Chapter Summaries

Summary of “Luo Pei’s Promotion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a court meeting, the newly appointed Vice Minister of War recommends Luo Pei as the ideal candidate for Governor-General of Southwestern Province.
• His justification is that Luo Pei has expertise in water management and naval warfare, making him suitable for dealing with the Southwest’s floods, coastal dangers, and rampant water bandits.
• The Emperor clearly supports the recommendation and immediately appoints Luo Pei, ordering him to assume office within three days.
• Luo Pei accepts despite recognizing the political implications. The appointment gives him enormous authority over a province and could greatly advance his career, but it also separates him from Prince Dai.
• The Emperor leaves the court satisfied, while the princes and ministers speculate over whether the promotion is meant to reward Luo Pei, strengthen Prince Dai, or weaken their alliance.
• After the court session, Prince Dai congratulates Luo Pei. Luo Pei expresses concern that his distant posting may damage Prince Dai’s faction, but Prince Dai reassures him that the Emperor’s intentions were anticipated and tells him to perform well.
• Chief Grand Secretary Zhao Xu reprimands a minister for openly speculating about the Emperor’s motives.

Character Developments

• Luo Pei: Rises dramatically from political marginalization to Governor-General of the Southwest. Though the post is prestigious and offers future advancement, he remains loyal to Prince Dai and worries about being separated from him.
• Prince Dai / Su Ziji: Shows composure and political confidence. He understands that the Emperor may be attempting to isolate Luo Pei but assures Luo Pei that the situation is within his expectations.
• Prince Qi: Initially frustrated at losing the opportunity, but he quickly recognizes that Luo Pei’s promotion grants control of a major province. He suspects the Emperor is deliberately preventing Prince Dai from building a faction, though he remains uncertain because the appointment is so powerful.
• Prince Shu: Suffers the greatest emotional blow. He regrets having underestimated Luo Pei after previously treating him as politically finished and now risks being seen as incapable of recognizing a valuable subordinate.
• The Emperor: Demonstrates political subtlety, using a seemingly merit-based appointment to reshape the balance of power among the princes while keeping his true intentions unclear.
• Chief Grand Secretary Zhao Xu: Reinforces the danger of questioning imperial motives and reminds officials to maintain political discretion.

Significant Themes

• Political ambiguity and imperial manipulation: The Emperor’s decision can be interpreted either as a reward that strengthens Prince Dai’s faction or as a strategy to separate Luo Pei from him.
• Power through provincial appointments: A regional governorship offers immense military and civil authority, making Luo Pei’s promotion both a career opportunity and a potential political threat.
• Loyalty versus distance: The chapter questions whether an alliance between lord and minister can survive years of physical separation.
• Reputation and political judgment: Prince Shu’s regret highlights the danger of misjudging a fallen or temporarily sidelined official.
• The limits of speculation: Ministers may analyze imperial decisions privately, but openly questioning the Emperor is portrayed as dangerous and improper.

Character Interactions

• The Vice Minister of War publicly recommends Luo Pei while acting as an apparent ally of the Emperor.
• The Emperor tests Luo Pei’s willingness before formally appointing him.
• Prince Qi silently reassesses the political consequences of Luo Pei’s promotion and Prince Dai’s growing influence.
• Prince Dai and Luo Pei share a private exchange in which Luo Pei voices concern about their alliance, while Prince Dai offers reassurance.
• Zhao Xu sharply reprimands a confused minister, emphasizing that imperial intentions are not for officials to debate openly.

After the emperor forced Su Ziji to accept a politically dangerous assignment and sent Luo Pei away, Su Ziji returned to Prince Dai's Residence and reflected on the emperor's ruthless intentions. He welcomed Wen Xunpeng as a retainer, then gathered his followers to discuss the meaning of a passage he wrote, leaving them with the idea that virtue came from Heaven.

• Su Ziji left Qingchun Garden and considered how the emperor's assignment would expose him to criticism while removing Luo Pei as a potential ally.
• Su Ziji returned to Prince Dai's Residence, where the Wild Daoist and other retainers awaited news of his summons.
• Wen Xunpeng declared that he wished to serve Su Ziji, and Su Ziji welcomed him as a retainer.
• Su Ziji brought his retainers to the study and wrote, “The way of great learning lies in illuminating luminous virtue.”
• The Wild Daoist interpreted virtue as something bestowed by Heaven, and Su Ziji agreed that this was a common understanding.

Summary: “In Manifesting Bright Virtue”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji discusses the idea that humanity embodies the clarity and “bright virtue” of Heaven and Earth, echoing Mencius’s concept of innate moral knowledge and ability.
• He reveals that, following an earthquake, falling fireballs, and widespread casualties in the capital, Divine Shrines throughout Great Zheng simultaneously manifested miracles.
• The emperor appoints Su Ziji to oversee the investigation and regulation of these miracles and shrines across the realm, granting him an imperial decree, the Royal Command Token, the Son of Heaven’s Sword, and authority over the Imperial Feather Guards.
• His advisers warn that the task will offend powerful people and possibly divine beings, but agree that strict adherence to existing laws will protect Su Ziji politically.
• The advisers identify the central legal distinction as that between orthodox shrines and “licentious shrines”—unauthorized or corrupt religious institutions.
• Su Ziji decides not to act broadly or rashly. He plans first to investigate the shrines in the capital, identify one influential but unpopular licentious shrine lacking powerful protection, and destroy it publicly as a warning to the others.
• He also proposes controlling a Capital Gazette to shape public opinion. The paper should subtly support his campaign rather than openly praise him, allowing his faction to influence the narrative without attracting immediate suspicion.
• Finally, he plans to involve both the Daoist and Buddhist communities, particularly Liu Zhan and Bianxuan, so that the government’s campaign gains religious legitimacy and broad institutional support.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji presents himself as calm, strategic, and politically calculating. He recognizes that the shrine investigation is not merely a religious or legal task but an opportunity to expand his influence over officials, soldiers, public opinion, and religious institutions.
• He distinguishes himself from his advisers by thinking beyond immediate political gains. While they focus on exploiting the situation, Su Ziji reflects on sincerity, self-deception, and the need to establish a principled public position rather than merely profit from events.
• Wild Daoist demonstrates practical political awareness, immediately recognizing both the danger and potential benefits of the imperial assignment. He also stresses the need for military or coercive support.
• Wen Xunpeng emphasizes the importance of rules and legal procedure. His past experience writing for the Capital Gazette makes him the natural choice to direct the propaganda and public-opinion campaign.
• Cen Rubai and Jian Qu support the legalistic strategy, recognizing that following established statutes will shield Su Ziji from blame and provide a firm basis for action.
• The four retainers establish themselves as capable and loyal advisers, though Su Ziji privately feels they are still too focused on tactical advantage and lack a deeper understanding of his ideal of “joining with the group” through sincerity and shared purpose.

