Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A Considerable Gap”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The disguised dark-green Great Demon successfully strikes the Dragon Lord and immediately flees before Green Hill Lord can pursue it.
• The attacker’s blow kills Black Python Spirit. The Demon-Slaying Platform’s unfinished blade severs Black Python Spirit’s head cleanly and drains its vitality, reducing its body to a skeleton while converting its power into spiritual energy for the Dragon Palace.
• The killer deliberately leaves the heads of Black Python Spirit and the other slain Monsters as a warning.
• The attacker is revealed to be the Heavenly Secret Monster, which had entered the lake and possessed the body of a Great Demon. Because it knew this era and the demon it imitated, it was able to remain hidden.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster used a close-range Thunder Pellet to severely injure the Dragon Lord, hoping to weaken him until he could no longer sustain the wind and rain over the Dragon Palace.
• Green Hill Lord realizes that pursuing the fleeing demon would be dangerous. She orders the others to repair the damaged Dragon Palace Array instead, believing the intruder can be hunted down once the immediate crisis ends.
• More than a hundred Monsters resume their positions in the array, producing golden ripples and gradually restoring its power. However, damaged and conflicting nodes slow the repair.
• Because the Dragon Lord is injured, maintaining the enormous mass of clouds and rain without the array’s full support becomes increasingly difficult. His body begins to groan under the pressure, and Green Hill Lord urgently urges him to stop summoning the rain.
• Su Ziji, controlling the Dragon Lord’s body, refuses to withdraw. He believes abandoning the ritual would cause the Dragon Maiden’s Dragon Transformation to fail—and that failure would mean her death.
• Su Ziji continues circulating the level-12 Coiling Dragon Heart Method, discovering that it is the fundamental technique capable of sustaining him under such pressure. Even so, his control is far inferior to the original Dragon Lord’s, and his connection to the clouds and rain begins to flicker.

Character Developments

• The Heavenly Secret Monster is exposed as the true mastermind behind the Great Demon’s rampage. It is patient, calculating, and willing to remain hidden until the Dragon Lord is weakened. Its confidence grows because both its own actions and the imperial court’s opposition seem to favor the Dragon Lord’s defeat.
• Green Hill Lord demonstrates practical judgment and concern for the Dragon Lord. Though she wants revenge against the impersonator, she prioritizes repairing the array and repeatedly urges Su Ziji to protect himself.
• Su Ziji shows increasing resolve and self-sacrifice. Rather than choosing the safer option of withdrawing, he accepts severe physical danger because he believes his survival is tied to the Dragon Maiden’s future. His understanding of the Coiling Dragon Heart Method also deepens.
• The Dragon Lord is revealed to possess extraordinary physical endurance, capable of supporting the immense force of the storm even while injured. His original mastery of the Coiling Dragon Heart Method sets a standard Su Ziji struggles to match.
• The Dragon Maiden, though absent from the immediate action, becomes central to Su Ziji’s motivation. Her life and Dragon Transformation depend on his continued resistance.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus self-preservation: Su Ziji must choose between protecting his own life and continuing a ritual essential to the Dragon Maiden’s survival.
• The burden of power: The Dragon Lord’s authority over wind and rain is both magnificent and physically destructive, especially when the supporting array fails.
• Inheritance and inadequacy: Su Ziji gains access to the Dragon Lord’s techniques but cannot yet reproduce the original wielder’s strength or precision, emphasizing the gap between inheriting power and truly mastering it.
• Loyalty and fate: Su Ziji senses that abandoning the Dragon Maiden would cause his own destiny to collapse, suggesting a deep connection between their fates.
• Political and hidden opposition: The Heavenly Secret Monster’s plot is strengthened by the imperial court’s apparent desire for the Dragon Lord to fail, revealing that the crisis is both supernatural and political.
• Punishment and warning: The unfinished Demon-Slaying Platform embodies the Demon Court’s authority, while the displayed severed heads serve as a warning against rebellion.

Character Interactions

• The Heavenly Secret Monster, disguised as a Great Demon, attacks the Dragon Lord and kills Black Python Spirit while evading Green Hill Lord.
• Green Hill Lord commands the remaining Monsters to repair the great array and chooses the Dragon Palace’s defense over immediate pursuit.
• She repeatedly argues with and pleads to Su Ziji, urging him to stop the rain ritual before the Dragon Lord’s body collapses.
• Su Ziji internally acknowledges her logic but refuses to follow her advice, believing his withdrawal would doom the Dragon Maiden.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster observes the weakened Dragon Lord from within the palace and waits for him to fail rather than risking another direct confrontation.

Chapter Summary — “There Will Never Be Another”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The rain over Lakeshore suddenly weakens and begins to stop, alarming the commoners and officials gathered beneath the altar.
• King Yu interprets the fading rain as proof that the “monster” has succeeded in disrupting the Dragon Lord’s efforts. He privately celebrates, believing he can soon proclaim the imperial edict and damage the Dragon Lord’s reputation before returning to report his success to the emperor.
• Liu Zhan, pretending to remain unconscious, follows events through sound and Daoist perception. He believes the Dragon Lord has been forced into a losing situation: bringing rain risks falling into the court’s trap, while delaying would allow the Dragon Maiden to die.
• Liu Zhan observes Zheng Yingci’s ruined fate. Repeated failed attempts involving the Dragon Palace have severed Zheng’s affinity with it and destroyed his prospects for wealth, rank, and cultivation. Despite this, Liu Zhan intends to place him in a Daoist temple so he will at least have food and shelter.
• At the Dragon Palace, Ji Jun repeatedly attempts to reach the phantom Dragon Gate while enduring devastating thunderbolts. Her defenses are nearly gone, her body is covered in blood, and scales fall from her body, but she continues rising each time she is struck down.
• Shell Maiden, unable to bear Ji Jun’s suffering, begs Su Ziji to save her.
• Cao Yiyan remains focused on exploiting the situation. Using the imperial edict and Ji Jun’s prior investiture by Great Wei, he siphons away her vital energy and discovers that she possesses Great Wei blood.
• Cao realizes that Heaven’s Mandate is beginning to plunder Ji Jun’s deeper foundation. He senses that this bloodline is what allows him to exploit her so effectively.
• Cao briefly wonders whether Su Ziji has arrived, but dismisses Shell Maiden’s cry as panic because he cannot detect Su Ziji. Fearing the opportunity will not appear again, he accelerates the plundering of Ji Jun’s power.

Character Developments

• King Yu: His anxiety turns into confidence when the rain fades. He believes the court’s plan has succeeded and begins imagining how to present the victory to the emperor.
• Liu Zhan: Reveals his calculating, fatalistic mindset. He views the crisis as a contest over virtue and legitimacy, believes Heaven’s will favors him, and calmly accepts the destruction of Zheng Yingci’s future while offering him minimal protection.
• Ji Jun / the Young Dragon: Demonstrates extraordinary stubbornness and courage. Despite overwhelming pain, weakening defenses, and repeated failure to reach the Dragon Gate, she refuses to surrender.
• Shell Maiden: Her grief and helplessness intensify. Her emotional attachment to Ji Jun drives her to call desperately for Su Ziji.
• Cao Yiyan: Becomes increasingly absorbed in his successful exploitation of Ji Jun. His confidence grows as he uncovers the significance of her Great Wei heritage, though his certainty also causes him to overlook the possibility that Su Ziji is present.
• Zheng Yingci: His fate is effectively destroyed. His connection to the Dragon Palace, political future, and cultivation potential are all lost.

