Chapter Summaries

Ao Bing and Little Dragon Girl provided shelter and porridge for flood-displaced commoners, but Ao Bing grew suspicious when they only collected food at night. After a shaman arrived and won the commoners’ fervent attention, Ao Bing began to suspect that the flood-relief mission was really about winning people’s trust.

• Ao Bing used You Hun and Su Hu to secure grain and copper pots after the Marquis of Caozhou refused to provide relief supplies.
• Ao Bing organized shelters and porridge distribution, but the commoners hesitated to approach until hunger drove them to collect food at night.
• Ao Bing noticed the commoners still came only after dark and decided to investigate.
• The Three Elders and a shaman arrived, and the commoners welcomed them with alarm and enthusiasm.
• Ao Bing recognized the shaman’s ritual as the Yu Step and wondered why King Zhou had emphasized relocating commoners and winning their hearts before taming the floods.

Ao Bing discovered that the Witch and the Three Elders were arranging human sacrifices under the guise of marrying a girl to the River Earl. He punished them publicly and began trying to earn the commoners’ trust, but knew he still had much to do to make them understand King Zhou’s intentions.

• Ao Bing learned that the Witch planned to send a young woman into the river as a bride for the River Earl, using the floods to justify the sacrifice.
• Ao Bing reflected on the heavenly gods’ indifference and decided he had to think and act like a mortal to help the commoners.
• Ao Bing asked the Witch when the wedding would take place, and she set it for noon the following day.
• At the riverbank, Ao Bing learned the chosen girl wanted to study medicine and confronted the Witch about the women she had sent to the River Earl.
• Ao Bing had the soldiers throw the Witch and the Three Elders into the river, then told the commoners they had stayed as the River Earl’s guests.
• Ao Bing resolved to become a true god in his own way, though he knew he still needed to convince the people that King Zhou was trying to help them.

Ao Bing exposed the witch as a fraud and organized Caozhou's people to build embankments, then sent King Zhou a report praising his guidance. The dispatch reached Chaoge alongside Shen Gongbao's report, and Zi Shou eagerly awaited news he expected would be disastrous.

• Ao Bing threatened the witch and the Three Elders, then forced them to help build embankments so the people could see that they were no more useful than ordinary workers.
• Ao Bing explained that the River Earl would not marry or control the floods, and Caozhou's people joined the soldiers in building flood defenses.
• The witch worked alongside the commoners, who gradually lost their fear of her and began questioning their old beliefs.
• As the embankments started working, Ao Bing sent a memorial to King Zhou describing his efforts and crediting the king's guidance.
• A courier delivered Ao Bing's memorial from Caozhou and Shen Gongbao's memorial from Pingling to Chaoge, where Shang Rong forwarded them to Zi Shou.
• Zi Shou, cracking walnuts for Daji in Shouxian Palace, eagerly welcomed the urgent dispatches and imagined that both reports contained bad news.

Zi Shou read reports showing Shen Gongbao had suppressed the Pingling rebellion and Li Bing had won Caozhou’s gratitude despite the ongoing floods, thwarting his plans to earn Foolishness Value. After enjoying Daji’s salt-baked chicken, he learned that Grandee Jiao had improved sea salt and urgently summoned Grandee Qian.

• Zi Shou read Shen Gongbao’s report and learned that Pingling’s people had opened the gates to his army, allowing King Pingling to be captured and executed.
• Zi Shou learned from Li Bing’s report that the flooding in Caozhou continued, but Li Bing had united the people in gratitude toward Zi Shou.
• Zi Shou decided to send a veteran minister to assist Li Bing and expected future trouble from road building, Jiao Ge, and Li Jing’s reforms to earn him Foolishness Value.
• Daji served Zi Shou salt-baked chicken, which he praised before discovering that she had used sea salt.
• Daji explained that Grandee Jiao had improved sea salt and that Daoist Shi Ji had found it nearly harmless, prompting Zi Shou to urgently summon Grandee Qian.

After waking from a nightmare in which his ministers had all died, Zi Shou planned to reform Great Shang’s official posts and lower ministers’ compensation to encourage foolishness value. He ordered Fei Zhong to gather the Hall of Worthies’ records and became interested in the obscure commoner Zhang Da, who had helped admit San Yisheng and Hong Yao to court.

• Zi Shou woke from a nightmare about his ministers dying and learned from Qian Bao that the Medical Academy was well, though Qiongxiao had made a mistake during surgery.
• Zi Shou decided to reform official posts, cut ministers’ compensation, and appoint carefully chosen people who would not become capable threats.
• Zi Shou summoned Fei Zhong and ordered him to collect the Hall of Worthies’ records for planned reforms.
• Fei Zhong revealed that his deputy Zhang Da had admitted San Yisheng and Hong Yao through the Hall of Worthies and said Zhang Da was born a commoner.
• Zi Shou became interested in Zhang Da and told Fei Zhong to investigate him.