Significant Themes

• Bright virtue and moral legitimacy: The opening philosophical discussion frames the chapter’s political events as part of a larger question about human moral responsibility and the role of virtue.
• Law as political protection: The advisers argue that correct procedures matter as much as correct outcomes. By acting within established rules, Su Ziji can turn a dangerous assignment into a source of legitimacy.
• Religion and state power: The simultaneous shrine miracles threaten the existing balance between government, religious institutions, and divine authority. Su Ziji seeks to bring these forces under coordinated state direction.
• Public opinion and information control: The Capital Gazette represents the importance of shaping how events are understood. Su Ziji intends to control the narrative subtly rather than rely on overt praise.
• Strategic use of limited force: Rather than confront every shrine at once, Su Ziji plans a targeted public punishment—“kill one to warn a hundred”—to establish authority while avoiding unnecessary resistance.
• Coalition-building and indirect control: Su Ziji understands that he cannot manage the entire campaign alone. He plans to unite government officials, military forces, Daoists, Buddhists, and the press into a single movement while keeping his own role carefully protected.
• Sincerity versus manipulation: Su Ziji’s thoughts reveal tension between genuine moral principle and political deception. He questions whether calculated cooperation can truly embody sincerity, even as he uses highly manipulative methods.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji listens to the philosophical opinions of Cen Rubai, Jian Qu, and Wen Xunpeng without revealing his own judgment, maintaining authority and mystery.
• When he announces the imperial decree, the advisers respond collectively: Wild Daoist focuses on danger, Wen Xunpeng on rules, and Cen Rubai and Jian Qu on legal correctness.
• Su Ziji praises the group as exceptional talents and presents their agreement as a unified understanding, strengthening loyalty and group cohesion.
• Wild Daoist volunteers to handle the first shrine investigation, but Su Ziji stops him, showing that he intends to assign responsibilities according to a broader strategy rather than enthusiasm alone.
• Wen Xunpeng volunteers to write for the Capital Gazette, and Su Ziji accepts, drawing on their complicated history: Wen once served the Prince Qi faction and nearly outmaneuvered Su Ziji several times.
• Su Ziji assigns the religious side of the operation to Liu Zhan and Bianxuan, while asking Mr. Lu to help navigate the capital’s local religious networks. This demonstrates his preference for using established insiders and multiple allied factions rather than exposing himself directly.

Chapter Summary: “Imminent Crisis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji orders Wild Daoist to contact Liu Zhan and obtain the necessary materials, acknowledging that Liu Zhan and Bianxuan are better suited to handle the matter.
• He reveals that he has secured the emperor’s permission for Bianxuan, a monk of Clear Garden Temple, to redeem himself through meritorious service. This effectively allows Bianxuan to be released from prison.
• Fang Zhen arrives at Su Ziji’s residence in a wheelchair. Su Ziji immediately insists that they hurry to the great prison, warning that Bianxuan may be killed before they arrive if Prince Qi or Prince Shu interfere.
• During the carriage ride, Su Ziji eats the food his retainers prepared and reflects on the political situation. He recognizes that the rival princes remain dangerous and plans to draw them further into the conflict, possibly by using the issue of the divine shrine and information about their residences.
• Su Ziji and Fang Zhen reach the ominous, storm-shrouded great prison. Fang Zhen expresses his gratitude by attempting to bow deeply, but Su Ziji stops him and treats the matter as a natural favor between acquaintances.
• Fang Zhen emphasizes that saving Bianxuan is far from a minor act, since helping someone who has incurred the emperor’s wrath risks Imperial Favor and political disaster.
• The prison official arrives and accepts Su Ziji’s claim that they are acting under the emperor’s verbal decree. Su Ziji clarifies that no formal edict is necessary and orders the official to lead them inside to see Bianxuan and the imprisoned monks.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Demonstrates political foresight, efficiency, and confidence. He has successfully turned Bianxuan’s imprisonment into an opportunity for both rescue and further political maneuvering. His private reflections show that he views the struggle among the princes as an ongoing strategic contest and intends to keep his rivals off balance.
• Fang Zhen: Shows deep gratitude and renewed respect for Su Ziji. Although politically weakened and physically injured, he recognizes Su Ziji’s unusual ability to influence the emperor and act decisively where others would hesitate. His trust in Su Ziji grows, though he remains unable to fully understand Su Ziji’s motives.
• Wild Daoist and the retainers: Accept Su Ziji’s judgment without resistance and carry out his instructions, underscoring his authority over his household and allies.
• Bianxuan: Although not yet seen directly, he becomes the immediate focus of the chapter. His danger emphasizes the urgency of Su Ziji and Fang Zhen’s mission.

Significant Themes

• Political urgency and danger: The chapter stresses how quickly political enemies can turn imprisonment into assassination, making timing as important as influence.
• Imperial favor and risk: Even a seemingly compassionate act, such as rescuing Bianxuan, carries great political danger because it challenges the emperor’s earlier punishment.
• Strategic manipulation: Su Ziji does not merely solve one problem; he intends to use the crisis to involve Prince Qi, Prince Shu, and Prince Lu more deeply in the larger conflict.
• Trust and gratitude: Fang Zhen’s reaction highlights the rarity of genuine assistance in court politics, where most figures calculate every favor as an investment.
• Appearances versus hidden motives: Su Ziji presents his actions as simple friendship and opportunism, but Fang Zhen senses that his capabilities and intentions are much deeper than they appear.
• The threatening atmosphere: The storm, darkened sky, and prison imagery mirror the political crisis and foreshadow imminent danger.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji gives Wild Daoist practical orders and explains why Bianxuan must be handled by Liu Zhan and Bianxuan together.
• Su Ziji and Fang Zhen hurry to the prison without discussing matters at length, prioritizing Bianxuan’s survival.
• Fang Zhen attempts to bow in gratitude, while Su Ziji prevents him from overexerting his injured leg and downplays the favor.
• Fang Zhen insists that Su Ziji’s intervention demonstrates extraordinary sincerity and ability, while Su Ziji modestly describes it as merely taking advantage of an opportunity.
• Su Ziji confidently addresses the prison official, using the emperor’s verbal authorization to secure immediate access to Bianxuan and the other monks.

