Recaps

Li Jin visited Xie Lin to ask about the altered Imperial Silk Bureau accounts and accuse him of complicity in Suzhou’s temple abuses. Xie Lin defended his strategy of preserving the larger investigation, while Li Jin left with his suspicions unresolved and the threat of his downfall looming.

• Li Jin learned that Xie Lin had dismissed his servants and refused visitors, then went to the Xie Residence himself.
• Li Jin questioned Xie Lin about Wei Zi copying the bureau ledgers and asked how much of He Yanming’s private temple ledger was genuine.
• Xie Lin said he had taken none of the illicit silver and had delayed intervening in the temples to avoid ruining the larger investigation.
• Xie Lin argued that he had acted within his position to preserve the whole game, and Li Jin remained silent after hearing him.
• The chapter closed with a warning that Li Jin’s fall would endanger everyone and a declaration that Wei Zi’s next move should be binding the eunuchs.

Li Jin sealed the Imperial Silk Bureau against Wei Nisheng, but Wei Nisheng arranged for Suzhou Guard soldiers to watch its gates while leaving the south gate open. Li Jin recognized the trap and remained inside, caught between staying and admitting defeat by fleeing.

• Li Jin ordered the Imperial Silk Bureau's gates locked and told the steward to turn away anyone Wei Zi sent.
• Wei Nisheng circled the bureau on a map and directed Zhang Zai to have Xiong Hui deploy fifty Suzhou Guard soldiers to patrol its surroundings.
• The Suzhou Guard stationed soldiers near the bureau's east, west, and north gates under the pretext of protecting Inner Court offerings.
• Li Jin learned the soldiers were watching the gates and realized the unguarded south gate was an intentional opening that made escape look like surrender.
• Li Jin withdrew to his lounge chair as Wei Nisheng's psychological trap left him unable to leave or comfortably remain.

A capital eunuch brought Li Jin Wang Cheng’s warning that the emperor was questioning how Li Jin obtained his post and that Suzhou’s political turmoil would soon be cleaned up. Li Jin realized Shen Yi’s appointment as Suzhou Prefectural Judge was part of a wider arrangement and remained trapped under guard, abandoned by those who might have defended him.

• A young eunuch arrived from the capital and told Li Jin that the emperor had asked who recommended him for the Suzhou Weaving Bureau post, then returned to annotating memorials without waiting for an answer.
• The young eunuch relayed Wang Cheng’s warning that the Suzhou crisis would soon end and that someone would be put away afterward.
• The young eunuch told Li Jin that Shen Yi had been appointed Suzhou Prefectural Judge and would soon take up the post.
• Li Jin suspected Xie Dao'an had anticipated the arrangement and concluded that Wei Nisheng had secured gains from both the emperor and Suzhou’s factions.
• Li Jin lamented that he had served in Suzhou for eight years without anyone defending him, then dismissed the eunuchs and sat alone under guard.

Li Jin received Wei Nisheng’s ultimatum to surrender the Imperial Silk Bureau’s procurement ledgers and recognized that either choice would expose him. He chose to deliver the books, accepting the end of his eight-year performance as he traveled to the Imperial Envoy’s Headquarters.

• Li Jin read Wei Nisheng’s letter demanding the original procurement accounts within three days and realized he could not avoid defeat.
• Li Jin told a young eunuch to prepare a sedan chair, then dressed and painted his face before declaring his performance was over.
• Li Jin sang a farewell opera alone in the Imperial Silk Bureau’s rear hall.
• Li Jin left the bureau under the Suzhou Guard’s watch and rode toward the Imperial Envoy’s Headquarters to deliver the account books.
• Li Jin recalled Xie Zi’s earlier composure and murmured that “Binding the Eunuchs” had been an apt phrase as the bureau’s gate shut behind him.

Wei Nisheng received Li Jin’s original Imperial Silk Bureau accounts and explained why Li had chosen to surrender them. Li left with Wei’s promise that the ledger would be returned and his cooperation reported favorably, giving him a dignified exit from the Suzhou investigation.

