Chapter Summaries

Zi Shou’s decrees on horse-plowing, public fields, and compulsory military service left Lu Xiong worried about popular resentment and suspicious of Ji Chang. Chao Tian uncovered major costs and drawbacks to horse-plowing, then hinted that it also had advantages.

• Zi Shou issued decrees promoting horse-plowing, converting nobles’ private fields into public fields, and requiring farmers to perform military service.
• Lu Xiong gathered Chaoge’s generals, who drafted military-service regulations but could not find a way to ease the people’s resentment.
• Lu Xiong and Chao Tian suspected Ji Chang had manipulated Zi Shou, and Lu Xiong considered whether Zi Shou meant to blame Ji Chang for the decrees and eliminate him.
• Chao Tian reported that horse-plowing was difficult to implement because suitable plows and trained horses were lacking.
• Chao Tian explained that horses needed costlier feed, had more fragile hooves, and cost several times as much to keep as oxen; Lu Xiong grew furious and called for Ji Chang’s death.
• Chao Tian stopped Lu Xiong and said horse-plowing also had advantages, leaving him waiting for the explanation.

Chao Tian explained to Lu Xiong how horse-plowing, military service, and the conversion of nobles’ private fields into public fields formed a coordinated policy. Lu Xiong agreed to keep the plan secret and help carry it out, believing King Zhou was feigning weakness to deceive his enemies.

• Chao Tian argued that horses could plow faster than oxen and that several farming households could share the cost of raising one horse.
• Chao Tian connected horse-plowing to military service and civilian farming settlements, while Lu Xiong recognized that the farmers could also become soldiers and cavalrymen.
• Lu Xiong pointed out that a horse’s speed alone did not guarantee faster plowing, and Chao Tian explained that public fields would provide fertile, level land suited to horses.
• Chao Tian described how turning nobles’ private fields into public fields could support military farming while gradually easing noble resentment.
• Lu Xiong concluded that King Zhou’s policies were a plan to show weakness and counter his enemies, then assigned responsibilities and agreed to keep the plan secret.

Pixiu joined Zhao Gongming at the Bank to ask why King Zhou was diverting most of the nobles’ Ancestral Temple donations. Zhao Gongming concluded that the king planned to build a mausoleum to anchor humanity’s fortune, and the chapter ended as nobles arrived in Chaoge with their donations and family heads.

• Pixiu told Zhao Gongming that King Zhou had assigned him to oversee the nobles’ Ancestral Temple donations, of which seventy percent was being pocketed.
• Pixiu recalled hearing King Zhou mention plans for an imperial mausoleum, and Zhao Gongming interpreted the project as a sacrifice meant to anchor humanity’s fortune.
• Pixiu agreed to prepare for the mausoleum and help people understand its purpose, while Zhao Gongming asked him to have his clansmen operate Bank branches along the nobles’ trade routes.
• In April, the feudal lords sent envoys to court, and many noble family heads accompanied them to deliver donations for the Ancestral Temple.

Newspapers about noble ancestors drew crowds in Chaoge, while Zi Shou learned that the Marsh of Liangshan’s bandits were expanding and might proclaim a king. After court, he went to investigate the nobles’ donations for the Ancestral Temple, worried he had underestimated their devotion to their ancestors.

• Chaoge’s people gathered before dawn to buy newspapers and learn about ancestors such as Ling Lun and Li Shou, whose abacus invention impressed them.
• Lu Xiong gave Zi Shou a report from Wen Zhong saying the campaign in Baiyue was progressing slowly and could take one to three years.
• Lu Xiong presented Zhang Feng’s report that the Marsh of Liangshan bandits were attacking other bandits and might soon proclaim their leader king.
• Zi Shou ordered close surveillance of the Marsh of Liangshan and told officials to send all reports directly to the palace.
• Zi Shou asked You Hun where Pi Xiu was collecting money for the Ancestral Temple, then left the palace to investigate the nobles’ donations.

Zi Shou discovered that Pi Xiu had designed a mausoleum for him as part of the Ancestral Temple project and decided to send Pi Xiu to establish a bank in Xiqi. Pi Xiu accepted the assignment, believing Zi Shou was a sage king, and Zi Shou then went to inspect the Ancestral Temple.

• Pi Xiu explained that the Ancestral Temple plans used concrete developed by descendants of the Dating clan.
• Pi Xiu showed Zi Shou plans for an elaborate mausoleum and said it was intended for Zi Shou.
• Zi Shou concealed his anger and assigned Pi Xiu to establish a bank in Xiqi.
• Pi Xiu accepted the decree and became more devoted to Zi Shou, whom he compared to the Yellow Emperor.
• Zi Shou invited Pi Xiu to inspect the Ancestral Temple so he could investigate the nobles' activities.