Chapter Summary: “Piercing the Pipa Bones”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji and Fang Zhen enter the Capital’s great prison to retrieve Bianxuan, accompanied by only a few trusted attendants.
• They pass through the overcrowded ordinary-prisoner section, where the large number of desperate and possibly wrongfully imprisoned inmates reflects the Emperor’s increasingly brutal rule.
• The men reach the inner prison holding the surviving monks of Clear Garden Temple.
• Bianxuan is brought out in terrible condition: his face is wounded, one eye is badly swollen, and his shoulders have been pierced through the pipa bones.
• The prison official explains that this is standard treatment for martial artists, intended to cripple their ability to fight. More dangerous prisoners may have their hand and leg tendons severed, while deaths from infection are quietly recorded as illness.
• Su Ziji reveals that, by the Emperor’s verbal decree, Bianxuan is being released to assist him. Bianxuan may choose up to nine trusted companions from among the imprisoned monks.
• Initially silent and apparently indifferent to freedom, Bianxuan only responds after Fang Zhen covertly urges him to accept the opportunity. He asks how many people he may bring and what purpose the release serves.
• Su Ziji tells him that he may take at most nine people and that Fang Zhen will explain the details.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji shows increasing awareness of the cruelty and practical realities of imperial justice. He is disturbed by the prison’s treatment of inmates but remains composed and politically cautious. He also recognizes Bianxuan’s psychological deterioration and understands that rescuing him may prevent further despair or self-destruction.
• Fang Zhen remains deeply concerned for Bianxuan despite his own weakened circumstances. His urgent gestures show that he sees this release as a rare, possibly final chance to save Bianxuan and the remaining monks.
• Bianxuan has been physically crippled and emotionally transformed by imprisonment. Once handsome and gentle, he now appears cold, haunted, and almost demonic. His silence suggests despair, but his eventual questions show that he has not completely abandoned his will to live or act.
• The prison official represents the system’s bureaucratic cruelty. He defends torture and mutilation as routine procedure while casually acknowledging that prisoners may die from infection and that such deaths can be concealed.

Significant Themes

• Institutionalized brutality: The prison’s violence is presented not as an exception but as an accepted administrative process.
• The gap between fiction and reality: Su Ziji reflects that stories often allow captured martial artists to escape or retain their abilities, whereas real imprisonment systematically destroys their power.
• Psychological damage and despair: Bianxuan’s changed demeanor reflects the effects of watching his fellow monks die and living under constant helplessness.
• The value of intervention: Even a limited opportunity for freedom may prevent someone from fully surrendering to despair.
• Power and dehumanization: The prison strips all inmates—commoners, officials, nobles, and martial masters—of status and autonomy.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji questions the prison official about Bianxuan’s injuries, indirectly challenging the prison’s methods.
• Fang Zhen’s servant examines Bianxuan’s wounds, revealing the severity of the pipa-bone injuries.
• Su Ziji offers Bianxuan freedom and a role in his work, while Bianxuan initially responds with silence.
• Fang Zhen covertly signals Bianxuan to accept the offer, demonstrating their shared history and Fang Zhen’s desperation to save him.
• Bianxuan finally engages with Su Ziji by asking about the number of people he can take and the purpose of the mission, marking the beginning of his return to purposeful action.

Chapter Summary: “Brahma Dharma Had Deepened Considerably”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji waits outside the great prison while Fang Zhen checks on Bianxuan.
• Fang Zhen reports that Bianxuan’s left eye may be beyond saving. Bianxuan was deliberately brutalized in prison because of his status, appearance, and former prominence.
• Fang Zhen reflects on the prison’s history of torturing high-ranking prisoners and laments the destruction of Clear Garden Temple, which has declined from eighty-seven monks to only thirty-one.
• He recalls how he first met Bianxuan at Princess Xinping’s poetry gathering and explains that, although Bianxuan initially approached him partly for political reasons, their friendship eventually became genuine.
• Su Ziji considers how completely Clear Garden Temple has fallen and compares Bianxuan’s situation with his own likely fate if he were ever politically defeated.
• Bianxuan emerges from the prison and formally thanks Su Ziji for saving his life. He pledges to serve Su Ziji through any danger.
• Su Ziji does not accept the pledge as a personal debt. Instead, he tells Bianxuan that he must atone through meritorious service, help rescue the remaining prisoners, and work with him in the future.
• Bianxuan names nine people who might be saved from the prison. Though choosing among the remaining monks is painful, he selects those who may be useful to Su Ziji and thereby preserve hope for the others.
• Su Ziji observes that Bianxuan’s spiritual cultivation—his “Brahma Dharma”—has deepened through suffering. Beneath Bianxuan’s composed exterior, however, Su Ziji senses a buried “black fire” of anger and hatred.

Character Developments

• Bianxuan: His imprisonment and torture have transformed him. He is physically disfigured and may lose an eye, but he has also become more resolute, practical, and politically committed. His gratitude toward Su Ziji is sincere, and he accepts the need to repay the debt through action rather than empty words.
• Fang Zhen: His genuine affection and admiration for Bianxuan become clear. He is deeply distressed by Bianxuan’s suffering and reveals that their friendship, despite its politically complicated origins, is real.
• Su Ziji: He shows compassion toward Bianxuan but remains strategic and disciplined. Rather than exploiting Bianxuan’s gratitude, he redirects it toward useful service and the restoration of Clear Garden Temple. He also becomes more aware of how vulnerable even powerful, respected figures are to political downfall.
• Bianxuan and Su Ziji: Their relationship shifts from one of mutual acquaintance and rescue to a more meaningful alliance based on gratitude, duty, and shared political purpose.