Significant Themes

• Defiance against fate and Heaven: Ji Jun’s repeated attempts to rise despite being crushed embody resistance against seemingly absolute destiny.
• Political legitimacy as power: Cao Yiyan emphasizes that official status and imperial investiture can grant the court extraordinary authority, even enabling it to control or destroy those it has elevated.
• The cost of alliances: Ji Jun’s acceptance of Great Wei’s investiture has left her vulnerable to the very court that granted it.
• Manipulation and misjudgment: King Yu and Cao Yiyan both believe events are unfolding in their favor, but Cao’s dismissal of Su Ziji hints that their apparent victory may rest on a dangerous misunderstanding.
• Sacrifice and helpless loyalty: Shell Maiden’s anguish highlights the pain of caring for someone who is suffering while lacking the power to intervene.
• Irreversible loss: Zheng Yingci’s ruined destiny and Ji Jun’s falling scales reinforce the chapter’s sense that opportunities, power, and lives may be permanently lost.

Character Interactions

• King Yu and the gathered officials/commoners: The changing rain shifts the crowd from celebration to fear, while King Yu alone takes comfort from the apparent failure.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci: Though Zheng is unconscious and unaware, Liu’s reflections reveal a former master-disciple bond. Liu acknowledges that he helped destroy Zheng’s destiny but still intends to provide for him.
• Shell Maiden and Ji Jun: Shell Maiden watches Ji Jun suffer and responds with desperate emotional support, calling for outside help when she can no longer endure the sight.
• Shell Maiden and Su Ziji: Her plea suggests she believes Su Ziji may be nearby and capable of saving Ji Jun, though Cao Yiyan does not believe him to be present.
• Cao Yiyan and Ji Jun: Cao treats Ji Jun not as a person but as a source of power, using her imperial connection and bloodline to drain her foundation while she struggles against the thunder.

Chapter Summary: “The Gap Has Been Filled”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a violent summer storm, Madam Zhou travels by ox cart through flooded, muddy roads to bring food to her husband, Prefect Qi Hongxin, who has gone to supervise emergency flood-control efforts despite recently recovering from a long period of unconsciousness.
• The ox cart becomes stuck in a mud pit near the damaged dam. Worried about Qi’s condition, Madam Zhou leaves the cart behind and walks through the rain and mud to reach him.
• As she arrives, workers and officials cheer that the dam breach has been successfully sealed. The floodwater begins to recede, and the weakened rain reduces the danger of another collapse.
• Madam Zhou is allowed onto the dam after identifying herself and showing the food basket she brought. She learns that Qi has become exhausted and is resting in an ox cart nearby.
• Officials explain that the original dam blueprints and terrain-based construction plans made the repairs possible. The breaches had been deliberately blasted open by saboteurs, so once the gaps were filled, the immediate crisis was largely resolved.
• Just as everyone begins to relax, news spreads that the imperial envoy has arrived, reminding the officials that the court’s representative will now inspect the situation.

Character Developments

• Madam Zhou: Her concern for Qi reveals the depth of their marital bond. Despite her usual dignity and neatness, she willingly endures cold, mud, and danger to reach him. Her protective instinct is also shown by the way she keeps the food basket clean throughout the journey.
• Qi Hongxin: Though absent for most of the chapter, Qi’s willingness to work in dangerous conditions despite his fragile health emphasizes his sense of duty. His exhaustion and need to rest show the physical cost of his public responsibilities.
• The officials and workers: Their anxiety gives way to relief and celebration once the dam is repaired. Their successful cooperation demonstrates competence under pressure, though their later alarm at the imperial envoy’s arrival suggests renewed political tension.
• Su: He is credited with leading the dam repairs, highlighting his practical leadership and technical understanding of the existing plans.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus personal safety: Qi and the workers risk their health to protect the population, while Madam Zhou risks herself out of loyalty and concern for her husband.
• Marital devotion: Madam Zhou’s journey reflects the enduring affection and mutual dependence between her and Qi.
• Human resilience and cooperation: The dam is repaired through organized effort, preparation, and knowledge of the terrain.
• Disaster and sabotage: The revelation that the breaches were deliberately created shifts the flood from a natural crisis to a potentially political or criminal act.
• Temporary relief amid continuing danger: Although the immediate flood threat has ended, the arrival of the imperial envoy suggests that investigation, accountability, and further conflict are still ahead.

Character Interactions

• Madam Zhou clashes indirectly with the cart driver’s caution by abandoning the stalled cart to continue toward the dam.
• She identifies herself to the commandery soldiers, who inspect her basket before allowing her through.
• Officials recognize and greet her, then help confirm Qi’s whereabouts when she cannot find him among the workers.
• The officials discuss the repairs with a minor official, learning that the breaches were intentionally created and successfully sealed.
• The chapter ends with the officials collectively reacting to the arrival of the imperial envoy, shifting the atmosphere from relief back to apprehension.

Key plot points and events

• After the flooding is brought under control, an imperial envoy arrives with an edict rewarding Prefect Qi Hongxin. Officials gather to congratulate him, but he does not respond from the ox cart.
• Madam Zhou finds Qi sitting upright with his eyes open, but his body is cold and he is no longer breathing. His death is confirmed, and she cries out in shock.
• At the Dragon Palace, the demons struggle to repair the damaged grand formation. The closer it comes to completion, the more violently its power surges, and the weaker Demon Generals can no longer help.
• The Dragon Lord, who is enduring the strain on the raised platform, begins bleeding from his eyes and mouth. The Green Hill Lord and the others press on, hoping to finish the repairs before he collapses.
• Little Fox briefly takes control of the Green Hill Lord’s body and urges the Dragon Lord to hold on. The Green Hill Lord is startled by the outburst, but returns to the repair effort.
• Su Ziji, inside the Dragon Lord, realizes the Dragon Lord’s body and power are nearly spent and that he cannot endure much longer.

Character developments and interactions

• Madam Zhou moves from relief at seeing her apparently responsive husband to horror as she discovers he is dead.
• The officials initially offer Qi congratulations, then grow uneasy when he fails to answer; one finally checks him and announces his death.
• The Green Hill Lord remains focused on her duty despite her worry for the Dragon Lord. Little Fox’s unexpected intervention makes her question whether the shout revealed feelings she usually keeps restrained.
• Little Fox shows her anxiety about Su Ziji by briefly taking control and personally urging the Dragon Lord to persevere.
• Su Ziji recognizes the limits of the Dragon Lord’s strength and faces the possibility that he cannot survive until the formation is fully repaired.

Significant themes

• Mortality and fragile appearances: Qi’s upright posture and open eyes disguise his death, while even powerful demons prove physically vulnerable.
• Duty versus personal attachment: The Green Hill Lord keeps working despite her concern, while Little Fox’s affection breaks through in an impulsive intervention.
• Endurance under pressure: The demons race to repair the formation as the Dragon Lord’s strength fails, highlighting the cost of protecting others.

