Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Shao Sisen is too weak to feed himself, so Su Ziji offers him ginseng broth. The Wild Daoist takes over and helps him drink.
• Believing he is near death, Shao asks Jian Qu to record a letter ending his engagement to Gu Huiyao and a final message for his family. He regrets disappointing his parents, asks his brothers to care for them, and insists Miss Gu should be free to find another husband.
• After the letters are completed, Shao urges Su Ziji to reconcile with the powerful minister, warning that it is better to make a friend than an enemy. Su stays silent, making clear he will not follow the advice.
• Shao asks Su to add a poem commemorating their friendship. Su writes a poem about parting, and Shao confirms the documents with his handprint.
• Shao dies peacefully. Su orders the family letter sealed and sent to the Shao residence upon their return to the capital.
• On deck, Su reflects that he and Shao had only recently begun to repair their friendship and never had time to become close. He also worries about how the ship will handle Shao’s body. The Wild Daoist advises him not to take responsibility for what he cannot control.
• The chapter ends as the physician returns with soldiers carrying a wooden board, apparently to deal with the body.

Character development

• Shao Sisen faces death with concern for his parents, brothers, and fiancée, putting their welfare ahead of his own wishes. His last advice to Su shows his goodwill despite their past distance.
• Su Ziji is compassionate and conscientious, helping preserve Shao’s final wishes. He acknowledges regret over their unfinished friendship but remains firm in his unresolved stance toward the minister.
• Jian Qu shows practiced efficiency and sensitivity in recording a dying man’s last words.
• The Wild Daoist serves as a practical, supportive presence, caring for Shao and encouraging Su not to shoulder every burden.

Themes

• Regret and unfinished relationships: Su mourns the friendship he and Shao had only just begun to rebuild.
• Duty and self-sacrifice: Shao’s final thoughts center on protecting his family and freeing his fiancée from a burdensome engagement.
• Mortality and separation: Shao’s death at sea makes both the finality of death and the practical difficulties of mourning immediate.
• Kindness amid conflict: Though Shao and Su had been distant, Shao’s dying counsel is generous; Su may reject it, but recognizes the goodwill behind it.

Chapter Summary: “I, Too, Was Not Wrong”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shao Sisen dies aboard the ship. Because of the risk of an epidemic, the Imperial Envoy, Cui Zhaoqian, has ordered that his body be left for only half a day before being buried at sea.
• Su Ziji is deeply troubled by this decision. Remembering Shao Sisen’s final concern for him, he asks the doctor to delay the burial until he can obtain Cui Zhaoqian’s permission to preserve or transport the body.
• The doctor agrees to postpone the burial for at most half an hour. Su Ziji resolves to use that time to persuade the Imperial Envoy.
• Su Ziji changes into a scholar’s robe and writes an elegy for Shao Sisen. He also prepares the family letter, intending to demonstrate both respect for the deceased and sincerity in his request.
• He orders Wild Daoist to remain behind and visits Cui Zhaoqian alone, deliberately presenting himself as someone willing to lower his pride rather than provoke a confrontation.
• Su Ziji has the ships linked and requests an audience with Cui Zhaoqian.
• Meanwhile, Cui Zhaoqian receives a report about Su Ziji’s conduct during the inspection of the ships, including his effort to secure appropriate treatment for Qian Zhidong.
• Cui Zhaoqian initially criticizes Su Ziji for “selling favors,” but his thoughts turn to their former closeness and the conflict between them.
• The chapter ends with Cui Zhaoqian reflecting that, although he regrets losing Su Ziji as an ally, he still believes his earlier decision to sacrifice Su Ziji during the southwest campaign was justified.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Shows loyalty, compassion, and emotional maturity. Though he remains resentful toward Cui Zhaoqian, he is willing to set aside his pride to honor Shao Sisen’s final wishes. His preparation of the elegy and family letter reveals his scholarly refinement and sincere grief. His decision to meet Cui alone suggests strategic restraint rather than weakness.
• Shao Sisen: Even in death, he influences Su Ziji. His final words persuade Su Ziji to compromise and seek proper treatment for his body, emphasizing the depth of their friendship.
• Cui Zhaoqian: Reveals a conflicted and defensive personality. He recognizes that he treated Su Ziji improperly and regrets turning a talented former ally into a potential enemy, yet he continues to justify the decision to sacrifice Su Ziji as militarily necessary. His title, “I, too, was not wrong,” reflects his attempt to balance guilt with self-righteousness.
• Wild Daoist: Acts as Su Ziji’s loyal companion but follows Su’s instruction to stay behind, allowing Su to approach Cui Zhaoqian without appearing confrontational.
• The doctor: Shows practical compassion by delaying Shao Sisen’s burial despite the ship’s strict procedures and epidemic concerns.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and friendship: Su Ziji’s willingness to humble himself for Shao Sisen demonstrates that friendship can outweigh pride and old resentment.
• Duty versus personal feeling: The ship’s burial regulations prioritize public safety, while Su Ziji insists that emotional and familial obligations must also be considered.
• Moral ambiguity and self-justification: Cui Zhaoqian believes sacrificing Su Ziji was the correct military choice, even while acknowledging that it damaged their relationship. The chapter explores how people defend morally troubling decisions by appealing to necessity.
• Pride and reconciliation: Su Ziji takes the first step toward communication, but not because he has forgiven Cui. His actions suggest that reconciliation may require compromise without erasing past wrongs.
• The political danger of talent: Cui fears that Su Ziji’s intelligence, imperial connections, and association with the Eunuch Faction could make him a powerful future opponent.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and the doctor: Su persuades the doctor to postpone Shao Sisen’s burial; the doctor accommodates him out of respect and sympathy.
• Su Ziji and Shao Sisen: Though Shao is dead, his final words shape Su’s decisions and bring out Su’s loyalty and grief.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist: Su trusts Wild Daoist but asks him to remain behind so the meeting with Cui will appear respectful rather than threatening.
• Su Ziji and Cui Zhaoqian: Their direct meeting has not yet occurred, but the entire chapter builds toward it. Su approaches with restrained humility, while Cui privately struggles with regret, resentment, and concern over what Su may become.
• Cui Zhaoqian and his subordinate: The subordinate reports Su’s actions and suggests reprimanding him, but Cui hesitates, revealing that his feelings toward Su are more complicated than simple hostility.