Significant Themes

• The cruelty of political power: Prisons are shown as places where officials deliberately humiliate and destroy those who have fallen from favor.
• The fragility of status and reputation: Clear Garden Temple’s collapse demonstrates how quickly prestige, influence, and security can vanish.
• True versus strategic friendship: Bianxuan may have initially cultivated relationships for political reasons, but his bond with Fang Zhen has become genuine.
• Suffering and transformation: Bianxuan’s ordeal deepens both his spiritual cultivation and his hidden resentment.
• Debt, atonement, and service: Su Ziji frames gratitude not as personal submission but as an opportunity for Bianxuan to earn redemption and save others.
• The hidden cost of survival: Bianxuan’s selection of nine monks reveals the painful compromises required to preserve even a small hope for the group.

Important Character Interactions

• Fang Zhen and Su Ziji: Fang Zhen shares Bianxuan’s condition and his own memories of their friendship, while Su Ziji listens and reflects on the political implications.
• Bianxuan and Su Ziji: Bianxuan bows and offers his life in service; Su Ziji accepts his respect but rejects exaggerated vows, asking instead for concrete cooperation and merit.
• Bianxuan and Fang Zhen: Though their direct interaction is not shown at length, Fang Zhen’s earlier counsel appears to restore Bianxuan’s composure and strengthen his resolve.
• Su Ziji’s perception of Bianxuan: Su Ziji recognizes that Bianxuan’s calm exterior conceals intense anger, suggesting that his spiritual discipline has not erased his emotional wounds but has instead concentrated them.

Su Ziji brought Bianxuan and nine injured monks from Clear Garden Temple to Prince Dai's Residence, where they could recover and assist with his investigation. After reviewing Liu Zhan's intelligence on Capital City's divine shrines, Su Ziji ordered an inquiry into the other princes' ties to them.

• Su Ziji arranged for Bianxuan and the nine monks to leave prison and stay at Prince Dai's Residence, and Fang Zhen departed with them.
• On the ride back, Su Ziji described the prison's horrors, and Wild Daoist recalled how officials had suffered under the previous dynasty.
• Su Ziji reviewed Liu Zhan's sorted records on Capital City's divine shrines and asked about folk deities lacking official recognition.
• Su Ziji ordered a separate courtyard and physicians for the monks, and required them to prepare their own report on Daoist temples.
• Su Ziji told Wild Daoist to investigate whether the three princes' residences had connections to the divine shrines.

Summary: “Loyal Service to One’s Lord”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bo Yan, dressed as a guard of Prince Dai’s Residence, patrols the grounds and observes Luo Jiang practicing swordsmanship with the maidservants. He is struck by her increasingly refined skill and otherworldly appearance.
• Bo Yan signals to Luo Jiang, but Red Leaf notices him and reacts with disdain. Luo Jiang quietly acknowledges him, prompting Bo Yan to leave.
• Bo Yan reflects resentfully on the residence’s strict rules, which prevent him from acting against Wen Xunpeng. He also suspects Luo Jiang may be protecting Wen because she has been won over by the Prince’s wealth and status.
• A sudden summer rainstorm breaks out, transforming the bustling city streets while the covered corridors of the Prince’s Residence remain active and sheltered.
• Inside, Prince Dai Su Ziji and his pregnant wife, Ye Buhui, finish breakfast. Buhui admits to feeling unusually sleepy, and Su Ziji reassures her that this is natural during pregnancy.
• Su Ziji encourages Buhui to rest and tells her that the household staff and advisers can manage affairs without her assistance.
• After Buhui returns to the bedchamber, Su Ziji instructs Granny Jia to carefully oversee her diet and health. He specifically orders the household to purchase fuzzy peaches—kiwifruit—for their nutritional benefits during pregnancy.
• Granny Jia is deeply pleased by Su Ziji’s attentiveness and later explains to another maid that Buhui’s pregnancy ensures the continuation and stability of the Prince’s Residence.
• The servants’ happiness reflects their belief that a secure noble household can protect not only them but also their future descendants.

Character Developments

• Bo Yan: Remains suspicious, frustrated, and potentially hostile. His envy of the residence’s luxury and his distrust of Luo Jiang reveal his outsider perspective and possible hidden agenda.
• Luo Jiang: Demonstrates growing martial ability and maintains a quiet, controlled relationship with Bo Yan. Her apparent loyalty to the Prince’s household causes Bo Yan to question her motives.
• Su Ziji: Is portrayed as attentive, practical, and protective. He takes pregnancy and household management seriously, combining knowledge from his former life with concern for Buhui’s well-being.
• Ye Buhui: Shows devotion to her husband and a desire to share his responsibilities, but her pregnancy has made her tired and physically vulnerable. She is willing to accept his care despite wanting to remain useful.
• Granny Jia: Emerges as a sincere and loyal servant whose personal security and future are tied to the health of the princess consort and the continuation of the royal line.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and service: The chapter emphasizes how servants’ livelihoods depend on serving a powerful lord faithfully.
• Security through hierarchy: In a dangerous and unequal society, belonging to a wealthy noble household offers protection, stability, and opportunities for future generations.
• Family continuity: Buhui’s pregnancy is important not only emotionally but politically and socially, as the unborn heir guarantees the residence’s continuation.
• Care within power structures: Su Ziji’s concern for Buhui shows that affection and responsibility can exist within the rigid hierarchy of a princely household.
• Wealth and privilege: The residence’s luxury contrasts sharply with the precarious lives of ordinary people, highlighting the benefits of noble protection.
• Outsider resentment: Bo Yan’s thoughts reveal tension between those who belong to the Prince’s Residence and those who view its wealth and rules with suspicion or envy.

Character Interactions

• Bo Yan watches Luo Jiang practice and communicates with her through discreet gestures, while Red Leaf openly disapproves of him.
• Su Ziji gently persuades Ye Buhui to rest, reassuring her that she need not burden herself with household affairs.
• Su Ziji gives Granny Jia detailed instructions regarding Buhui’s diet and pregnancy care, establishing his trust in her while emphasizing accountability.
• Granny Jia later shares her optimism with a maidservant, framing the unborn heir as a source of security for everyone connected to the residence.

Su Ziji uncovered Granny Jia’s betrayal and traced her contact to Prince Lu’s people. He made Prince Lu his first target and ordered investigations into the Jia family and Prince Lu’s Residence.