• Su Ziji endures the Dragon Lord’s crushing burden while trying to maintain the rain-making process. His body is badly injured, and the stone platform beneath him begins to crack. A voice—apparently the Green Hill Lord’s—calls that the formation is nearly repaired, but Su Ziji is close to collapsing before it can take effect.
• A sudden influx of experience saves him. The Rosewood Pendant reports that Qi Hongxin has died, producing a forgiveness seed, while Su Ziji’s work on a river dam that prevented Coiling Dragon Lake’s water level from falling produces a seed of humanity. Su Ziji absorbs both, advancing the Coiling Dragon Heart Method from level 12 to level 13. The new level reduces the pain and eases the pressure enough for him to keep going.
• The Dragon Palace formation comes back online. It takes the crushing force off the Dragon Lord and bears the burden instead. The assembled demons are relieved, and the Green Hill Lord offers Su Ziji a chance to rest. He refuses, wanting to complete the rain and inheritance as soon as possible to help the Young Dragon, and to take advantage of his rare chance to experience the Dragon Lord’s rain-controlling power.
• The rain resumes in full. Across the riverbank, people cheer as the drizzle becomes a heavy downpour, and officials are reassured. King Yu, who had been pleased when the rain weakened, is enraged and bewildered as the rain strengthens again, protesting that “this isn’t right.”
  Character developments and interactions: Su Ziji’s endurance and determination are tested, but he remains focused on helping the Young Dragon rather than resting. The Green Hill Lord’s warning and later offer of rest show her concern and authority among the demons. King Yu’s shifting hopes turn to angry disbelief as events move against him.
  Significant themes: The chapter emphasizes perseverance under overwhelming pressure, the unexpected moral complexity of forgiveness, and the tangible value of humanitarian action. It also contrasts the community’s relief at the rain with King Yu’s self-interested frustration.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon God Rainfall Painting”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The rain continues falling heavily despite King Yu’s expectations, causing him to lose his composure and loudly declare that it defies Heaven’s will. His outburst shocks the officials, who begin to view him as politically compromised and unfit for future advancement.
• In the false Dragon Palace, the Heavenly Secret Monster realizes that his carefully prepared plan has failed. He had expected the wounded Dragon Lord to be crushed by the immense rainfall, allowing him to seize the Dragon Lord’s authority.
• Instead, a powerful force transforms the entire landscape into a painting. Mountains, rivers, people, and the surrounding world become frozen images on a scroll—the formation of the “Dragon God Rainfall Painting.”
• The Heavenly Secret Monster attempts to escape using a seven-colored lamp formation and a spatial rift, but a gray-black chain catches him. Despite changing his body into liquid mud, he cannot break free because the chain is tied to his soul.
• At the riverbank, Liu Zhan recognizes the danger and uses a Thunder Pellet to resist the approaching calamity wind. He tries to flee with his disciple Zheng Yingci, but a Soul-Locking Chain immobilizes him.
• To save himself, Liu Zhan strikes Zheng Yingci, transferring the chain’s target from himself to his disciple. He escapes through a crack while Zheng Yingci remains trapped, desperately calling for his master.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster is likewise dragged back by the Demon-Locking Chain. The painting scroll closes, sealing the calamity and trapping those caught within it.
• When the scroll opens again, the storm has vanished, the rain is gentle, and the ten thousand worshippers’ prayers have been fulfilled. The Dragon God Rainfall Painting remains, with the Dragon Lord and a smiling fox inside or beyond its depicted world.

Character Developments

• King Yu: His inability to conceal his anger reveals his desperation and possible hostility toward the rainfall ritual. His loss of control damages his dignity and political prospects.
• Heavenly Secret Monster: He shifts from smug confidence to panic. His belief that victory is guaranteed collapses, and he is ultimately trapped despite using his strongest escape methods.
• Liu Zhan: He displays decisiveness and ruthless survival instincts. Rather than remain imprisoned, he sacrifices Zheng Yingci by deliberately making him the new target of the Soul-Locking Chain.
• Zheng Yingci: He moves from obedience and trust to shock and terror when he realizes his master has betrayed him. His desperate cries emphasize the cruelty of Liu Zhan’s choice.
• Dragon Lord: Though badly wounded and nearly overwhelmed, he survives and retains the crucial authority that the Heavenly Secret Monster intended to steal.
• The fox: Her sweet smile and knowing gaze suggest hidden motives, unusual awareness, or a deeper connection to the painting’s true nature.

Significant Themes

• Loss of control and exposure: King Yu’s outburst and the Heavenly Secret Monster’s panic show how quickly hidden intentions are revealed when plans fail.
• Survival at the cost of loyalty: Liu Zhan abandons Zheng Yingci, demonstrating the brutal choices created by the struggle for power and authority.
• Fate versus human schemes: The Heavenly Secret Monster believes he has engineered every outcome, but forces beyond his understanding overturn his plans.
• Authority and punishment: The Dragon Lord’s authority is the true prize, while the locking chains represent the consequences imposed on failed contenders.
• Reality as illusion: The false Dragon Palace and the painting blur the line between reality and illusion, yet the authority within the illusion remains real and consequential.

Character Interactions

• King Yu’s public outburst changes how the officials perceive him, turning their fear and suspicion into quiet political judgment.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster watches the Dragon Lord’s apparent defeat, only to be confronted by the sudden transformation of the world.
• Liu Zhan attempts to flee with Zheng Yingci, but sacrifices him when the Soul-Locking Chain prevents his escape.
• Zheng Yingci’s pleas to his master contrast sharply with Liu Zhan’s cold abandonment.
• The final image of the Dragon Lord and the smiling fox suggests an unresolved relationship and hints that the fox understands more about the painting than anyone else.

Plot points and events

• During a violent storm at Coiling Dragon Lake, the Qingqiu Fox Tribe watches from Cloudwatching Pavilion as the phantom Dragon Gate fades. They believe the Young Dragon has failed her tribulation, but cannot intervene: the ordeal is a dangerous inheritance test that outsiders must not disturb.
• The foxes debate whether to summon Xiyan and Su Ziji. Third Aunt Hu objects, warning that Su may not be the prophesied figure and that involving him could jeopardize their destined connection.
• The Fox Tribe chief’s magical scroll changes. Its image shifts from a failed rain prayer to cheering people and the Dragon Lord restored to his rightful place, hinting that the apparent failure may not be final.
• In the Dragon Palace, a powerful lightning strike leaves the Young Dragon critically wounded. The Water Tribe senses her near-death and collapses into grief. Shell Maiden tries to reach her but is repelled by an invisible barrier.
• Cao Yiyan, concealed in the palace, takes advantage of the Young Dragon’s apparent defeat to draw in the Heaven’s Mandate. Overconfident, he laughs and exposes himself, declaring that he is now master of the Dragon Palace.
• The Young Dragon stirs at his declaration. Su Ziji awakens in her body, in agony, and realizes he is sharing the Dragon Maiden’s memories of repeated failed attempts to cross the Dragon Gate. A dazzling light then illuminates the scene.

Character developments and interactions

• Cao Yiyan grows increasingly confident as the Mandate flows to him, but his boastful outburst reveals his presence to the Water Tribe and may have triggered the Young Dragon’s movement.
• Su Ziji shifts from uncertainty about where he is to recognizing that he has awakened within the Dragon Maiden’s body and can perceive her past trials.
• Shell Maiden shows fierce loyalty, attempting to save the Young Dragon despite the barrier and confronting Cao Yiyan when he appears.
• The Qingqiu Foxes feel compassion and indignation over the Dragon Palace’s treatment by human rulers, yet remain cautious because they understand the danger of interfering.
• Third Aunt Hu urges restraint, opposing the suggestion to involve Su Ziji.

Significant themes

• The cost of power and inheritance: The Dragon Gate tribulation tests the Young Dragon through repeated, devastating ordeals.
• Loyalty versus restraint: The foxes want to save their ally but fear that intervention will worsen the danger.
• Political betrayal and human ingratitude: The foxes recall how human dynasties honored the Dragon Palace when convenient, then suppressed or condemned it.
• Fate and uncertain prophecy: Su Ziji’s possible role remains unclear, while the changing scroll suggests the apparent disaster may yet turn toward restoration.