Chapter Summary: “A Measure of Talent and Merit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cui Zhaoqian worries about how to deal with Su Ziji before the Metropolitan Examination. He considers delaying Su’s journey, finding a charge against him, or covertly suppressing him in the examination, but recognizes that interfering with the imperial examination would risk execution.
• Su Ziji unexpectedly requests an audience with Cui. Cui momentarily reveals his excitement before composing himself and pretending indifference.
• Su enters and openly states that he has a matter to request of Cui, despite the hostility between them.
• Meanwhile, Zhao Supervising Eunuch reflects on his recent gains: wealth obtained through Sun Baihu, revenge against Qian Zhidong, and military merit that may strengthen his position with the Emperor.
• Zhao considers Su Ziji unusually difficult to understand. He views Su as exceptionally talented and heroic, but worries that Su’s visible abilities and achievements will attract jealousy and political slander.
• Zhao reflects on the dangers of political success, observing that officials need worldly judgment more than raw talent and merit. He also wonders whether Su’s possession of the Crown Prince Bloodline may lead the Emperor to treat him differently.
• When Zhao learns that Su has gone to Cui’s ship, he initially suspects Su of trying to cultivate connections with both factions. He believes such opportunism would reveal poor political judgment.
• Zhao then learns the real reason: after Shao Sisen’s death, Su stopped people from taking away Shao’s body and went to Cui to plead for or address the matter on Shao’s behalf.
• Zhao is surprised that Su, whom he regarded as too proud to bow to anyone, has humbled himself for Shao. Though he verbally mocks Su’s capitulation, he is visibly pleased and smiles.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Demonstrates loyalty and moral courage by acting on behalf of the deceased Shao Sisen, even though doing so requires approaching his political enemy. His actions suggest that he values justice, friendship, or personal obligation above pride and political convenience.
• Cui Zhaoqian: Reveals that he is deeply concerned about Su’s influence and future. His immediate excitement at Su’s arrival exposes his eagerness to regain control of the situation, though he quickly masks it behind official composure.
• Zhao Supervising Eunuch: Shows political sophistication and a growing respect for Su. He recognizes Su’s talent but fears that Su lacks the caution and compromise necessary for survival at court. His satisfaction at Su’s decision to humble himself indicates that he values Su’s loyalty and integrity more than he admits.
• Shao Sisen: Though dead, he remains central to the chapter. Su’s treatment of his corpse and willingness to plead for him reveal the strength of their connection.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus political survival: The chapter contrasts exceptional ability with the practical need for restraint, compromise, and social maneuvering.
• The danger of standing out: Zhao emphasizes that those who rise above others attract jealousy, slander, and eventual destruction.
• Integrity versus opportunism: Su’s visit to Cui initially appears politically opportunistic, but its true purpose proves to be personal loyalty rather than self-advancement.
• The burden of merit: Achievements can earn imperial favor while simultaneously creating enemies and political danger.
• Humility and dignity: Su’s decision to lower himself for Shao does not weaken him; instead, it earns Zhao’s greater respect.
• Court factionalism and institutional danger: The strict punishment for examination fraud and the rivalry between civil officials and eunuchs underscore the high stakes of imperial politics.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and Cui Zhaoqian: Their meeting is formally polite but charged with resentment. Cui speaks with restrained mockery, while Su directly acknowledges that he has come to ask for something, setting up a significant negotiation.
• Su Ziji and Cui’s attendant: The attendant looks down on Su because of his association with eunuchs, but Su ignores him completely, emphasizing his composure and disdain for petty judgment.
• Zhao Supervising Eunuch and Su Ziji: Though they do not meet directly in the chapter, Zhao closely monitors Su’s actions. His suspicion turns into admiration when he learns that Su acted for Shao rather than for personal gain.
• Zhao Supervising Eunuch and Cui Zhaoqian: Their past conflict fuels Zhao’s dislike and suspicion of Cui. Zhao sees Cui as a dangerous political rival whom he must tolerate because he lacks decisive leverage against him.

Summary

Su Ziji asks Imperial Envoy Cui Zhaoqian to let Shao Sisen’s body be transported home, presenting Shao’s final letter to his family and an elegy he wrote for his dead friend. Cui initially considers the health risks and is not persuaded by the letter alone. But Su’s willingness to humble himself on Shao’s behalf—and the literary power of the elegy—moves him to grant the request.
Cui recognizes that he may have misjudged Su, previously suspecting that his ties to Zhao Supervising Eunuch reflected ambition rather than gratitude. Though Cui still feels unable to explain or undo the past conflict between them, he accepts Su’s gesture as a chance for their relationship to improve. He orders the ship’s captain to arrange transport for Shao’s body and encourages Su to preserve his strength and sit the Metropolitan Examination.
Su follows Cui’s instructions and boards a Yan Family merchant ship. Its manager dislikes the idea of carrying a corpse but agrees because the imperial envoy ordered it and Su is an influential scholar. An empty cabin is set aside, with the door to remain shut during the voyage.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Ziji demonstrates loyalty to Shao and humility toward Cui, seeking a practical way to honor his friend. His elegy also reveals his exceptional literary ability.
• Cui Zhaoqian softens toward Su, revising his view of the young man and responding with compassion despite lingering regret over their earlier conflict.
• The Yan Family manager reluctantly complies, balancing his belief that carrying a corpse brings bad luck against the authority of Cui’s order and Su’s standing.
• Su and Cui share a cautious moment of reconciliation: Cui grants Su’s request and offers encouragement, while Su responds with gratitude.

Significant themes

• Friendship and loyalty: Su’s plea shows that friendship carries obligations even after death.
• Misjudgment and reconciliation: A sincere act changes Cui’s understanding of Su, though their past disagreement remains unresolved.
• Literary talent and influence: Su’s elegy moves Cui and helps secure the body’s return.
• Duty versus belief: The manager’s superstition yields to official authority and practical necessity.

Key plot points and events

• Su Ziji persuades the imperial envoy to let Shao’s body travel to the Capital City with the Yan Family merchant caravan. He orders a coffin made, pays for the work and burial clothes, and ensures the body is handled respectfully.
• Shao’s belongings are searched. Su directs that the books be aired, the loose silver be shared among the helpers, and the banknote be used for a feast once they reach shore.
• The Wild Daoist returns a handkerchief he says Shao had kept. It bears an image he identifies as thorn apple, or mandrake, a poisonous plant associated with the Brahma Sect and the name “Supreme Dharma.”
• In the southwest, Mu Sang arrives at the Mulberry Maiden’s shrine in a storm, pleading for another chance to fulfill his vow to become king and marry her.
• The Mulberry Maiden says Mu Sang wasted his sole opportunity to seize Heaven’s Mandate by acting too soon. She suspects his actions were motivated by desire for her or the Empress Daughter’s Heart, rather than devotion to kingship, and hints that another, colder candidate may now be preferable.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Ziji shows practical compassion and authority in arranging Shao’s burial, while quietly registering the significance of the Wild Daoist’s gesture.
• Lu Fengyun, the Wild Daoist, publicly calls Su “my lord,” signaling a deeper commitment to him. Jian Qu notices the shift, and Su is moved by it.
• Mu Sang appears desperate and defeated, still clinging to his ambition and promise to marry the Mulberry Maiden.
• The Mulberry Maiden is detached from Mu Sang’s romantic appeal and focused instead on the “way of kingship.” Her mention of a better candidate suggests a new political possibility.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and patronage: Lu Fengyun’s declaration marks a meaningful change in his bond with Su.
• Death and respect: Su ensures Shao’s body and belongings are treated with care despite the practical demands of travel.
• Ambition, patience, and fate: Mu Sang’s failure is attributed to impatience and a poor attempt to claim Heaven’s Mandate.
• Power versus personal desire: The Mulberry Maiden questions whether Mu Sang acted for kingship or for love, and prioritizes political purpose over romance.
• Foreshadowing: The mandrake handkerchief and the Mulberry Maiden’s reference to a colder, better candidate hint at future supernatural and political developments.

Key plot points and events

• During a rainstorm, another Yan Family merchant ship draws alongside. Its representative tells Su Ziji that ordinary Phoebe wood—not enough Golden Phoebe—is available for Shao Sisen’s coffin. Su Ziji confirms ordinary Phoebe is appropriate under court regulations and helps decide how to make the coffin properly.
• Qian Zhidong, now a prisoner wearing a cangue but still treated with some respect due to his former rank, approaches Su Ziji. He acknowledges Su’s care for Shao Sisen and asks for help despite their past enmity.
• Qian offers Su the chance to buy a discreet courtyard in Peach Blossom Alley from his properties, implying it may serve a useful hidden purpose.
• He asks Su to support a woman he once kept in the southwest and her unborn child, whom he secretly sent to the capital. Su agrees to give them at least thirty percent of whatever he gains from Qian, enough to secure their future.

Character developments

• Su Ziji shows care and responsibility toward Shao Sisen, taking pains to ensure the coffin is suitable rather than treating the burial as a formality. Despite his hostility toward Qian, he distinguishes between the man’s wrongdoing and the innocent woman and child.
• Qian Zhidong appears defeated and resigned to his fate. His request reveals a private, vulnerable side: he is concerned for the family he cannot protect and is willing to trust Su with their welfare.