• Li Jin delivered the complete original procurement records from Jinghe Year Eleven through Year Fourteen to Wei Nisheng.
• Wei Nisheng said Li had handed over the ledger before the court arrived because refusing or destroying it would leave him unable to rest.
• Li Jin warned Wei that his excessive politeness made others wary, while Wei said he would not imitate his teacher until he had earned the authority to command fear.
• Li Jin cautioned that his replacement at the Suzhou Weaving Bureau might be harder to manage, and Wei assured him he had prepared a way out.
• Wei promised to return the original ledger after copying it and to report that Li had cooperated without major discrepancies.
• Li Jin thanked Wei, bowed, and left, saying this was the only role in his life to earn a halfway dignified curtain call.

Wei Nisheng decided to report Li Jin’s case to the emperor without recommending a punishment, leaving Li Jin’s fate to imperial judgment. He ordered the confiscation of merchants tied to the temples while sparing Shen Mingxuan and a few minor merchants, then reflected that he would not live to see Suzhou’s fourth month.

• Wei Nisheng told Zhang Zai he would submit the facts of Li Jin’s case to the emperor without either defending or condemning him.
• Wei Nisheng explained that he had delayed action against the merchants to protect Suzhou’s trade and the common people.
• Wei Nisheng decided to spare Shen Mingxuan because his help had been crucial to the investigation and his early surrender could encourage others to cooperate.
• Wei Nisheng ordered Zhang Zai to confiscate the property of merchants implicated in the temple accounts, while leaving one or two small merchants untouched to spread word that honest repayment would keep others safe.
• After Zhang Zai left, Wei Nisheng read the original transaction ledger and remarked that he would not see Suzhou’s beauty in the fourth month.

After a wave of household confiscations in Suzhou, merchants crowded the Shen Residence to beg Shen Mingxuan to intervene. He explained that he had saved his household by handing over his account books and accepted that the others had become the price of his bargain.

• Black-armored soldiers confiscated the property of more than a dozen households across Suzhou.
• Shopkeepers and merchants gathered outside the Shen Residence and pleaded with Shen Mingxuan to help them.
• Shen Mingxuan told the merchants that he had submitted his account books and admitted his wrongdoing to the Imperial Envoy, who spared his household to preserve commerce in Suzhou.
• Shen Mingxuan pointed out that the merchants had hidden behind He Yanming and Li Jin while their names remained in the secret accounts.
• Shopkeeper Zhao accused Shen Mingxuan of using the other merchants as bargaining chips, and Shen Mingxuan replied that they had all knowingly accepted the risks of their deal.

Shen Yi argued with Shen Duan about taking up the Prefectural Judge’s post in Suzhou, insisting he wanted to make his own mark rather than follow the safe career his grandfather had laid out. Shen Duan finally allowed him to go, and Shen Yi left promising to protect the Shen Family.

• Shen Duan questioned Shen Yi about his preparations to leave for Suzhou and warned that the city’s political situation had become dangerous.
• Shen Yi explained that Suzhou still offered a chance to act, and described Wei Nisheng as a breaker of old arrangements and Xie Lin as a builder of new ones.
• Shen Yi told Shen Duan he had sought the posting to enter the struggle over Great Zhou’s tangled administration and to be judged by his own conduct rather than his family name.
• Shen Yi rejected the safe career Shen Duan had planned, saying that being called dependable felt like a burial and asking to walk his own road.
• Shen Duan gave Shen Yi permission to go, and Shen Yi promised not to let the Shen Family fall before leaving.
• Shen Duan watched Shen Yi depart, drank the cold ginseng soup, and sighed that he understood his grandson.

Emperor Jing of Zhou reviewed Wei Nisheng’s conduct in Suzhou and recognized how carefully he had avoided claiming credit or overstepping. He ordered Wei Nisheng’s reported recovered silver approved without verification and arranged to witness his wedding when he returned to the Capital.