Key plot points and events

• Su Ziji realizes the Dragon Maiden must rise and face the final bolt of heavenly thunder to complete her transformation. Using the Coiling Dragon Heart Method, he forces her badly injured body into the air and meets the lightning head-on.
• The young dragon falls, but halts just before touching the ground. As the thunder clears, horns and claws appear: Ji Jun has completed her dragon transformation and becomes a new Demon Emperor.
• Cao Yiyan, who had siphoned power from the dragon, finds it rushing back—along with some of his own strength and fortune. He escapes through a tear in space opened by an imperial edict, severing Former Wei’s ties with the Dragon Palace.
• At Coiling Dragon Lake, the Qingqiu Fox Tribe witnesses the heavenly light and learns of Ji Jun’s success. They decide to send a formal visit and bring gifts rather than enter the Dragon Palace uninvited.
• Su Ziji wakes in a dilapidated work shed in Shunan Prefecture. Though physically unharmed, he is exhausted; in the mortal world, the tribulation lasted only an instant. He hears people announce that Qi Hongxin is dead.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Ziji shows resolve under extreme pressure, using his cultivation method to guide Ji Jun’s unfamiliar body through the final trial.
• Ji Jun passes from near defeat to a powerful dragon form, claiming the Dragon Palace’s authority and ascending as a Demon Emperor.
• Cao Yiyan reacts with desperation and ruthlessness when his stolen power returns, but ultimately flees rather than confront the transformed dragon.
• The Green Hill Lord and fox demons shift from stunned uncertainty to cautious celebration, recognizing Ji Jun’s success as significant for the divided demon race. Their decision to follow guest etiquette reflects their wariness after earlier intruders coveted the Dragon Palace’s authority.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and transformation: Ji Jun’s success depends on rising to meet the final challenge despite overwhelming pain.
• Authority and rightful inheritance: The dragon’s ascent restores power to its rightful holder and disrupts Cao Yiyan’s gains.
• Consequences of greed: Cao’s attempt to seize power proves unstable and ultimately forces him to flee.
• Etiquette, trust, and political tension: The fox tribe’s careful approach shows how fragile relations remain after the struggle for the Dragon Palace.

Chapter Summary: “Imperial Proclamation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a critical moment, Su Ziji’s Coiling Dragon Heart Method reaches Level 13 through Qi Hongxin’s influence. After absorbing the “Seed of Humanity” created by Ji Jun’s Dragon Transformation, it rises to Level 14, increasing Su Ziji’s Heaven’s Mandate from 7 to 8.
• Su Ziji leaves his riverside work shed and discovers that Qi Hongxin has died in an ox cart while rushing to oversee flood-control efforts.
• Qi’s wife, Madam Zhou, collapses from grief after learning of his death. She recalls his promise to resign and return home so they could spend peaceful years together.
• Su Ziji takes charge of the chaotic scene, ordering the physician to examine Qi and providing ginseng to stabilize Madam Zhou.
• A eunuch arrives carrying an imperial proclamation intended for Qi Hongxin, but is distressed to find that its recipient is already dead.
• Su Ziji suggests that the proclamation should still be read so Qi’s spirit can hear the Emperor’s recognition. Ministry of Rites official Yan He agrees, and the decree is formally announced.
• The Emperor posthumously promotes Qi Hongxin to Subordinate Third Rank and appoints him Grand Academician of the Fu Literature Pavilion, honoring his work controlling the locust plague and protecting the people.
• Madam Zhou hears the proclamation, suppresses her grief long enough to thank the Emperor, and bows in the mud while mourning that Qi received the honor only after his death.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji demonstrates increased power and spiritual advancement, but the moment is overshadowed by Qi Hongxin’s death. Although Qi had been a political and personal rival, Su feels genuine sorrow and no satisfaction at his passing.
• Su assumes leadership during the crisis, calming panicked officials, arranging medical care, and making a compassionate political judgment about the imperial decree.
• Qi Hongxin is revealed through his final actions to be deeply devoted to public service. Despite illness, he rushed to the flood-control site after regaining consciousness, ultimately dying while fulfilling his duty.
• Madam Zhou shifts from shock and despair to restrained dignity. Her grief is intensified by hearing the praise and promotion Qi had sought for years, arriving too late for him to enjoy it.
• Yan He is impressed by Su Ziji’s presence and noble appearance, viewing him as an extraordinary young figure whose bearing may rival that of the Crown Prince.
• The eunuch is initially uncertain and frightened by the unusual situation, but Su’s suggestion allows him to complete his mission.

Significant Themes

• Duty and sacrifice: Qi Hongxin dies while serving the people, presenting public duty as both a moral ideal and a heavy personal cost.
• Recognition arriving too late: The Emperor finally honors Qi’s achievements, but the promotion has little value to him because it comes after his death.
• Rivalry transformed by shared hardship: Su and Qi were natural opponents, yet working together through disaster created mutual respect and made Qi’s death genuinely painful for Su.
• Human grief versus political ceremony: The formal proclamation continues amid raw mourning, showing how imperial ritual and personal loss coexist uneasily.
• Fate and irreversible change: Su’s cultivation advances through Qi’s influence even as Qi disappears from the world, linking Qi’s death and legacy to Su’s continued path.
• Compassionate leadership: Su proves that effective authority involves not only command but also empathy, practical care, and sensitivity to human dignity.

Character Interactions

• Su comforts and directs the surrounding officials while arranging treatment for Madam Zhou.
• Madam Zhou’s grief exposes the private hopes and promises she shared with Qi Hongxin.
• Su persuades the eunuch and Yan He to proclaim the decree despite Qi’s death, preserving Qi’s honor.
• Yan He silently evaluates Su and becomes impressed by his extraordinary bearing.
• Madam Zhou responds to the imperial praise with a tearful, formal expression of gratitude, embodying both loyalty to her husband and grief over his loss.

Summary of “Today It Is Zheng Yingci”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the disastrous collapse of the river embankment, Su Ziji and the imperial envoy, Yan He, return to the prefectural city. The incident is revealed to have been a man-made disaster rather than merely the result of the locust plague.
• They discuss Qi Hongxin’s death. Although Qi had been reinstated to a Subordinate Third-Rank position and might have received imperial favor, his past political stain meant his future remained uncertain. Yan He explains that Qi’s rank may still earn him a posthumous title, honors for his widow, and privileges for one descendant.
• Su Ziji arranges proper lodging for Yan He despite the disorder in Shunan Prefecture, demonstrating his continued attention to official duties. Hearing Madam Qi mourn, he reflects on the pain of losing loved ones and begins longing intensely for Ye Buhui.
• In a Daoist temple, Liu Zhan awakens after escaping a dangerous false world connected to the Dragon Palace. Zheng Yingci sits beside him, apparently alive but unresponsive.
• Liu Zhan realizes that Zheng Yingci’s soul has vanished. Hui Dao arrives and confirms that Zheng’s body is now only an empty shell. Unless a wandering ghost inhabits it, the body will gradually die within six months to a year.
• Liu Zhan accepts Zheng’s death as a necessary sacrifice in the struggle against monsters, insisting that someone must pay the price for accomplishing great things. Hui Dao sharply challenges this justification, asking whether Liu would accept the same logic after hundreds or thousands of Zheng Yingcis had been sacrificed—and what Liu would do if his own turn came.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Remains composed and dutiful amid disaster, carefully managing the imperial envoy and the aftermath of Qi Hongxin’s death. Beneath his official calm, however, he reveals grief, compassion, and a powerful longing for Ye Buhui.
• Yan He: Shows unusual goodwill toward Su Ziji by offering detailed information about Qi’s posthumous honors. His words are intended to comfort Su and demonstrate sympathy, though Su remains aware that Yan’s motives may be more complicated.
• Qi Hongxin: His death transforms him from a living official with a damaged reputation into a figure whose rank may still secure posthumous honor for his family. His fate highlights both the temporary nature of political fortune and the court’s elaborate treatment of the dead.
• Liu Zhan: Survives the Dragon Palace crisis but is shaken by the experience and burdened by regret over Zheng Yingci’s fate. He tries to suppress his guilt by framing Zheng’s death as a necessary sacrifice for humanity.
• Zheng Yingci: Becomes the immediate victim of Liu Zhan’s failed operation. His physical body remains, but his soul is gone, making him effectively dead and emphasizing the personal cost of the Daoist struggle.
• Hui Dao: Appears as a detached but morally probing outsider. Though he claims concern because of his connection with Liu Zhan and their shared history, he refuses to save Zheng and instead exposes the danger in Liu’s self-righteous reasoning.

