Chapter Summaries

Verdant Green Maiden heard Old Li lament that the people of Great Song might never see peace, then challenged Yue Qiu after he doubted her strength. She defeated him in a spar, leaving him to apologize and wonder whether she had used him to warn the rest of the camp.

• Old Li praised Emperor Taizong of the Tang and lamented that he might not live to see peace in Great Song, while Verdant Green Maiden encouraged him to hope for better times.
• A rider arrived at the camp with urgent news, and Old Li reprimanded the soldiers for speculating about rival emperors instead of training.
• Yue Qiu questioned whether Verdant Green Maiden could fight, and she challenged him to spar, offering him her commander's position if he won.
• Verdant Green Maiden blocked Yue Qiu's attacks and knocked him down, prompting him to apologize for judging her by her appearance.

Verdant Green Maiden prepared her troops for a campaign against the Uyghur Khaganate as Zhao Guangyi led the Song army west. After learning that the Khitan were coming to aid the Uyghurs, Zhao Guangyi planned to destroy both forces and ordered the army to march on Ganzhou.

• Verdant Green Maiden lifted Yue Qiu to his feet and joined the officers summoned to hear orders to prepare for battle and march to Hexi.
• Zhao Guangyi inspected the Yellow River frontier and vowed to avenge the murdered Song envoys by forcing the Uyghur Khaganate to submit.
• During a night patrol, Verdant Green Maiden warned Yue Qiu against deserting, then apologized when he explained that he feared dying for nothing.
• The Uyghur khan sought help from the Khitan, and Zhao Guangyi planned to use ambushes and traps to destroy both armies.
• Cui Han told Zhao Guangyi that the Khitan were half a month from Hexi, and Zhao Guangyi ordered the army to march on Ganzhou.

After the Song Army reached the outskirts of Ganzhou, Verdant Green Maiden rested with her exhausted soldiers and talked with Old Li about the war and their hopes for peace. She woke when another battalion relieved them and refused Old Li’s dried meat so the troops could ration their supplies.

• The Song Army advanced to the vicinity of Ganzhou after more than a month of fighting, with Verdant Green Maiden’s battalion suffering relatively few casualties under her leadership.
• Yue Qiu stood on a hill to look at Ganzhou, and Old Li kicked him down for exposing himself to enemy arrows.
• Old Li asked Verdant Green Maiden about her background, and she said that Heaven was backing her.
• Old Li shared his hopes of buying land, raising an ox, and living peacefully after the war, while Verdant Green Maiden promised she might visit him.
• Verdant Green Maiden fell asleep, so Old Li told Yue Qiu to keep the soldiers quiet until another battalion relieved them two hours later.
• Old Li offered Verdant Green Maiden dried meat on the way back, but she refused so the troops could ration their provisions.

Verdant Green Maiden traded Old Li a promise for dried meat, while Zhao Guangyi’s Song Army fought to capture the Uyghur Royal Court. As the battle raged inside the city, Khitan cavalry appeared on the horizon and forced Zhao Guangyi’s men to evacuate him.

• Verdant Green Maiden accepted Old Li’s dried meat in exchange for a promise she would fulfill when he chose.
• Three days later, Zhao Guangyi ordered a final assault on the Uyghur Khaganate’s Royal Court and gave his generals two days to take it.
• The Song Army breached the outer city, but the Huihe defenders continued to resist in the streets.
• Zhao Guangyi went to the Royal Court and promised ten thousand gold and the title Duke of Hexi to whoever took the Uyghur Khagan’s head.
• Cui Han spotted approaching Khitan cavalry and ordered Zhao Guangyi escorted back to camp.

After Zhao Guangyi fled and the Song Army was routed, Verdant Green Maiden led a group of soldiers out of the encirclement. When Old Li died, she revealed her true strength and slaughtered the cavalry, then ordered the survivors to carry him and leave.

• Khitan cavalry broke through the Song Army’s defenses, and Zhao Guangyi fled as the Song forces collapsed.
• Verdant Green Maiden rallied Yue Qiu and the soldiers, leading them out of the Royal Court while scattered Song troops were hunted down.
• Khitan and Huihe cavalry surrounded Verdant Green Maiden’s group, and Old Li was badly wounded while defending them.
• Old Li asked Verdant Green Maiden to buy him a field if they escaped, then died with his money still in his pocket.
• Verdant Green Maiden’s disguise fell away, and she cut down the cavalry with her blade until she stood atop a mound of corpses.
• Verdant Green Maiden told Yue Qiu to carry Old Li as the survivors prepared to leave.

