Chapter Summaries

Li Guangxin explained that Grand Confucian Yan Lei had come to Southern Yu Prefecture to investigate Xu Qingxiao’s Thesis Article, leaving Xu caught between helping the arrested constables and risking a clash with the scholars. As arrests fueled public resentment, Xu ranked first in the Prefectural Examination and preparations began for a tower banquet expected to bring further trouble.

• Li Guangxin told Xu Qingxiao that Yan Lei had come to probe his Thesis Article, making the constables’ case a dangerous test of his philosophical position.
• Li Xin suggested that Xu claim his article followed Sage Zhu’s teachings, but Xu Qingxiao and Li Guangxin rejected the idea because it would make helping the constables impossible.
• Li Guangxin warned Li Xin that Xu could become an enemy of scholars across the realm if he intervened, while Li Xin vowed to stand by Xu if he chose to act.
• Southern Yu Prefecture’s officers arrested hundreds of people connected to the brawl and then widened their searches, while the people placed their hopes in Xu Qingxiao.
• Xu Qingxiao ranked first when the Prefectural Examination results were posted, and preparations began for a tower banquet that many expected to spark trouble.

After placing first in the Prefectural Examination, Xu Qingxiao struggled with whether to declare his own thesis, Unity of Knowledge and Action, to save Yang Bao, Yang Hu, and others from exile. He went to the Southern Yu Prefecture Banquet, where Bright Dawn Academy arrived as the dispute over his decision continued to draw attention.

• Li Xin told Xu Qingxiao that he had placed first in the Prefectural Examination and that Li Xin, Wang Ru, and Chen Xinghe had also passed.
• Xu Qingxiao decided to attend the banquet to meet Wan Anguo and Yan Lei, despite facing a choice between declaring his thesis and risking his place in scholarly circles or leaving the accused to be exiled.
• Chen Xinghe advised Xu Qingxiao not to jeopardize his official future over the accused, while Xu Qingxiao said he understood but had prepared no poem for the banquet.
• A woman with two children knelt before Xu Qingxiao and begged him to save her husband from exile; Li Xin promised to investigate, and Wang Ru led Xu Qingxiao onward.
• Xu Qingxiao and his companions arrived at the Southern Yu Pavilion, where guests gathered around him before Bright Dawn Academy arrived.

At the Southern Yu Prefecture banquet, Xu Qingxiao pleaded with Wan Anguo to show leniency toward the constables who had defended him, but Yan Lei rebuked him and ordered him to stop. After Zhang Heng repeatedly mocked him, Xu Qingxiao answered with the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng, stunning the hall as literary Qi surged and an auspicious radiance appeared across the prefecture.

• Zhang Heng and the Bright Dawn Academy students taunted Xu Qingxiao outside the pavilion, while Chen Xinghe defended him and led the group inside.
• Xu Qingxiao asked Wan Anguo to spare the constables and offered to pay compensation and apologize, but Yan Lei condemned the plea and warned him not to press the matter.
• After the banquet began, Zhang Heng recited a poem and challenged Xu Qingxiao to compose one; Xu Qingxiao criticized Zhang Heng's verse and announced he would improvise a preface.
• Mu Nanping poured wine for Xu Qingxiao, who began reciting the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng before the assembled guests.
• As Xu Qingxiao recited its celebrated lines, literary Qi flooded the hall and radiant clouds appeared over Southern Yu Prefecture, leaving Yan Lei, Wan Anguo, Zhang Heng, and the guests stunned.

At the Southern Yu Tower Banquet, Xu Qingxiao stunned the gathering with the Preface to the Southern Yu Pavilion, then confronted Grand Confucian Yan Lei and declared his new thesis, Unity of Knowledge and Action. He beat Bright Dawn Academy students, swore to challenge Yan Lei’s Confucian standing, and left for prison, promising to comprehend intent and reach the Seventh Rank within three days.