Significant Themes

• The cost of grand causes: Liu Zhan justifies Zheng’s death as necessary for the greater good, while Hui Dao questions whether such sacrifices can ever be controlled or morally contained.
• Responsibility and guilt: Both Su Ziji and Liu Zhan respond to death differently. Su feels personal grief and longing, while Liu converts guilt into ideological resolve.
• The value of the individual: Hui Dao’s challenge emphasizes that people cannot simply be reduced to expendable pieces in a struggle between humanity and monsters.
• Death, honor, and remembrance: Qi Hongxin’s posthumous rewards show how the court preserves status beyond death, while Zheng Yingci’s fate raises the more troubling question of whether a body without a soul can still be considered the person who died.
• Political and supernatural upheaval: The engineered embankment disaster, shifting Heavenly Secrets, and Dragon Palace crisis all suggest that both the political and supernatural worlds are entering a period of major instability.
• Loss and attachment: Su’s thoughts of Ye Buhui and Liu’s reluctance to abandon Zheng reveal the emotional bonds beneath their public roles.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and Yan He: Their conversation combines official courtesy, discussion of Qi Hongxin’s legacy, and subtle mutual assessment. Su notices Yan’s unexpected friendliness, while Yan appears satisfied by Su’s appreciative response.
• Su Ziji and Madam Qi: They do not directly converse, but her mourning deeply affects Su and prompts his reflections on familial loss.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci: Their silent relationship after the crisis reveals Liu’s regret and belated concern for the disciple he sacrificed.
• Liu Zhan and Hui Dao: Their exchange is the chapter’s central moral confrontation. Liu defends sacrifice as unavoidable, while Hui Dao attacks the hypocrisy of demanding sacrifice from others while assuming one’s own turn will never come.

Chapter Summary: “Tomorrow, Perhaps Me”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zhan and Hui Dao debate death, sacrifice, and whether the dead can experience another life. Liu Zhan argues that sacrifice may lead to blessings or another existence, while Hui Dao insists that death is final and the dead can only remain as souls in the Underworld or a Grotto-Heaven.
• A massive pillar of light suddenly erupts from the direction of Coiling Dragon Lake, accompanied by auspicious phenomena. The event shocks both Daoist True Persons and appears connected to the Dragon Palace or the newly transformed Dragon Maiden.
• Hui Dao performs a divination, with Liu Zhan helping him withstand the backlash. He concludes that the omen suggests the possible return of the era of Emperor Shizu of Great Wei—a period when demons enjoyed prosperity, legal protection, and recognition by the human imperial court.
• Alarmed by the implications, Liu Zhan orders several Daoists to watch over his unconscious disciple, Zheng Yingci. He reveals that Zheng may die and instructs them to bury him properly if that happens, rather than promising treatment or recovery.
• Liu Zhan decides to travel to the Capital City to prevent demon fortune from flourishing again. Hui Dao warns that the Zheng Dynasty has already sent an imperial envoy to confer a title upon the Dragon Maiden, making Liu Zhan’s plan extremely dangerous.
• Liu Zhan intends to manipulate the Emperor by promising the possibility of extended life or immortality. Hui Dao objects that altering an emperor’s lifespan violates the heavenly order and could bring catastrophe upon the Daoist Sect.
• Liu Zhan admits that he knows the promise cannot truly be fulfilled. His plan is to let the Emperor believe in the “beautiful dream” long enough to secure his cooperation, even if the deception ultimately costs someone’s life.
• The chapter ends with Liu Zhan declaring that sacrifice is necessary for great undertakings: Zheng Yingci is the sacrifice today, and tomorrow it may be Liu Zhan himself. Hui Dao doubts Liu Zhan’s claimed selflessness.

Character Developments

• Liu Zhan is revealed as determined, ruthless, and willing to risk both his own life and others’ lives to suppress the rise of demon power. His apparent willingness to sacrifice himself gives him an image of righteousness, but Hui Dao suspects he may have ulterior motives.
• Hui Dao remains cautious, pragmatic, and deeply aware of the dangers of defying fate and deceiving the Emperor. His concern for Liu Zhan’s plan grows, but he is unable to dissuade him.
• Zheng Yingci becomes more clearly established as a doomed or severely endangered figure. Liu Zhan’s instructions imply that Zheng’s death is expected and perhaps intentionally accepted as part of a larger plan.
• The Dragon Maiden gains greater political and supernatural significance after successfully undergoing Dragon Transformation. Her rise may signal the restoration of demon influence.
• The Zheng Dynasty Emperor is positioned as a potential tool in Liu Zhan’s strategy, though deceiving him could have devastating consequences.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and moral compromise: The chapter questions whether noble goals can justify sacrificing individuals, especially when those sacrifices may be disguised as righteousness.
• Fate versus human intervention: Extending an emperor’s lifespan or altering the destiny of powerful figures is portrayed as an offense against the heavenly order, with consequences extending beyond the individual.
• Political and supernatural power: The possible return of Great Wei’s demon-friendly era threatens the Daoist Sect’s influence and reflects the struggle between imperial authority, human society, and the Demon Race.
• Deception in pursuit of order: Liu Zhan plans to manipulate the Emperor with an impossible promise, suggesting that political stability may depend on calculated lies.
• Doubt beneath appearances: Liu Zhan presents himself as willing to sacrifice himself, but Hui Dao suspects this may be another form of manipulation rather than genuine benevolence.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zhan and Hui Dao’s philosophical disagreement over death and reincarnation reflects their broader conflict: Liu Zhan prioritizes decisive action, while Hui Dao emphasizes reality, consequence, and restraint.
• They cooperate closely during the divination, with Liu Zhan shielding Hui Dao from its backlash, showing trust and practical coordination despite their disagreements.
• Liu Zhan’s instructions concerning Zheng Yingci shock the other Daoists, exposing information that had been concealed from them and reinforcing his authority.
• Hui Dao repeatedly challenges Liu Zhan’s increasingly dangerous plans, especially the scheme to deceive the Emperor, but Liu Zhan remains unmoved.
• Their final exchange leaves Hui Dao questioning whether Liu Zhan is truly self-sacrificing or merely presenting himself that way to justify his actions.

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Yao visits Ye Buhui to invite her to join the Capital Ladies’ Chess Society, offering it as a way to enjoy chess and socialize while restrictions on women’s outings remain in force. Ye says she will consider it.
• Zhou Yao notices something outside and leaves sooner than expected, politely explaining that her mother worries about her. After her cart departs, Ye welcomes Sun back with provisions and an infant.
• A zither suddenly sounds across the courtyard—and then throughout Capital City and even beyond it. Everyone who hears it stops to listen, apparently entranced.
• Outside the city, Xie recognizes the music as a sign that another of his “three corpses” has perished. A bloody mark on his arm fades, and he becomes about ten years younger.
• In the palace, the emperor struggles with blurred vision and worries that age is catching up with him. The empress, who has not left her palace in more than a decade, arrives at the Imperial Study with pastries she made herself.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Yao is considerate toward Ye, thinking of her interests and offering her a safe social outlet. Her sudden departure and the music she plays suggest she has a hidden purpose or unusual power.
• Ye Buhui appreciates Zhou Yao’s thoughtfulness and appears to be adjusting to the constraints placed on women in the capital. She is puzzled by the familiar-sounding zither.
• Xie reacts with alarm and recognition to the music. The fading mark and sudden rejuvenation reveal a connection between his age and the deaths of his three corpses.
• The emperor reveals private anxiety about aging to Eunuch Zhao, who reassures him with loyal flattery. The empress’s unexpected visit hints at a change in her long isolation and introduces a rare personal gesture between the royal couple.