Zhao Guangyi returned to Fengxiang after the defeat at Ganzhou and blamed the dead generals for the disaster. Verdant Green Maiden escorted Yue Qiu and the survivors to Dasan Pass, then left with Old Li for Guanzhong, where Yue Qiu later sought her out.

• Zhao Guangyi appointed Gao Baoyin Acting Military Commissioner of Fengxiang and ordered the surviving generals to gather the scattered Imperial Guards.
• Cui Han reported that every soldier in the failed ambush had been killed, and Zhao Guangyi condemned and punished the dead men and their families.
• Verdant Green Maiden brought Yue Qiu and the other survivors to Dasan Pass, told them to keep her identity secret, and left with Old Li for his hometown.
• Yue Qiu received no consolation rewards, was beaten after protesting, and quit the army to travel to Old Li's hometown in Guanzhong.
• More than half a year later, Yue Qiu reached a village near Lantian County and asked a woman sitting by the fields for water.

Yue Qiu apologized to the Verdant Green Maiden and complained that the court had failed to reward Provincial Army soldiers who died in battle. The conversation ended with Old Li reaffirming his gratitude to the commander, while Yue Qiu was sent to help make dinner.

• Old Li beat Yue Qiu with a broom for addressing the Verdant Green Maiden too casually, and Yue Qiu apologized to her.
• Yue Qiu told the Verdant Green Maiden that the court had rewarded the Imperial Guard but given the Provincial Army nothing despite its losses.
• The Verdant Green Maiden said the court’s poor preparations had let the Khitan intervene and cost them victory, while Old Li said ordinary people only wanted to farm and live in peace.
• The Verdant Green Maiden called the Old Yellow Ox in from plowing, and the group headed home.
• Old Li said the commander had given him his house and fields after saving his life, then ordered Yue Qiu to get up and cook.

Yue Qiu struggled to cook but shared a meal with Verdant Green Maiden and Old Li, learning Verdant Green Maiden’s real name and unusual origins. He asked to stay with them for a while, and the next day Verdant Green Maiden set him to learn plowing from Brother Ox.

• Verdant Green Maiden chased Yue Qiu out of the kitchen and sent him to walk Brother Ox around and feed him.
• Yue Qiu returned with Brother Ox and ate a feast prepared by Verdant Green Maiden and Old Li.
• Verdant Green Maiden told Yue Qiu she came from Mount Tai and revealed her name was Shao Dian Qing Nü.
• Old Li explained the Guanzhong legend of Qing Nü, the Frost Snow Goddess, after Yue Qiu asked about the name.
• Yue Qiu asked to stay temporarily, and Old Li agreed; Yue Qiu offered to work the fields.
• Verdant Green Maiden took Yue Qiu to learn plowing from Brother Ox and left him a field to work.

Yue Qiu and Verdant Green Maiden helped Old Li build a peaceful life through abundant harvests, and Yue Qiu chose to stay and care for him. As Old Li turned sixty, Verdant Green Maiden asked when his birthday was so they could celebrate, but he hesitated and said it might not be necessary.

• Yue Qiu admired the millet harvest, and Verdant Green Maiden told him to prepare for the harvest and learn skills to support the household.
• Old Li saw his fields full of millet, wept with gratitude, and tried to kneel before Verdant Green Maiden and Yue Qiu.
• Yue Qiu stayed for three more years, explaining that he wanted to care for Old Li, while Verdant Green Maiden said she had promised to give him a peaceful life.
• Verdant Green Maiden noticed Old Li struggling with his lingering injuries, but he insisted he could still manage on his own.
• Verdant Green Maiden told Yue Qiu that Old Li was turning sixty, and they realized neither knew his birthday.
• At dinner, Verdant Green Maiden asked Old Li when his birthday was so they could celebrate, and he replied that it was probably unnecessary.

Verdant Green Maiden arranged a birthday banquet for Old Li by choosing the day of the fields’ first harvest as his birthday, and the grateful villagers celebrated with him. Afterward, the villagers discussed marriages and asked whether Verdant Green Maiden or Yue Qiu would consider potential matches.

• Old Li said he could not remember his birthday and recalled that he had stopped celebrating after his parents died.
• Verdant Green Maiden decided to celebrate anyway and chose the day the fields had their first harvest three years earlier as Old Li’s birthday.
• Fifteen days later, villagers gathered for the banquet, and Yue Qiu explained Verdant Green Maiden’s choice to Old Li.
• Old Li became emotional during the celebration, thanked everyone, and said he would never forget the birthday.
• After the banquet, villagers discussed marriage prospects, and Verdant Green Maiden firmly declined a proposed match.
• The villagers then asked whether Yue Qiu would consider a match.