• Granny Jia praised Su Ziji’s care for the princess consort while secretly being followed by a residence guard.
• Wild Daoist reported on the injured monks of Clear Garden Temple and gave Su Ziji lists of divine shrine contacts and princely donations.
• The guard reported that Granny Jia had met Lü Da, who then visited the Liu family pawnshop, and Wild Daoist identified the pawnshop as connected to Prince Lu’s Residence.
• Su Ziji rewarded the guard and ordered Wild Daoist to investigate the Jia family’s assets and contacts before they were punished according to law.
• Su Ziji sent Little Fox to investigate Prince Lu’s Residence and deliver silver to Steward Zhou.

Little Fox infiltrated Prince Lu’s Residence to gather intelligence and overheard that Steward Zhou had bribed Granny Jia to spy on Prince Dai’s household. The chapter ended as Little Fox listened to Prince Lu’s discussion of Granny Jia’s past and the weakness that had made her vulnerable to recruitment.

• Little Fox disguised as a civet cat crossed the rainy streets and approached Prince Lu’s Residence to investigate.
• Little Fox used See Through Reality to spot Daoist defenses around the residence, then slipped through them because they were meant to stop people rather than small animals.
• Little Fox overheard servants discussing the Divine Shrines’ ceremonies and learned that Steward Zhou planned to pray on Selected Attendant Chen’s behalf.
• Little Fox sneaked into Prince Lu’s courtyard and heard Steward Zhou report that Granny Jia had accepted a thousand taels and a hundred mu of land to spy on Prince Dai’s household.
• Prince Lu listened as the chapter recounted how Granny Jia had once served in the palace, fallen into hardship, and later gained a stable position in Prince Dai’s household.

Chapter Summary: “Crawling Like an Insect”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prince Lu’s faction plots to harm Prince Dai’s pregnant consort and prevent Prince Dai from producing a legitimate heir who could threaten the succession.
• They exploit Granny Jia’s devotion to her impoverished nephew. Prince Lu’s agents lure the nephew into gambling debts, forcing Granny Jia to betray her current master in exchange for his safety.
• Granny Jia agrees to smuggle a single-use magical artifact inside. The artifact will either:
  • Attack the unborn child and cause a miscarriage, or
  • Reveal an unusual omen if the child survives.
• Gui Junxi explains that either outcome benefits Prince Lu. A miscarriage would weaken Prince Dai’s future claim, while an omen could provoke the suspicious Emperor into killing or suppressing the child.
• The plot is designed to leave no trail: Granny Jia will deliver the artifact through an intermediary unaffiliated with Prince Lu, and that intermediary will later be silenced.
• Little Fox secretly overhears the conversation. Her fright causes the protective white light around her to flicker, producing a faint dragon’s roar.
• Gui Junxi senses a disturbance in Dragon Aura but cannot identify its source. Prince Lu also becomes uneasy because his intuition warns him of danger.
• Prince Lu abruptly rewards Steward Zhou and sends him away, ending the dangerous discussion.
• After Prince Lu and Gui Junxi enter another room, Little Fox cautiously crawls away—rather than approaching Prince Lu—and follows the direction Steward Zhou departed.

Character Developments

• Prince Lu is shown as calculating and politically cautious. Though he approves of the scheme, Gui Junxi’s ruthless intelligence unsettles him, making him question whether he can truly control his adviser.
• Gui Junxi emerges as a highly capable elixir cultivator and strategist. His plan is exceptionally subtle and manipulative, using the Emperor’s paranoia against Prince Dai. His ability to sense Dragon Aura hints at powerful supernatural awareness.
• Granny Jia is portrayed as morally compromised but emotionally motivated. Her loyalty to her family, especially her endangered nephew, outweighs her loyalty to the master she has served only briefly.
• Steward Zhou successfully helps arrange the conspiracy but is frightened by what he has overheard. He carefully leaves without attracting suspicion.
• Little Fox demonstrates courage and intelligence by secretly listening to the plot, controlling her movements after being discovered, and deciding to investigate or follow Steward Zhou rather than risk approaching Prince Lu directly.
• Prince Dai’s unborn child becomes a central political threat. Its survival—or even the rumor of extraordinary destiny—could dramatically alter the succession struggle.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty versus personal morality: Granny Jia betrays her master because blood ties and gratitude to her family outweigh her obligations.
• Political manipulation and indirect violence: Prince Lu’s faction avoids direct involvement, using debt, intermediaries, magical artifacts, and rumors to destroy their enemy while preserving plausible deniability.
• Paranoia within imperial succession: The Emperor’s fear of potential rivals makes even an unborn child dangerous. His suspicion becomes a weapon that others can exploit.
• Fate, prophecy, and political power: The child’s possible “Heavenly Mandate” is treated not as a blessing but as a threat capable of provoking murder and upheaval.
• Hidden strength and concealed identities: Prince Lu hides his ambitions, Gui Junxi conceals the full extent of his influence, and Little Fox remains unnoticed despite possessing a connection to Dragon Aura.
• The vulnerability of innocence: The unborn child and pregnant consort are targeted because they represent future political power but cannot defend themselves.

Important Character Interactions

• Prince Lu and Steward Zhou: Prince Lu confirms the success of the arrangements, rewards Zhou for his service, and dismisses him when the conversation becomes risky.
• Prince Lu and Gui Junxi: They discuss the assassination strategy, but their exchange also reveals mutual dependence and distrust. Prince Lu relies on Gui Junxi’s expertise yet fears the depth of his calculations.
• Gui Junxi and Granny Jia: Though they do not meet directly in the scene, Gui Junxi’s plan depends on manipulating her family attachment and using her as the delivery mechanism.
• Little Fox and the conspirators: Little Fox secretly overhears the entire plot. Her fear triggers a supernatural reaction that nearly exposes her presence, forcing her to flee carefully.
• Gui Junxi and Little Fox: Gui Junxi senses the Dragon Aura disturbance caused by Little Fox but cannot locate or identify her, establishing a mysterious connection between them.

Little Fox completed another silver-bait task in Prince Lu's Residence and escaped through its tightened defenses. Back at Prince Dai's Residence, Wild Daoist reported that Luo Jiang's mother had been rescued, and Su Ziji planned to use the news to identify Imperial City Office agents.