Significant themes

• Age, mortality, and renewal: The emperor fears physical decline, while Xie grows younger when one of his corpses dies.
• Music and supernatural influence: The zither crosses extraordinary distances and affects an entire city, linking an intimate performance to major unseen consequences.
• Gendered restrictions and social life: Ye’s limited freedom makes the chess society a modest but meaningful opportunity for companionship.
• Care and connection: Zhou Yao’s consideration, Eunuch Zhao’s reassurance, and the empress’s homemade pastries all express care through personal gestures.

Key plot points and events

• The empress visits the emperor for the first time in over ten years, bringing pastries she made herself. She says she came after hearing of Su Ziji’s service.
• The couple talk warmly about Su Ziji’s successful flood-control work in Shunan. The emperor praises his decisiveness and competence, but explains that he will not reward him through ordinary official promotion; his achievements may instead help secure his place in the imperial clan register.
• After the empress leaves, the emperor reflects on their past and his fatigue, then turns to a secret report about Su Ziji and Qi Hongxin.
• The report says Qi Hongxin died on a dike just as an imperial edict arrived raising his office. The emperor is saddened but also sees the deaths of those tied to the old Crown Prince crisis as a kind of release. He orders Su Ziji summoned to the capital after the flood work is complete.
• A zither’s music is heard near the Imperial Study. The emperor initially suspects a consort is trying to attract his attention, but the chapter ends as another report darkens his expression.

Character developments

• The emperor shows rare tenderness toward the empress and growing respect for Su Ziji. His thoughts about Qi Hongxin expose the lasting guilt and bitterness surrounding the Crown Prince’s death, though he refuses to call it regret.
• The empress remains gentle and composed. Her pride in Su Ziji gives her and the emperor a rare point of warmth and shared conversation.
• Su Ziji is absent, but his flood-control achievement strengthens the emperor’s favorable view of him and prompts a summons to the capital.
• Qi Hongxin’s death closes a chapter in the emperor’s mind: once suppressed because of his association with the Crown Prince, he dies while still serving the state.

Significant themes

• Lingering guilt and political violence: The emperor’s past actions continue to haunt him, even when he cannot admit remorse.
• Duty and recognition: Su Ziji’s practical service earns praise, yet imperial status limits how he can be rewarded.
• Aging and loss: The emperor feels his strength fading, while the deaths of figures from the past make old conflicts seem to be disappearing.
• Fragile reconciliation: The empress’s visit briefly restores the couple’s former intimacy, but their connection remains shaped by years of separation.

Character interactions

• The emperor treats the empress with unusual affection, stopping her bow and holding her hand; they speak together about Su Ziji with the ease of an ordinary couple.
• The emperor’s praise of Su Ziji reassures and honors the empress, who trusts his explanation of the limits on Su Ziji’s advancement.
• Eunuch Zhao assists the emperor and investigates the unexplained zither music, while the emperor reads reports that shift his mood from nostalgia to grief and alarm.

Chapter Summary: “Zither Music”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Emperor discovers that the water-diversion canals and dikes in Shunan Prefecture have been deliberately sabotaged. Their collapse could devastate Shunan and neighboring prefectures, causing enormous loss of life.
• He realizes the sabotage was likely intended to target Su Ziji, who is serving as Acting Prefectural Assistant in Shunan. The disaster would prevent Su from earning merit, burden him with another serious failure, and damage his prospects for advancement.
• Although furious, the Emperor does not order an immediate investigation. He wants to preserve the current political balance and avoid openly confronting the forces behind the sabotage.
• Strange zither music is heard throughout the Inner Palace. No musician can be found, yet many palace servants become entranced by the melody.
• The Emperor orders an investigation into the music, suspecting that it may be the work of a demon or supernatural practitioner.
• Zhao Eunuch observes that low-ranking eunuchs are most strongly affected, while guards and senior eunuchs recover quickly or remain largely unaffected.
• Zhao summons assistance from the Dao Register Office, an imperial department responsible for supernatural and occult matters.
• Xue Ming, the office’s chief seal-holder, arrives and explains that the music has spread throughout the entire Capital City. He suspects demonic involvement but believes the phenomenon poses no immediate danger because it mainly affects commoners and has not disturbed the city’s Dragon Aura.

Character Developments

• The Emperor: Reveals both genuine concern for the population and political caution. He is enraged by the deliberate endangerment of civilians but remains unwilling to investigate too aggressively because he prioritizes maintaining political stability. His anger also reflects frustration that his authority is being openly challenged.
• Zhao Eunuch: Demonstrates his political awareness and familiarity with the Emperor’s temperament. He understands when to speak, when to remain silent, and how to respond to supernatural threats pragmatically. His concern grows as he recognizes that the zither music may signal deeper unrest in the capital.
• Xue Ming: Is introduced as a capable and respected official of the Dao Register Office. He offers a rational supernatural assessment, distinguishing between the music’s effects on commoners and its limited influence on people of rank.

Significant Themes

• Political intrigue and the cost of power: Rival factions are willing to endanger entire populations to destroy Su Ziji’s career.
• The Emperor’s divided responsibilities: He is torn between protecting the people, punishing corruption, and preserving political equilibrium.
• Supernatural influence and unseen threats: The mysterious music represents an invisible danger that penetrates even the heavily guarded Imperial Palace.
• Social hierarchy: The music affects low-ranking servants more severely than guards, officials, and high-ranking eunuchs, reinforcing the protective significance of status and authority.
• Public welfare versus political calculation: The Emperor recognizes the moral outrage of the Shunan sabotage but chooses restraint, showing how governance is shaped by both justice and expediency.

Character Interactions

• The Emperor questions Zhao Eunuch about the Shunan disaster, prompting Zhao to identify Su Ziji as the likely target.
• The Emperor vents his anger while Zhao carefully avoids provoking him, revealing their long-standing familiarity.
• A palace eunuch reports the unexplained zither music and receives orders to continue searching.
• Zhao consults the Imperial City Office and sends for the Dao Register Office.
• Zhao’s subordinate meets Xue Ming, who confirms that the music extends beyond the palace and offers his interpretation of its supernatural nature.

Key plot points

• Xue Ming reports that the Dao Register Office captured a Great Demon in Southern Mountain Commandery, which revealed the location of the previous dynasty’s Long’an Emperor’s true tomb.
• The emperor initially treats the discovery as an archaeological and historical matter, but the dossier says the tomb contains no remains of Long’an Emperor—only his robes and crown—suggesting he may have faked his death.
• The emperor becomes fascinated by the possibility that Long’an Emperor discovered a way to become immortal. He orders the tomb secretly sealed and forbids excavation until he gives further instructions.
• He sends the Imperial City Office to assist the Dao Register Office and demands absolute secrecy.
• The emperor then asks whether Prince Qi is unusually well informed. He avoids pressing Eunuch Zhao for an answer and orders Su Ziji to return to the capital. He also tells the Clan Court to deliberate over Su Ziji’s surname and given name.

Character developments and interactions

• The emperor shifts from amused skepticism about Long’an Emperor’s pursuit of immortality to intense hope that immortality might be real. He imagines gaining longevity while continuing to rule, revealing both ambition and a desire to surpass his predecessor.
• Xue Ming acts cautiously and dutifully, formally reporting the discovery and accepting the emperor’s orders without hesitation.
• Eunuch Zhao recognizes that the emperor’s question about Prince Qi is politically delicate. Rather than praise or criticize the prince, he kneels and stays silent; the emperor reads this as excessive timidity but does not punish him.
• The emperor’s dealings with both Xue Ming and Eunuch Zhao show his control over information and his determination to keep the tomb’s discovery within trusted hands.