• Xu Qingxiao composed the Preface to the Southern Yu Pavilion, whose literary qi and auspicious radiance astonished the banquet and humiliated Zhang Heng.
• Xu Qingxiao pressed Zhang Heng and Yan Jun to leave the seats of honor, then accused Yan Lei of favoring his nephew and applying the law unfairly.
• Xu Qingxiao admitted he had written a Thesis Article and announced his new thesis, Unity of Knowledge and Action.
• Xu Qingxiao explained his thesis by beating Bright Dawn Academy students who had provoked him, while the assembled soldiers hesitated to intervene.
• Xu Qingxiao swore to strip Yan Lei of his Confucian standing if he became a sage, then declared he would enter prison and reach the Seventh Rank within three days.
• Li Xin, Wang Ru, Chen Xinghe, and many other scholars followed Xu Qingxiao toward prison, leaving Yan Lei amid the wreckage of the banquet.

After Yan Lei publicly condemned Xu Qingxiao, Xu answered with a poem that spread throughout Great Wei, and the people of Southern Yu Prefecture rallied in his defense. As the court learned of the confrontation, Xu meditated in prison to clarify his intent and face the three-day test ahead.

• Mu Nanping and Mu Nan'ning left the banquet after Mu Nanping challenged Yan Lei, who then used his Literary Brush to condemn Xu Qingxiao before heaven, the court, and scholars across Great Wei.
• Xu Qingxiao answered Yan Lei with his own denunciation and poem, which spread to academies, the palace, and Great Wei's Literary Palace; Yan Lei vomited blood and collapsed in fury.
• Xu Qingxiao entered prison voluntarily, and Wang Ru told Yang Bao and the others how he had risked his prospects to defend them and establish Unity of Knowledge and Action.
• Scholars and commoners across Southern Yu Prefecture rallied to Xu Qingxiao, gathered outside the prison and public buildings, and attacked students at Bright Dawn Academy, especially Zhang Heng and Yan Jun.
• Li Guangxin deployed the prefecture's soldiers to guard the crowds without harming them as storms gathered over the city.
• Xu Qingxiao meditated in prison to clarify his intent, while the uproar reached the Capital of Great Wei.

The Great Wei Literary Palace condemned Xu Qingxiao after his fierce denunciation of Grand Confucian Yan Lei, while the Female Emperor learned how events in Southern Yu Prefecture had sparked popular protests seeking justice for him. At court, the Duke of An secured Xu Qingxiao three days to clarify his guiding principle, and the Female Emperor warned Sun Jing'an that he could retire if Xu succeeded and had not insulted Sage Zhu.

• Xu Qingxiao's article reached the Great Wei Literary Palace, where scholars denounced him and called for his arrest, but a messenger reported that the people of Southern Yu Prefecture were protesting in his defense.
• Wan'er recounted the events to the Female Emperor, who learned that Li Guangxin had stirred up public resentment to protect Xu Qingxiao and decided to address the matter at court.
• Wang Jing demanded that Xu Qingxiao lose his scholarly honors and be exiled, while Zhao Yan and the Duke of An argued that he had sought justice for the people and should be treated leniently.
• Sun Jing'an called for Xu Qingxiao to be stripped of his honors and imprisoned, but the Duke of An argued that Xu should first be given three days to clarify his guiding principle.
• The Female Emperor granted Xu Qingxiao three days to clarify his intent and ruled that the case would end if he had not insulted Sage Zhu; she then told Sun Jing'an he could retire if Xu succeeded under those conditions.

Xu Qingxiao illuminated his will and established the School of the Mind, declaring unity of knowledge and action as his path and shaking the whole Great Wei Dynasty. Heaven and earth acknowledged him as a student of heaven and earth, while Sage Zhu’s Disciples branded him their enemy; the chapter ended with the people of Southern Yu Prefecture bowing to him as Master Xu.

• Sun Jing'an and the Confucian officials planned to challenge Xu Qingxiao if he failed to illuminate his will before the deadline, while Mu Nanping urged Prince Yongping to support him.
• Xu Qingxiao pondered unity of knowledge and action in prison, then walked across Southern Yu Lake amid violent storms as purple righteous Haoran qi filled the sky.
• Xu Qingxiao declared that he illuminated his gentlemanly will and established the School of the Mind, proclaiming that its followers could attain sagehood; his words resounded throughout Great Wei.
• The Female Emperor ordered Xu Qingxiao brought to the Capital, while the Great Wei Literary Palace condemned his teachings as a threat to Sage Zhu’s lineage and forbade Sage Zhu’s Disciples from studying them.
• Heaven and earth bestowed a Confucian robe and jade crown on Xu Qingxiao, recognizing him as a student of heaven and earth; he dispersed the storm and bowed to the people of Southern Yu Prefecture, who saluted him as Master Xu.

