yingtian manor, reunited with Shen Yu'er and Lin Fu, and ordered a feast to reward his personal guards.
• Zhu Ying told Shen Yu'er that she was Liu Bowen’s granddaughter, and she accepted the revelation with relief and anger toward the Shen Family.
• Zhu Ying reassured Shen Yu'er that Liu Jing’s family still lived in the Prince of Gu’s fief and promised to seek permission for her to acknowledge her ancestors.
• Lin Fu reported that the liquor business was thriving, and Zhu Ying ordered a guarded rear courtyard and a secret underground chamber while refusing court officials’ requests for audiences.
• Zhu Ying told Shen Yu'er that he had retaliated against the Shen Family and that Shen Wang’s head had been sent to them.
• Zhu Di learned that caravans across Beiping Prefecture had been looted and that Zhu Ying’s distilleries and restaurants there had closed, and he blamed Zhu Ying for retaliating against him.

Zhu Di ordered a sweeping campaign against bandits in Beiping after Zhu Ying cut off their liquor business, while Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao separately wondered whether Zhu Ying might be the supposedly dead Zhu Xiongying. Zhu Yunteng became certain that Zhu Ying was his elder brother and vowed to investigate discreetly; five days later, the rest of the victorious Northern Expedition army returned to Yingtian.

• Zhu Di ordered the Northern Peace Army to escort merchant caravans and suppress bandits across Beiping, and he closed his taverns rather than continue the liquor trade.
• Zhu Yuanzhang recalled Zhu Ying's resemblance to Xiongying and the matching bite mark, but dismissed the possibility that his grandson had returned from the dead.
• Zhu Biao praised Zhu Ying after their drinking and briefly wondered whether he was the same age Xiongying would have been.
• Zhu Yunteng told Yun Yu that Zhu Ying was his elder brother, the Imperial Eldest Grandson, and resolved to discover the truth without alerting the Lu clan.
• Five days later, Guo Ying, Lan Yu, Li Jinglong, and the returning Northern Expedition army arrived victorious in Yingtian.

After the Northern Expedition, Zhu Yuanzhang rewarded the generals, elevating Guo Ying and Lan Yu to dukes. At home, Zhu Ying activated the Great Han Military Soul inheritance and condensed it into his Marquis of Victory seal, gaining powerful bonuses for battles against foreign tribes.

• Zhu Yuanzhang praised the returning generals and elevated Guo Ying to Duke of Ying with gifts.
• Zhu Biao recommended Lan Yu for promotion, and Zhu Yuanzhang made him Duke of Liang.
• Zhu Ying claimed his rewards and activated the Great Han Military Soul inheritance, witnessing Huo Qubing lead Han forces against the Xiongnu.
• Zhu Ying condensed the military soul into his Marquis of Victory seal, which doubled his troops’ combat strength when attacking foreign tribes.
• Zhu Ying condensed his Commander of the Gendarmerie official seal, gaining doubled combat strength, morale, and stamina, along with the Blood Courage trait.

Zhu Ying opened four treasure chests and gained pigeon-rearing, telescope-making, and other methods, while Guo Ying and Lan Yu received ducal titles after the Northern Expedition. Zhu Yuanzhang arranged for Mu Ying to return to Yingtian for the New Year, discussed Zhu Biao’s succession concerns, and Lan Yu entered the Eastern Palace to summon Zhu Yunteng.

• Zhu Ying opened one Tier 1 and three Tier 2 treasure chests, obtaining a Pigeon Rearing Method, 500 Low-grade Spirit Stones, a Telescope Manufacturing Method, and a Sunflower Manual that required castration.
• Lin Fu told Zhu Ying that Guo Ying had been made Duke of Ying and Lan Yu Duke of Liang, and Zhu Ying reflected on how his presence had changed history.
• Zhu Yuanzhang granted the Northern Expedition generals leave, while Li Jinglong requested a month off and Mu Sheng asked permission for Mu Ying to visit Yingtian.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered an urgent carrier-pigeon message asking Mu Ying to bring his family to Yingtian for the New Year, then discussed the lost Imperial Seal and Zhu Biao’s need to secure an heir.
• Zhu Biao said he wished Zhu Ying were his son, and Lan Yu entered the Eastern Palace and ordered Lu clan to summon Zhu Yunteng.