Significant themes

• Duty and respect for the dead: Su’s careful arrangements for Shao Sisen’s coffin reflect the importance of honoring the deceased.
• Compassion beyond enmity: Su helps Qian’s innocent dependents despite their antagonistic history.
• Trust and legacy: Qian’s “I believe you” marks a fragile transfer of responsibility as he faces the loss of his own future.
• Law, status, and privilege: The discussion of restricted Golden Phoebe highlights the regulations governing rank and the risks of social overreach.

Character interactions

• Su calmly guides the merchant representative on the coffin’s materials and legal requirements.
• Qian and Su meet awkwardly, with their old hostility still present beneath the conversation. Qian appeals to Su’s sense of fairness, and Su accepts the request on clear terms.
• The chapter ends with Qian relieved and placing his trust in Su.

Key plot points and events

• Qian Zhidong tells Su Ziji where the woman is being held. Before they part, Su asks what he wants now that his situation is bleak. Qian says he wishes he had never entered official service—not because he has changed his principles, but because serving the court is his deepest regret.
• After their encounter, Qian stops going outside, grows calmer, and is left alone by his guards. Su’s group expects to reach the capital in one or two days, though snow may be coming.
• In Capital City, Ye Buhui lives quietly at Clear Garden Temple, studying chess and copying game records. Her skill steadily improves, and she repeatedly rereads Su’s letters while waiting for his return.
• Auntie Li brings word that Su is aboard the imperial envoys’ ship and should reach the capital soon. Ye is overjoyed and grateful for the news.
• Young Marquis Fang reflects that the scheme against Su has backfired: Su has gained military merit, will still make the Metropolitan Examination, and has improved the emperor’s impression of him. The plotters have lost both the lady and the troops sent to rescue her.
• Fang’s brief satisfaction gives way to anxiety over reports that the emperor is unwell. He fears that the princes of Qi or Shu could take power before Su has time to build influence—and that Fang’s own household may be punished for its association with Su.

Character developments and interactions

• Qian Zhidong remains defiant in spirit. His regret is directed at having served the court, not at his convictions; Su recognizes the force of his character.
• Su Ziji shows restraint in speaking with Qian, mindful that the guards might notice, and looks forward to reuniting with Ye.
• Ye Buhui finds purpose and growing confidence through chess, while her longing for Su remains strong. Her exchange with Auntie Li brings her welcome reassurance.
• Young Marquis Fang reveals himself as politically astute but increasingly trapped between loyalty to the emperor and the risks of backing Su. His thoughts contrast his earlier amusement at the failed scheme with his deeper fear for the future.

Significant themes

• Regret and loyalty: Qian’s bitterness comes from having served a ruler and court he no longer respects.
• Political uncertainty: Su’s prospects depend not only on merit but on the emperor’s health and the succession struggle.
• Waiting and hope: Ye’s patient study and devotion are sustained by letters and news of Su’s return.
• The cost of political involvement: Fang fears that even an imperial order may not protect his household from retaliation.

Chapter Summary: “Return to the Capital City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji wakes aboard the returning ship to a bitterly cold sleet storm as the vessel travels along the canal toward the Capital City.
• Concerned that Ye Buhui may be waiting at the docks in the freezing weather, he puts on his sable cloak and carries an oil-paper umbrella.
• Wild Daoist joins him on deck and explains that neither he nor Jian Qu slept well because they are anxious about reaching the capital. Jian Qu is especially worried about the upcoming Metropolitan Examination.
• Su Ziji reflects on Jian Qu’s difficult circumstances. With Qian Zhidong’s downfall, Jian has lost his former support and now depends on success in the examination. Su doubts Jian’s chances, believing his sorrowful writing style is poorly suited to the prosperous current era.
• Su Ziji confirms that the Shao Family was notified in advance of their arrival and of Shao Sisen’s death, giving them time to prepare to receive his coffin.
• Back in the cabin, Su Ziji and Wild Daoist play chess. Su defeats him five times, though he modestly claims his skill is ordinary compared with Ye Buhui’s.
• As the ship nears the capital, Su checks his luggage, which includes southwestern specialties and personal belongings.
• The Capital City docks come into view. Officials from the Ministry of Rites gather to receive the returning imperial envoys, while Ye Buhui’s ox cart waits nearby.
• The Shao Family is also present, but they are kept back temporarily so they can receive Shao Sisen’s coffin after the official reception.
• The chapter ends as Su watches the imperial envoys’ ship approach the shore.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Remains composed and considerate, taking precautions against the cold and ensuring that the Shao Family was properly informed. His repeated thoughts of Shao Sisen reveal lingering grief beneath his calm exterior. His humility about his chess ability also contrasts with his evident strategic intelligence.
• Wild Daoist: Continues to act as a practical and dependable aide. He manages the notifications, luggage, and arrangements for Ye Buhui and the Shao Family while also showing sympathy for Su’s grief.
• Jian Qu: Is portrayed as anxious and emotionally burdened by the Metropolitan Examination. His uncertain social position and dependence on examination success become clearer.
• Ye Buhui: Though absent from the ship, she remains important through Su’s concern for her and Wild Daoist’s report that her cart has arrived. Her reputation as a strong chess player is also emphasized.
• Shao Family: Their grief is anticipated through the arrangements for receiving Shao Sisen’s coffin, underscoring the consequences of his death.

Significant Themes

• Grief and mortality: Shao Sisen’s death continues to affect Su Ziji and those around him. The chapter reflects on how quickly joy and sorrow can replace one another and how fragile human life is.
• Duty and responsibility: Su Ziji and Wild Daoist carefully coordinate messages, luggage, receptions, and the transfer of the coffin, demonstrating the obligations that accompany public and personal relationships.
• Examination and social advancement: Jian Qu’s anxiety highlights the importance of the Metropolitan Examination as a means of restoring his prospects and securing a place in society.
• Emotional restraint: Su Ziji rarely expresses his grief directly, but his silences, sighs, and pauses reveal his inner sorrow.
• Transition and return: The journey from the southwest back to the capital marks a shift from travel and uncertainty toward official duties, examinations, mourning, and reunion.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist: Their conversation shows mutual trust and familiarity. Wild Daoist offers practical advice, manages arrangements, and recognizes Su’s grief without forcing him to discuss it.
• Su Ziji and Jian Qu: Although Jian Qu is not present in person, Su reflects critically yet sympathetically on his examination prospects and difficult circumstances.
• Su Ziji and Ye Buhui: Their relationship is suggested through Su’s concern for her comfort and through comparisons between their chess abilities.
• Su Ziji and the Shao Family: Their interaction has not yet occurred, but Su’s efforts to notify them and arrange the coffin’s reception demonstrate his consideration for their grief.
• Su Ziji and the imperial authorities: The approaching Ministry of Rites officials signal his reentry into the formal world of government and court affairs.