Great Wei's Literary Palace issued a proclamation that offered Xu Qingxiao a statue if he abandoned his intent, recasting its conflict with him as an effort to guide a misguided talent. Xu Qingxiao refused to yield and began preparing an essay for the imperial court, while two figures raced through the mountains outside Southern Yu Prefecture.

• Grand Confucian Zhengming told Great Wei's Literary Palace to acknowledge Xu Qingxiao's talent while arguing that his intent and words were misguided, and proposed erecting a statue if he joined Sage Zhu's lineage.
• Great Wei's Literary Palace proclaimed its settlement with Xu Qingxiao, punished Yan Lei, and invited Xu Qingxiao to abandon his intent in exchange for a statue; Sage Zhu's disciples first reacted with anger, then praised the Grand Confucians' generosity.
• The Duke of An told his family that the proclamation was a shrewd political maneuver, arranged a gift and invitation for Xu Qingxiao, then hurried to send more gifts after learning other dukes were doing the same.
• Xu Qingxiao spoke with Zhaoge in the Heaven and Earth Literary Palace, who urged him to proceed cautiously at court so he could serve the people and advance toward sagehood.
• After reading the proclamation, Xu Qingxiao said he would not abandon his intent or accept a statue, then decided to write an essay for the imperial court.
• Cheng Lidong raced through the mountains outside Southern Yu Prefecture with another figure.

Xu Qingxiao’s letter helped the Female Emperor settle the dispute with the Confucian officials, and he left Southern Yu Prefecture for a triumphant homecoming before preparing to enter the capital. After returning to Ping'an County and visiting his teacher, he asked Zhou Ling for advice on court politics, but Zhou Ling began warning him about a matter he must avoid.

• Cheng Lidong tried to recruit a White Robe Sect disciple to gain leverage over Xu Qingxiao, but the man swallowed a Meridian-Severing Pill and died before Cheng could explain himself.
• At court, Zhao Yan and the Duke of An pressed the Female Emperor to punish the Confucian officials, and Xu Qingxiao’s letter admitted fault while subtly mocking Sage Zhu’s Lineage and pleading for the common people.
• The Female Emperor ordered Xu Qingxiao to apologize to Yan Lei, docked Yan Lei’s salary, raised Southern Yu Prefecture’s taxes for a year, and dismissed Wang Jing from office for life.
• Xu Qingxiao considered how to improve agricultural productivity with seed crops, better tools, and fertilizer, then gave Li Xin his waterwheel designs to test in Southern Yu Prefecture.
• Xu Qingxiao left Southern Yu Prefecture, received an enthusiastic welcome in Ping'an County, gave County Magistrate Li two thousand taels to help develop the county, and visited his teacher Zhou Ling.
• Zhou Ling advised Xu Qingxiao to speak carefully at court and reconcile with Sage Zhu’s Lineage if possible, then began warning him not to get involved in a particular matter.

Chen Xinghe visited Zhou Ling after passing the Prefectural Examination, but his hopes of being celebrated were repeatedly punctured before Zhou advised him to go to the Capital City and help Xu Qingxiao. As Xu Qingxiao approached the Capital City, he received a White Robe Sect message and was shaken down by the spoiled grandsons of nobles, leaving him intent on dealing with them later.

