Chapter Summaries

Scholars gathered at the White Tiger Daoist Grounds for a high-stakes debate over the Jingzhou academy and the New-Text and Old-Text versions of the Book of Documents. After learning the adjudicators all favored the Old-Text school, Wang Yang insisted the debate should proceed as usual and hinted he still had a way to win.

• Scholars from across the region filled the White Tiger Daoist Grounds, where Liu Zhao and Liu Tan prepared to represent their respective schools.
• Xu Bozhen, Lu Huan, and Shen Linshi arrived as Chief Lecturers, prompting Liu Zhao to fear their Old-Text sympathies would favor the Wang Academy.
• Xie Xinghan disguised herself as a male scholar and warned Liu Zhao and Wang Yang that the Prince of Badong had likely arranged the adjudicators in advance.
• Xie Xinghan proposed delaying the debate, while Yu Yuling urged the group to challenge the prince publicly, but they rejected both plans as dangerous.
• Wang Yang said they should hold the debate as planned because he would decide the victory or defeat, then suggested the Chief Lecturers might not necessarily prevent him from winning.

The Prince of Badong arrived late to the scholarly debate and opened the proceedings between Liu Tan of Hedong and Wang Yang of Langya. As Lu Huan invited them to begin debating the Old-Text and New-Text Book of Documents, Wang Yang warned Liu Tan that he might not get a chance to speak.

• Kong Changyu waited for the missing Prince of Badong and sent out search parties before the prince charged into the Dharma Grounds with more than twenty riders.
• The Prince of Badong took his seat, and Kong Changyu read the prince’s royal proclamation to open the debate.
• Liu Tan and Wang Yang introduced themselves as representatives of Hedong and Langya, drawing a buzz from the gathered scholars.
• Lu Huan announced that the first debate would concern the merits of the Old-Text and New-Text Book of Documents.
• Liu Tan invited Wang Yang to speak first, and Wang Yang warned that Liu Tan might not get a chance to respond.

Wang Yang challenged the Old-Text Book of Documents as a forgery, provoking disbelief before presenting his first piece of evidence: an allegedly anachronistic character in the text. Liu Tan answered that later copyists could have updated the character, leaving Wang Yang’s challenge unresolved.

• Liu Tan offered to present fifty-five advantages of the Old-Text Book of Documents, but Wang Yang declared that the classic was forged.
• The scholars, Liu Zhao, and others reacted with disbelief as Wang Yang claimed he could provide ninety-nine pieces of evidence and would ask Liu Tan three questions.
• Wang Yang argued that the character for “shadow” did not exist before the Eastern Han, yet appeared in the Old-Text Book of Documents’ Counsels of Great Yu.
• Liu Tan replied that copyists could have replaced an older character with one current in their own time and cited the Jin-era transmission of the text.
• Wang Yang pointed out that this explanation required the character to have changed across the transmitted copies, while Liu Zhao recognized that Liu Tan’s answer had not been refuted.

Wang Yang challenged Liu Tan and the Old-Text Book of Documents with questions about its historical conventions, temple systems, and chronology, leaving Liu unable to respond. When senior scholars defended the text, Wang cited Eastern Han references that contradicted the version in circulation, leaving Shen Linshi speechless.

• Wang Yang questioned why the Great Oath named a season despite the Book of Documents' speech-recording conventions, and Liu Tan could only offer a hesitant exception.
• Wang Yang challenged the claim that Yi Yin's Shang-era text mentioned seven temples, and Liu Tan could not answer.
• Xu Bozhen intervened, dismissing textual discrepancies as common errors, but Wang Yang followed with a question about conflicting dates for King Wu's campaign.
• Shen Linshi argued that the Book of Documents outweighed later histories, so Wang Yang compared its current text with Eastern Han citations of the Instructions of Yi.
• Wang Yang pointed out that three lines cited from the Eastern Han version were missing from the current Instructions of Yi, freezing Shen Linshi's smile.

Wang Yang dismantled the scholars’ defenses of the current Old-Text Book of Documents with historical and textual evidence that it was forged. As the gathering fell silent and Xu Bozhen and Shen Linshi urged Lu Huan to intervene, Lu Huan had yet to decide what to say.

• Wang Yang challenged the scholars’ claims by comparing the Han-era records and quotations of the Old-Text Book of Documents with Mei Ze’s later version.
• Wang Yang presented evidence of discrepancies in the current text’s chapter count, chapter titles, quotations, and wording.
• The scholars fell silent as Liu Zhao recorded Wang Yang’s arguments and Xie Xinghan listened closely.
• Xie Xinghan ordered her servants to remove two students who had been loudly gossiping about her bodyguard.
• Xu Bozhen and Shen Linshi urged Lu Huan to defend the Old-Text Book of Documents, while Lu Huan remained uncertain.

