Chapter Summaries

After helping the Border Army repel Hu Cavalry, Yang Zhengshan accepted supplies and silver from Zhou Lan and arranged compensation for Yang Family Village. Heavy snow then fell across Anning County, prompting him to send Yang Mingcheng and Yang Minghao to check on the pregnant Yang Yunyan and Jiang Family Village in the mountains.

• Zhou Lan gave Yang Zhengshan captured supplies and 483 taels of silver to compensate Yang Family Village, then left to deal with the Hu Bandits.
• Yang Zhengshan told Yang Mingzhi to bring the spoils to the clan chief and arranged to divide horse meat, armor, weapons, and silver among the villagers, with greater payments for the wounded and dead.
• Yang Zhengshan continued organizing Yang Family Village's defenses, but no Hu Cavalrymen returned in the following days.
• Heavy snow covered Anning County, and Yang Zhengshan concluded that the Hu Tribe would soon have to withdraw from Da Rong territory.
• Yang Mingcheng worried about Yang Yunyan, who was seven months pregnant and sheltering with Jiang Family Village in the mountains, so Yang Zhengshan sent him and Yang Minghao to check on them.

After the Hu Cavalry withdrew from Anning County, Yang Family Village buried its fallen and resumed preparations for spring plowing. Yang Zhengshan checked on his pregnant daughter Yang Yunyan, then began settling four tenant farmer households who would cultivate his land.

• Yang Zhengshan and Yang Zhengxiang welcomed news that the Hu Cavalry had withdrawn, and the village held simple funerals for its fallen young men.
• As the countryside returned to life, Yang Zhengshan reflected that the Hu Tribe's raid threatened lasting unrest along Da Rong's Northeast Border.
• Yang Zhengshan visited Yang Yunyan at the Jiang Family home, where Song Yuanbo said her pregnancy was stable after two doses of medicine.
• Yang Zhengshan returned home, arranged Song Yuanbo's ride to the county seat, and took Yang Mingcheng to meet four tenant farmer households sent by Lu Wenchun.
• Yang Zhengshan assigned the four households a wasteland to build adobe homes on and began dividing his fields among the sixteen able-bodied workers.

Yang Zhengshan arranged for Yang Mingcheng to manage the family’s tenant farmers and fields before returning home to meet Zhou Lan, who had arrived with soldiers and a lavish gift list to thank him for saving her life. The chapter ends with Yang Zhengshan realizing that her gifts, especially the imperial-clan Gilded Flying Fish Spear, were extraordinarily valuable.

• Yang Zhengshan entrusted Old Man Fu with raising the ox and introduced Yang Mingcheng as the person in charge of the fields.
• Yang Zhengshan divided the family’s farmland among four tenant farmer households and explained why Yang Mingcheng would manage the family’s properties.
• Yang Minghao told Yang Zhengshan that Zhou Lan had arrived to thank him for saving her life.
• Yang Zhengshan welcomed Zhou Lan at his home, where she presented him with a gift list containing goods, four warhorses, a spear, and one thousand taels of silver.
• Yang Zhengshan recognized the Gilded Flying Fish Spear as a rare and valuable weapon associated with the imperial clan.

Yang Zhengshan accepted Zhou Lan’s generous gift and agreed to return to Chongshan Pass to train soldiers. He planned to settle his family’s affairs first, expecting to take up his new post in about half a month.

• Yang Zhengshan accepted Zhou Lan’s gift after learning she had been born into Duke Ning Mansion.
• Zhou Lan invited Yang Zhengshan to return to Chongshan Pass because she admired the discipline of the Yang Family Village youths he had trained.
• Yang Zhengshan said he could not guarantee he could train an elite force, while Zhou Lan explained that she valued the youths’ discipline more than their martial skills.
• Zhou Lan offered to secure Yang Zhengshan a Trial Battalion Commander post and promised to request credit if he trained the fortress soldiers well.
• Yang Zhengshan agreed to go to Chongshan Pass but said he needed about half a month to arrange his household and spring farming matters.

Yang Zhengshan accepted Zhou Lan’s offer to become a Trial Battalion Commander and take charge of rebuilding Linguan Fortress, and he chose relatives to accompany him. After assigning the warhorses, he decided to arrange a marriage for Yang Minghao before leaving for Chongshan Pass.