• Emperor Jing of Zhou reread secret reports and noted that Wei Nisheng had handled the Suzhou investigation carefully, claimed no credit, and sent no private letters to powerful figures.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou told Wang Cheng that Feng Yan was a blade, Shen Duan a counterweight, and Wei Nisheng a whetstone that honed others without becoming a blade himself.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou ordered the Ministry of Revenue to approve whatever sum of silver Wei Nisheng reported, without verification, and said the decree should remain informal and known only to Wei Nisheng.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou told Wang Cheng to reassure Wei Nisheng that the Capital’s spring flowers would make up for missing Suzhou’s, and that he would witness Wei Nisheng’s wedding.
• Wang Cheng kowtowed in gratitude, and Emperor Jing of Zhou told him to have Wei Nisheng return sooner because court had grown dull without him.

Feng Yan read Feng Guan’s account of Wei Zi’s success in Suzhou and realized his former pupil had become capable of managing a dangerous political game alone. He told Fu Niang that Wei Zi was coming back, then the chapter laid out the six strategies behind Wei’s campaign and its impact at court.

• Feng Yan read Feng Guan’s letter describing Wei Zi’s actions in Suzhou and praised how much Wei had grown.
• Fu Niang fussed over Feng Yan, made him close the window, and arranged for ginger soup before he went to bed.
• Feng Yan told Fu Niang that Zi'an was returning, and she pretended not to care while hoping to see him.
• The chapter explained how Wei Zi gained the initiative, divided his opponents, used incentives and public opinion, cornered Li Jin, and returned final authority to the emperor.
• Wei Zi’s Suzhou campaign established him at court as someone capable of shouldering affairs of state.

Wei Nisheng and Zhang Zai arranged punishments and incentives to preserve Suzhou’s commerce while exposing the merchants involved in the case. After Zhang Zai left, several merchants came forward to report their accounts, and Wei Nisheng ordered that truthful informants would have their households spared and past offenses forgiven.

• Zhang Zai reported that Suzhou’s confiscated assets included more than 1.7 million strings of cash, over eight thousand mu of land, and many crates of art and antiques.
• Wei Nisheng ordered the Everlasting Abundance Firm to sell grain at fair prices, offered amnesty to uninvolved merchants who reported their accounts, and announced that coerced followers would not be pursued.
• Wei Nisheng ordered farmland from seized estates distributed to innocent women and people who aided the investigation, with the rest becoming government property.
• Zhang Zai praised Wei Zi for bringing peace and progress to those around him, then left the hall.
• Cui Fu told Wei Nisheng that seven or eight merchants had arrived to report their accounts, and Wei Nisheng ordered them admitted and promised truthful informants spared households and forgiven past offenses.

Wei Nisheng left Suzhou after entrusting Zhang Zai with the prefectural seal, while Zhang reflected on what he had learned about governing. As Wei’s boat sailed north, Xie Lin played a final qin melody from the shore, and the two parted without meeting again.

• Zhang Zai told Wei Nisheng that governing Suzhou had taught him to understand and work with the people's feelings, not merely judge cases.
• Wei Nisheng urged Zhang Zai to stay grounded in the people's lives, and Zhang promised to write if he needed help.
• Wei Nisheng boarded the official boat and left Suzhou as Zhang Zai watched from the landing bridge.
• Xie Lin played his qin from a riverside pavilion as Wei Nisheng's boat passed, and the two exchanged lines of verse across the water.
• Xie Lin's qin fell silent, and Wei Nisheng's boat continued north while Suzhou and Xie Lin vanished into the mist.

Shen Yi confronted Xie Lin in Suzhou and announced his demotion to county magistrate in Guilin, while Xie Lin left without resentment. The chapter concluded the Suzhou situation with verdicts for He Yanming, Li Jin, and Xie Lin, and marked the emergence of the Wei Faction.

