Chapter Summaries

Jiaolin and Yanbei County officials argued over which county owned the ancient tomb, while Qian Litao and Xiao Dongnan appeared to favor Yanbei. Teacher Chu redirected the dispute by claiming the main tomb lay in Jiaolin County, though Dong Xuebin learned that Chu had only narrowed its location down to possibilities.

• Officials from Jiaolin and Yanbei County argued over the unclear boundary around the ancient tomb, and Qian Litao ordered them to stop.
• Xiao Dongnan judged that the tomb site lay closer to Yanbei County, angering Zhang Dongfang and Dong Xuebin.
• Qian Litao consulted Yang Gang privately, leaving the Jiaolin County group worried that the tomb would be assigned to Yanbei.
• Teacher Chu said the unearthed Bronze Mirror came from a burial tomb and pointed toward Jiaolin County as the approximate location of the main tomb.
• Teacher Meng and Mu Zhengzhong told Dong Xuebin that Teacher Chu could not know the main tomb's exact location and had only narrowed down possible sites.

Dong Xuebin and Jiaolin County competed with Yanbei County to manage a Han Dynasty tomb complex, and Teacher Chu’s support helped sway Baohong City’s decision. The city assigned the tomb to Jiaolin County, leaving Dong responsible for its protection and excavation.

• Teacher Chu argued that precedent, Jiaolin County’s discovery of the Bronze Mirror, and Dong Xuebin’s prompt protection of the site supported assigning the tomb complex to Jiaolin County.
• Qian Litao consulted the city leaders, who debated the counties’ claims while Xiao Dongnan withheld his opinion.
• Teacher Chu told Dong Xuebin that he trusted him because he had returned a national treasure from R Country to Mu Zhengzhong, and Teacher Meng learned Dong had recovered other lost cultural relics.
• Qian Litao announced that Jiaolin County would manage the Han Dynasty tomb complex and ordered Dong Xuebin and Zhang Dongfang to oversee its protection, excavation, and the Archaeological Team’s reception.

Dong Xuebin secured the ancient tombs for Jiaolin County and showed magnanimity toward the defeated Yanbei County officials. As he left the mountain with the city leaders, his mother told him to return to the Capital City for his son’s Hundred Days Banquet.

• Yang Gang led Yanbei County’s injured officers and staff off the mountain after the city confirmed the ancient tombs belonged to Jiaolin County.
• Dong Xuebin sent Jiaolin County staff to help Yanbei County descend, and ordered them to continue despite Yanbei County’s angry refusals.
• Qian Litao and the other city leaders observed Dong Xuebin’s conduct before he, Zhang Dongfang, and the teachers accompanied them down the mountain for a meal.
• Dong Xuebin’s mother, Luan Xiaoping, told him the Hundred Days Banquet for his son was set for Saturday and demanded that he return to the Capital City on Friday.

Dong Xuebin welcomed the national Archaeological Team to Qingluan Mountain, where its members began surveying and excavating the suspected Han Dynasty tomb. The team uncovered a burial chamber passage and concluded that the site was almost certainly a Han Dynasty emperor’s tomb.

• Dong Xuebin booked a Friday night flight to the Capital City for Little Chongchong’s Hundred Days Banquet at his Houhai Courtyard House.
• Dong Xuebin greeted the Archaeological Team at the provincial airport, where its leader urged officials to keep the discovery and the team’s arrival secret to deter tomb raiders.
• Dong Xuebin led the team up Qingluan Mountain, where Old Zhong assigned Teacher Chu to oversee the excavation.
• Teacher Chu and Teacher Zhong organized the experts and provincial staff into excavation, equipment, and record-keeping teams.
• A young archaeologist found bricks and a burial chamber passage, and the team’s probe led its senior members to confirm the site was almost certainly a Han Dynasty emperor’s tomb.

Dong Xuebin left Jiaolin County for the Capital City while the Archaeological Team continued excavating the ancient tomb. En route, he learned that a large, armed grave-robbing gang had attacked Qingluan Mountain, and he rushed back to protect the people there.

• Dong Xuebin told Zhang Dongfang he needed to return to the Capital City, while the Archaeological Team continued searching for the Main Tomb Chamber.
• Teacher Chu told Dong Xuebin that the report had been submitted and Armed Police protection was expected soon.
• Dong Xuebin left for the airport, uneasy about leaving the tomb site without him overseeing it.
• Su Yan called Dong Xuebin and reported that twenty or thirty armed grave robbers were exchanging fire with county officers on Qingluan Mountain, with one officer injured.
• Dong Xuebin ordered Chang Lin to send reinforcements and evacuate the Archaeological Team, then told Xiao Wang to turn the car around and speed back.