• Zhou Lan told Yang Zhengshan that he could bring two Squad Leaders and ten Squad Leaders to Linguan Fortress, where he would serve provisionally and rebuild the abandoned fortress.
• Yang Zhengxiang celebrated Yang Zhengshan’s new post and agreed to help select the men who would go with him.
• Yang Zhengshan chose Yang Mingzhi and Yang Mingwu as Squad Leaders, named Yang Chengze, Yang Chengxu, and Qinwu as Squad Leaders, and left the remaining selections to Yang Zhengxiang.
• Yang Zhengshan named the jujube-red warhorse Red Cloud, assigned horses to his older sons, and sent another to Yang Mingwu, disappointing Yang Minghao.
• Yang Zhengshan decided to arrange a marriage for Yang Minghao before departing for Chongshan Pass.

Yang Zhengshan arranged to find Yang Minghao a wife and divided Zhou Lan’s gifts among his family. He gave the Yang Clan eight hundred taels to build a Clan School and repair the village roads, securing the clan’s support before his move to Chongshan Pass.

• Yang Zhengshan asked Wang to consult Matchmaker Wang about finding a suitable wife for Yang Minghao, who eagerly welcomed the news.
• Yang Zhengshan admired the Gilded Flying Fish Spear and distributed Zhou Lan’s jewelry and fabrics among the women in his family.
• Yang Zhengshan kept two hundred taels from the remaining silver and brought eight hundred taels to Yang Zhengxiang for the clan.
• Yang Zhengshan agreed to hold a banquet celebrating his appointment and said he would pay for it himself.
• Yang Zhengshan offered the clan elders eight hundred taels to build a Clan School, repair the roads, and use any surplus to buy farmland.

Wang visited her natal family in Wang Family Village and found the household in turmoil over poverty and constant quarrels. She silenced her relatives, urged her parents to divide the household, and led them inside to talk, leaving the sisters-in-law quiet but listening.

• Wang arrived at her natal home and waited outside while her three sisters-in-law and the children fought and cursed in the courtyard.
• Wang pushed into the courtyard and roared at everyone, silencing the family and the gathered villagers.
• Wang scolded her eldest sister-in-law, then urged her parents to divide the household and suggested they live with her second brother instead.
• When her eldest sister-in-law cursed her, Wang invoked Yang Zhengshan and threatened to have her husband send the woman back to her natal family.
• Wang calmed down when her mother stopped her, then led her parents into the main hall to talk while the sisters-in-law fell silent and listened.

Wang urged her parents to split their household, then visited Matchmaker Wang to ask her to investigate the young woman from Liang's Cloth Shop as a possible match for Yang Minghao. As Yang Zhengshan prepared for the ancestral rites and banquet, he returned home to find Yang Mingcheng angry and Wang red-eyed, leaving the cause of their distress unclear.

• Wang comforted her parents and brought them pork and eggs, explaining that Yang Zhengshan had approved the gifts and was going to Chongshan Pass as a Trial Battalion Commander.
• Wang asked Matchmaker Wang to investigate the young woman from Liang's Cloth Shop for Yang Minghao, and the matchmaker agreed to make inquiries.
• Yang Zhengshan spent two days arranging the ancestral rites and banquet, inviting relatives and friends and buying ingredients.
• Yang Zhengshan returned from the county seat and saw Yang Mingcheng come out of the east wing with a dark face while Wang followed with red eyes.

Yang Zhengshan learned that Wang had urged her parents to divide her natal household and reassured her that he considered it a small matter. He then inspected the expanding Stone Pool Space, discovering that it produced more spirit water and could store objects, while leaving its further secrets to be revealed as it grew.

• Yang Zhengshan questioned Yang Mingcheng and Wang, and Wang admitted she had helped her parents divide the Wang Family household.
• Yang Zhengshan told Wang not to worry about village gossip and warned Yang Mingcheng not to bully his wife.
• Li told Yang Zhengshan that Er Lang had taken Lin Zhan to the back mountain, and Yang Zhengshan asked to see him when he returned.
• Yang Zhengshan inspected the Stone Pool Space and noted its growing pool, increasing spring water, and a patch of dark soil.
• Yang Zhengshan confirmed he could enter the Stone Pool and move outside objects into and out of its space.

Yang Mingzhi became a Martial Artist, but Yang Zhengshan treated the news as expected and cheered him up with ambitious praise. After Yang Mingzhi eagerly practiced his spear, Yang Zhengshan shared tea and Spirit Spring Water with the family and helped watch the children.

• Yang Mingzhi told Yang Zhengshan he had become a Martial Artist, and Yang Zhengshan urged him to keep training.
• Yang Zhengshan praised Yang Mingzhi as a future Post-Heaven Martial Artist, inspiring him to practice his spear in the courtyard.
• Yang Zhengshan brewed spring-water tea for the household and gave Yang Chengye candy when he asked for more.
• Yang Zhengshan secretly gave the children Spirit Spring Water and watched Yang Chengmou, Yang Qingwan, and Wang Mingzhe.
• Yang Chengye took Yang Chengmou outside, where the boys dug up an ants' nest, while Yang Zhengshan sat with the two babies.