• Xie Lin played the qin as Wei Zi'an departed by ship, then met Shen Yi, who had arrived to take up the prefectural judge's post.
• Xie Lin challenged Shen Yi about his appointment and concluded that he had come to Suzhou for reasons beyond receiving the official seal.
• Shen Yi announced that Xie Lin was demoted two grades and transferred to Guilin Prefecture as a county magistrate, and Xie Lin departed without looking back.
• The chapter's verdicts sentenced He Yanming to execution, stripped Li Jin of office and returned him to the Palace, and assigned Xie Lin to serve as a county magistrate in Guilin.
• The conclusion described Wei Zi's victory and the people gathered around him as the beginning of the Wei Faction.

Wei Nisheng reviewed the 3.2 million taels recovered in Suzhou and considered how its arrival in the Capital, alongside reports of shifting loyalties, would strengthen his standing at court. He set out ahead of the silver to clear its path, while a new contest awaited him in the Capital.

• Wei Nisheng reviewed the ledger showing just over 3.2 million taels recovered through the Suzhou investigation.
• Wei Nisheng reflected that the silver and the people won over in Suzhou would together shape how the Son of Heaven and court factions judged him.
• Wei Nisheng told himself that the silver would travel to the Capital under guard while he arrived first to clear obstacles at court.
• Qu Niang brought Wei Nisheng a cloak, and he remained at the bow watching the moonlit river as the vessel sailed north.
• Wei Nisheng returned to the Capital as the Shen Faction and the eunuchs watched for advantage, with the next political contest still ahead.

Wei Nisheng returned to Jinling after settling affairs in Suzhou and reunited with Fu Niang beside the Qinhuai River. They embraced and admitted how much they had missed each other, leaving the story with Wei Nisheng back in the city and the two together again.

• Wei Nisheng arrived by official boat in Jinling and spotted Fu Niang waiting for him at a riverside pavilion.
• Wei Nisheng hurried from the boat to Fu Niang, ignoring Cui Fu's reminders about the documents.
• Wei Nisheng took Fu Niang's hand, told her she had grown thinner, and pulled her into his embrace.
• Wei Nisheng called Fu Niang his wife and announced that he was back, while she buried her face in his robe.
• Wei Nisheng called her Shu'er, and Fu Niang admitted that she had missed him too.
• Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang stood hand in hand as the official boat remained moored nearby.

Wei Nisheng returned from Suzhou and reunited with Emperor Jing of Zhou, reporting the successful recovery of more than 3.2 million taels of silver. He argued that the funds should remain in the Imperial Treasury rather than enter the State Treasury, and offered to help the emperor manage them.

• Fu Niang teased Wei Nisheng that she would hold Cui Fu and Qu Niang hostage until he came to ransom them, then watched him leave to attend the emperor.
• Wang Cheng escorted Wei Nisheng through the palace and thanked him for sparing Li Jin and not pursuing the Imperial Silk Bureau affair further.
• Wei Nisheng greeted Emperor Jing of Zhou as his subject returning to his Ruler-Father, and the two shared a warm reunion before discussing Suzhou.
• Wei Nisheng credited Zhang Zai, Wang Kan, Xiong Hui, Shen Mingxuan, and Xie Lin for helping resolve the Suzhou affairs and reported recovering more than 3.2 million taels of silver.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou wondered where to place the recovered silver, and Wei Nisheng advised keeping it in the Imperial Treasury so the emperor could direct its use.

Emperor Jing of Zhou questioned Wang Cheng about whether Wei Zi had taken any of the silver, and Wang Cheng reassured him by stressing Wei Zi’s ties to the imperial family. Consoled that he had Wei Zi’s support and access to a full private treasury, the emperor hurried to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility to give the Empress new clothes and precious hairpins.