• Chen Xinghe entered Ping'an County expecting recognition, but a fan vendor asked him to write a recruitment notice, and the townspeople dismissed his reputation in favor of Xu Qingxiao.
• Chen Xinghe reached Zhou Ling's home, heard his teacher and the teacher's wife criticize his talent, and learned that Zhou wanted him to copy Xu Qingxiao's signature on books.
• Zhou Ling advised Chen Xinghe to travel to the Capital City to support Xu Qingxiao and prepare for his own official career, then made him copy the signature under threat of the Discipline Ruler.
• Xu Qingxiao considered the rivalries between the court's civil and military factions and decided to avoid openly taking sides as he entered the Capital City.
• Xu Qingxiao found a White Robe Sect message bearing a robe and peach blossom, suspected the sect had tracked him through Constable Chen, and decided that contact with them might still prove useful.
• Near the Capital City, Xu Qingxiao paid five taels to a group of noble youths blocking the road, then resolved to deal with them later.

Xu Qingxiao entered the Capital, met the helpful gate official Zhou Jing'an, and visited the Duke of An, where he won the duke's favor with his patriotic convictions. After recognizing the Duke's grandson as the purple-robed boy who had accosted him at the city gate, Xu Qingxiao proclaimed that the boy had the makings of a Grand Confucian, leaving everyone stunned.

• Xu Qingxiao entered the Capital and Zhou Jing'an offered to guide him, explained the city, and arranged an inn and a map of the dukes' residences.
• Xu Qingxiao witnessed foreigners extorting a scholar on West Street and secretly caused their jade stall to collapse before continuing to the Duke of An's residence.
• Xu Qingxiao presented the Duke of An with an inscribed fan and impressed him at the banquet by expressing his desire to fight the northern barbarians and avenge Great Wei's humiliation.
• The Duke of An praised Xu Qingxiao and scolded his descendants for failing to follow his example until his purple-robed grandson arrived.
• Xu Qingxiao recognized the grandson as the boy who had demanded money from him at the city gate, examined him with Righteous Haoran Qi, and declared that he had the makings of a Grand Confucian.

Xu Qingxiao persuaded the Duke of An's family that Li Fan could become a Grand Confucian and agreed to teach him and other military families' children. He used the arrangement to build ties with the dukes and princes, while the Duke of An resolved to cultivate a close friendship with him.

• Xu Qingxiao claimed that Li Fan had the potential to become a Grand Confucian, and the Duke of An and Li Bing eagerly believed him.
• Xu Qingxiao identified excessive indulgence, poor instruction, and bad company as obstacles to Li Fan's future, then refused to teach him until the family promised to let him discipline the boy.
• Li Fan protested being made Xu Qingxiao's student, but his family silenced him and agreed to the arrangement.
• Xu Qingxiao proposed gathering Li Fan's friends and other noble youths to study together, and the Duke of An planned a banquet to bring them in.
• Xu Qingxiao privately recognized that teaching the nobles' descendants would help him build political connections, while the Duke of An told Li Bing that Xu Qingxiao was worth cultivating a close friendship with.

Xu Qingxiao built ties with the military nobles by agreeing to teach their unruly descendants, then received an imperial summons and prepared to attend court. At the Meridian Gate, he reunited with Grand Confucian Chen Xin and the military officials, while hostile Confucian officials watched him as the court session began.

• The dukes and marquises gathered at the Duke of An's estate, where Xu Qingxiao accepted their descendants as disciples and established strict rules for their education.
• Xu Qingxiao had the children kowtow and copy eight words, and Huo Lin became the first class monitor; the nobles then argued over whom Xu Qingxiao's Man Jiang Hong had been written for.
• After the banquet, Xu Qingxiao reflected on his conduct, and the Female Emperor ordered him to attend court the next day.
• Xu Qingxiao received the summons from Li Xian, visited the dukes and marquises, and learned court protocol before traveling to the Meridian Gate before dawn.
• Xu Qingxiao greeted Grand Confucian Chen Xin, faced hostile whispers from other Confucian officials, and was warmly welcomed by the military nobles before the imperial summons called all officials into court.

Xu Qingxiao attended court, where the Female Emperor appointed him a section chief in the Ministry of Punishment after officials argued over his placement. She summoned him privately to Yangxin Hall, but their audience ended with her asking whether he had eaten and sending him away.