Zi Shou decided to move the royal and noble ancestral remains to a grand mausoleum on Cloud Dream Mountain, using the project to protect the sages’ graves and force the nobles to comply. The ministers could not stop him after he volunteered to relocate the tombs of Shang’s former kings.

• Zi Shou overheard nobles explain that their ancestors’ spirit tablets had repeatedly fallen until they promised to erect statues in Chaoge.
• Pixiu praised the Ancestral Temple for helping preserve the Human Race’s lost history, while Zi Shou looked for a way to send the nobles away and profit from their foolishness.
• Zi Shou ordered the Ancestral Temple moved to Cloud Dream Mountain and proposed a mausoleum there, demanding that nobles bring their ancestors’ remains to Chaoge.
• The ministers objected to opening and moving the nobles’ tombs, but Zi Shou announced that he would first relocate the eight former Shang kings’ graves.
• With no royal elder or senior adviser in Chaoge able to oppose him, the ministers had to accept Zi Shou’s plan.

Zi Shou ordered the relocation of worthy ancestors’ tombs and recruited Sun Xingtu, unaware that Tu Xingsun had mistaken the mission for a scheme to seize burial treasures. Tu Xingsun accepted the assignment, while Zi Shou expected to gain Foolishness Value from him.

• Zi Shou ordered the ministers to relocate King Wu Ding’s tomb and the mausoleums of worthy ancestors to Cloud Dream Mountain, but the nobles and ministers did not act.
• Zi Shou recognized Sun Xingtu as Tu Xingsun from his alias and appearance, then summoned him for a special assignment.
• Zi Shou appointed Tu Xingsun Tomb-Relocation Commandant and asked him to move the known Shang royal tombs and search for lost Xia and Shang tombs.
• Zi Shou ordered Tu Xingsun to relocate nobles’ ancestral mausoleums as well, since the nobles had ignored his decree.
• Tu Xingsun wrongly concluded that Zi Shou wanted the tombs’ burial goods and pledged to carry out the mission, while Zi Shou anticipated earning Foolishness Value.

Zi Shou persuaded Qian Bao and Yu Hua to develop circumcision as a way to reduce disease, hoping the controversial procedure would earn him Foolishness Value. After they devised a method, he moved to test it on refugees at the Qi River construction site before making it compulsory.

• Zi Shou explained the supposed benefits of circumcision to Qian Bao and Yu Hua at the Medical Academy.
• Qian Bao agreed to support the operation despite the risk of criticism, and Yu Hua agreed to perform it.
• Zi Shou told them to study the procedure carefully before attempting it.
• Half a month later, Qian Bao and Yu Hua reported that they had worked out a method.
• Zi Shou decided to test the operation on a few refugees working at the Qi River construction site before requiring it more widely.

Zhang San tried to steal what he believed was a medicinal decoction from the Dark Phoenix Guard, but the bait was a knockout drug used to capture him. Zi Shou ordered him circumcised as punishment and named Li Si as the next culprit.

• Zhang San sneaked into the Dark Phoenix Guard's fields and stole Mei De's supposed medicinal decoction while Mei De stepped away.
• Zhang San drank the contents, collapsed, and was captured by Zi Shou and five Dark Phoenix Guards, who revealed the jar contained Knockout Drug 2.0.
• At the Medical Academy, Zhang San realized Yu Hua was preparing to circumcise him and named Li Si as his accomplice.
• Qiongxiao forced more knockout drug down Zhang San's throat, and Yu Hua performed the circumcision while Zi Shou watched.
• After waking, Zhang San learned that Li Si was being operated on next door and accepted that they would both face punishment.

While Great Shang’s chaotic surgery campaign raised Zi Shou’s Foolishness Value, Bo Yikao used his captivity in Western Qiang to turn Jiang Midang’s own troops against him. The chapter ended with Jiang Midang dead and Bo Yikao facing the Qiang soldiers who had helped kill their king.

• Zi Shou celebrated his rising Foolishness Value and waited for Tu Xingsun to move the bones from the graves.
• Jiang Midang praised Jiang Kao’s music and troop training, then planned to conquer Xiqi and Western Rong while delaying Jiang Kao’s execution.
• A messenger reported that Ji Fa had brought Xiqi’s army to within ten li of the Qiang Royal Court, prompting Jiang Midang to prepare for battle.
• Jiang Midang ordered Jiang Kao to lead the hundred Qiang soldiers in a drill, intending to use the display before killing him.
• Jiang Kao directed the soldiers to fire a synchronized volley at Jiang Midang, killing him with dozens of arrows.
• The Qiang soldiers turned their bows on Jiang Kao, who told them they had killed their king together.