Yang Zhengshan hosted a large banquet for the Yang Family, welcoming relatives, village residents, and prominent guests from Anning County. As the feast filled up, Lu Zhou arrived with Second Master Lu and Lu Qi, and Lord Luo arrived just behind them.

• Yang Zhengshan and his family prepared the banquet while villagers helped set up tables and the head chef cooked.
• Yang Zhengshan welcomed relatives from the Wang, Li, Jiang, and Lu families, then greeted a steady stream of local gentry, scholars, and Martial Artists.
• Twenty tables filled as guests gathered for the feast.
• Lu Zhou arrived with Second Master Lu and Lu Qi, who addressed Yang Zhengshan as their uncle.
• Carriages accompanied by yamen runners arrived, and Second Master Lu recognized Lord Luo among the guests.

Yang Zhengshan realized Luo Jin and Second Master Lu had come to befriend him because Zhou Lan had personally sought him out, and he hosted them at his family banquet. After the guests departed, the Yang Family sorted through a wealth of gifts, leaving Yang Zhengshan considering both future social obligations and building a larger house.

• Yang Zhengshan suspected Luo Jin and Second Master Lu had come because of Zhou Lan and welcomed them into the village.
• Luo Jin and Second Master Lu exchanged pleasantries with Yang Zhengshan and spent the banquet seeking his friendship.
• Yang Zhengshan and Yang Zhengxiang escorted Luo Jin and Second Master Lu away, then continued receiving the other guests until dusk.
• Yang Zhengshan returned home and learned that Luo Jin and the Lu Family had given his family numerous valuable gifts.
• Yang Zhengshan told his family to put the gifts away for now and considered returning the courtesy and building a bigger house.

Yang Zhengshan investigated the Liang Family before deciding whether Yang Minghao could marry the shopkeeper’s daughter. He visited Liang’s Cloth Shop to inspect the family and meet the young lady, leaving the story as he entered the back hall.

• Matchmaker Wang told Yang Zhengshan that Yang Minghao had taken a liking to the fourteen-year-old daughter of Liang’s Cloth Shop and described her family.
• Yang Zhengshan questioned Yang Minghao, who admitted he had seen the young lady twice but had never spoken to her.
• Yang Zhengshan rewarded Matchmaker Wang and decided to visit Liang’s Cloth Shop himself to learn more about the family and the girl.
• Yang Zhengshan rode Red Cloud to the county town and ordered eleven bolts of cloth from Third Master Liang.
• Yang Zhengshan followed Third Master Liang into the back hall, intending to meet the young lady.

Yang Zhengshan decided to match his son Yang Minghao with Liang Zhen after meeting her father, Third Master Liang, at his cloth shop. Matchmaker Wang proposed the match, and Lin saw the Yang Family as a promising choice, while Third Master Liang remained stunned by the proposal.

• Yang Zhengshan met Liang Zhen at Third Master Liang’s shop, then learned that Liang was a concubine-born son who had split from the Liang Family with only one shop.
• Yang Zhengshan bought cloth for the young men who would travel with him to Chongshan Pass and decided to arrange Yang Minghao’s marriage before leaving.
• Yang Zhengshan sent Matchmaker Wang to propose a match with Liang Zhen.
• Lin told Third Master Liang that Matchmaker Wang had praised the Yang Family’s standing and urged him to consider the match.
• Third Master Liang realized Yang Zhengshan’s visit to the shop had preceded the proposal and paced in disbelief.

Yang Zhengshan and Third Master Liang agreed to a marriage match between Yang Mingzhi and Liang Zhen after both families got to know each other. The Yang Family presented more than thirty betrothal gifts, and the wedding was set for two years later, as Yang Zhengshan prepared to leave for Chongshan Pass.

• Lin reassured Liang Zhen that Third Master Liang would not let her become a concubine, while Third Master Liang went to investigate the Yang Family.
• After Matchmaker Wang brought back Third Master Liang's tentative agreement, Yang Zhengshan visited the Liang Family with Yang Mingzhi to meet Third Master Liang and Lin.
• Third Master Liang drank with Yang Zhengshan, and young Liang Xiu warned Yang Minghao not to bully Liang Zhen.
• Third Master Liang later brought his family to visit the Yang Family, and Yang Zhengshan prepared more than thirty kinds of betrothal gifts.
• The Yang Family presented the betrothal gifts, both families agreed to hold the wedding two years later, and Yang Zhengshan began preparing to leave for Chongshan Pass.