• The head steward rewarded Steward Zhou with ten taels of silver, and Zhou later found and secretly kept another five-tael ingot.
• Little Fox watched Zhou take the silver and reflected that people who gave in to greed usually met a bad end.
• Little Fox noticed that fine threads and Daoist patrols had increased throughout Prince Lu's Residence, then carefully escaped over the wall.
• A patrol leader saw Little Fox flee but told his men to say nothing rather than risk punishment for failing to catch her.
• Little Fox returned to Prince Dai's Residence, where Wild Daoist reported that Luo Jiang's mother had been rescued after her apparent death was staged.
• Su Ziji instructed Wild Daoist to watch for anyone whose behavior changed after learning the news and identify them as possible Imperial City Office agents.

Chapter Summary: “Knowing Does No Harm”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Little Fox communicates through a dictionary and reveals that Prince Lu plans to use a magical artifact against Bu Hui, the Princess Consort.
• The attack is intended to test or expose the unborn child’s innate nature: if Bu Hui cannot withstand it, she will miscarry; if she survives, the child’s unusual nature—and possibly Bu Hui’s entry into the Dao—will be revealed.
• Su Ziji realizes this may explain the events from his dream: Bu Hui survived the attack, the child’s nature was exposed, and the Emperor later learned of it, contributing to Bu Hui’s disappearance.
• Furious that Prince Lu has targeted his wife and child, Su Ziji orders retaliation against Prince Lu’s favored concubine, Steward Zhou, and Water Cloud Shrine.
• Rather than attacking directly, Su Ziji plans to have Daoist and Buddhist groups create public suspicion around Water Cloud Shrine, after which the Capital Gazette will amplify the scandal. He intends to trigger a much larger political explosion later.
• Su Ziji devises a vicious rumor implicating Water Cloud Shrine in immoral practices and suggesting a connection between the shrine, Consort Wei, and Prince Lu’s birth.
• He summons Bo Yan and assigns him to investigate Granny Jia, who is suspected of being involved in the planned attack.
• Su Ziji’s real purpose is to draw Bo Yan away so that he can investigate Granny Jia while leaving Luo Jiang free to meet her mother without surveillance.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: His calm control gives way to intense anger when he learns that Bu Hui and the unborn child are targets. He becomes more openly ruthless, using political manipulation, public opinion, and carefully arranged deception rather than direct violence. Despite his anger, he remains strategic and protects his larger plans.
• Little Fox: Proves her usefulness as an informant by accurately conveying overheard conversations and reporting that she delivered silver to Steward Zhou. Her successful mission earns her Su Ziji’s praise and an extravagant reward of whole chickens.
• Wild Daoist: Learns that Little Fox is the source of Su Ziji’s secret intelligence. He is shocked by the extent of his lord’s hidden information but quickly understands and prepares to execute Su Ziji’s retaliatory strategy.
• Bo Yan: Remains wary and divided from the other newcomers in the residence, but accepts Su Ziji’s assignment in hopes of gaining his trust. He mistakenly believes investigating Granny Jia is a minor household task or a test of loyalty, unaware that Su Ziji is manipulating him.
• Bu Hui: Though absent from the scene, her position becomes more significant as the intended victim of Prince Lu’s plot and as the mother of a child whose unusual nature may have political and supernatural consequences.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Little Fox’s intelligence transforms uncertainty into a clear understanding of past and future events, allowing Su Ziji to act decisively.
• Political retaliation and indirect warfare: Su Ziji avoids a straightforward attack, instead weaponizing religious institutions, rumors, newspapers, and public opinion.
• Protection of family: Su Ziji’s rage stems from the threat to Bu Hui and their child, revealing the personal motives behind his increasingly ruthless schemes.
• Manipulation and competing agendas: Nearly every character is acting under incomplete information. Su Ziji manipulates Wild Daoist and Bo Yan while Prince Lu and his allies pursue their own hidden plans.
• Moral compromise: Su Ziji recognizes that spreading rumors about Water Cloud Shrine is vicious and dishonorable, but his outrage drives him to use methods he would normally reject.

Character Interactions

• Little Fox communicates crucial intelligence to Su Ziji and Wild Daoist through the dictionary.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist coordinate a layered campaign against Prince Lu, with Wild Daoist responsible for carrying out the plan.
• Su Ziji rewards Little Fox affectionately, balancing his political ruthlessness with warmth toward her.
• Su Ziji questions Bo Yan about his life in the residence, then recruits him to investigate Granny Jia.
• Bo Yan interprets the assignment as a chance to earn Su Ziji’s trust, while Su Ziji deliberately uses it to remove him from the area and protect Luo Jiang’s meeting with her mother.

Bo Yan recruited Wen Li and Wang Qi to investigate Prince Dai's assignment while weighing the risks of telling Luo Jiang about uncertain news concerning her mother. At Luo Jiang's quarters, Steward Jiang used a fruit delivery and an apology over missing ice to pass her a slip of paper from an unknown sender.

• Bo Yan decided to wait for confirmation before telling Luo Jiang that something might have happened to her mother.
• Bo Yan returned to his room and asked Wen Li and Wang Qi to help investigate the task Prince Dai had assigned him.
• Steward Jiang learned that Luo Jiang's courtyard had received too little ice and took a basket of fresh fruit to visit her.
• Jiang Yi apologized to Luo Jiang for the shortage and handed her a slip of paper from someone else.

Chapter Summary: Jiang Yi’s Righteousness

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yi secretly gives Luo Jiang a note claiming that her mother has died, apparently crushed beneath debris during the earthquake.
• Luo Jiang reacts with genuine shock and grief. Believing the message may be true, she immediately leaves Prince Dai’s Residence, takes a horse without permission, and rushes home.
• Jiang Yi pretends to be alarmed and calls for servants to pursue her, while secretly observing her reaction.
• The Imperial City Office had arranged this test because Luo Jiang’s mother’s disfigured corpse raised suspicions that someone else might have died in her place. Luo Jiang’s sincere response convinces them that she had not known about her mother’s death.
• Her reaction also leaves two possibilities: either Prince Dai’s Residence knew about the death but concealed it from her, or the residence was genuinely uninformed.
• Su Ziji learns that Jiang Yi has contacted Luo Jiang and caused her to leave. He recognizes this as evidence of Jiang Yi’s betrayal, confirming suspicions from his prophetic dream.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist discuss whether Jiang Yi’s actions constitute betrayal. Wild Daoist argues that Jiang Yi may see his service to the Imperial City Office as loyalty to the emperor rather than treachery toward Su Ziji.
• Su Ziji decides not to reveal the truth about Luo Jiang’s mother immediately. He expects circumstances to force Luo Jiang back to the residence, preserving her usefulness as a “chess piece.”
• Wild Daoist praises Luo Jiang’s exceptional martial talent and warns that losing her would be a serious mistake, particularly because she may be essential to protecting the Princess Consort.