Chapter Summary: “Foolish Child”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The imperial commissioners return triumphantly to the capital after their southwestern campaign. They receive a formal welcome from the Ministry of Rites, while the captured criminals Qian Zhidong and Qin Fengliang are brought ashore in cangues.
• Su Ziji does not remain with the returning officials. He goes to the ship carrying Shao Sisen’s coffin and helps deliver it to the Shao family.
• The Shao family arrives to receive the coffin. Shao Sisen’s parents are devastated, especially his mother, who faints and then throws herself against the coffin in grief.
• Su Ziji notices snow on the coffin and instinctively wipes it away with a handkerchief belonging to Mulberry Maiden, suggesting that the token remains connected to him despite his emotional focus on Shao Sisen’s death.
• Shao Sisen’s father thanks Su Ziji for ensuring that his son’s remains were brought home and insists that the family will repay his life-saving kindness. He orders his youngest son, Shao Liu, to kneel and kowtow to Su Ziji, though Su refuses to accept such formal gratitude.
• A young woman arrives in an ox cart and immediately recognizes Shao Sisen’s coffin. Overcome with grief, she vomits blood upon touching it. Her reaction identifies her as someone deeply connected to Shao—likely his fiancée.
• The girl becomes oblivious to everyone around her, wipes away the blood, kneels beside the coffin, and silently weeps. Shao Mother calls her a “foolish child,” lamenting the extremity of her sorrow.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji displays compassion and humility. He quietly attends to Shao Sisen’s coffin, worries over the snow staining it, and rejects the Shao family’s attempts to honor him. His emotional response shows how deeply he has come to value Shao Sisen.
• Shao Mother is overwhelmed by maternal grief, moving from fainting to desperate mourning. Her later concern for the young girl shows that she recognizes the girl’s love for Shao Sisen and feels pity for her.
• Shao Father suffers deeply but forces himself to regain composure. His gratitude toward Su Ziji reveals both his dependence on his dead son and his recognition of Su’s role in bringing him home.
• Shao Liu is presented as a young and dutiful son who follows his father’s command to thank Su Ziji.
• The young girl is introduced through an extreme physical and emotional reaction to Shao Sisen’s death. Her grief is so powerful that it causes her to vomit blood, marking her as someone whose identity and future were closely bound to Shao.
• Wild Daoist continues to serve as Su Ziji’s practical aide, gathering information about the Shao family and helping coordinate the funeral arrangements.

Significant Themes

• The devastating cost of death: Shao Sisen’s return home is not a triumphant reunion but the painful confirmation of his death, shifting the chapter from public celebration to private mourning.
• Family duty and gratitude: The Shao family’s response emphasizes filial bonds, remembrance, and the obligation to repay those who aided a loved one.
• Love and loss: The young girl’s reaction presents romantic devotion as overwhelming and physically destructive, while the handkerchief subtly evokes another emotional connection in Su Ziji’s life.
• Public ceremony versus private grief: The capital’s official welcome, ceremonial etiquette, and political pageantry contrast sharply with the raw suffering of the Shao family.
• The limits of words: Although the characters exchange formal thanks and condolences, the most powerful emotions are expressed through fainting, tears, physical gestures, and silence.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist coordinate the delivery of Shao Sisen’s coffin and discuss the Shao family’s circumstances.
• Shao Father expresses profound gratitude to Su Ziji and attempts to have Shao Liu formally thank him.
• Su Ziji respectfully refuses the family’s excessive gratitude, emphasizing his modesty.
• Shao Mother mourns beside the coffin and reacts compassionately to the young woman’s grief.
• The young woman’s arrival transforms the scene, revealing the depth of her relationship with Shao Sisen and leaving the entire crowd stunned.

Chapter Summary: “Relic”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the docks, Miss Zhou arrives and breaks down beside Shao Sisen’s coffin. Although the servants try to pull her away, she refuses to leave until grief overwhelms her.
• Su Ziji notices her extreme frailty and suspects she may die young, but he refrains from discussing her fate in such an unsuitable setting.
• Father Shao explains that Miss Zhou—originally named Zhou Yao Hui—was Shao Sisen’s former fiancée and childhood companion. Their engagement had been dissolved after Sisen’s death so that she would not be trapped as a widow, but she could not accept losing him.
• Because of her poor health, the Shao Family had deliberately hidden the funeral arrangements from her. Nevertheless, she came to the docks herself.
• Miss Zhou receives a handkerchief that Su Ziji had unknowingly dropped or left behind. It contains romantic lines from the Book of Songs, including verses expressing absolute devotion. Believing the handkerchief and poem to be a relic from Shao Sisen, she is overwhelmed and faints.
• Madam Shao orders the servants to take Zhou Yao home, while Father Shao sends guards and attendants to ensure her safe return.
• After the Shao Family departs with the coffin, Su Ziji bids them farewell rather than disturb their mourning.
• Wild Daoist praises the Shao Family’s virtues, recounting Father Shao’s history of benevolent governance and his decision to open granaries to aid famine victims, despite being punished politically for breaking regulations.
• Wild Daoist predicts that Shao Sisen’s death has damaged the Shao Family’s future and that Zhou Yao may not live more than another year or two after coughing blood.
• Su Ziji realizes that the handkerchief actually belonged to Mulberry Maiden and that Zhou Yao has misunderstood its origin. He decides not to correct her, viewing the mistake as a comforting remembrance rather than a harmful deception.
• Su Ziji leaves to reunite with Ye Buhui and learns that Little White returned with the fast boat, likely seeking Madam after missing her.

Character Developments

• Zhou Yao: Her intense devotion to Shao Sisen becomes clear. Despite her weak constitution, she defies the Shao Family’s efforts to protect her from the funeral. The romantic poem gives her emotional comfort but also deepens her mistaken belief that Sisen left the relic for her.
• Su Ziji: He shows compassion toward both the grieving Shao Family and Zhou Yao. He feels guilty because his earlier actions indirectly contributed to Sisen’s death, but ultimately accepts the misunderstanding surrounding the handkerchief.
• Father Shao: His gentleness, generosity, and moral integrity are emphasized. He treats Zhou Yao as a daughter even after the engagement is dissolved and is shown to be a principled official who prioritizes human welfare over rigid rules.
• Madam Shao: Though grieving herself, she remains practical and protective, ensuring that Zhou Yao is taken home safely.
• Wild Daoist: He provides insight into the Shao Family’s reputation, their fate, and Zhou Yao’s limited lifespan. His uncertainty about his own ability to read destiny introduces doubt about whether fate is truly fixed.
• Little White: Its unexplained absence is resolved when Su Ziji learns that it returned with the messenger boat to seek Madam.

Significant Themes

• Love and grief: Zhou Yao’s inability to let go of Sisen illustrates how love persists even after death.
• Misunderstanding and emotional truth: Although the handkerchief and poem are not Sisen’s, Zhou Yao’s feelings are genuine. The chapter suggests that an emotionally meaningful falsehood can possess its own kind of truth.
• Fate versus human action: Wild Daoist questions whether destiny can be accurately read, especially after Zhou Yao’s life takes a darker turn than expected.
• Virtue and moral consequence: Father Shao’s compassion and public service demonstrate the value of acting morally even when doing so brings political punishment.
• Mortality and fragility: Zhou Yao’s illness, Sisen’s death, and the predictions about the family’s future reinforce the chapter’s atmosphere of impermanence.
• Relics and remembrance: The handkerchief becomes a symbolic object, preserving Zhou Yao’s connection to Sisen despite its mistaken identity.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhou Yao and the Shao Family: Their relationship is affectionate and familial, with the Shaos trying to protect her while also recognizing the depth of her attachment to Sisen.
• Father Shao and Su Ziji: Father Shao explains Zhou Yao’s history and treats Su with gratitude and respect, while Su admires the older man’s character.
• Zhou Yao and the handkerchief: Her discovery of the poem transforms the object into what she believes is Sisen’s final token of love.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist: Their discussion shifts from the Shao Family’s grief to questions of virtue, destiny, and Su’s hidden responsibility for Sisen’s death.
• Su Ziji and Little White: The chapter ends on a lighter note as Su learns that Little White has returned safely and may have gone looking for Madam.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Yao travels home by ox cart after visiting the coffin of her deceased fiancé, Shao Sen. Overcome by grief, she had wept publicly and vomited blood before his coffin.
• Her maid regrets helping her sneak out, fearing that Zhou Yao’s extreme display of mourning may damage her reputation and future marriage prospects.
• Zhou Yao insists that she had to see Shao Sen one last time so her heart could be at peace. She understands that both families had tried to protect her and feels guilty for causing them distress.
• The Zhou family had secretly allowed the journey, stationing a steward and physician near the docks in case Zhou Yao’s condition worsened.
• During the journey, Zhou Yao loses consciousness. An unexplained wisp of energy seeps from the blood-stained handkerchief in her hand into her body.
• She later awakens in her room, surrounded by her maids and family.
• The physician attributes her condition to congenital weakness and an illness of the heart, prescribing medicine that can ease her symptoms but cannot cure the emotional source of her suffering.
• Zhou Yao’s mother worries that only emotional healing can truly save her. Her father, Lord Zhou, is equally distressed and rushes to see her after learning she has awakened.
• Upon seeing tears silently falling from Zhou Yao’s eyes, Lord Zhou is deeply pained but refrains from scolding her, recognizing both her maturity and the depth of her grief.