Zhu Yunteng secretly told Lan Yu that the Marquis of Victory, Zhu Ying, was his supposedly dead elder brother, Zhu Xiongying, and pleaded with him to investigate. Lan Yu doubted the claim but agreed to hear Zhu Yunteng’s proposed way to prove that his brother was alive.

• Lan Yu confronted the Lu clan, warned her not to covet the position of legitimate heir, and demanded that she treat Zhu Yunteng well.
• Zhu Yunteng eagerly greeted Lan Yu on his return from the Northern Expedition and waited until the Lu clan and the palace maids had left before speaking privately.
• Zhu Yunteng told Lan Yu that Zhu Ying was actually his elder brother, Zhu Xiongying, but Lan Yu initially rejected the claim because Xiongying had been buried at Xiaoling Mausoleum.
• Zhu Yunteng insisted he recognized his brother by his eyes and the familiar feeling he gave him, then asked Lan Yu to investigate and find proof.
• Lan Yu remained skeptical but asked what method Zhu Yunteng had in mind to determine whether Xiongying was alive.

Zhu Yunteng urged Lan Yu to verify that Zhu Ying was really Zhu Xiongying by digging up the grave at the Filial Mausoleum, but Lan Yu refused to act on the claim without proof. Zhu Biao appointed Lan Yu to train both Zhu Yunteng and Yun Wen, while Lan Yu later began to wonder whether Zhu Yunteng might be right.

• Zhu Yunteng asked Lan Yu to dig up Zhu Xiongying’s grave at the Filial Mausoleum, but Lan Yu called the plan reckless and refused to proceed on hearsay.
• Zhu Biao arrived and criticized Zhu Yunteng for lacking imperial bearing; Lan Yu defended him and asked permission to train him.
• Lu clan objected to Lan Yu teaching Zhu Yunteng and suggested the Marquis of Victory teach Yun Wen, but Zhu Biao ordered Lan Yu to train both boys.
• Lan Yu left the Eastern Palace with Zhu Yunteng, who again pleaded with him to act so that his elder brother could return.
• At home, Lan Yu asked Madam Mu whether the dead could come back to life, then privately reconsidered Zhu Yunteng’s claim that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying.

Lan Yu persuaded Chang Mao to help him secretly investigate Zhu Yunteng’s belief that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying by planning to enter the Filial Mausoleum and open Xiongying’s grave. Meanwhile, Zhu Wenxi studied with Kong Yi, who began teaching him what mattered most in attaining enlightenment.

• Lan Yu decided to trust Zhu Yunteng’s claim that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying and rode to Chang Mao’s residence to discuss it.
• Lan Yu told Chang Mao that Zhu Yunteng believed his elder brother was alive, but Chang Mao warned that they had no proof and could incur the Emperor’s wrath.
• Lan Yu proposed digging up Zhu Xiongying’s grave at the Filial Mausoleum, and Chang Mao reluctantly agreed to help investigate.
• Lan Yu and Chang Mao planned to have Chang Sen draw away the mausoleum guards and to leave Yingtian under the cover of a hunting trip.
• Zhu Wenxi questioned his teacher Kong Yi about drinking while teaching, and Kong Yi asked what was most important in attaining enlightenment.

Kong Yi explained his loyalty to the Huaxia Han people to Zhu Ying and affirmed why he had chosen to teach Zhu Wenxi, while Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao discussed Zhu Ying’s inscrutable nature and Lan Yu’s influence on Zhu Yunteng. At night, Lan Yu gathered men at Zhu Xiongying’s tomb and ordered them to dig it open.