Ehe and Shaoge’s Qiang army was crushed by Xiqi, while Jiang Kao seized the Royal Court after killing Jiang Midang. With the Western Qiang defeated and divided, Ehe, Shaoge, and the young prince led the remaining troops toward Chaoge to seek Great Shang’s aid.

• Ehe and Shaoge led the Qiang army into battle against Nangong Shi’s Xiqi vanguard, but Xiqi’s generals routed them and reduced their force to tens of thousands.
• A scout reported that the Qiang king had been killed, and Shaoge killed him to keep the news from spreading.
• Ehe and Shaoge encountered fleeing troops from the Royal Court and learned from Jiang Dangdang that Jiang Kao had killed Jiang Midang and led a revolt.
• As the Qiang submitted to Jiang Kao amid the defeat, Ehe ordered the remaining troops to flee west and seek refuge with Great Shang.
• Shaoge told Jiang Dangdang that Great Shang was their only hope, and the surviving Qiang headed toward Chaoge.

Yang Jian tracked Liangshan’s bandits, convinced they were conspirators serving Xiqi, and infiltrated their ranks to investigate. He followed Wen Liang and the new recruits up the mountain, bewildered by Liangshan’s rules and its efforts to reform bandits.

• Yang Jian and the Howling Celestial Dog reached Liangshan, where Yang Jian spotted a market arranged as a magic formation and flags reading “Act in Heaven’s Name.”
• Wen Liang announced that Wen Ping, Cui Ying, and Jiang Xiong had arrived from Flying Phoenix Mountain to join Liangshan.
• Yang Jian pretended he had come to join Chief Xin, and Wen Liang explained that Deng was Liangshan’s head chief and Xin Huan was its second chief.
• Wen Ping stopped a new recruit from stealing and compensated the vendor, while Wen Liang explained that Liangshan was reforming its bandits into the Yellow Turban Army.
• Wen Liang led Yang Jian and the recruits up the mountain to meet his sworn brother.

Yang Jian investigated Liangshan and learned from Wen Liang that the bandits served King Zhou’s secret plan, admitting only men who had committed no great evil and reforming the others through labor. He reached Loyalty Hall less suspicious of the stronghold, though he had yet to meet its chief.

• Yang Jian watched Ma Shan use his third eye to judge new recruits, and Wen Liang explained that Liangshan rejected men guilty of great evil.
• Wen Liang told Yang Jian that King Zhou had secretly organized Liangshan as a people’s force to help Great Shang when disorder came.
• Wen Liang explained that Liangshan’s bandit identity and banners were meant to confuse enemies while drawing in potential recruits.
• Yang Jian saw that the yellow-turbaned bandits were amiable despite their rough speech, and Wen Liang described how he and Ma Shan had formed their kindhearted band.
• Yang Jian saw rejected, bloodstained bandits doing reform labor and heard that Liangshan hoped to change them through work.
• Wen Liang led Yang Jian to Loyalty Hall, where Liangshan’s chief was preparing to speak with the King of Jin in Chaoge.

Yang Jian met with Liangshan’s chiefs and learned that they planned to unite bandits and commoners so people could find refuge during the coming chaos. He agreed to help them expand their network of mountain strongholds, despite the dangers they faced.

• Yang Jian greeted Xin Huan and the other chiefs, acknowledging their discipline and asking how they would prevent their recruits from turning evil.
• Deng Zhong explained that the chiefs would oversee the bandits and invited Yang Jian to help Liangshan recruit capable people from among the commoners.
• Yang Jian warned the chiefs that expansion could provoke the feudal lords and even force King Zhou to send troops against them.
• Deng Zhong and the others accepted the risks, saying they were willing to die if their work helped more people survive.
• Deng Zhong outlined plans to establish branch strongholds across Great Shang and the feudal lords’ territories, giving commoners refuge from marauding troops.
• Wen Liang declared that a peaceful realm should be King Zhou’s realm, and Yang Jian agreed to help Liangshan carry out its plan.

Zhang Da organized lessons from nobles’ newspapers, prompting the previously idle new officials to study and develop skills for grassroots administration. After reading Zhang Da’s report, Zi Shou worried about the results and proposed recruiting talent through civil service examinations.

• Zhang Da collected nobles’ newspapers and arranged courses where new officials studied ancestral deeds and shared their reflections.
• The new officials embraced their studies, giving Zhang Da hope that they could be trained in the large numbers needed for Great Shang’s commandery-and-county system.
• Zhang Da submitted a memorial reporting the new officials’ progress to Zi Shou.
• Zi Shou summoned Zhang Da and announced that he would recruit talent through civil service examinations.

Zi Shou introduced civil service examinations and spread provocative theories about ancient rulers, prompting speculation about the Six Hundred Years of Void. He summoned Xin Jia to hear about trouble among the nobles, only to learn that they had fallen for a scheme.