Character Developments

• Zhou Yao: Revealed as deeply devoted, emotionally fragile, and self-aware. She understands the sacrifices and concern of both families, yet cannot control her mourning for Shao Sen. Her grief is so severe that it manifests physically.
• The maid: Moves from assisting Zhou Yao out of sympathy to feeling guilty and frightened by the consequences. Her loyalty and affection for her mistress are clear.
• Mother Zhou: Demonstrates practical concern and profound maternal love. Though she initially feared Zhou Yao might harm herself, she ultimately supported her daughter’s final farewell.
• Father Zhou: Shows intense but restrained paternal devotion. His anxiety is evident as he waits for news, and his silence upon seeing Zhou Yao’s tears reflects tenderness rather than anger.
• The Shao and Zhou families: Both are portrayed as unusually affectionate and considerate, valuing Zhou Yao’s well-being even amid the broken engagement.

Significant Themes

• Grief and emotional illness: Zhou Yao’s sorrow is described as a literal sickness of the heart, showing how emotional pain can damage the body.
• Family love and sacrifice: Both families put Zhou Yao’s welfare above propriety, reputation, and social expectations.
• The conflict between social duty and private feeling: Zhou Yao’s public mourning may harm her future prospects, but suppressing her grief would leave her unable to find peace.
• The destruction of happiness: The chapter emphasizes the tragedy of a promising marriage and affectionate family relationship being ruined by Shao Sen’s death.
• Possible supernatural or fantastical elements: The mysterious substance entering Zhou Yao’s body hints that her illness or fate may involve forces beyond ordinary grief.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Yao and her maid share an intimate, sorrowful conversation in which the maid expresses regret while Zhou Yao absolves her and explains her need to mourn.
• Zhou Yao’s thoughts reveal her gratitude toward her parents, who quietly permit her farewell despite fearing for her life.
• The physician advises Mother Zhou that medicine can only treat Zhou Yao’s symptoms; her emotional suffering must be addressed separately.
• Mother and Father Zhou coordinate their concern from different parts of the household, each anxiously awaiting news.
• Father Zhou’s brief encounter with his daughter is emotionally powerful: he sees her tears, understands her pain, and chooses silent compassion over reprimand.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Yao’s mother tries to comfort her after Shao Sisen’s death, urging her to care for her health and promising that she can visit his grave when she is well.
• Zhou Yao asks whether ghosts and gods exist. Her mother, worried that grief has unsettled her, answers cautiously that the dead must be reborn.
• Zhou Yao says she understands her parents’ concerns, agrees to eat, and asks to resume learning the qin. Her mother is relieved and immediately arranges soup, an instrument, and lessons.
• Zhou Yao’s parents privately agree to support her recovery by keeping her occupied, including finding her a suitable qin and teacher.
• Alone behind her bed curtains, Zhou Yao reveals an uncanny change: Datura petals appear between her brows, now black instead of white. She speaks as if addressing another presence and promises to watch Shao Sisen’s beloved in the Yellow Springs.
• The voice—or presence—promises to prolong Zhou Yao’s life, but asks her to observe and record a “Young Dragon” as he grows. Zhou Yao is to pursue mastery of the qin so she can approach him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Yao shifts from silent, grief-stricken withdrawal to appearing willing to eat and take up the qin again. Beneath that apparent recovery, she is involved in a mysterious bargain and gains a purpose tied to observing the Young Dragon.
• Zhou Yao’s mother responds with tenderness and practical care, balancing empathy with concern that her daughter might cling to the hope of contacting the dead. She interprets Zhou Yao’s willingness to resume music as a sign of healing.
• Zhou Yao’s father supports his wife’s approach and readily offers resources to help their daughter.
• The parents and Zhou Yao interact affectionately but with different understandings: they believe she is beginning to recover, unaware of the supernatural exchange occurring in her room.

Significant themes

• Grief and recovery: The family hopes routine, music, and a reason to live will help Zhou Yao endure loss.
• Appearance versus reality: Her parents see progress, while the black petals and secret promise suggest a darker, hidden reality.
• Duty, attachment, and survival: Zhou Yao’s life is extended on the condition that she observe the Young Dragon, linking personal survival to a larger purpose.
• The supernatural: Questions about ghosts and rebirth frame the chapter’s revelation of a mysterious presence and an apparent pact.

Key plot points and events

• Shao Tan, a Fifth Rank Hanlin Academy official, visits Prince Qi’s residence after receiving a signal that the prince may accept him as a retainer.
• Believing Prince Qi to be a virtuous future ruler, Shao formally pledges his service. Prince Qi welcomes him warmly, praises his talent and ambition, and promises to recommend him for a post in one of the Six Ministries.
• After Shao leaves, Prince Qi’s adviser Wen Xunpeng reveals that he had listened from behind a screen. Prince Qi admits he finds Shao overly solemn and unlikely to be useful beyond supporting the prince’s political cause.
• Wen argues that Shao’s examination rank, steady career, influential brother, and access to imperial affairs still make him a valuable connection. Prince Qi accepts the reasoning and notes that someone else recommended Shao and arranged the introduction.

Character developments

• Shao Tan is earnest, idealistic, and eager to serve what he sees as a worthy ruler. His formal, self-restrained manner makes him sincere but not especially suited to Prince Qi’s preferred image of a bold, capable confidant.
• Prince Qi is politically calculating beneath his gracious public manner. He values followers for their power, practical abilities, or strategic usefulness, and judges Shao mainly by what he can contribute.
• Wen Xunpeng demonstrates his growing influence as Prince Qi’s trusted adviser. He tempers the prince’s dismissive judgment with a practical assessment of Shao’s connections and official position.

Significant themes

• Idealism versus political pragmatism: Shao joins out of principle, while Prince Qi views him chiefly as a political asset.
• The performance of patronage: Prince Qi’s personal warmth and promises inspire loyalty, even though his private assessment is far less generous.
• Power and networks: An official’s family ties, rank, and access to the court can make him valuable regardless of his individual talent.

Character interactions

• Shao approaches Prince Qi with reverence, and the prince responds with conspicuous warmth, personally helping him rise and offering encouragement.
• Wen observes the meeting unseen, then flatters Prince Qi before advising him that Shao’s connections make him worth retaining.
• The steward’s quiet scrutiny of Shao’s conduct contrasts with Shao’s idealized view of Prince Qi’s residence and reputation.