Significant themes

• The lure of immortality: The possibility of escaping death transforms the emperor’s outlook and awakens his ambition.
• Power and ambition: The emperor wants immortality not to abandon worldly rule, but to preserve his authority and reign indefinitely.
• Secrecy and political caution: The discovery is tightly controlled, while Eunuch Zhao’s silence reflects the dangers of speaking freely in court.
• History as warning and temptation: Long’an Emperor is remembered as a ruler undone by his pursuit of immortality, yet the current emperor now sees him as a possible model.

Chapter Summary: “Clan Court”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Emperor abruptly decides to summon Su Ziji back to the capital and restore his status as an imperial grandson.
• Because “Su Ziji” is no longer suitable for someone being formally entered into the imperial lineage, the Emperor orders the Clan Court to deliberate a new name for him.
• This decision signals that Su Ziji may soon be restored to the imperial register, though the Emperor deliberately avoids giving him the honor of personally naming him or involving the Empress.
• The Emperor explains to Zhao Eunuch that he wants to use Su Ziji as a counterweight against his ambitious sons. He believes the princes have become too idle and are watching him closely, possibly threatening his larger plans.
• Zhao Eunuch is ordered to supervise the matter and ensure Su Ziji returns to the capital quickly.
• News of the Emperor’s decision spreads through the palace. The eunuchs compete to gain influence with their superiors and secure future positions, while one young eunuch secretly leaves to pass the information along.
• At Prince Qi’s residence, Prince Qi learns that Su Ziji will be restored. He is shocked and furious, since he had believed the incident in Shunan Prefecture had ruined Su Ziji’s political prospects.
• Prince Qi summons his advisers, including Wen Xunpeng and Wang Sheng, to discuss the sudden change.
• The advisers conclude that the Emperor’s action is probably not merely about Su Ziji’s restoration; it may be an indirect move against Prince Qi himself.

Character Developments

• The Emperor: Reveals himself to be calculating and politically strategic. Rather than simply protecting Su Ziji, he plans to use Su Ziji’s return to provoke competition among his sons and prevent them from consolidating power against him. He also reflects on the historical danger of princes competing for the throne.
• Su Ziji: Although absent from the chapter, his political status rises dramatically. The possibility of his formal restoration to the imperial clan makes him a significant threat and potential rival to the princes.
• Zhao Eunuch: Demonstrates his understanding of the Emperor’s intentions and serves as a trusted intermediary. He recognizes the seriousness of the decision but wisely avoids commenting on imperial politics.
• Prince Qi: Suffers a major reversal. He had believed the destruction of the dam and diversion canal would discredit Su Ziji and preserve his own advantage, but the Emperor’s decision leaves him alarmed and exposed.
• Wen Xunpeng: Begins recovering his influence as Prince Qi’s adviser, but the news forces him into a cautious and analytical role. He recognizes that the Emperor’s action likely conceals a broader political motive.
• Wang Sheng: Establishes himself as a perceptive adviser by pointing out that the Emperor’s true target may be Prince Qi rather than Su Ziji.

Significant Themes

• Imperial manipulation and power balancing: The Emperor deliberately creates rivalries among the princes to prevent any one faction from becoming too powerful.
• Succession struggles: Su Ziji’s restoration intensifies the political competition surrounding the throne and recalls earlier dynastic conflicts caused by princes fighting for succession.
• Hidden motives behind official decisions: The formal justification—renaming and registering Su Ziji—is only the surface of a much larger political strategy.
• Court intrigue and information networks: Palace eunuchs, servants, and advisers all compete to gather and circulate information, demonstrating how political power depends on access and influence.
• Historical repetition: The Emperor compares the current situation to the earlier downfall caused by an aging ruler’s later obsession and the resulting struggle among princes, suggesting he is trying to control history before it repeats itself.

Character Interactions

• The Emperor and Zhao Eunuch: The Emperor confirms his intentions to Zhao Eunuch, revealing his strategy while expecting the eunuch to remain a discreet and obedient listener.
• The Emperor and his sons: Though the princes do not appear before him, the Emperor frames Su Ziji’s return as a deliberate challenge to their ambitions.
• Palace eunuchs: Their reactions expose the competitive hierarchy within the inner palace, where serving close to the Emperor can determine future advancement.
• Prince Qi and his advisers: Prince Qi initially reacts with disbelief and anger, then summons his advisers to assess the danger. Wen Xunpeng cautiously identifies hidden motives, while Wang Sheng directly warns that Prince Qi himself may be the Emperor’s true target.

Chapter Summary: “Pruning the Wings”

Plot Points and Events

• Prince Qi begins questioning Emperor Father’s sudden decision to acknowledge Su Ziji. He suspects the emperor may have lost faith in him and be cultivating Su Ziji as a new imperial counterweight to the adult princes.
• A secret letter arrives revealing that the scheme to destroy Shunan Prefecture’s diversion canal and dikes failed to achieve its larger purpose. Although the resulting flood devastated the region and killed or displaced tens of thousands, the Dragon Maiden still completed her Dragon Transformation.
• Enraged, Prince Qi blames a serving maid for spilling or mishandling his tea and orders her beaten to death, exposing his brutality.
• The letter is shown to strategist Wen Xunpeng, who immediately kneels and defends himself. He argues that his plan would have succeeded if the agents assigned to destroy the dikes had carried out their task properly.
• Prince Qi knows the failure was not entirely Wen’s fault, but because he cannot blame himself, the Dragon Maiden, or Su Ziji directly, he decides internally that Wen must eventually die.
• Prince Qi’s advisers debate whether to attack Su Ziji again. Most recommend restraint, fearing that previous attempts have already attracted the palace’s attention.
• The chief eunuch then reports that Vice Minister Chen of the Ministry of Personnel has been demoted. Chen was one of Prince Qi’s key hidden allies and helped him place supporters throughout the government.
• Prince Qi realizes the emperor is deliberately dismantling his influence. In a burst of rage, he declares that the emperor is “pruning his arms and wings” and angrily calls Su Ziji a “bastard,” alarming everyone because such words could be treated as treasonous.
• Wang Sheng calms him by arguing that Su Ziji’s emergence may be intended merely to serve as a political “whetstone.” He points out that Su Ziji has not yet been formally entered into the imperial genealogy or granted a princely title.
• A previously silent official, carrying a message from the Heavenly Secret Monster, proposes a new strategy: rather than attack Su Ziji directly, Prince Qi should eliminate his supporters.
• He recommends using Cao Yiyan, who once sought Prince Qi’s protection, as a pawn. Cao can prove his loyalty by attacking Su Ziji’s followers, thereby making it difficult for him to defect later.

Character Developments

• Prince Qi: His confidence collapses into paranoia and fury as he recognizes that the emperor is weakening his political network. His violent treatment of the maid and his willingness to sacrifice Wen reveal his tyrannical, vindictive nature beneath his outwardly cultivated image.
• Wen Xunpeng: His failed strategy leaves him vulnerable. He desperately tries to shift blame, but Prince Qi has already decided that he is expendable.
• Wang Sheng: Acts as a voice of caution and political reasoning, encouraging Prince Qi to interpret Su Ziji’s rise as a controlled imperial maneuver rather than an immediate replacement.
• The light-blue-robed official: Displays greater strategic composure than Prince Qi’s other advisers. Following the Heavenly Secret Monster’s instructions, he redirects the prince’s anger toward an indirect plan.
• Cao Yiyan: Though absent, he becomes important as a potential pawn whose desire for Prince Qi’s protection may be exploited.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster: Influences events indirectly through written advice, demonstrating continued manipulation of Prince Qi’s faction.