Character Developments

• Luo Jiang: Her deep attachment to her mother is revealed. Despite her training and normally disciplined nature, grief overwhelms her judgment, showing her emotional vulnerability. Her genuine reaction also establishes that she is not secretly collaborating with the Imperial City Office.
• Jiang Yi: He is exposed as an Imperial City Office informant or operative. He is calculating and manipulative, using Luo Jiang’s greatest emotional weakness to test her loyalty. However, the discussion suggests he may sincerely believe he is serving the court rather than betraying Su Ziji.
• Su Ziji: He becomes more distrustful and confirms that Jiang Yi is one of the people who betrayed him in his dream. At the same time, he remains pragmatic and treats Luo Jiang as a valuable strategic asset rather than acting out of compassion.
• Wild Daoist: He functions as Su Ziji’s analytical adviser. He recognizes Luo Jiang’s extraordinary potential and urges Su Ziji not to discard her.
• Luo Jiang’s mother: Though already dead, her death becomes the central emotional and strategic trigger of the chapter.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus betrayal: The chapter questions whether Jiang Yi is a traitor or a loyal servant of the court. His actions show that loyalty depends on whom one considers the rightful master.
• Manipulation and control: Luo Jiang’s grief is exploited by both the Imperial City Office and Prince Dai’s faction. Su Ziji deliberately withholds the truth to maintain influence over her.
• Human emotion versus political calculation: Luo Jiang reacts as a daughter, while the surrounding officials interpret her grief as evidence in an intelligence investigation.
• Hidden identities and suspicion: The earthquake creates uncertainty about the dead, while every character’s motives are subject to scrutiny.
• The value of talent: Luo Jiang is viewed less as an individual than as a rare martial asset whose abilities may determine the residence’s future survival.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yi and Luo Jiang: Jiang Yi delivers the false or unverified news about her mother, provoking an uncontrolled but genuine reaction and testing whether she already knew.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist: They debate Jiang Yi’s motives, Luo Jiang’s usefulness, and whether Luo Jiang should be told the truth.
• Su Ziji and Jiang Yi: Jiang Yi reports Luo Jiang’s departure while concealing his own role. Su Ziji responds with feigned anger and orders an investigation.
• Wild Daoist and Su Ziji: Wild Daoist advocates recognizing Luo Jiang’s value, while Su Ziji remains focused on controlling her movements and preserving her as a strategic piece.

Luo Jiang returned home and discovered her mother's mangled body, while Lord Lu arranged for her to be watched and ordered her to seek Prince Dai's forgiveness. Liu Zhan organized people to spread a piece of news for Prince Dai, then noticed activity at a nearby teahouse as Steward Zhou listened to a storyteller.

• Luo Jiang rushed home, opened her mother's coffin, and collapsed after seeing the corpse.
• Lord Lu ordered his men to give Luo Jiang bereavement money, arrange a burial, and summon her back in three days to beg forgiveness from Prince Dai.
• A Daoist reported that twenty-one believers and longtime ward residents had been assigned to spread news for Liu Zhan.
• Liu Zhan learned that Clear Garden Temple's monks were also acting for Prince Dai and resolved to make his own faction's effort succeed.
• Liu Zhan and the Daoist watched the Yang Family Teahouse, where Steward Zhou drank tea and listened as the storyteller finished a tale.

Wang Er Scabby spread a scandalous rumor about a young wife who visited the Water Cloud Shrine, prompting an angry crowd to attack him. Steward Zhou realized the story could implicate Selected Attendant Chen, whose frequent visits to the shrine he feared would cost her Prince Lu’s favor and ruin his own prospects.

• Wang Er Scabby told the teahouse crowd that the young wife from the Prosperity Restaurant had cried out in a room at the Water Cloud Shrine and that medicinal dregs suggested she had used a virility tonic.
• The listeners accused Wang Er Scabby of slandering the Water Cloud Shrine and the Prosperity Restaurant’s young wife, then chased and beat him.
• Wang Er Scabby shouted that the rumor was already spreading through the neighborhood and that he had only repeated what he heard outside the restaurant.
• Steward Zhou recognized that the scandal could implicate Selected Attendant Chen, who often visited the Water Cloud Shrine to pray for a child.
• Steward Zhou blamed Wang Er Scabby and wished the crowd would beat him to death.

Chapter Summary: “The Prince Wants to See You”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Steward Zhou overhears a loafer spreading insulting rumors about Water Cloud Shrine and angrily slaps him twice.
• He immediately regrets losing his temper, fearing the man or other witnesses may identify him and expose the rumors surrounding Selected Attendant Chen.
• Zhou worries that Chen’s repeated devotion to Water Cloud Shrine looks suspicious, especially because she has no children. He doubts whether Prince Lu would believe his defense of her, given their known closeness.
• On returning to Prince Lu’s Residence, Zhou hears Zhang Wang and several soldiers making crude jokes about women who visit Water Cloud Shrine to pray for children. This confirms that the rumors are already widespread within the residence and can no longer easily be suppressed.
• A junior kitchen steward brings Zhou leftover dishes from the prince’s kitchen and flatters him. Zhou nearly gives the man an unusually generous reward, then suspects this strange impulse may be connected to Nightmare Suppression. He gives him a smaller piece of silver instead.
• Before Zhou can settle down to eat, a soldier summons him: Prince Lu wants to see him.
• Already consumed by guilt and fear, Zhou is startled but obeys. He is especially cautious because Prince Lu appears relaxed yet exercises strict control over his residence and soldiers.