• Emperor Jing of Zhou asked Wang Cheng whether Wei Zi had taken any of the three million two hundred thousand taels he uncovered.
• Wang Cheng avoided making an absolute guarantee and reminded the emperor of Wei Zi’s upcoming wedding, imperial favor, and connection to the Feng Family.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou lamented that he still had to seek approval to use the silver and anticipated a struggle between Shen Duan and Kou Yuan over its destination.
• Wang Cheng told the emperor that he had Wei Zi, and Emperor Jing of Zhou took comfort in his words.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou hurried to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and ordered Wang Cheng to bring the Empress tribute fabrics and ornaments so she could choose what she wanted.

Wei Nisheng returned from Suzhou and reported to his teacher, Feng Yan, who praised his handling of the investigation and warned him about keeping Shen Mingxuan as leverage over Shen Duan. Feng Yan confessed that his greatest worry was what would happen to Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang after his death, leaving Wei Nisheng weeping.

• Wei Nisheng returned to the Feng Residence and knelt before Feng Yan, who welcomed him and examined him with concern.
• Wei Nisheng told Feng Yan that he had estimated Suzhou's stolen accounts at three million two hundred thousand taels and explained why he had spared the Shen merchants' property.
• Feng Yan warned Wei Nisheng that Shen Mingxuan might be useless leverage unless Shen Duan felt compelled to ransom him, and Wei Nisheng accepted the lesson.
• Feng Yan praised Wei Nisheng's choices in Suzhou, including not confiscating Shen Mingxuan's property, killing Li Jin, or handing Xie Lin over to the court.
• Feng Yan told Wei Nisheng that his greatest pride was gaining him as a pupil and confessed he feared no one would protect Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang after his death.
• Wei Nisheng bowed his head and wept as Feng Yan spoke of his fears.

At breakfast, Wei Nisheng received a courteous letter from Wang Kan, who planned to visit, and Feng Yan authorized him to use the Feng Residence study for their business. Feng Yan’s gesture publicly marked Wei Nisheng as a trusted figure, while Fu Niang’s small acts of care drew her grandfather’s teasing jealousy.

• Fu Niang nudged Honey-Preserved Yue Melon toward Wei Nisheng, and Feng Yan moved the plate back to himself.
• Cui Fu delivered Wang Kan’s Calling Card and letter, in which Wang Kan apologized for missing Wei Nisheng’s return and said he would visit before noon.
• Wei Nisheng told Feng Yan that Wang Kan planned to visit, and Feng Yan invited him to discuss business in the study.
• The elderly steward and servants realized Feng Yan had granted Wei Nisheng access to the study, a sign that he trusted him with an important position.
• Wei Nisheng went to await Wang Kan in the study, while Feng Yan told the steward that the change had been only a matter of time.
• Feng Yan teased Fu Niang about sharing sweets with Wei Nisheng, and Fu Niang gave him only the fragrant perilla from the river clams.

Wei Nisheng returned to Feng Yan’s study and took the master’s seat, facing the loss of his teacher and the duty of carrying his legacy forward. When Wang Kan arrived, he recognized Wei Nisheng’s authority and promised his support.

• Wei Nisheng sat in Feng Yan’s study, remembered their lessons, and resolved to carry his teacher’s legacy onward.
• Cui Fu escorted Wang Kan to the study, where he found Wei Nisheng seated in the master’s chair.
• Wang Kan reflected on Wei Nisheng’s quiet restraint and realized he had concealed his strength long before inheriting Feng Yan’s place.
• Wei Nisheng welcomed Wang Kan and said Feng Yan had not truly left while his lamp remained lit.
• Wang Kan promised that Wei Nisheng would not disappoint Feng Yan or him.

Wei Nisheng told Wang Kan that the 3.2 million taels from Suzhou belonged in the Imperial Treasury, while Wang Kan warned him that Feng Yan was gravely ill and Shen Duan could act once Feng Yan was gone. Wei Nisheng resolved to marry Fu Niang so Feng Yan would not die with regret, placing him in line to inherit the Feng Family’s legacy.