Zi Shou summoned Zhang Da and redirected the Hall of Worthies to recruit people across every trade, not just conventional officials. He encouraged Zhang Da to overlook candidates’ backgrounds and intentions, leaving the Hall to make imperfect selections while the court stayed out of its way.

• Zi Shou summoned Zhang Da after deciding his disastrous appointments made him ideal for leading the Hall of Worthies.
• Zhang Da explained that he interviewed candidates before court officials assessed them, and Zi Shou realized those officials were screening out the mediocre people he wanted.
• Zi Shou told Zhang Da to recruit specialists from all professions and handle the Hall’s work without relying on court officials.
• Zi Shou said imperfect recruits would not last long and suggested that officials from unrelated fields assess candidates when needed.
• Zi Shou instructed Zhang Da not to reject talented candidates for disloyal intentions and even suggested seeking advice from the Marquis of the West.

Zi Shou ordered Zhang Da to recruit officials on generous terms, then began restructuring the government to expand his own authority and provoke conflict among the ministers. The chapter ends when Zi Shou hears that a female physician at the Medical Academy has been stabbed and fears Shang Qingjun was the victim.

• Zi Shou left Zhang Da in charge of the Hall of Worthies and ordered him to keep outside officials from interfering with appointments.
• Zi Shou instructed Zhang Da to let candidates name their salaries and raise each amount by twenty percent.
• A day later, Zi Shou drafted a three departments and six ministries system that gave him the final say when officials disagreed or delayed decisions.
• Zi Shou sent his draft to Shang Rong, Wen Zhong, and the other ministers for preliminary review.
• A eunuch reported that a female physician at the Medical Academy had been stabbed, and Zi Shou feared that Shang Qingjun was hurt.

Zi Shou learned that Qiongxiao had been stabbed after a failed cesarean section and discovered that Qian Bao had quietly settled earlier medical disturbances. When the dead patient’s eldest son arrived to accuse the female physicians, Zi Shou ordered the Royal Guards to protect them.

• Zi Shou visited the Medical Academy and heard Qian Bao explain that a patient and her stillborn child had died during a cesarean section after her family disrupted the operation, and that a relative had stabbed Qiongxiao.
• Zi Shou realized Qian Bao had concealed earlier medical disturbances and worried that the attacks would frighten the female physicians and undermine the Medical Academy.
• Shang Qingjun reported that the dead woman’s eldest son had carried off the stillborn child and was making a scene at the academy.
• Zi Shou learned that the family had never trusted the operation and that the dead fetus was a girl, despite the son’s claim that the physicians had killed his newborn little brother.
• When Qian Bao offered to handle the matter, Zi Shou summoned the Royal Guards and ordered them to protect the female physicians.

Zi Shou stepped in when a grieving eldest son threatened the Medical Academy and tried to extort compensation from Qiongxiao. He pretended to diagnose the man, knocked him down, and turned his attention to the nine men who had accompanied him.

• The eldest son accused Qiongxiao and the Medical Academy of responsibility for his mother and stillborn brother’s deaths and demanded compensation.
• Zi Shou introduced himself as Zheng Ran, offered to examine the eldest son for free, and claimed the man’s illness was in its late stages.
• Zi Shou said the illness was caused by devil possession and proposed bloodletting after describing other treatments.
• When the eldest son shouted that Zi Shou was beating him, Zi Shou kicked him hard enough to draw blood.
• Zi Shou asked the nine men whether they were sick too and said they needed treatment.

Zi Shou beat men who caused trouble at the Medical Academy, revealed himself as King Zhou, and created the Dark Phoenix Guard to protect the institution. Chong Yingbiao began recruiting for the new guard, offering his old street friend Doggie a chance to become an official.

• Zi Shou and Qian Bao watched as the men who had caused trouble at the Medical Academy threatened them from the ground.
• Yin Pobai arrived with the Royal Guards, and Zi Shou struck the ringleader again with a broken stool leg.
• Yin Pobai addressed Zi Shou as Your Majesty, revealing to the stunned troublemakers that he was King Zhou.
• Zi Shou appointed Chong Yingbiao commander of the Dark Phoenix Guard and decreed severe punishment for anyone who caused trouble at the Medical Academy.
• Chong Yingbiao took the troublemakers away, and Qian Bao wept while Shang Qingjun admired Zi Shou's actions.
• After locking up the troublemakers, Chong Yingbiao began assembling the Dark Phoenix Guard and asked his old friend Doggie if he wanted to become an official.