• Kong Yi told Zhu Wenxi that he pursued spirit and loyalty to the Huaxia Han people rather than allegiance to a single dynasty.
• Zhu Ying and Kong Yi exchanged salutes, praised each other’s principles, and agreed to share a drink.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao discussed Zhu Ying’s restraint, his resistance to surveillance, and Zhu Yuanzhang’s suspicion that he did not fear imperial power.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao discussed Lan Yu teaching Zhu Yunteng and noted that Lan Yu and other generals had become more restrained.
• Lan Yu led Chang Sen and his adopted sons to Zhu Xiongying’s tomb at night and ordered them to dig it open.

Lan Yu, Chang Mao, and Chang Sen secretly opened Zhu Xiongying’s tomb and found that his remains were missing, while most burial objects remained. They reburied the coffin and left uncertain whether Zhu Ying was Xiongying or who had removed him from the grave.

• Lan Yu ordered his adopted sons to dig up Zhu Xiongying’s grave, with Chang Sen and Chang Mao reluctantly helping.
• Lan Yu and the others opened the coffin and found no remains, though most of the burial objects were still inside.
• Lan Yu rejected Chang Sen’s suggestion that tomb robbers had taken the remains, and he and Chang Mao wondered whether someone had secretly removed Zhu Xiongying alive or dead.
• Lan Yu noticed that two jade pieces bearing Zhu Xiongying’s posthumous titles were missing and considered whether Zhu Ying might be Xiongying.
• Lan Yu ordered the group to rebury the coffin and hide the disturbance, then discussed how little they knew about Zhu Xiongying’s disappearance.

Lan Yu told Chang Mao and Chang Sen that Xiongying’s remains were missing from the mausoleum, but the three could not prove whether he was alive or whether Zhu Ying was him. At the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yunteng devised a plan to test Zhu Ying with a jade pendant, but Lan Yu worried that their poor relationship would make it hard to approach him.

• Lan Yu rejected Chang Sen’s suggestion to report the missing remains to His Majesty and decided to ask Zhu Yunteng what to do next.
• Lan Yu punished Zhu Yunwen with laps around the training ground while Zhu Yunteng held his stance; Zhu Yunwen silently vowed revenge against them.
• Lan Yu told Zhu Yunteng that Xiongying’s tomb held no remains, and Zhu Yunteng insisted that Zhu Ying was his elder brother, though Lan Yu demanded proof.
• Lan Yu recalled that two burial jade pendants were missing, and Zhu Yunteng proposed making a similar pendant to test Zhu Ying’s reaction.
• Lan Yu agreed to try the plan but asked how he could approach Zhu Ying, since they and Zhu Yunteng’s uncles had a poor relationship with him.

Lan Yu tried to apologize to Zhu Ying, who refused to see him but accepted his gifts while continuing to build his strength and plan against the Shen Family. Lan Yu intended to visit again with a jade pendant to test whether Zhu Ying was his grandnephew, while Chang Mao brought up news about the Xu clan.

• Lan Yu told Zhu Yunteng that he planned to visit Zhu Ying and ease their strained relationship once a jade pendant was ready.
• Zhu Ying ordered Liu Lei to expand the Black Guard, recruit skilled craftsmen, and speed up the secret passage beneath his residence.
• Zhu Ying refused to receive Lan Yu, but Lan Yu left gifts and promised to return; Zhu Ying decided to keep the presents.
• Zhu Ying ordered the Black Guard to spread word of the Shen Family's grudge against him and continue expanding its network, while he also arranged New Year rewards and leave for his men.
• Lan Yu told Chang Mao he would return with the jade pendant to test Zhu Ying, then discussed New Year plans as Chang Mao mentioned news about the Xu clan.

Lan Yu visited Zhu Ying to apologize and invite him to his residence, increasingly convinced that Zhu Ying was his lost grandnephew, Zhu Xiongying. Seeing Zhu Wenxi’s resemblance to Xiongying made Lan Yu certain, and he decided to consult the Crown Prince as Zhu Wenxi chatted with him about visiting Zhu Yuanzhang.