Plot and events

• Prince Qi receives a report on Su Ziji’s return from the southwest. Su Ziji helped resolve the crisis, leading to the arrest of Qian Zhidong and Qin Fengliang, and returned in time for the Metropolitan Examination.
• Adviser Wen Xunpeng, who had suggested sending Su Ziji southwest, worries that his failed plan may cost him. He hints that Su Ziji’s identity could still be doubted, but Prince Qi trusts the imperial bloodline test.
• Prince Qi decides not to interfere with Su Ziji again. He believes Su’s weak Dragon Aura, lack of family support, and focus on studying make him no immediate threat. He instead turns his attention to arranging private banquets at his residence.
• At the Imperial Academy, Su Ziji reflects on his rapid progress from attending lectures and studying. His growing intelligence is also helping him improve in martial and Daoist arts.
• As Su Ziji leaves a lecture, he overhears approaching students whispering about him and stops to listen.

Character developments

• Prince Qi is calculating and politically cautious. Though he resents Su Ziji’s success, he sees no advantage in acting against him now and views Su’s scholarly efforts through the lens of courtly status and power.
• Wen Xunpeng recognizes that his judgment may be distorted by a “Cognitive Barrier”: he has mistaken clever tactics for sound strategy and feels uneasy about his own overconfidence.
• Su Ziji remains disciplined and curious, treating the Imperial Academy as a valuable source of knowledge. His academic gains are also strengthening his broader abilities.

Significant themes

• Cognitive barriers and flawed judgment: Wen realizes that intelligence and effort cannot compensate for approaching a problem incorrectly.
• Politics and status: Prince Qi dismisses Su’s achievements because he lacks roots and influence, revealing how court power can matter more than merit.
• Learning as practical strength: Su’s studies produce measurable growth, improving not only his scholarship but also his martial and Daoist abilities.

Character interactions

• Prince Qi rebukes Wen for failing to monitor the palace, then hears his concerns about Su. He spares Wen a harsher reprimand but makes clear that his position is precarious.
• Wen adapts his advice to Prince Qi’s ambitions, recognizing that criticizing Su’s weakness would undermine the prince’s view of the crown prince.
• Su has no direct interactions in the Academy scene yet, but the students’ whispered discussion of him sets up a likely encounter.

Chapter Summary: Invincible Under Heaven

Key Plot Points and Events

• Imperial Academy students gossip maliciously about Su Ziji, accusing him of pretending to study diligently and calling him a coward for returning safely from the southwest while Shao Sisen died.
• The students’ hostility stems partly from resentment that Su Ziji was transferred into the Imperial Academy and took a place that might have belonged to one of them.
• Bai Moyang unexpectedly defends Su Ziji. He argues that Su brought Shao Sisen’s body home, rendered genuine military service, and has been placed on the list for merit recognition. He also challenges the others to volunteer for the dangerous military missions they criticize Su for surviving.
• Bai Moyang insists that students should judge one another by their examination papers and remember that they remain classmates, even if they become political rivals after entering officialdom. The argument ends with the group separating angrily.
• Su Ziji reflects on his complicated experiences with talented Imperial Academy students, especially Shao Sisen, whose attitude toward him changed repeatedly before his death. He decides not to become involved with more troublesome acquaintances.
• Determined to exploit the Imperial Academy’s resources before the Metropolitan Examination, Su attends another lecture on the Book of Rites by Registrar Li Teng.
• The Rosewood Pendant grants him experience from Li Teng’s instruction, eventually raising his mastery of the Four Books and Five Classics to level 17.
• Su Ziji concludes that his scholarly ability is now sufficient to become a Presented Scholar, though he recognizes that success still depends on the emperor’s decision and cannot be guaranteed solely by talent.
• During the remainder of Li Teng’s lecture, the experience gained becomes much smaller and less frequent. Su realizes that his own understanding may have surpassed Li Teng’s.
• The chapter ends with Su Ziji wondering whether he has already become “invincible under heaven.”

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Becomes increasingly confident in his academic abilities but remains cautious about court politics and the emperor’s judgment. His experiences in the southwest have made him wary of the mixed motives of talented peers. Reaching level 17 marks a major advancement, though it also raises the unsettling possibility that he has surpassed the greatest scholars around him.
• Bai Moyang: Reveals a more principled and fair-minded side by defending Su Ziji, despite having previously shown hostility toward him. He values merit, evidence, and shared scholarly identity over personal resentment.
• Li Teng: Continues to demonstrate great knowledge through his lecture, but the diminishing experience Su receives suggests that Su’s current mastery may now exceed Li Teng’s.
• Shao Sisen: Though absent and deceased, he remains important to the chapter. His sacrifice and relationship with Su are used by others to judge Su’s courage and character.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and resentment toward outsiders: The students dislike Su because he entered the Imperial Academy through special circumstances and displaced one of their peers.
• Merit versus prejudice: Bai Moyang argues that achievement should be judged by examination results and actual deeds rather than rumors or resentment.
• Courage and moral judgment: The chapter questions whether surviving a dangerous mission makes someone cowardly, emphasizing the difference between reckless death and fulfilling one’s obligations.
• Scholarship and mastery: Su’s growth shows that learning can be accumulated rapidly through talent and extraordinary means, but intellectual advancement may eventually isolate him from ordinary teachers and peers.
• Power and uncertainty: Although Su’s abilities are strong enough for the Presented Scholar examination, his fate remains dependent on imperial authority, reminding him that talent alone cannot control political outcomes.
• The danger of superiority: Su’s final thought suggests both triumph and unease: becoming unmatched may bring glory, but it can also leave him without equals or reliable companions.

Character Interactions

• The three hostile students belittle Su Ziji and praise Shao Sisen in order to undermine him.
• Bai Moyang confronts them, defending Su’s actions and exposing their hypocrisy.
• Su observes Bai Moyang from a distance but chooses not to approach him, wary of forming another complicated relationship.
• Su listens to Li Teng’s lecture with intense concentration, benefiting from the scholar’s instruction while gradually realizing that his own understanding may have surpassed that of his teacher.

Chapter Summary: Growing Old Together

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji tests his progress at several Imperial Academy lectures and discovers that the experience he gains has sharply declined after reaching Level 17. He concludes that the Academy can no longer significantly aid his advancement.
• He estimates that Level 15 is enough to become a Presented Scholar, Level 16–17 represents the level of a master, and Level 18 may qualify someone as a Ranked Sage of the Confucian School.
• Determined not merely to pass the examinations but to make a remarkable entrance, Su Ziji sets his sights on reaching Level 18 before the Metropolitan or Court Examination. He considers purchasing rare handwritten books but realizes that doing so could quickly exhaust his three thousand taels of silver.
• Returning to the Lay Disciples’ Courtyard, Su Ziji reunites with Ye Buhui and Little Fox. Wild Daoist, who has been waiting outside for him, reports important political and personal news.
• Qian Zhidong has been tried by the Ministry of Justice and sentenced to death. Appeals for mercy or a delay until the autumn execution period have been rejected, and his execution may occur at any time.
• Su Ziji orders Wild Daoist to purchase the small courtyard in Peach Blossom Alley once it goes up for auction. He expects to remain in the capital after becoming a Presented Scholar and wants a permanent home for himself and Ye Buhui.
• Wild Daoist also reports on Zhou Yao and the Shao Family. Zhou Yao remains deeply attached to Shao Sisen, while the Shao Family has avoided visiting her so as not to rekindle her feelings, sending only medicinal tonics instead.
• After overhearing the discussion, Ye Buhui brings in homemade jujube cakes. Su Ziji tells her that he does not want her to become like Zhou Yao, whose devotion has brought her suffering.
• He expresses his wish for a simple life with Ye Buhui—living hand in hand and growing old together—rather than becoming the subject of a tragic, romantic tale. Their emotional moment is interrupted by a knock at the door.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Becomes more realistic and strategic about his cultivation and examination goals. He remains ambitious, but his ambitions are balanced by practical concerns about money, housing, and his future with Ye Buhui. His comments reveal a mature dislike of destructive romantic idealism and a desire for stable domestic happiness.
• Ye Buhui: Continues to show sincere affection and happiness whenever Su Ziji returns. Her emotional reaction to Zhou Yao’s situation suggests that she is deeply moved by the story, but Su Ziji’s reassurance reinforces their bond.
• Wild Daoist: Demonstrates loyalty and discipline. Although casual in ordinary circumstances, he is respectful toward Su Ziji’s household and carefully carries out his lord’s instructions. His investigations also show his growing reliability as an aide.
• Zhou Yao: Though absent, she is portrayed as deeply lovesick and self-sacrificing, even learning the qin to please her parents while still emotionally attached to Shao Sisen.
• Qian Zhidong: Suffers a complete fall from power, declining from a second-rank general to a condemned prisoner.