Wang Yang exposed the Old-Text Book of Documents as a forgery by citing its borrowings from other works, leaving Lu Huan unable to respond. Lu Huan collapsed and died, and the gathering turned violent as Wang Yang and Chen Qing Shan fought off attackers.

• Lu Huan challenged Wang Yang to identify plagiarism in the “Counsels of Great Yu,” and Wang Yang listed numerous passages borrowed from other texts.
• Xu Bozhen and Shen Linshi questioned Wang Yang about other chapters, and he answered each challenge with specific citations.
• Lu Huan collapsed and stopped breathing while Wang Yang was explaining how the “Instructions of Yi” had been altered from the Yellow Classic.
• Lu Huan’s disciples and angry scholars accused Wang Yang of murder and rushed the platform, while the Prince of Badong refused to intervene.
• Xie Xinghan ordered her servants to protect Wang Yang, and Chen Qing Shan knocked several attackers off the platform.
• Wang Yang warned off the next wave of attackers by invoking the Langya Wang clan and told Chen Qing Shan to draw her sword.

After the debate ended in a stalemate, the Prince of Badong gave Wang Yang a final challenge: name the shortest time needed to read the Old-Text Book of Documents. Wang Yang answered with a joke that amused the prince, leaving the debate’s result unresolved.

• Chen Qing Shan and the others stopped the crowd from fighting, while Lu Huan regained consciousness, praised Wang Yang, and was taken away for treatment.
• Xu Bozhen and Shen Linshi hesitated to declare Wang Yang the winner because doing so would mean accepting that the Old-Text Book of Documents was forged.
• The Prince of Badong asked Wang Yang about his folding fan, and Wang Yang explained where he had bought it, prompting the prince and wealthy students to order some.
• The Prince of Badong proposed a test to settle the debate, asking Wang Yang for the shortest time needed to read the Old-Text Book of Documents.
• Wang Yang said it took a blink of an eye, then read the title aloud; the Prince of Badong understood the joke and laughed.

Wang Yang won the scholarly debate and persuaded the Prince of Badong to let A-Wu and Black Han join his retainer troops by promising to lower Jingzhou’s rice prices. Though he gained a hundred thousand coins, he was left surrounded by scholars eager to meet and challenge him.

• The Prince of Badong declared Wang Yang the winner and made the Commandery Academy Jingzhou’s only official school.
• Wang Yang declined the hundred thousand coins and asked the Prince of Badong to transfer A-Wu and Black Han from military household status to his retainer troops.
• The Prince of Badong agreed to the transfer if Wang Yang lowered rice prices, and Wang Yang promised to sell rice arriving on his family’s ships at the original price.
• The Prince of Badong canceled Black Han’s scheduled transfer to Tianmen Commandery, and Wang Yang thanked him.
• Wang Yang found that the baskets of coins had been left behind and privately rejoiced at his new nest egg.
• Wang Yang invited scholars to a banquet and directed them to answer questions in his One Hundred Questions on the Book of Documents for a chance to become his guest, friend, or teacher.

Wang Yang tried to mend matters with Xie Xinghan after his poem caused offense, and she let him into her carriage to hear his explanation. The carriage headed for the Jiangling County Office, where Xie challenged him about his remarks on her ancestor.

• Wang Yang met Le Pang, who explained that his father had spread Wang Yang’s poem and that he had endured punishment without betraying him.
• Wang Yang spotted Xie Xinghan in a carriage, chased after her, and admitted that he had written the poem when she threatened to leave.
• Xie Xinghan ordered the carriage to stop and let Wang Yang aboard, despite Xiao Ning’s concern about the propriety of sharing a carriage.
• Wang Yang explained his poem and insisted that its reference to courtesans concerned Grand Tutor Xie’s past, not present circumstances.
• Xie Xinghan told Wang Yang that she did not understand why he had focused on her ancestor’s dalliances with courtesans and asked whether he personally longed for such things.

Wang Yang sought Xie Xinghan’s help with a plan to make grain prices fall, and she agreed to consider it in exchange for a lavish meal. The chapter ended with Wang Yang worrying that treating her at the Fragrant Snow Tower could drain money he needed for a house and his retainers.