Dong Xuebin returned to Qingluan Mountain as police surrounded an armed grave-robbing gang, while officers and archaeologists argued over whether to protect the ancient tomb. He went up the mountain alone to check on the tomb and confront the criminals, leaving the police to reorganize the weakened blockade and search for him.

• Dong Xuebin returned to Qingluan Mountain and learned that police had surrounded the grave robbers, three officers had been shot, and Xiao Lü was gravely wounded.
• Teacher Chu and Old Zhong urged the police to protect the ancient tomb, but Li Zong refused to risk more officers before Armed Police reinforcements arrived.
• Dong Xuebin decided to go up the mountain alone, ordered the others to hold their positions, and crossed the police line despite their objections.
• Zhang Dongfang told Chang Lin to send a team after Dong Xuebin, and thirty officers climbed the mountain to search for him.
• The search party’s departure weakened the blockade, forcing Li Zong and the remaining officers to scramble to restore the encirclement.

Dong Xuebin tracked the tomb raiders through Qingluan Mountain and confronted their gang alone. He subdued more than twenty criminals, who emerged from the mountain battered and crying as the Armed Police prepared to search for them.

• Dong Xuebin reached the excavation site, confirmed the burial tombs were undamaged, and followed the looting tunnels into the mountains.
• Dong Xuebin found blood near a looting tunnel and suspected Jiaolin County police officers had exchanged fire with the tomb raiders.
• The tomb raiders discussed fighting their way out and threatening the police with a hostage, but Dong Xuebin appeared and challenged them.
• At the foot of the mountain, Zhang Dongfang and Chang Lin worried that Dong Xuebin was missing as Li Zong and the Armed Police planned a search.
• More than twenty battered tomb raiders came down the mountain crying, followed by Dong Xuebin, revealing that he had subdued them alone.

After spending the night directing the capture of the tomb raiders, Dong Xuebin rushed back to the Capital City and arrived after his son's Hundred Days Banquet had ended. His family scolded him for missing it, but they welcomed him home, and he reunited with Xie Huilan and their baby.

• Dong Xuebin and the Jiaolin County leaders finished securing the ancient tomb after police captured the last two tomb raiders on Qingluan Mountain.
• Dong Xuebin hurried to the provincial capital, flew to the Capital City, and slept through much of the flight after working all night.
• Dong Xuebin reached his family’s courtyard after the Hundred Days Banquet had ended and apologized for missing it.
• Luan Xiaoping scolded Dong Xuebin, while Yang Zhaode and Xie Guobang defended him and urged him to rest.
• Xie Huilan brought Little Chongchong to Dong Xuebin, and the baby smiled after Dong Xuebin kissed him.

After the family gathering, Dong Xuebin, Xie Huilan, their baby, and Luan Xiaoping stayed at the courtyard house while their relatives departed. Dong Xuebin ate and rested with Xie Huilan, and the chapter ended with the couple playfully enjoying their reunion.

• Xie Guobang, Xie Guoliang, Xie Guojian, and Yang Zhaode left the Dong Family courtyard, while Luan Xiaoping stayed with Dong Xuebin and his family.
• Xie Huilan handed Little Chongchong to Dong Xuebin, then fed the baby until he fell asleep.
• Luan Xiaoping brought Dong Xuebin dough-drop soup, and Xie Huilan fed him while he rested in bed.
• After Luan Xiaoping left, Xie Huilan stopped feeding Dong Xuebin, so he finished the soup himself and lay down beside her.
• Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan teased and cuddled each other as they made the most of their time together.

Dong Xuebin woke after a long sleep and learned that his mother had gone out to buy spirit money for his father’s memorial day. At midnight, he and Luan Xiaoping went to burn offerings, where Xie Huilan arrived with their baby.

• Dong Xuebin woke after sleeping for more than six hours and found Xie Huilan soothing their baby in another bedroom.
• Xie Huilan told Dong Xuebin that Luan Xiaoping had gone out, and he later found her returning with spirit money.
• Dong Xuebin realized that the next day was his father’s memorial day and learned that Luan Xiaoping wanted to observe it quietly after midnight.
• Dong Xuebin and Luan Xiaoping went to an intersection and burned paper offerings while telling his father about Dong Xuebin’s career, Xie Huilan’s promotion, and their grandson.
• Luan Xiaoping grew tearful that Dong Xuebin’s father had died before meeting his grandson, and Xie Huilan arrived with the baby, saying his father could see him now.