• Chang Mao told Lan Yu that Xu Miaojin and a daughter of the Mu clan had remained unmarried, and Lan Yu recalled their childhood affection for Xiongying.
• Lan Yu returned to Zhu Ying’s residence, warmly apologized for his past hostility, and invited him to visit after the New Year.
• Lan Yu explained the Lunar New Year banquet customs and reminded Zhu Ying to prepare a gift for the Emperor.
• Zhu Wenxi entered and reminded Zhu Ying about their planned ride, and Lan Yu recognized his resemblance to Xiongying as a child.
• Lan Yu became certain Zhu Ying was Xiongying and considered discussing his suspicions with the Crown Prince.
• Zhu Wenxi told Lan Yu that he often visited Zhu Yuanzhang with his mother.

Lan Yu became convinced that Zhu Ying was Xiongying and began planning a secret search for evidence to prove his identity. Meanwhile, Mu Ying returned to Yingtian with his family and reunited with Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

• Lan Yu visited Zhu Ying, apologized, and invited him to his residence after the New Year; Zhu Ying accepted while remaining wary of Lan Yu's change in attitude.
• Lan Yu told Chang Mao that Zhu Ying was certainly Xiongying because Zhu Wenxi looked like Xiongying as a child, and they agreed to investigate Xiongying's past in Beiping Prefecture and identify his grandmother.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao waited outside Wenyuan Pavilion for Mu Ying, who arrived with Consort Geng and his children and paid his respects to them.
• Zhu Yuanzhang welcomed Mu Ying and his family into the hall, greeted Mu Ya warmly, and urged everyone to sit informally for their family reunion.
• Mu Ying expressed concern over Zhu Yuanzhang's workload, and Zhu Biao asked him to keep an eye on their father.

Mu Ying reunited with Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, then learned Zhu Ying was already married and could not be matched with Mu Ya. At the Lunar New Year's Eve banquet, Xu Miaojin mistook Zhu Ying for Zhu Xiongying, and Mu Ying finally met the young Marquis of Victory.

• Mu Ying promised to visit Zhu Yuanzhang often and asked after his son Mu Sheng, whom Zhu Biao praised for his service in battle.
• Mu Ying expressed interest in finding a match for Mu Ya with Zhu Ying, but Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao told him Zhu Ying was married and had a young son; Mu Ya insisted she would not marry.
• Zhu Yuanzhang recalled Xu Miaojin's recent flight from home and lamented that Zhu Xiongying was gone, before welcoming Mu Ying to a family meal.
• On Lunar New Year's Eve, Zhu Ying arrived at the imperial palace with Shen Yu'er and Zhu Wenxi for the banquet and greeted Xu Huizu.
• Xu Miaojin met Zhu Ying, stared into his eyes, and called him “Brother Xiongying,” saying he resembled an old acquaintance.
• Mu Ying arrived with Mu Sheng, warmly greeted Zhu Ying, and exchanged compliments with him.

Zhu Ying met the Mu family at court, where Mu Ya reacted to him with the same recognition as Xu Miaojin. Zhu Wenxi’s resemblance to Zhu Xiongying stunned them further, while Lan Yu’s friendly attitude toward Zhu Ying unsettled Lu Ben; the chapter ended as officials entered Fengtian Hall for the imperial banquet.

• Mu Sheng introduced Zhu Ying to his brothers and Mu Ya, who stared at Zhu Ying and inwardly called him Brother Xiongying.
• Xu Huizu joked that Mu Ya liked young heroes like Xu Miaojin, while Shen Yu'er noticed both women seemed to recognize Zhu Ying.
• Lan Yu warmly greeted Zhu Ying, surprising officials and worrying Lu Ben, who had hoped to recruit Zhu Ying for Zhu Yunwen.
• Xu Huizu, Mu Ying, Xu Miaojin, and Mu Ya were stunned by Zhu Wenxi’s resemblance to Zhu Xiongying as a child.
• Zhu Ying introduced Shen Yu'er and Zhu Wenxi, and explained that Shen Yu'er would return to her original family name.
• Yun Qi announced the imperial banquet, and the officials entered Fengtian Hall as Xu Miaojin and Mu Ya continued watching Zhu Ying and Zhu Wenxi.