• Wang Yang accidentally revealed how much he knew about Jingzhou’s pleasure quarters, then asked Xie Xinghan for help with grain prices.
• Xie Xinghan realized Wang Yang had lied to the Prince of Badong about having grain ships and demanded to know what he was planning.
• Wang Yang explained his plan and invoked the Treatise on the Goods and Trade, prompting Xie Xinghan to recognize its economic reasoning.
• Xie Xinghan questioned Wang Yang’s background, but he dodged her questions and assured her that grain prices would fall if she helped.
• Xie Xinghan demanded a meal at the Fragrant Snow Tower in exchange for her help, and Wang Yang agreed.
• Xie Xinghan joked that she would lend Wang Yang the money at tenfold interest, leaving him worried about the cost and his other expenses.

Wang Yang persuaded Xie Xinghan and Xiao Ning to visit the Xie Residence by claiming his extraordinary skill was cooking, then prepared unfamiliar dishes for them. As they sampled the food, conspirators elsewhere ordered their last resort to be put into action against him.

• Wang Yang distracted Xie Xinghan and Xiao Ning from visiting the Fragrant Snow Tower by inviting them to try his cooking.
• Xie Xinghan cleared the kitchen and its courtyard, and Wang Yang barred her from the kitchen while he cooked with Xiao Ning.
• Xie Xinghan sampled Wang Yang's Snow-Clad Red Bean Paste, Dongpo Pork, Four Happiness Meatballs, and Garlic Eggplant, praising the dishes and asking about their names.
• A group behind iron gates discussed Wang Yang and ordered their last resort to be prepared, saying they were working for someone powerful.

Wang Yang calculated his earnings and expenses, then bought a modest residence in Good Well Lane to house himself, Chen Qing Shan, Black Han, and A-Wu. After settling his accounts, he asked Chen Qing Shan how much she charged to work as a bodyguard.

• Wang Yang calculated that fan and book sales had left him with 256,400 cash after expenses.
• Wang Yang planned a ten-thousand-fan order and put the shopkeeper in charge, assigning Black Han to oversee production.
• Wang Yang bought an old mock two-courtyard compound in Good Well Lane for 154,800 cash including tax.
• Wang Yang finished his accounts with 101,600 cash remaining and asked Chen Qing Shan what she would charge as a bodyguard.

Wang Yang moved into a new house and received gifts from his friends, but Le Pang’s remarks about the low price of children made Wang Yang reconsider why Third Master Du had wanted A-Wu. The chapter ended with Wang Yang realizing A-Wu might be in danger and rushing back to Good Well Lane.

• Wang Yang refused Wang Yang’s earlier proposal to become his bodyguard, insisting that he wanted to uncover the truth instead.
• Wang Yang moved house and received gifts from Liu Zhao, Xie Xinghan, Yu Yuling, Le Xiaopang, Zong Ce, and Yu Qianlou.
• Le Xiaopang visited Wang Yang’s new home, helped him shop, and explained the local prices of servants and children.
• Wang Yang realized that Third Master Du had likely wanted A-Wu rather than repayment of the debt.
• Wang Yang noticed A-Wu was missing and ordered the ox cart to return to Good Well Lane.

After A-Wu disappeared, Wang Yang suspected that Third Master Du had abducted her over Black Han’s debt and considered how to search Du’s residence despite his powerful connections. He stopped Black Han from rushing into a reckless rescue, leaving the group without a settled plan.

• Black Han discovered A-Wu was missing and tried to run out searching, but Le Pang and Wang Yang stopped him.
• Wang Yang questioned Black Han about his debt and learned that Third Master Du’s contract had named A-Wu as payment.
• Le Pang explained that Third Master Du had the Prince of Luling’s protection, making a search of his residence difficult without solid evidence.
• Wang Yang asked Le Pang to seek help from his father, but Le Pang warned that his father lacked authority to command troops and county officials might not dare enter Du’s home.
• Black Han resolved to take his Yuzhang Blade and act alone, but Wang Yang ordered him to stop and urged him to follow a plan.
• Chen Qing Shan proposed subduing Third Master Du for information, but Wang Yang warned that coercion could create legal trouble without revealing A-Wu’s location.

Wang Yang confirmed that Third Master Du had targeted A-Wu and devised a plan with Le Pang to find her. He went to the Vast Source Pawnshop to summon Du San'er, and Shopkeeper Xue hurried off to find him while an unseen figure followed.

• Wang Yang told Le Pang he would confirm whether Third Master Du was responsible for A-Wu’s kidnapping, and Le Pang said his father would send soldiers only if they knew where she was.
• Wang Yang confronted Jiao Zheng, who admitted that Du San'er had asked him to transfer Black Han to another commandery, confirming Du San'er’s long pursuit of A-Wu.
• Wang Yang told Le Pang and the others that he was now certain Du San'er was behind the kidnapping and shared his plan with them.
• Wang Yang entered the Vast Source Pawnshop and demanded to see Du San'er, warning Shopkeeper Xue that the matter concerned the Prince of Luling and Du San'er's life and fortune.
• Shopkeeper Xue hurried out to find Du San'er, while a tall, slender figure secretly followed him from the street corner.