Yang Zhengshan prepared his family for his departure to Chongshan Pass, reassuring Lin Zhan and leaving Yang Mingcheng in charge at home. He then set out with twelve companions and joined a Lu Family merchant caravan, learning about the soldiers and officials who extracted payments from merchants along the route.

• Yang Zhengshan told Yang Mingcheng to care for the family until the others could join them, and arranged for Lin Zhan to attend the Clan School and continue his martial arts training.
• Yang Zhengshan comforted Lin Zhan by calling him a son for life, then instructed Yang Mingcheng to teach him martial arts.
• Yang Zhengshan led twelve people out of Yang Family Village, while Yang Zhengxiang and the clansmen saw them off.
• At a post station north of Anning County, Yang Zhengshan met Lu Family steward Song An and joined the merchant caravan traveling toward Chongshan Pass.
• As they traveled, Song An told Yang Zhengshan that Patrol Division officials and soldiers along the route demanded payments from merchant caravans.

Yang Zhengshan arrived at Chongshan Pass with the Lu Family caravan and was welcomed by Zhao Yuan, who showed him a residence prepared by General Zhou Lan. He accepted the lodging but remained suspicious of Zhou Lan’s generosity as he prepared to learn more about the pass before continuing to Linguan Fortress.

• Yang Zhengshan and his party entered Chongshan Pass after a slow three-day journey with the merchant caravan.
• Zhao Yuan met Yang Zhengshan at the city gate on General Zhou Lan’s orders and escorted him to a prepared residence in South City.
• Zhao Yuan explained that Zhou Lan had provided the residence as a gift of thanks and would take Yang Zhengshan to report to the Regional Military Commission when she had time.
• Yang Zhengshan told his family they were still headed to Linguan Fortress, where he had been appointed Fortress Official.
• Yang Zhengshan grew wary of Zhou Lan’s generous arrangements and asked Yang Mingzhi to gather information about the pass city.

Yang Zhengshan settled his young clansmen into camp life and explored Chongshan Pass while waiting for Zhou Lan. When he learned that Fourth Young Master Zhang was beating someone nearby, he chose not to get involved.

• Yang Zhengshan praised Yang Chengche's chicken and appointed him the mess cook, promising him one chicken leg each day.
• Yang Zhengshan and the young men shared a hearty meal, and Yang Zhengshan resolved to provide enough food for their martial training.
• After three days without meeting Zhou Lan, Yang Zhengshan went out exploring with Yang Mingzhi.
• Yang Mingzhi pointed out Hundred Herb Pavilion, and Yang Zhengshan suspected its lavish building had powerful backing.
• Yang Mingzhi learned from a passerby that Fourth Young Master Zhang was beating someone and heard about Zhang Chen's reputation for abusing people.
• Yang Zhengshan decided to leave the disturbance alone, but a sharp rebuke suddenly rang out behind him.

Yang Zhengshan reunited with Zhou Lan, who warned him that Da Rong might campaign against the East Sea Hu Tribe and sent him to train soldiers at Linguan Fortress. He secured her promise to supply enough grain for the troops before leaving for the fortress.

• Yang Zhengshan saw Zhou Lan whip Zhang Chen for bullying a boy and girl, then left with Yang Mingzhi.
• Zhou Lan visited Yang Zhengshan, confirmed she had given him his residence, and advised him to establish stricter rules among his clan members.
• Zhou Lan told Yang Zhengshan to report to the Regional Military Commission and go to Linguan Fortress with Zhao Yuan as soon as possible.
• Zhou Lan revealed that the Imperial Court intended to campaign against the East Sea Hu Tribe, though the timing and Yang Zhengshan's involvement remained uncertain.
• Yang Zhengshan agreed to train soldiers at Linguan Fortress if they had enough food, and Zhou Lan promised to send grain.

Yang Zhengshan arrived at Linguan Fortress to take charge and found its refugees, buildings, and farmland in terrible condition. After Zhao Yuan left, Yang Zhengshan began organizing the hundred soldiers under his command, though their poverty and hunger made training an immediate challenge.

• Zhao Yuan took Yang Zhengshan and his companions to Linguan Fortress with ten carts of grain and explained that Zhao Yuan came from the Suiyang Earl Manor.
• Yang Zhengshan inspected Linguan Fortress and saw that its barren fields and ramshackle interior offered poor conditions for the refugees.
• Old Li Sanshi introduced Yang Zhengshan to the residence, facilities, and supplies, including weapons, armor, ten horses, and three draft cattle.
• Yang Zhengshan dismissed Zhao Yuan and ordered Old Li to summon the regular soldiers from every household.
• A hundred emaciated young men assembled, and Yang Zhengshan told Yang Mingzhi, Yang Mingwu, and the other Squad Leaders to choose their subordinates.