Significant Themes

• Ambition versus limitation: Su Ziji’s declining experience gains force him to recognize the difficulty of reaching higher levels and the limits of relying on the Imperial Academy.
• Practical planning and stability: His plans to buy a house and prepare for life after the examinations show his growing focus on long-term security.
• Romantic tragedy versus ordinary happiness: The chapter contrasts Zhou Yao’s intense, potentially tragic love with Su Ziji’s preference for a quiet, lasting marriage.
• The impermanence of status: Qian Zhidong’s downfall illustrates how quickly political power and social standing can disappear.
• Domestic affection: Su Ziji and Ye Buhui’s relationship is presented through small, intimate moments—returning home, sharing food, and imagining growing old together.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji speaks with Wild Daoist about Qian Zhidong’s execution, the Peach Blossom Alley property, and the Shao and Zhou families, showing both authority and trust.
• He reunites warmly with Ye Buhui and Little Fox, emphasizing the comfort of his household.
• Wild Daoist’s awkwardness around Su Ziji’s female relatives contrasts with his confident role as an informant and subordinate.
• Su Ziji’s conversation with Ye Buhui becomes the chapter’s emotional center: he warns her against a life of self-destructive longing and openly declares that he wants only a peaceful future with her. The moment ends when an unknown visitor knocks at the door.

Plot points and events

A boy from the Xie Residence visits Su Ziji, saying his master wishes to congratulate him on his military merit in the southwest. He offers Su a box of old books, which Su discovers contains works by all three great sages of the previous dynasty: Meng Zhongqing, Xu Shaoliang, and Zhang Zhongyong. One volume of Zhang’s collection is missing, but Su considers the gift extraordinarily valuable.
Though wary of accepting such a lavish present from people he has never met, Su is reluctant to part with books he has been seeking and can personally benefit from. He accepts, promising to thank the boy’s unnamed master. The boy declines an invitation for tea and leaves. Afterwards, Su asks Wild Daoist to investigate the Xie Residence, suspecting the gift may conceal a motive—and that the sender’s identity or affiliation may not be as claimed.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Ziji is delighted by the books but remains cautious. His concern about exposure of his true or assumed identity outweighs the boy’s reassuring manner.
• Wild Daoist (Feng Yun) recognizes the likely connection to the Marquis of Pacifying the South and initially moves to inspect the gift, but follows Su’s lead. He offers the boy tea and is then asked to investigate the residence.
• The boy messenger is polite, frank, and persuasive. He insists the books would be neglected at the Xie estate, but keeps his master’s identity secret and leaves promptly.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and literary heritage: The rare books carry the creative insight and legacy of the three great sages, making them valuable beyond their material worth.
• Trust and suspicion: A generous gift may be sincere, but its size and the sender’s anonymity make it politically and personally risky.
• Power and connection: Su’s service in the southwest draws attention from a powerful noble house with historical ties to the region.

Chapter Summary: “Marquis of Pacifying the South”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji orders Wild Daoist to visit Jian Qu at his inn, bringing basic necessities and informing him of Qian Zhidong’s situation. Jian Qu is staying in poor conditions because the Capital’s inns are overcrowded with Provincial Graduates.
• Su Ziji reads five rare anthologies connected to the Three Great Sages of the previous dynasty. His Rosewood Pendant absorbs their literary essence, dramatically increasing his experience:
  • His Book of Documents and Five Classics level rises to Level 17, with over 12,000 experience points gained.
• Su Ziji reflects that such an opportunity may never occur again, since books of this caliber are rare and usually kept as treasures by scholarly lineages. He realizes that future advancement will depend on steadily accumulating experience through his exceptional intelligence and literary ability.
• Elsewhere, the previously encountered youth returns to an ox cart carrying the second volume of Zhang Zhongyong’s anthology. His master uses the book as a medium to observe Su Ziji from afar.
• The middle-aged man recognizes Su Ziji’s extraordinary bearing and compares him favorably to the former Crown Prince. He detects that Su possesses the fortune and aura of a young dragon, though he cannot determine why Su seems familiar.
• Su Ziji’s powerful literary aura suddenly protects him from further examination. The man is shocked to discover that the seventeen-year-old is nearly at the level of sainthood in literary power—an astonishing achievement comparable to the Three Great Sages.
• The man discusses the Imperial Grandson’s political and spiritual predicament. He claims that the ruler in the imperial city seized his son’s Heaven’s Mandate and may also be attempting to take his lifespan.
• The divination medium burns up, and the man suffers a backlash, coughing blood. He concludes that Su Ziji has somehow learned to protect himself.
• The man and the youth travel to the Marquis of Pacifying the South’s Residence. The man reveals that the Marquis is descended from his clan and that he once helped the Marquis rise from poverty and alter his fate.
• He now intends to collect that debt by placing a hidden influence within the Marquis’s household, specifically targeting Xie Yaowen. He also plans to involve himself in the Imperial Grandson’s struggle, regarding it as repayment for the youth’s assistance in eliminating one of his Three Corpses.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Demonstrates astonishing literary talent and rapid cultivation progress. His literary aura is so strong that it nearly resembles sainthood despite his young age. He also appears to possess hidden defensive abilities that can obstruct supernatural observation.
• Wild Daoist: Continues to serve Su Ziji faithfully and efficiently, accepting his errands without hesitation.
• Jian Qu: Though absent from the direct action, his difficult living conditions highlight his vulnerable position in the Capital and Su Ziji’s concern for him.
• The middle-aged man: Is revealed to be a powerful, ancient figure connected to the Crown Prince’s past and the fate of the Imperial Grandson. He is weakened by Heavenly Retribution and the division of his Three Corpses, but is gradually regaining freedom of action.
• The youth: Has become highly obedient and respectful toward his master, in sharp contrast to his earlier lively behavior. He appears both impressed by Su Ziji and fearful of his master’s power.
• The Marquis of Pacifying the South: His rise was secretly aided by the middle-aged man, creating a debt that is now being called in. His household is likely to become involved in the larger political and supernatural conflict.
• The Imperial Grandson and the ruler: Their conflict becomes more clearly defined as a struggle over Heaven’s Mandate, lifespan, legitimacy, and imperial succession.

Significant Themes

• Literary cultivation and accumulated knowledge: Rare scholarly works can provide enormous spiritual and experiential power, making books central to advancement.
• Innate talent versus accumulated achievement: Su Ziji’s aura appears nearly saintly despite his youth, suggesting that true potential may be more important than age, reputation, or the fame of past sages.
• Fate and transformation: The imagery of pythons, flood dragons, and young dragons reflects the difficult process of changing one’s destiny and rising toward greatness.
• Political power and Heaven’s Mandate: The ruler’s alleged seizure of the Crown Prince’s Mandate and lifespan frames imperial authority as something that can be stolen, transferred, or resisted.
• Debts and hidden manipulation: The middle-aged man views political support as an investment. His assistance in changing the Marquis’s fate creates a debt he now intends to exploit.
• Heavenly Retribution and forbidden power: Supernatural interference carries severe consequences, as shown by the man’s backlash and his need to divide his Three Corpses to survive.
• Youth facing historical forces: Su Ziji, despite being only seventeen, is becoming important enough to attract the attention of ancient and politically powerful figures.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist discuss assisting Jian Qu, showing Su’s practical concern for his allies.
• The middle-aged man questions the youth about Su Ziji and uses the recovered anthology to spy on him.
• The man compares Su Ziji to the former Crown Prince and analyzes his fortune, literary aura, and possible connection to Qian Zhidong.
• The middle-aged man explains to the youth his history with the Marquis of Pacifying the South and orders preparations to manipulate the Marquis’s family.
• He also frames his planned involvement in the Imperial Grandson’s struggle as repayment for the youth’s role in helping him eliminate one of his Three Corpses.