Verdant Green Maiden pushed Yue Qiu to meet Liu Cailian, a capable woman from Wan Nian County, and the two quietly agreed to the match. On the way home, Verdant Green Maiden told Yue Qiu that Cailian was the descendant of an old acquaintance, leaving him surprised.

• Villagers tried to arrange a match for Yue Qiu, but he refused, and Old Li suspected he had feelings for the Commander.
• Verdant Green Maiden learned about a hardworking woman from an auntie and insisted that Yue Qiu meet her.
• Yue Qiu met Liu Cailian, whose ancestors had migrated from Jiangnan to escape the Huang Chao Rebellion.
• Verdant Green Maiden asked Yue Qiu and Liu Cailian what they thought of each other, and both indicated they were satisfied.
• Verdant Green Maiden told Yue Qiu to treat Cailian well because she was the descendant of an old acquaintance.

Yue Qiu and Liu Cailian married in a lively ceremony, and Verdant Green Maiden blessed their future together. The next morning, she prepared Yue Qiu for married life and gave him instructions that made him wonder whether she was leaving.

• Old Li and Verdant Green Maiden agreed on a wedding date with the Liu Family and hosted a lavish ceremony for Yue Qiu and Liu Cailian.
• Verdant Green Maiden served as the wedding witness and wished the newlyweds peaceful, joyful days, while Old Li accepted their bows as an elder.
• After the guests left, Verdant Green Maiden explained to Old Li that she had learned to eat anything because grain had once been scarce.
• Yue Qiu confessed to Liu Cailian that he felt unworthy of her and promised to share her burdens, and the two spent their wedding night together.
• The next morning, Verdant Green Maiden told Yue Qiu to prepare food, gifts, clothes, and household furnishings for Liu Cailian, prompting him to ask if she was leaving.

Verdant Green Maiden left Lantian for a year, reassuring Yue Qiu and Old Li before visiting the Han imperial tombs and Zhuge Liang’s grave in Chang’an. After honoring the dead and telling them about their surviving descendants, she spent the night speaking at Zhuge Liang’s tomb.

• Verdant Green Maiden told Yue Qiu and Old Li she would leave for about a year, and Yue Qiu promised to care for the household.
• Verdant Green Maiden asked Old Yellow Ox to stay and plow the fields, promising to buy it a new ox when she returned.
• Verdant Green Maiden visited Chang Ling and Hui Mausoleum, burned incense for Liu Bang and Liu Bei, and told them their descendants had survived.
• Verdant Green Maiden went to Zhuge Liang’s maintained tomb and spoke to him through the night, though he did not reply.

Verdant Green Maiden visited Liu Shan’s tomb and reflected on how he was blamed for Ji Han’s retreat south. She then went to the Han Residence in Jinling, where the household greeted her return with great excitement.

• Verdant Green Maiden traveled from Tong Pass to Jiangnan and visited Liu Shan’s Jian Mausoleum.
• She offered flowers to Liu Shan and told him that his father and Kong Ming would understand his choices.
• Several visitors criticized Liu Shan for abandoning the north, leaving Verdant Green Maiden to remember his words in Chang’an.
• Verdant Green Maiden left the mausoleum and went to the Han Residence in Jinling to ask whether the Old Woman was there.
• The servants recognized Verdant Green Maiden and called the household outside, where everyone greeted her eagerly.

Verdant Green Maiden discovered that the Han Family had hidden the real reason for seeking her help: Han Kang wanted medicine for his unconscious grandson as well as his dying mother. She briefly awakened the Old Woman of the Han Family and told her she had come to see her through her final journey.

• Han Kang brought Verdant Green Maiden to the Han residence and begged her to save his unconscious mother.
• Verdant Green Maiden examined the Old Woman and questioned Han Kang’s claims that his entire family was present.
• Verdant Green Maiden asked about Han Kang’s grandson, and Han Kang’s wife revealed that he had also fallen unconscious in the same misfortune as the Old Woman.
• Han Kang admitted that the family had used his mother’s name to persuade Verdant Green Maiden to provide medicine for their grandson.
• Verdant Green Maiden used needles to awaken the Old Woman briefly and told her she had come to see her through her final journey.

Qing Nü refused to save Han Kang’s family after he deceived her, but left a note directing them to seek He Qiong of the Min Lands. After spending another month in Jinling, she arranged to travel north with Ye Sanqi’s caravan, then arrived to find its members troubled.