• Wang Kan reflected that his long friendship with Wei Nisheng had made him a trusted confidant and reassured him that he did not feel like an outsider.
• Wei Nisheng said the 3.2 million taels from Suzhou should go to the Imperial Treasury rather than the Ministry of Revenue so the emperor could control its use.
• Wang Kan told Wei Nisheng that Feng Yan had stopped attending court and was believed to have little time left.
• Wang Kan warned that Shen Duan could revive the matters Feng Yan had restrained and that Kou Yuan might replace him as Chief Minister.
• Wei Nisheng said Feng Yan had hoped to see him marry Fu Niang and resolved not to let his teacher die with that regret.

At a night meeting, Kou Yuan’s followers argued over whether the silver from Suzhou should go to the Ministry of Revenue or the emperor’s private treasury. Kou Yuan ordered them to wait for the emperor’s decision and declared his ambition to carry on his grandfather’s political legacy.

• Qi Zhao and other Upright Officials argued that the 3.2 million taels of Suzhou silver should fund the State Treasury rather than enter the Imperial Treasury.
• Kou Yuan reminded the officials that Wei Nisheng had uncovered the silver and warned that debating its destination before the emperor decided could make them appear impatient.
• Kou Yuan ordered the Censorate not to support Wang Kan’s memorials about the silver and told his followers not to interfere in Wang Kan’s relationship with Wei Nisheng.
• Kou Yuan invoked his grandfather’s legacy and asked the gathered officials to support him in carrying on his aspirations.

Shen Duan’s faction debated how to respond to the Suzhou silver, and Shen chose to support sending it to the Ministry of Revenue while using the Grand Secretariat’s memorial-drafting power to control its allocation. The chapter ended with both the Shen Faction and the Upright Officials still wary of acting decisively while Feng Yan remained alive and ill.

• Fang Qi and Zou Mo warned Shen Duan that the Upright Officials might gain power if the Suzhou silver went to the Ministry of Revenue.
• Shen Duan argued that Feng Yan had left Wei Zi a lasting foundation and that opposing the silver’s transfer could make the Emperor distrust the Shen Faction.
• Shen Duan ordered Fang Qi to support the Emperor deciding the silver’s disposition and to reject unauthorized memorials about it.
• Shen Duan explained that he would concur with sending the silver to the Ministry of Revenue, then use the Grand Secretariat’s approval process to control its release.
• Shen Duan said Feng Yan’s continued presence kept the Upright Officials and the Shen Faction from daring to act freely.

Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang went to the palace to seek the Empress’s help in setting their wedding date, where they met Princess Luyang. Luyang sent Fu Niang to see the Empress and directed Wei Nisheng to meet the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace.

• Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang traveled to the palace together, sharing their hopes that their marriage would soon be settled.
• Princess Luyang greeted Fu Niang warmly, inspected Wei Nisheng, and warned him not to mistreat her friend.
• Fu Niang told Luyang that they had come to ask the Empress to set their wedding date.
• Luyang offered to take Fu Niang to the Empress and suggested that Wei Nisheng visit her younger brother, the Crown Prince.
• Wei Nisheng understood the significance of the invitation and agreed to meet the Crown Prince.

Princess Luyang sent Wei Nisheng to meet the Crown Prince, and Wei Nisheng considered the rules governing the heir’s isolation before entering the Eastern Palace. He met Crown Prince Jiang Heng as Jiang Heng questioned whether Wei Zi’s actions in Suzhou had protected the people’s sight and hearing.

• Princess Luyang reassured Fu Niang that she had sent Wei Zi to see her brother, the Crown Prince, merely to meet him.
• Wei Nisheng reflected on Great Zhou’s rule barring the Crown Prince from formal study and contact with outside officials before age sixteen.
• An elderly attendant let Wei Nisheng into the Eastern Palace after recognizing the Jade Balance at his waist.
• Crown Prince Jiang Heng questioned his scholars about women being hidden in a temple in Suzhou and credited Wei Zi with helping him see the truth.
• Wei Nisheng bowed to Jiang Heng and said he had come at Princess Luyang’s command; Jiang Heng asked whether he was from Suzhou.