• The Duke of An and the Marquis of Guangping escorted Xu Qingxiao into court, where he wondered why eunuchs held so little influence.
• The Female Emperor granted Xu Qingxiao a residence, gold, and gifts, then proposed appointing him Vice Director of Personnel.
• Wu Pu and the Vice Minister of Personnel opposed placing Xu Qingxiao in Personnel, while the Marquis of Guangping, military officials, and the Duke of An supported the appointment.
• The Female Emperor assigned Xu Qingxiao as a Subordinate Seventh Rank section chief in the Ministry of Punishment and admitted him to the Censorate; Xu Qingxiao declared his devotion to Great Wei.
• After court, Xu Qingxiao discussed eunuchs with Li Xian and went to Yangxin Hall when summoned by the Female Emperor.
• The Female Emperor asked Xu Qingxiao whether he had eaten, told him to eat first, and dismissed him; afterward, she furrowed her brows in confusion.

Xu Qingxiao faced growing hostility from Sage Zhu's adherents after refusing to join their lineage, then began his new post in the Ministry of Punishment. The chapter ended as he opened the Pingqiu Relief Case file assigned to him.

• Chen Zhengru, Sun Jing'an, and Zhengming suspected the Female Emperor intended to use Xu Qingxiao to challenge the Confucian lineage, and Sun Jing'an proposed testing him with the Pingqiu Relief Case.
• Xu Qingxiao treated Eunuch Li warmly and gave him silver, earning Li Xian's heartfelt loyalty.
• Xu Qingxiao visited Grand Confucian Chen Xin, played Go with him, and refused his advice to join Sage Zhu's Lineage.
• Prince Huaiping rebuked Xu Qingxiao and used his martial aura to threaten him, but Grand Confucian Chen Xin intervened.
• Xu Qingxiao visited Grand Confucian Zhou Min, then returned to the inn and focused on cultivating his Martial Dao.
• Xu Qingxiao reported to the Ministry of Punishment, asked to recruit his own staff, and received the Pingqiu Relief Case file from Zhou Nan.

Xu Qingxiao faced deliberate obstruction at the Ministry of Punishment over a suspicious Pingqiu relief case, while the Heir of Yongping invited him to the Peaceful Age Poetry Gathering and offered to mediate with Prince Huaiping. After moving into Shouren Academy and receiving help from his trusted men, Xu Qingxiao prepared to push back against those targeting him.

• Xu Qingxiao judged Zhang Nantian’s supposed embezzlement, suicide, and family massacre suspicious, then learned Deputy Minister Feng Jianhua had assigned him the case and left the capital.
• Xu Qingxiao requested the case records, but the Document Archive repeatedly refused to provide them, and Ministry officials continued to ignore him.
• The Heir of Yongping invited Xu Qingxiao to the Peaceful Age Poetry Gathering and offered to mediate with Prince Huaiping, but Xu Qingxiao refused to apologize.
• Xu Qingxiao discussed Prince Huaiping’s martial rank with the Heir of Yongping, then rejected the Pill Deity Ancient Scripture’s attempt to persuade him to refine a Realm-Breaking Pill.
• Xu Qingxiao received letters from Yang Bao and Yang Hu, Chen Xinghe, and Li Xin, then moved into Shouren Academy after it was ready.
• Yang Bao, Yang Hu, and their trusted companions arrived, and Xu Qingxiao resolved to strike back against the people obstructing him.

Xu Qingxiao’s patience with the Ministry of Punishment ended after he learned that Zhou Nan had been beaten and dismissed for trying to obtain files on his behalf. After officials refused to hear his appeal, Xu Qingxiao invoked the Sages, whose five statues answered together, while Prince Huaiping threatened him and a brilliant light rose from Xu Qingxiao.