• Qing Nü told Old Woman Han that she would not save her and watched as she died, while Han Kang and his family mourned.
• Han Kang’s family found Qing Nü’s note recommending He Qiong of the Min Lands and resolved to seek her treatment.
• Qing Nü bought trinkets in Jinling, reflected on Han Xizai, and decided to head north with a merchant caravan.
• Qing Nü paid Ye Sanqi to travel with his caravan and agreed to leave the next day.
• Qing Nü returned to the caravan as planned and learned that its members were worried about something.

Verdant Green Maiden learned that Ye Sanqi had been imprisoned after a wealthy household accused him of damaging its field, and she confronted Sheng Prefecture prefect Han Sui to secure his release. Han Sui proposed using the case to curb the powerful clans, and Verdant Green Maiden asked what she would gain by helping him.

• A caravan member told Verdant Green Maiden that Ye Sanqi had been arrested after his horse trampled patches of a wealthy household’s field, and she decided to stay with the caravan.
• Verdant Green Maiden went to prefect Han Sui’s residence and held a sword to his neck.
• Han Sui recognized Verdant Green Maiden as the Marquis of Chang'an from her green robes and gray hair.
• Verdant Green Maiden explained Ye Sanqi’s arrest and demanded that Han Sui let her take him from prison.
• Han Sui said he wanted to use the case to rein in Sheng Prefecture’s powerful clans and asked for Verdant Green Maiden’s help.
• Verdant Green Maiden asked Han Sui what she would gain from helping him.

Han Sui enlisted Verdant Green Maiden and Ye Sanqi to help expose Jinling’s great clans, while Verdant Green Maiden warned Han Sui not to manipulate her. At a gathering of the clans’ representatives, Han Kang spotted Verdant Green Maiden behind Han Sui.

• Verdant Green Maiden agreed to help Han Sui in exchange for a meal and made him write an IOU.
• Han Sui invited Jinling’s prominent households to a mandatory meeting at the prefectural governor’s residence.
• Verdant Green Maiden brought Han Sui to Ye Sanqi in prison, where Han Sui asked Ye Sanqi to serve as a witness against Jiangnan’s great clans and offered to cover his caravan’s expenses.
• Han Sui revealed Verdant Green Maiden’s identity as the Marquis of Chang'an, and she threatened him for using the revelation to draw her into his plan.
• Verdant Green Maiden warned Han Sui not to use petty tricks, then demonstrated her strength by embedding a pebble in a wall beside him.
• Several days later, the great clans’ representatives gathered at the prefectural governor’s residence, where Han Kang saw Verdant Green Maiden standing behind Han Sui.

Han Sui used a banquet to confront Sheng Prefecture’s great households over an imprisoned man and asked Verdant Green Maiden to judge their conduct. The guests learned she was the Marquis of Chang'an, leaving them stunned and silenced.

• Han Sui welcomed the great households to a banquet but delayed revealing Verdant Green Maiden’s identity.
• After the guests had eaten, Han Sui accused them of missing Southern Tang rule and introduced Ye Sanqi, who recounted how one household had sent him to jail.
• Han Sui asked Verdant Green Maiden how the lawless household should be dealt with, and she called the families rebellious for bypassing the Great Song Code and authorities.
• The guests protested that Verdant Green Maiden was wronging them, so Han Sui revealed that she was the Marquis of Chang'an, personally enfeoffed by the Great Ancestor.
• The guests fell silent in shock, while Han Kang recognized that her status might be even greater than a marquis.

Han Sui forced Sheng Prefecture’s Great Families to register their landholdings and pay overdue taxes, keeping most of them at the prefectural residence while Han Kang went home to conduct his family’s survey. Verdant Green Maiden left Jinling in Han Sui’s hands, and he pledged to handle the matter.

• Han Sui presented regulations requiring the Great Families to register their land and pay taxes based on its fertility, including unpaid taxes from earlier years.
• When a man objected, Han Sui invoked Ye Sanqi’s case and warned the families that their relatives might have violated the Great Song Code.
• Han Kang agreed to comply and left to survey his family’s landholdings, while Han Sui kept the other family leaders at the prefectural residence and ordered their households to conduct surveys.
• Han Sui told Verdant Green Maiden that Zhao Guangyi could place trusted people within Jiangnan’s clans or replace unwilling Clan Heads with cooperative relatives.
• Verdant Green Maiden left the prefectural residence with Ye Sanqi, entrusting Jinling to Han Sui.