Wei Zheng

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Wei Zheng (魏征)
Alias(es)	Wei Xuancheng
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Tang imperial court; Tongming Hall; formerly the Department of Thunder
Occupation/Role	Imperial Censor; Remonstrance Officer; Cao official; special investigator
Status	Active 46
First Appearance	Chapter 7

Background / History

Heavenly Court service

Wei Zheng previously served in the Department of Thunder, where he possessed law-enforcement authority. His strict enforcement made him a recurring adversary of Xiao Qi, whom he repeatedly arrested for minor offenses; she never succeeded in outmaneuvering him. He later became a Cao official in Tongming Hall 7.

Chen Fan identifies Wei Zheng as an upright Imperial Censor and proposes sending intelligence on Qingshi Town's illicit Incense and Fire network to him through his wife. Zhang Tianyu likewise seeks to have him address the matter through the mortal court, avoiding a direct clash with the Human Dao Dragon Qi protecting the culprits 7 12.

Qingshi Town investigation

Li Shimin dispatches Wei Zheng to investigate the Qingshi Town case. While traveling under the name Wei Xuancheng, he meets Bai Qianli, immediately notes that the stranger is not local, and probes his motives 25.

After learning that the Lone Wolf Gang may be privately collecting Incense and Fire, Wei Zheng receives the seemingly implausible report that Zhao Family Village openly trades Incense and Fire to employ demons. He recognizes that Bai Qianli likely directed his attention to the village deliberately and chooses to investigate personally 26.

At Zhao Family Village, Wei Zheng observes humans and demons working together. Though guarded, he refuses to condemn the arrangement before examining it, approaching the village under the protection of the emperor's decree 30 31.

Support for Chen Fan's innovations

Wei Zheng personally inspects and tests Chen Fan's Qu Yuan Plow. His familiarity with farming lets him quickly identify both its strengths and its practical limitations 31.

He is concerned that the expensive Qu Yuan Plow would chiefly benefit wealthy aristocratic families able to purchase it in bulk. When Chen Fan proposes an inexpensive modification to the Straight Plow that retains roughly eighty percent of the Qu Yuan Plow's function, Wei Zheng accepts the compromise and thanks him on behalf of the common people 32.

Wei Zheng's memorial persuades Li Shimin to order the Qu Yuan Plow's production and to consider rewarding Chen Fan 36. He later remains skeptical of Chen Fan's claim that a simple kiln can produce steel, but observes the process rather than dismissing it outright 40 41. After seeing the first steel knife's power and self-repairing quality, he urges Chen Fan to protect the valuable steel and blades 44.

Oversight of local officials

Wei Zheng supervises the response to the Lone Wolf Gang case, including the decision to allow One-Eyed Wolf to escape as part of the wider operation. He rebukes County Magistrate Fu for allowing such a serious matter to arise under his jurisdiction and warns him to improve during the autumn harvest 46.

Appearance

Wei Zheng is described as a bearded man. During his initial Qingshi Town investigation, he wears black clothing and a mustache; he is later seen arriving in purple robes 25 28.

• Carries himself with the composure expected of a senior court official.
• Often travels with Imperial Guards during dangerous investigations 30.
• Does not wear official robes while visiting Zhao Family Village 31.

Personality

Wei Zheng is stern, principled, and intolerant of misconduct. His Department of Thunder service and repeated arrests of Xiao Qi reflect a willingness to enforce rules regardless of the offender's status 7.

He is also notably impartial. The sight of humans and demons cooperating unsettles him, but he refuses to form an opinion without investigation. He treats Village Chief Zhao respectfully, prevents him from kneeling, and tests Chen Fan's work with his own hands rather than relying on hearsay 31.

His concern for ordinary people shapes his political judgment. He supports agricultural innovation, yet rejects a rollout that would allow powerful families to monopolize its benefits 32. This same practical caution makes him demand proof before accepting Chen Fan's steelmaking claims 41.

Abilities & Skills

Investigation and law enforcement

Wei Zheng has experience enforcing Heavenly Court regulations and conducting sensitive mortal investigations.

• Held law-enforcement powers as an official of the Department of Thunder 7.
• Investigates the Lone Wolf Gang's private collection of Incense and Fire 26.
• Recognizes inconsistencies in Bai Qianli's appearance and suspects that he is concealing a larger purpose 25 26.
• Oversees the handling of the Lone Wolf Gang case and evaluates local officials' conduct 46.

Political judgment

Wei Zheng assesses policy through its consequences for the Great Tang's people rather than its immediate prestige.

• Sees the risk that costly Qu Yuan Plows would disproportionately enrich aristocratic landholders 32.
• Supports a cheaper modified Straight Plow when it can be produced at a price accessible to common farmers 32.
• Submits a memorial significant enough for Li Shimin to authorize production of the Qu Yuan Plow 36.

Agricultural knowledge

Despite his status as a renowned minister, Wei Zheng is of non-noble birth and possesses substantial knowledge of farming.

• Rapidly understands the Qu Yuan Plow's functions, advantages, and possible shortcomings after observing it 31.
• Evaluates the cost of its materials and production before deciding how it should be promoted 32.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Emperor's decree and imperial seal — Carried during his investigation of Zhao Family Village. The decree provides Human Dao suppression sufficient to protect him even from a demon king, barring exceptional great demons 30.

Relationships

• Chen Fan — Investigator, critic, and eventual supporter of Chen Fan's agricultural and metallurgical innovations. Wei Zheng tests the Qu Yuan Plow, advocates for an affordable version, and recognizes the value of Chen Fan's steel 31 32 41 44.
• Li Shimin — Emperor and superior who dispatches Wei Zheng to investigate Qingshi Town; acts on Wei Zheng's memorial concerning the Qu Yuan Plow 25 36.
• Bai Qianli — A suspicious traveler who deliberately draws Wei Zheng toward Zhao Family Village. Wei Zheng repeatedly probes his identity and intentions 25 26 31.
• Xiao Qi — Former repeat offender whom Wei Zheng arrested for minor Heavenly Court violations; she regards him with open irritation 7.
• County Magistrate Fu — Local official subject to Wei Zheng's scrutiny after the Lone Wolf Gang incident 46.
• Village Chief Zhao Dama — Treats Wei Zheng with formal deference, while Wei Zheng responds respectfully and refuses to accept an unnecessary kneeling salute 31.

Notable Quotes

“Opinions without evidence are always just prejudice!” 31