Xie Huilan joined Dong Xuebin and Luan Xiaoping to honor Dong Xuebin’s father on his death anniversary, then reunited with her husband for a private conversation. Dong Xuebin said he had to return to his county because of urgent work and revealed that archaeologists had uncovered a major ancient tomb.

• Xie Huilan arrived after midnight with Little Chongchong and joined Dong Xuebin and Luan Xiaoping in burning paper for Dong Xuebin’s father.
• Xie Huilan promised to care for Luan Xiaoping and Dong Xuebin, and Luan Xiaoping took Little Chongchong for the night so the couple could rest together.
• Dong Xuebin asked about Xiao Ran and Xiao Ling, and Xie Huilan said they had gone to ask Old Master to move up their engagement.
• Dong Xuebin told Xie Huilan that he needed to return to his county because work there could not wait.
• Dong Xuebin explained that archaeologists had uncovered three Burial Tombs on Qingluan Mountain and that tomb raiders had already attacked the site.

After the Main Tomb Chamber was confirmed at Qingluan Mountain, Dong Xuebin saw the discovery make the national news and discussed using it to advance Jiaolin County’s application for County-level City status. The chapter ended with Han Jing learning that Dong Xuebin and Zhang Dongfang had already prepared the application documents.

• Zhang Dongfang called Dong Xuebin before dawn to report that archaeologists had located the Main Tomb Chamber at Qingluan Mountain.
• Dong Xuebin planned to return to Jiaolin County that evening and prepare for the excavation’s nationwide publicity and the county’s city-status bid.
• Luan Xiaoping showed Dong Xuebin a Youth Daily front-page article about Jiaolin County’s ancient tomb, which he recognized as valuable publicity.
• Han Jing visited Dong Xuebin and relayed that his father believed the tomb could give Jiaolin County a strong chance of becoming a County-level City.
• Dong Xuebin told Han Jing that he and Zhang Dongfang had already completed most of the application documents and were waiting to submit them after building momentum.

Dong Xuebin told his family that Jiaolin County might be elevated to a county-level city, making him its Municipal Party Secretary, and remained confident the application would succeed. He then took Xie Huilan and their baby for a rare, relaxed walk around Houhai, where they met neighbors who admired his wife and son.

• Dong Xuebin explained that Jiaolin County's possible elevation would make him Municipal Party Secretary, and Han Jing praised his good fortune and career choices.
• Han Jing left to attend an event, and Dong Xuebin reminded Xie Huilan about their bet while insisting Jiaolin County's elevation would happen within three months.
• Luan Xiaoping encouraged Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan to take their baby for a walk, and they set off with the stroller.
• As they strolled beside Houhai, Dong Xuebin and Xie Huilan agreed they should spend more leisure time together as a family.
• Dong Xuebin greeted familiar neighbors, introduced Xie Huilan and their son Dong Zhong, and the women admired the baby.

Dong Xuebin handled a crowd of reporters before convening an emergency Standing Committee meeting to discuss Jiaolin County’s application for county-level city status. The committee unanimously supported preparing the application, which they planned to submit after the Main Tomb Chamber’s identity was confirmed.

• Reporters questioned Dong Xuebin about the ancient tomb discovery, and he answered them before leaving for the meeting.
• Dong Xuebin convened the Standing Committee meeting and asked Wei Zhixuan to report on the excavation and security situation at Qingluan Mountain.
• Zhang Dongfang distributed Jiaolin County’s application documents for county-level city status and explained that they had been preparing them together.
• Zhang Dongfang and Dong Xuebin argued that the Han Dynasty Emperor tomb discovery could help overcome the county’s shortfall in meeting city-status requirements.
• The Standing Committee Members unanimously supported pursuing county-level city status.

After Jiaolin County decided to pursue county-level city status, Dong Xuebin returned to Qingluan Mountain and challenged the provincial work group’s attempts to control local affairs. He backed Teacher Chu’s cautious approach to the excavation and left the main tomb’s exploration on a careful timeline.

• Dong Xuebin confronted two provincial cultural work group members who demanded passes from his county staff, then ordered Jiaolin County personnel to resume managing the checkpoint.
• Dong Xuebin and his group saw the provincial work group directing local staff and Xiao Dongnan speaking to reporters as though he led the excavation.
• Teacher Chu told Dong Xuebin that Xiao Dongnan’s group had been seeking publicity and announcing excavation information, sometimes inaccurately.
• Dong Xuebin and Teacher Chu inspected the Main Tomb Chamber, where much of the surrounding earth had been cleared.
• Teacher Chu said the main tomb might take one or two months to explore and argued against starting the requested live broadcast before the site was ready.
• Dong Xuebin supported Teacher Chu’s professional judgment and offered to handle any administrative or political pressure.