Significant Themes

• Political paranoia and loss of power: Prince Qi interprets every setback as evidence that the emperor is dismantling his position.
• Indirect warfare: The chapter emphasizes attacking an opponent’s allies rather than confronting the main enemy directly.
• The fragility of imperial favor: Even a legitimate prince can be politically weakened when the emperor shifts support elsewhere.
• Violence and scapegoating: Prince Qi displaces his frustration onto servants and subordinates rather than accepting responsibility for failure.
• Manipulation and divided loyalties: Cao Yiyan is to be forced into permanent opposition to Su Ziji by making him commit an irreversible hostile act.
• Legitimacy and identity: Prince Qi’s furious reference to Su Ziji as a “bastard” highlights the importance of imperial birth, recognition, and genealogy in determining political status.

Character Interactions

• Prince Qi intimidates Wen Xunpeng by forcing him to read the secret letter and defend the failed flood plan.
• Prince Qi’s advisers urge restraint, while Wang Sheng specifically reassures him that Su Ziji’s rise may not yet threaten his position.
• The chief eunuch’s report about Vice Minister Chen’s demotion intensifies Prince Qi’s sense of being attacked by the emperor.
• The unnamed official uses the advice of the Heavenly Secret Monster to offer Prince Qi a face-saving alternative: destroy Su Ziji’s network through Cao Yiyan rather than risk another direct attack.

Key plot points and events

• In October, Su Ziji inspects farmland in Shunan Prefecture. Winter wheat planted after the flood has sprouted, and although next year’s harvest will be smaller, the people’s prospects are improving.
• Cen Rubai credits Su Ziji’s relief measures for the swift recovery: work relief paid victims grain for rebuilding, even light work was offered to vulnerable people, and medicinal decoctions and boiling-water advice helped prevent disease. Su Ziji also punished officials who neglected their duties.
• Su Ziji explains why such relief is rare: the court lacks sufficient revenue; local governments have little money because funds flow to the center; disasters enable wealthy landowners to acquire more land; and many people view relief as wasteful rather than beneficial.
• On the journey back, Su Ziji asks about delayed messages from the capital. His usual coded letters from the Wild Daoist have not arrived for a month. He suspects events there have left his allies unable to act freely, though he does not know what has happened.

Character developments

• Su Ziji remains practical and modest, recognizing that the relief effort is inadequate and that lasting reform requires addressing deeper financial and political obstacles.
• Cen Rubai’s admiration develops into renewed ambition. He sees Su Ziji as a leader who might restore good governance and bring real benefits to the people, and feels fortunate to serve him.

Character interactions

• Cen Rubai praises Su Ziji’s relief work; Su Ziji responds by discussing its limits and the systemic barriers behind them.
• Their conversation shows Cen Rubai’s growing respect and political commitment, while Su Ziji’s questions about the missing letters reveal his concern for his distant associates.

Significant themes

• Disaster relief and public duty: Recovery requires sustained support, not merely repairing flood defenses.
• Structural barriers to reform: Limited public funds, centralized authority, and entrenched land accumulation hinder effective relief.
• Leadership and ambition: Su Ziji’s practical governance inspires Cen Rubai to pursue service to the people.
• Uncertainty and distance: The silence from the capital hints at political trouble and foreshadows complications ahead.

Key plot points and events

• Su Ziji reflects that his provincial connections are too weak to support him in the capital’s political struggles. He has money and contacts at lower levels, but lacks reliable intelligence among senior officials.
• Cen Rubai delivers a coded letter from Lu Fengyun. Lu delayed sending it because he suspected his communications were being watched. The letter says the emperor is urgently recalling Su to the capital.
• Su doubts that his modest work in Shunan Prefecture could have caught the emperor’s attention. Lu’s apparent surveillance makes the recall seem more significant—and more suspicious.
• A runner reports that the governor-general and Imperial Envoy Luo Pei have arrived at the wharf and want to see Su immediately. Su hurries there, prepared for the possibility that events may turn against him.
• Luo delivers the emperor’s verbal command: Su must return to the capital at once. Luo and the governor-general treat him with unusual deference, and Luo says they must also proclaim a decree at the Dragon Palace before departing.
• Their behavior leads Su to suspect that the recall may be connected to recognition of his imperial lineage.

Character developments

• Su Ziji shows political caution and strategic foresight. He recognizes the limits of his current network, considers the risks behind the recall, and makes contingency plans before meeting the officials.
• Cen Rubai acts as a trusted aide, handling sensitive intelligence and remaining ready to carry out Su’s plans if necessary.
• Lu Fengyun is shown to be highly wary and experienced, taking elaborate precautions to protect his communication with Su.
• Luo Pei and the governor-general’s sudden formality and warmth signal that Su’s status may be changing, though neither explains why.

Significant themes

• The uncertainty of imperial favor: Su cannot tell whether the emperor’s summons is an opportunity, a threat, or the result of a major political shift.
• Information and surveillance: Control of communication—and suspicion that channels are watched—shapes the characters’ decisions.
• Political power and connections: Su understands that local achievements and lower-level contacts may not be enough to compete in the capital.
• Status revealed through behavior: The officials’ unusual deference hints at Su’s importance before the reason is formally disclosed.

Character interactions

• Su and Cen Rubai analyze Lu’s letter together; Cen offers a benign explanation for the recall but agrees that Lu’s surveillance makes it suspicious.
• Su relies on Cen’s discretion and gives him a silent signal to be ready to enact their contingency plans.
• Zhang Sui escorts Su aboard the vessel but carefully avoids speculating about the envoy’s purpose.
• Luo Pei delivers the imperial command, while the governor-general’s respectful treatment reinforces Su’s suspicion that the recall concerns his identity or standing.

Key plot points and events

• Su Ziji learns that the emperor has urgently summoned him back to the capital, giving him only an hour to leave. He calls the prefecture’s senior officials together, explains that his work is finished, and leaves his records, accounts, and official seal ready for whoever succeeds him.
• Before departing, he sends Madam Zhou two hundred taels to help her and her child return home with Qi Hongxin’s remains. The court has authorized the family to travel while awaiting the final arrangements.
• Su Ziji asks after his two foxes, but they have not returned. He chooses not to delay his departure, trusting that the fox spirits can find their own way to him.
• Traveling with Cen Rubai, his guards, and an imperial party, Su Ziji notices that the imperial envoy and Governor-General Zhao behave unusually. The next morning, he finds himself in a lavish cabin and learns that Zhao has sent maids to attend him.
• Su Ziji concludes that news of the emperor’s summons has reached the governor-general, who now expects Su to rise rapidly in status.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Ziji remains calm and conscientious during his abrupt departure. He ensures the handover is orderly, helps Madam Zhou without making the gift so large that she would refuse it, and observes the officials around him with dry insight.
• The prefectural officials show reluctance at his departure, though Su suspects their concern is partly opportunistic: they expect his fortunes to rise and want to remain on good terms.
• Cen Rubai handles the packing and reports that Madam Zhou accepted the money. He also offers to search for the foxes, but follows Su’s decision not to wait.
• Governor-General Zhao appears deferential and attentive, even sending maids to serve Su. Su reads this as a response to the news from the emperor and questions whether Zhao’s deference is politically motivated.
• Su’s financial help to Madam Zhou and her child reflects his respect for Qi Hongxin and concern for the family’s precarious circumstances.

Significant themes

• Official ambition and shifting loyalties: Officials’ attitudes change when they believe Su is favored by the emperor.
• Integrity and responsibility: Su leaves his accounts and records in order and gives practical support to a bereaved family.
• Power and etiquette: Su recognizes that Zhao’s unusually respectful treatment signals both political calculation and the growing influence of his imperial appointment.
• Trust and independence: Su is willing to leave the foxes behind, confident in their unusual abilities.