Character Developments

• Steward Zhou: His anger reveals how personally invested he is in protecting Selected Attendant Chen. Afterward, he becomes increasingly paranoid and conflicted, torn between reporting the rumors and protecting himself. He recognizes that his relationship with Chen may make him appear complicit. His unusual urge to reward the kitchen steward also raises concern that supernatural influence may be affecting him.
• Selected Attendant Chen: She does not appear directly, but her reputation and religious habits become the center of the chapter’s tension. Her exclusive devotion to Water Cloud Shrine makes the rumors seem more credible to Zhou.
• Prince Lu: Though absent until the summons, he is characterized as outwardly easygoing but quietly powerful, disciplined, and highly controlling of his household.
• The residence servants and soldiers: Their participation in the rumors shows that gossip has spread deeply through the prince’s household. Their willingness to mock the subject also highlights the lack of privacy within the residence.
• The junior kitchen steward: He acts deferentially toward Zhou and uses food and flattery to maintain their relationship, receiving a small silver reward in return.

Significant Themes

• Rumor and reputation: Gossip about Water Cloud Shrine has become widespread, threatening both Chen’s standing and Zhou’s position.
• Fear and self-preservation: Zhou’s main concern shifts from defending Chen to determining how he can survive politically and avoid blame.
• Loyalty versus truth: Zhou wants to protect Chen but is unsure whether she is truly innocent and whether defending her will endanger him.
• Power and surveillance: Prince Lu’s tightly controlled residence makes Zhou afraid that even asking questions or probing the summons could be reported.
• Possible supernatural manipulation: Zhou’s unexplained generosity makes him suspect Nightmare Suppression, suggesting that external supernatural forces may be influencing people’s thoughts and actions.

Character Interactions

• Zhou confronts and slaps the loafer for insulting Water Cloud Shrine and an innocent woman.
• He silently observes Zhang Wang and the residence soldiers joking crudely about women visiting the shrine.
• The junior kitchen steward flatters Zhou, brings him food, and accepts a silver reward.
• A residence soldier summons Zhou to Prince Lu without explanation, leaving him anxious about what the prince may know.

Prince Lu questioned the attendants and stewards who had accompanied the selected attendants to the Water Cloud Shrine, and Zhou Liang lied about leaving Selected Attendant Chen alone. After realizing that deceiving his master could cost him his life, Zhou Liang drank himself unconscious and dreamed that Zhang Wang had exposed him.

• Prince Lu questioned the selected attendants’ servants about their visits to the Water Cloud Shrine and whether anyone had been left alone.
• Zhou Liang claimed he had stayed beside Selected Attendant Chen throughout her worship, concealing that he had left her to attend a vegetarian banquet.
• After returning to his room, Zhou Liang regretted lying and feared Prince Lu would have him put to death if the deception came to light.
• Zhou Liang drank the wine in his room and fell asleep at the table.
• In a dream, Zhou Liang heard Zhang Wang claim he had evidence against him and lunged forward, challenging Zhang Wang to fight to the death.

Chapter Summary: I Can’t Act Impulsively

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Liang wakes from a terrifying dream in which someone threatens to kill him. He checks both the rear window and courtyard but finds no one, convincing himself it was only a nightmare caused by drunkenness.
• Outside, he encounters Lu Bai distributing summer silk according to the Princess Consort’s orders. Zhou Liang tries to behave normally but remains deeply unsettled.
• The kitchen’s junior steward warns Zhou Liang not to approach the front courtyard. Selected Attendant Yuan has come under suspicion, and the people connected to her are being interrogated and brutally tortured.
• The steward also mentions that Zhang Wang has been summoned. While the kitchen steward assumes Zhang Wang may be in danger, Zhou Liang realizes Zhang Wang’s connection to the Princess Consort likely protects him.
• Zhou Liang fears for himself because he concealed the truth about Selected Attendant Chen’s association with Water Cloud Shrine. Since the shrine has been exposed as a place of corruption and Chen is linked to Lady Three Caverns, Zhou Liang believes Prince Lu may punish him for deceiving his master.
• Pretending to fetch water, Zhou Liang instead returns to his room, abandons the bucket, and heads toward the side gate with the apparent intention of fleeing.
• At the gate, however, he hesitates. He recognizes that abandoning his position would make him a fugitive and could cost him his livelihood, status, and even his life.
• Choosing not to act impulsively, Zhou Liang climbs a nearby rockery to observe Selected Attendant Chen’s courtyard.
• After watching for a long time and seeing no one enter or leave Chen’s quarters, he concludes that she has not yet been harmed and celebrates the belief that he is safe.

Character Developments

• Zhou Liang: Becomes increasingly frightened and paranoid as he realizes his earlier concealment may be exposed. Despite briefly considering escape, he suppresses his panic and chooses cautious observation instead. His fear, self-interest, and survival instinct are strongly emphasized.
• Kitchen junior steward: Shows concern for Zhou Liang and warns him about the danger in the residence, though he does not understand the full extent of Zhou Liang’s guilt.
• Zhang Wang: Though absent, he is characterized as someone protected by his association with the Princess Consort’s faction.
• Selected Attendant Chen: Remains off-page but becomes the central source of Zhou Liang’s anxiety because her fate is tied to his own.
• Prince Lu: His earlier words about deception haunt Zhou Liang, reinforcing his authority and the threat of punishment.

Significant Themes

• Fear and paranoia: Zhou Liang’s nightmare reflects his guilt and growing fear that his actions will be exposed.
• Self-preservation versus impulse: Although escape seems tempting, Zhou Liang recognizes that rash action could worsen his situation.
• Power and factional protection: Connections to powerful figures determine who is vulnerable and who can survive accusations.
• Guilt and deception: Zhou Liang’s decision to hide the truth from Prince Lu continues to weigh on him and may lead to severe consequences.
• Status and dependence: His privileged position as a steward is entirely dependent on Prince Lu’s favor, making the prospect of losing it terrifying.
• False security: Zhou Liang interprets Chen’s temporary safety as proof that he is safe as well, though this confidence may be premature.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Liang exchanges casual conversation with Lu Bai about the distribution of summer silk, masking his inner distress.
• The kitchen steward warns Zhou Liang about the ongoing interrogations and reveals that Zhang Wang has also been summoned.
• Zhou Liang carefully conceals his panic from the kitchen steward by claiming he is merely drunk and going to wash.
• Alone, Zhou Liang wrestles with whether to flee, ultimately deciding to monitor Chen’s courtyard rather than take immediate action.