Wang Yang bluffed Third Master Du into fearing that he knew about the Prince of Luling, while Le Pang set out to rescue the abducted child. Jiangling County officers raided the Freight Depot, and the chapter ended as they stormed the gate.

• Le Zhan ordered Le Pang to arrange a rescue after believing the abducted child belonged to the Langya Wang family.
• Le Pang left with Chen Qing Shan and Black Han, while Chen Qing Shan asked whether the county office had a ladder.
• Third Master Du hurried to meet Wang Yang after hearing him mention the Prince of Luling.
• Wang Yang taunted Third Master Du with hints that he knew secrets involving His Highness, making Third Master Du uneasy.
• A woman in black and a force of Jiangling County officers climbed the Freight Depot wall and began their raid.

Wang Yang used Third Master Du’s fear of the Prince of Luling to keep him occupied while officers searched the Vast Source Pawnshop and rescued A-Wu. The rescue exposed Du’s men, and the chapter ended with Wang Yang asking what crime they had committed.

• Wang Yang hinted at the Prince of Luling’s status, and Third Master Du mistakenly believed he knew about their secret dealings.
• County Commandant Chen and a large force of officers arrived at the Vast Source Pawnshop after Le Pang sought help from the Provincial Deputy’s household.
• Le Pang, Chen Qing Shan, and Black Han brought A-Wu back to Wang Yang, and Third Master Du realized Wang Yang had tricked him into leaving the pawnshop unguarded.
• Le Pang reported that his men had fought ten bandits, leaving five dead, one unconscious, and two badly wounded.
• Wang Yang recognized two captured men from Eighth Camp Village, and Third Master Du demanded to know why his men had been arrested.

Wang Yang exposed Third Master Du as the instigator behind A-Wu’s abduction and had him arrested. After thanking Le Zhan, Wang Yang discussed the danger of letting Du Shubao escape punishment, while the chapter’s note explained that A-Wu’s testimony was legally invalid because she was under ten.

• Wang Yang rejected Third Master Du’s attempt to minimize the abduction charge and coaxed Qiu Dahao to identify the mastermind.
• A-Wu pointed at Third Master Du and claimed she had seen him checking on her, prompting Du to threaten her.
• Qiu Dahao contradicted A-Wu about the teapot, and Du kicked him before drawing a knife; Chen Qing Shan disarmed Du and the officers arrested him.
• Le Zhan prepared to punish Le Pang for his actions, but stopped when he saw Wang Yang arrive with him and greeted Wang instead.
• Le Zhan advised Wang Yang to leave Du Shubao’s punishment to Jiangling County, while Wang Yang warned that sparing him could invite future trouble.

Wang Yang asked Le Zhan to investigate why A-Wu had been abducted, while agreeing not to pursue Du San’s punishment himself. As Chen Qing Shan prepared to leave after Wang Yang’s upcoming visit to Jiao Zheng, he failed to persuade her to stay as his bodyguard.

• Le Zhan agreed to have Jiangling County interrogate Du San to learn why A-Wu had been abducted.
• Wang Yang watched Chen Qing Shan teach A-Wu breathing and basic martial arts, then asked Chen Qing Shan to teach him some moves.
• Chen Qing Shan told Wang Yang she would leave the following evening once he fulfilled their agreement by visiting Jiao Zheng’s house.
• Wang Yang offered to pay Chen Qing Shan to work as his bodyguard, but she refused and took offense at his claim that he had the brains while she had the strength.
• Wang Yang regretted arranging the visit so soon, but he could not bring himself to delay Chen Qing Shan’s effort to uncover the truth about her father’s case.

Wang Yang learned that Third Master Du had been released after Liu Yin took over the case and the four confessing men died by suicide. As Du was secretly escorted away, Wang Yang suspected a larger conspiracy and planned to seek the Prince of Badong’s support, unaware that four forces were exposing his false identity.

• Le Zhan told Wang Yang that Liu Yin had intervened in the case and that the four men who confessed had hanged themselves before sentencing.
• Third Master Du boarded a discreet riverboat under escort, cursing Liu Yin and intending to complain to the prince.
• Wang Yang considered why Liu Yin had protected Du and wondered whether their actions were connected to the Prince of Luling or A-Wu’s attempted abduction.
• Wang Yang decided to seek the Prince of Badong’s favor and considered leaving A-Wu at the Commandery Academy when Black Han was away.
• Four separate forces worked to expose Wang Yang’s false identity, and three had already succeeded.