Chong Yingbiao recruited Gouzi into the Dark Phoenix Guards and learned that refugees from Xiqi were behind the unrest at the Medical Academy. He uncovered that Pockmark, a man serving the Marquis of the West, was orchestrating the incidents to turn the people against King Zhou and weaken Great Shang.

• Chong Yingbiao offered Gouzi a Hundred-Household Commander post in the Dark Phoenix Guards in exchange for information about trouble at the Medical Academy.
• Gouzi told Chong Yingbiao that most of the troublemakers were refugees from Xiqi and that the unrest had begun after they arrived in Chaoge.
• Chong Yingbiao realized the influx of refugees could be part of a plan and sought out other local informants to recruit into the Dark Phoenix Guards.
• Pockmark dismissed concerns that King Zhou had jailed the troublemakers and ordered his men to spread claims that the Medical Academy and King Zhou had wronged them.
• Er Hei returned with a dead woman whose abdomen had been cut open, and Pockmark arranged to pass her off as a victim of the Medical Academy.
• Pockmark revealed that he served the Marquis of the West and planned to use staged disturbances and genuine grievances to turn the people against King Zhou and Great Shang.

Chong Yingbiao’s citywide search stirred resentment but yielded no clues, leaving the Dark Phoenix Guards at risk if they failed. A short guard from Xiqi revealed that he knew Pockmark and the mastermind behind the medical disturbances, prompting Chong Yingbiao to send his men out.

• Chong Yingbiao led the Dark Phoenix Guards in searching homes across Chaoge, while King Zhou supported the operation.
• Chong Yingbiao and Doggie recognized that the Dark Phoenix Guards depended on King Zhou’s protection and could be ruined if the search found nothing.
• The Dark Phoenix Guards pooled their intelligence but had no useful leads.
• A short guard admitted that he was from Xiqi and knew Pockmark and the mastermind behind the medical disturbances.
• Chong Yingbiao ordered the Dark Phoenix Guards to move out and pursue the lead.

Chong Yingbiao led the Dark Phoenix Guard to the outskirts of Chaoge and arrested Pockmark and his gang as the suspected masterminds behind the medical extortion. The short man identified the suspects, but the guards had no substantial evidence as they began the arrests.

• Pockmark ate hot pot with his men and planned to profit by provoking trouble at the Medical Academy.
• Chong Yingbiao led the Dark Phoenix Guard out of Chaoge after the short man guided them to the suspected gang’s hideout.
• The guards surrounded the shacks, and Chong Yingbiao ordered everyone seized despite Pockmark demanding evidence.
• Pockmark denied involvement and believed the gang’s precautions would keep them safe from prosecution.
• The short man named Pockmark and the others, while fellow guards reassured him that they would stand by him if King Zhou punished him.

Chong Yingbiao brought the Dark Phoenix Guard to a banquet hosted by Zi Shou, who praised and reassured them while assuming their investigation was failing. The guards revealed they had captured Pockmark as the mastermind behind the medical disturbance, leaving Zi Shou stunned.

• Chong Yingbiao received Zi Shou's decree inviting the Dark Phoenix Guard to a banquet at the Pool of Wine and Forest of Meat.
• Zi Shou welcomed the guards and encouraged them to feast, insisting their indulgence served Great Shang.
• Zi Shou gave ivory chopsticks to several guards, including the short man, whose tears moved the others to cry as well.
• Zi Shou promised the Dark Phoenix Guard would never be disbanded, and Chong Yingbiao resolved to share their success.
• Chong Yingbiao presented bound Pockmark and announced that the Dark Phoenix Guard had arrested the mastermind behind the medical disturbance, leaving Zi Shou bewildered.

Zi Shou learned that Pockmark had masterminded the medical disturbances, but the Dark Phoenix Guard had already caught him and his accomplices. Zi Shou ordered a public execution while deciding to keep the Guard in place, and he left as its members continued feasting.

• Chong Yingbiao explained that former street thugs and loafers in the Dark Phoenix Guard had exposed Pockmark and uncovered the people who had faked family ties to the dead and dug up corpses.
• Zi Shou questioned Pockmark, who refused to confess and insulted him, while Chong Yingbiao confirmed that the conspirators behind the medical disturbances had been caught.
• Zi Shou ordered Pockmark executed by a thousand cuts in the South Market and ordered the other culprits killed without mercy.
• Zi Shou decided the Dark Phoenix Guard should remain, since its members could continue earning him foolishness value and their capture had protected the female physicians.
• Zi Shou left for the palace while the Dark Phoenix Guards resumed eating.

Zi Shou attended Pockmark’s execution, intending to use harsh punishment to frighten Chaoge’s people, but Pockmark challenged the charges and exposed the Dark Phoenix Guard’s lack of evidence. Ding Ce and Dai Li then supplied testimony that convinced the crowd, leaving Zi Shou waiting for the execution to restore his plan.