• Yang Bao, Yang Hu, and four other martial men arrived at Shouren Academy, and Xu Qingxiao welcomed them and gave them a token to register with the Ministry of Personnel.
• Xu Qingxiao’s recruits were repeatedly delayed at the Ministry of Personnel, while the Ministry of Punishment withheld the Pingqiu disaster relief files and Zhou Nan eventually disappeared.
• Xu Qingxiao learned that Zhou Nan had been beaten with twenty strokes and dismissed after requesting files, so he visited Zhou Nan and promised to seek justice.
• Xu Qingxiao appealed to four Vice Directors, the Clerk Bureau, Right Vice Minister Li Yuan, and Minister Zhang Jing, but they rejected or mocked him.
• Xu Qingxiao recited the Song of Righteousness and used his Literary Brush to accuse Ministry of Punishment officials before the Sages; all five sacred statues resounded, stripping Li Yuan of his righteous Haoran qi and costing Zhang Jing years of life.
• Prince Huaiping threatened Xu Qingxiao for damaging the Ministry of Punishment’s fortune, but Xu Qingxiao stood firm as an immense brilliance rose from his body.

Xu Qingxiao impeached the Ministry of Punishment over its mistreatment of his subordinate Zhou Nan, then confronted Prince Huaiping and forced him to accept a one-month prison sentence. He demanded the Ministry’s senior officials step down and began punishing them under its own laws, leaving the minister and vice minister in his sights.

• Xu Qingxiao’s impeachment of the Ministry of Punishment summoned a terrifying celestial phenomenon, and Prince Huaiping stormed into the ministry to threaten him.
• Xu Qingxiao accused Prince Huaiping of abusing his authority and submitted a memorial demanding an investigation; Prince Huaining agreed that Prince Huaiping should serve one month in prison.
• Xu Qingxiao demanded the Minister of Punishment, the Vice Ministers, the Directors of the twenty-seven Clerical Offices, and the four Vice Directors step down over Zhou Nan’s mistreatment.
• Xu Qingxiao beat the archive keeper thirty times under ministry regulations, then punished the four Vice Directors and the twenty-seven directors of the Bureau of Administration.
• Xu Qingxiao warned the ministry’s guards not to interfere and turned his attention toward the Vice Minister and the Minister of Punishment.

Xu Qingxiao caned the Ministry of Punishment’s officials, and the Female Emperor summoned him and Minister Zhang Jing to the palace before he could strike Zhang Jing. She punished the ministry and gave Xu Qingxiao one month to solve his case, then allowed him half an hour to make amends by restoring Great Wei’s national fortune.

• Xu Qingxiao caned all twenty-seven regional Directors and Vice Minister Li Yuan, then moved to strike Minister Zhang Jing before an imperial summons stopped him.
• Zhang Jing accused Xu Qingxiao of causing a scandal in the Great Hall, but Xu Qingxiao argued that the Ministry of Punishment had neglected injustice and obstructed his work.
• The Female Emperor ordered Xu Qingxiao to solve his case within one month and penalized the ministry’s officials, dismissing four Vice Directors and placing Ministry of Works personnel in their posts.
• Zhang Jing demanded punishment over the damage to Great Wei’s national fortune, and Xu Qingxiao admitted to acting rashly but offered to restore that fortune through meritorious service.
• The Female Emperor granted Xu Qingxiao half an hour, and he left the hall declaring that he would increase Great Wei’s national fortune.

Xu Qingxiao restored and increased Great Wei’s national fortune by writing a fourteen-character maxim at the Ministry of Punishment, winning praise across the capital and receiving the Female Emperor’s decree clearing him of fault. After visiting the injured Zhou Nan, he went to the Ministry of Personnel to secure his subordinates’ appointments, then set out to investigate his case within the month.

• Xu Qingxiao wrote, “Do not commit an evil merely because it is small; do not neglect a good merely because it is small,” bringing auspicious signs and restoring Great Wei’s national fortune.
• Chen Zhengru praised Xu Qingxiao’s maxim, while scholars and officials across Great Wei marveled at his talent and Zhang Jing faced public humiliation.
• The Female Emperor declared Xu Qingxiao faultless, ordered the Ministry of Punishment to copy and spread his maxim, and gave him a month to investigate his case files.
• Xu Qingxiao brought medicine and tonics to Zhou Nan, promised to keep him as his records clerk, and left after the people praised him for seeking justice.
• Xu Qingxiao confronted the Ministry of Personnel over the delayed appointments of Yang Hu and the others; the Right Vice Minister punished the responsible official and prepared their documents.
• Xu Qingxiao left with the appointment documents and headed back to the Ministry of Punishment to begin his investigation.