Dong Xuebin confronted Xiao Dongnan for failing to notify Jiaolin County about Secretary Chen’s inspection. After Xiao tried to blame Dong, Secretary Chen removed Xiao from his position as head of the provincial work group, leaving Dong Xuebin’s rivals stunned.

• Dong Xuebin learned that Secretary Chen was coming to inspect the site, though Xiao Dongnan had not informed Jiaolin County.
• Dong Xuebin confronted Xiao Dongnan, and the two argued in front of the Archaeological Team and local officials.
• Secretary Chen arrived as Xiao Dongnan accused Dong Xuebin of behaving improperly and mishandling the ancient tomb matter.
• Secretary Chen listened to Xiao Dongnan’s complaints, then removed him as head of the work group and continued the inspection.
• Dong Xuebin understood that the political alliance between the Xie and Fang families had changed Secretary Chen’s stance toward him.

Secretary Chen removed Xiao Dongnan as work group leader and toured the excavation site with Dong Xuebin, discussing the progress and the tomb robbers’ case. The provincial and county officials watched them return on friendly terms, leaving Xiao Dongnan baffled by Dong Xuebin’s standing with the province.

• Secretary Chen inspected the site and removed Xiao Dongnan as team leader, ignoring Xiao Dongnan’s attempt to plead his case.
• Dong Xuebin explained the excavation’s progress and guided Secretary Chen toward the Main Tomb Chamber while the other county officials stayed behind.
• Secretary Chen asked Dong Xuebin about missing his child’s Hundred Days Banquet and the injured officers, and promised to follow up on the tomb robbers’ verdict.
• Secretary Chen and Dong Xuebin returned from the forest chatting and laughing, surprising the provincial entourage, the Jiaolin County officials, and Xiao Dongnan.

After Xiao Dongnan left the ancient tomb site, Dong Xuebin took charge of the work as Jiaolin County prepared for Deputy Governor Fang Wenping to lead the Provincial Work Group. That night, Dong Xuebin visited Fang Wenping at her hotel, where they resumed their private sexual relationship.

• Secretary Chen and the provincial officials departed, and Xiao Dongnan left the excavation site after being sidelined.
• Dong Xuebin and Zhang Dongfang directed the remaining work as the Provincial Work Group cooperated with the Archaeological Team and Jiaolin County.
• Dong Xuebin learned that Deputy Governor Fang Wenping had been appointed the new leader of the Provincial Work Group.
• Dong Xuebin arranged hotel rooms for Fang Wenping's delegation and declined to organize a formal welcome.
• Dong Xuebin visited Fang Wenping at the hotel late that night, and they engaged in consensual sexual activity.

After Jiaolin County’s ancient tomb was confirmed as the burial site of a Han dynasty emperor, Zhang Dongfang traveled to the Capital City with Xu Zhuang to lobby for the county’s application to become a county-level city. They struggled to reach the official handling the application, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• The excavation confirmed that the Main Tomb Chamber belonged to a Han dynasty emperor, and the work shifted from excavation to research.
• Zhang Dongfang urged Dong Xuebin to send someone to the Capital City to support Jiaolin County’s application to establish a county-level city.
• Dong Xuebin agreed that Zhang Dongfang and Xu Zhuang should go, while he stayed behind to handle county affairs and the tomb site.
• Zhang Dongfang, Xu Zhuang, and a clerk traveled to the Capital City and stayed at Baohong City’s Beijing Liaison Office.
• Sun Lihan told Zhang Dongfang and Xu Zhuang that the official responsible for reviewing their application had refused to meet them twice, and she could not find them a useful contact.

After Zhang Dongfang failed to meet the official handling Jiaolin County’s application to become a county-level city, Dong Xuebin contacted Fang Shuiling for help. Fang Shuiling called Zhang Dongfang and said she would come meet him, leaving him unsure what a young woman could do.

• Sun Lihan warned Zhang Dongfang and Xu Zhuang that they could not wait outside Zhongnanhai and offered to treat them to lunch while she sought another way to help.
• Zhang Dongfang told Dong Xuebin that he had spent two days trying to meet Director Li without success and feared the application would not be accepted.
• Dong Xuebin considered his contacts, remembered the Fang Family’s ties to the State Council, and asked Fang Shuiling to help arrange a meeting.
• Fang Shuiling agreed to contact Zhang Dongfang, who gave her his address and waited for her to arrive.