• Zi Shou arrived at the execution ground, kicked Chong Yingbiao, and fined several Dark Phoenix Guard members for being ugly.
• Chong Yingbiao announced Pockmark’s crimes and sentence, but Pockmark demanded proof and accused Zi Shou of tyranny.
• Ding Ce testified that Pockmark and his companions had no hunting records and had likely earned their money by stirring up trouble over medical treatment.
• Dai Li said he had discovered the corpses the prisoners stole, and the crowd accepted his and Ding Ce’s testimony.
• The commoners cheered for Pockmark’s execution, while Zi Shou kept his composure and hoped the thousand cuts would still serve his purpose.

Yu Hua carried out Chaoge’s first public execution by death by a thousand cuts, while officials interpreted the punishment as a show of force supporting Li Jing’s reforms. Shen Gongbao arrived with Wu Shu, who feared the execution, and Shen Gongbao decided to ask the Marquis of the North what had happened in Chaoge.

• Yu Hua introduced himself and began cutting Pockmark with a small blade while the crowd watched.
• Zi Shou and Qian Bao reacted uneasily, while Wen Zhong, Shang Rong, and other officials considered the punishment and its possible political purpose.
• Xin Jia explained the logic behind the traditional five punishments, and officials concluded that the execution was meant to strengthen Li Jing’s reforms and warn the nobles.
• Over the next two days, news of the execution spread through Chaoge, and many people came to see it.
• Shen Gongbao arrived with Wu Shu, who thanked him for leading them away from the wrong path after seeing Pockmark on the platform.
• Shen Gongbao said he did not understand the event’s meaning and led Wu Shu to question the Marquis of the North.

Chong Houhu explained to Shen Gongbao that Zi Shou’s public execution was meant to establish royal authority and deter the feudal lords, while Zi Shou privately hoped to gain Foolishness Value and stain his own reputation. After the execution, Chong Houhu interpreted Zi Shou’s warning not to misinterpret his words as a hint that he would soon take another step to establish trust.

• Shen Gongbao asked Chong Houhu why Zi Shou had held a public execution, and Chong Houhu said it would establish the sovereign’s authority and intimidate the feudal lords.
• Chong Houhu told Shen Gongbao that his return after pacifying King Pingling was part of the display of Great Shang’s strength, and asked Wu Shu to scatter his barbarians through the South Market.
• After Yu Hua completed Pockmark’s Death by a Thousand Cuts, Zi Shou addressed the crowd from the Execution Platform and declared that Great Shang’s laws would be strictly enforced without exception.
• Wu Shu and the barbarians led the crowd in shouting praise for Zi Shou, while Zi Shou suspected someone was trying to soften the execution’s impact.
• Chong Houhu interpreted Zi Shou’s words, “Do not misinterpret it,” as a warning to seek a deeper meaning, then predicted that Zi Shou would soon establish trust and told Shen Gongbao to disguise the barbarians.

Zi Shou planned to imitate Jiajing by giving a tiger an extravagant burial, hoping to provoke controversy without encouraging people to keep cats or tigers. He ventured into Chaoge to stir public unease and found a charcoal seller, preparing to make charcoal his next target.

• Zi Shou considered Jiajing’s love of cats and decided that burying a tiger would be safer than keeping or burying a cat.
• Zi Shou planned a grand tiger burial and recalled the Messenger who had died running himself to death.
• Zi Shou left the palace with three hundred Royal Guards while senior ministers and Wu Shu’s Barbarians moved through Chaoge.
• Zi Shou observed that the people feared him after his recent executions and welcomed their whispered discussions about him.
• Zi Shou spotted a charcoal seller and asked how much his charcoal cost, intending to use charcoal to provoke the nobles.

Zi Shou bought charcoal at an outrageous price to drive up costs and anger nobles and Feudal Lords, while trying to earn Foolishness Value. After ordering Yin Pobai to buy as much charcoal as possible, he found a tiger at the Hunting Team's stall and considered giving it a grand funeral.

• The Charcoal Seller panicked when Zi Shou asked the price, and Yin Pobai explained that charcoal normally cost three coins per catty.
• Zi Shou declared that he would pay a hundred coins per catty, ordered the cart weighed, and had Yin Pobai calculate its price.
• The Charcoal Seller feared Zi Shou would punish him, but a Royal Guard brought the money, and Zi Shou paid him before keeping the cart.
• Zi Shou ordered Yin Pobai to buy all the charcoal available in Chaoge at a hundred coins per catty, planning to raise prices and provoke the nobles and Feudal Lords.
• Zi Shou found the Hunting Team's stall and took an interest in its ordinary-looking tiger carcass as a candidate for a grand funeral.