• Zi Shou persuaded Zhang Da to draft regulations for civil service examinations while weighing their benefits and risks.
• Zi Shou used his own channels to circulate disputed accounts claiming ancient rulers had seized power through imprisonment and murder.
• The claims sparked heated debate, and people began calling the poorly documented period from Fuxi to Xia Qi the Six Hundred Years of Void.
• Zi Shou summoned Xin Jia, who reported that problems had arisen with the nobles.
• Xin Jia told Zi Shou that the nobles had fallen for a scheme, leaving Zi Shou confused about what had happened.

Xin Jia interpreted the nobles’ feuds over ancestral rumors as Zi Shou’s deliberate strategy, while Zi Shou ordered the fighters arrested and worried that the conflict would divert public anger from him. At the Ministry of Punishments, Li Jing claimed the turmoil also secured Chaoge nobles’ short-term farming-tool profits, though he expected Zi Shou to reclaim those gains later.

• Xin Jia praised Zi Shou’s supposed plan to divide the nobles by provoking disputes over ancestral graves and rumors about their ancestors.
• Zi Shou ordered nobles involved in private fighting arrested, told officials to execute the rebel Lou Yunqu, and demanded that any uncircumcised nobles be cut.
• After Xin Jia left, Zi Shou smashed his desk and lamented that the nobles’ feuds were taking public criticism away from him.
• Bi'an and Xiezhi discussed enforcing the new law equally against nobles who fought, while Li Jing described how the turmoil could benefit Chaoge’s farming-tool trade.
• Li Jing predicted that Chaoge’s nobles would profit from selling new farming tools for a year or two, but said Zi Shou would eventually take those gains back.

Zi Shou ordered an army of 180,000 to march west, ostensibly to train troops and probe Xiqi, after learning that Ji Fa had led 100,000 men against the western Qiang. He secretly planned to use the deployment to reach Qiaoshan and disturb the Yellow Emperor’s mausoleum.

• Li Jing, Xiezhi, and Bi'an concluded that King Zhou was keeping Chaoge’s nobles comfortable so he could later take their wealth and praised his schemes.
• An eunuch summoned Li Jing, Xiezhi, and Bi'an to a new court assembly, where Zi Shou ordered supplies prepared and an army assembled for an immediate western march.
• Lu Xiong suggested the march would probe the western powers and train the troops, and Zi Shou approved the explanation and announced a force of 180,000.
• A military report revealed that Ji Fa had led 100,000 troops, including Nezha and Wei Hu, against the western Qiang.
• Lu Xiong proposed that the Slave Army harass Xiqi’s forces or deter further expansion, while Zi Shou secretly resolved to lead his army to Qiaoshan and disturb the Yellow Emperor’s tomb.

Zi Shou assembled an army of 180,000 and set out from Chaoge to probe the situation near Xiqi, while placing Fei Zhong and You Hun in charge of affairs at home. The expedition was stopped by a lone person before reaching the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum at Qiaoshan.

• Zi Shou asked Shang Rong to choose officials for the expedition, and Shang Rong recommended Yin Pobai, Li Lie, and Chao Tian while advising that Lu Xiong remain in Chaoge.
• Zi Shou ordered Lu Xiong to prepare 180,000 troops, assigned Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao to arrange provisions, and gave the remaining ministers regular days off.
• Zi Shou ordered Shang Rong to accompany the army and put Fei Zhong and You Hun in charge of domestic and foreign affairs in Chaoge.
• Daji refused to let Zi Shou take Wu Geng on the expedition, so Zi Shou left Wu Geng to oversee the state with Fei Zhong and You Hun assisting.
• Zi Shou led the 180,000 troops out of Chaoge, but a single person stopped them before they reached the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum at Qiaoshan.

Wei Ben forced his way into Zi Shou’s camp to offer his martial skills, but Zi Shou ordered him arrested for having a supposed “rebel bone.” Shang Rong reframed the king’s threat as a lesson in discipline, and Wei Ben accepted punishment before Zi Shou directed him to enter the military examination.

• Wei Ben broke into the camp alone, defeated several generals, and offered to conquer Qi Pass and Xiqi for Zi Shou.
• Zi Shou recognized Wei Ben from the original story and ordered him beheaded to prevent his future fame and accomplishments.
• When Wei Ben tried to leave, Zi Shou stopped his saber with two fingers and had guards seize him.
• Shang Rong rebuked Wei Ben for disrespecting royal authority, then persuaded him that Zi Shou’s threat was meant to correct his behavior.
• Wei Ben apologized and accepted punishment, and Zi Shou told him to compete in the military examination if he wanted to serve the state.