Chapter Summary: “Chief Examiner”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the rain-soaked Wanglu Ward, Zheng Yingci and Liu Zhan arrive to meet Yu Qianzhi, who has been investigating traces of a demonic spell.
• Yu Qianzhi discovers scattered paper ash and confirms that someone used sorcery in the area. Both he and Liu Zhan suspect the culprit is the mysterious “demonic man” who manipulated political events seventeen years earlier and has eluded capture ever since.
• The nearby residences belong to several court officials, including Lord Zhou, Lord He, Lord Jiang, and the Marquis of Huifeng. Yu Qianzhi orders his subordinate to monitor them for suspicious behavior.
• Since casting spells in the Capital City is a serious offense, Yu Qianzhi and Liu Zhan decide to enter the palace and report their failure to apprehend the culprit.
• They travel together by ox cart, setting aside their usual factional distrust while quietly meditating. Both sense something unusual when they reach the palace.
• Outside the Emperor’s hall, they overhear the Emperor assigning three officials as chief examiners for the upcoming Metropolitan Examination. He personally hands them the sealed examination questions and warns them that any cheating will bring severe punishment, invoking the fate of a disgraced grand academician from the previous dynasty.

Character Developments

• Liu Zhan shows increased willingness to cooperate with Yu Qianzhi. Although he remains wary of him, the reappearance of the demonic man has intensified his unease and made cooperation necessary.
• Yu Qianzhi is portrayed as calm, perceptive, politically trusted, and cautious. He continues to investigate the demonic man while recognizing the divisions and mutual suspicion within their own faction.
• Zheng Yingci appears healthier and more determined after two months of training, suggesting growing discipline and resolve.
• The Emperor appears physically unwell and burdened by past events, but remains authoritative and vigilant, particularly regarding corruption in the imperial examinations.
• The mysterious demonic man becomes a more threatening presence through discussion: he is powerful, deceptive, politically influential, and still capable of manipulating events from the shadows.

Significant Themes

• Political intrigue and hidden manipulation: The demonic man’s past schemes continue to influence the court, while the officials struggle to determine what is real and what is deception.
• Distrust within alliances: Even those opposing the demonic man do not fully trust one another, weakening their ability to act effectively.
• Imperial power and accountability: The Emperor emphasizes that public examinations determine the court’s future and demands absolute integrity from those overseeing them.
• The tension between supernatural and political threats: Sorcery in the Capital is treated as both a magical danger and a threat to the stability of the imperial government.
• The burden of responsibility: Both the investigation and the examination place important duties on officials whose failures may carry severe consequences.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zhan and Yu Qianzhi exchange polite but pointed remarks, revealing their long-standing rivalry and mutual suspicion.
• Their conversation gradually becomes more cooperative as they acknowledge the demonic man’s return and agree to report to the Emperor together.
• Yu Qianzhi’s subordinate provides information about the neighboring officials, expanding the possible circle of suspicion.
• At the palace, Liu Zhan and Yu Qianzhi silently listen to the Emperor’s warning, recognizing the gravity of the examination and the danger of failure.

Chapter Summary: “Asking About Longevity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The emperor warns the three Metropolitan Examination chief examiners about the deadly consequences of examination fraud, citing the past execution of Grand Academician Xiao Congbo, who had been implicated despite his status and imperial connections.
• The examiners promise to conduct the examination honestly and without corruption. The emperor gives them an imperial edict sealed with the jade seal.
• Afterward, Yu Qianzhi and Liu Zhan enter the palace to confess that the demonist has appeared again in the capital and used a medium to perform his supernatural arts.
• The emperor erupts in fury over their repeated failure to capture the demonist, especially because he believes the demonist was the chief conspirator behind the plot against the Crown Prince.
• The emperor suffers a severe headache and is revived with medicinal wine administered by Zhao Eunuch. His sudden weakness makes him appear much older and causes him to lament his declining age and health.
• He asks Liu Zhan and Yu Qianzhi to use physiognomy to determine how long he has left to live. They avoid answering, claiming that the emperor’s True Dragon Aura makes his fate impossible for ordinary men to read.
• After they leave, the emperor wistfully mentions Xiao Huaihui, saying that Huaihui would not have dismissed his request so evasively. Liu Zhan and Yu Qianzhi overhear this and privately reflect bitterly that the emperor had personally forced Xiao Huaihui to drink poisoned wine.
• Outside the palace, the two men compare their readings of the emperor’s remaining lifespan. Through gestures, they agree that he likely has six years left.
• They joke darkly about the palace being more dangerous than a noble household and speculate that even palace eunuchs could arrest them if ordered.
• Zhao Eunuch later observes that although the emperor is no longer openly enraged, his subdued, gloomy state reveals that his frustration and despair remain intense.

Character Developments

• The Emperor: Revealed as authoritarian, suspicious, and ruthless, but also physically weakened and increasingly conscious of his mortality. His rage toward the demonist stems from both political fear and personal frustration. His reference to Xiao Huaihui exposes a complicated mixture of regret, nostalgia, and hypocrisy.
• Liu Zhan and Yu Qianzhi: They remain outwardly respectful and obedient but are privately distrustful of the emperor. Their refusal to predict his death protects them from danger, while their later calculation of six years shows their confidence and expertise in divination.
• Xiao Huaihui: Though dead, he becomes an important presence through others’ memories. His execution demonstrates the emperor’s willingness to destroy even loyal and talented servants, while his death has damaged the Mount Tong Temple lineage.
• Zhao Eunuch: Demonstrates quick judgment and loyalty by treating the emperor’s headache. He also understands the emperor’s emotional state better than the other palace attendants.

Significant Themes

• The danger of serving absolute power: Even eminent officials can be executed or imprisoned at the ruler’s whim.
• Political hypocrisy: The emperor mourns Xiao Huaihui despite having ordered his death, revealing the contradiction between personal attachment and imperial ruthlessness.
• Mortality and the limits of power: The emperor commands the state but cannot command his own aging or death.
• Fear and self-preservation: Officials survive by carefully controlling what they say, even when directly ordered to speak honestly.
• Corruption and responsibility: The examination fraud warning parallels the broader danger of failing one’s duty under an unforgiving ruler.
• The burden of supernatural knowledge: Divination and the ability to perceive fate are valuable but dangerous, since revealing too much can threaten both the diviner and the subject.

Character Interactions

• The emperor intimidates the examination officials into promising absolute integrity.
• He angrily berates Liu Zhan and Yu Qianzhi for failing to capture the demonist, while they endure his outburst in silence.
• He then shifts from anger to vulnerability by asking the same men to estimate his remaining lifespan; they diplomatically refuse.
• Liu Zhan and Yu Qianzhi share a silent understanding and privately mock the emperor’s treatment of Xiao Huaihui.
• Their joking conversation after leaving the palace masks genuine fear of becoming victims of imperial suspicion.
• Zhao Eunuch’s quiet observation of the emperor emphasizes his close familiarity with the ruler’s hidden emotions.