Recaps

Wei Nisheng faced the Crown Prince’s Confucian tutors after they objected to an outside official entering the Eastern Palace. Jiang Heng defended the meeting by invoking Wei Nisheng’s family ties and the tutors’ own argument about the people, then invited him to sit as Wei Nisheng wondered whether the Crown Prince’s words had been prepared.

• A senior Confucian scholar ordered Wei Nisheng to stop, arguing that ancestral rules barred outside officials from visiting the Crown Prince before he established his household.
• Jiang Heng acknowledged the rule, then described Wei Nisheng’s achievements and his coming marriage to Feng Shu, framing him as a brother-in-law visiting family.
• Jiang Heng challenged the tutors to reconcile their objection with their earlier claim that the people mattered more than the ruler, leaving them unable to answer.
• The leading scholar accepted Jiang Heng’s decision, recalled Wei Nisheng’s grandfather and father, and assured Wei Nisheng that he had not disgraced his family.
• After the scholars departed, Wei Nisheng asked whether Jiang Heng had devised his argument on the spot, and Jiang Heng invited him to sit.

Wei Nisheng met with Jiang Heng in the Eastern Palace, where they discussed whether a ruler who slaughtered civilians could be called a hero and whether Wei’s lyric about past emperors had changed after his experiences in Suzhou. Wei said he had completed the lyric long ago, then wrote it out for Jiang Heng.

• Jiang Heng reassured Wei Nisheng that he would avoid current affairs and framed their conversation as family talk between brothers-in-law.
• Jiang Heng questioned whether Tuoba Tao deserved to be called a hero despite his military victories, recalling the slaughter of civilians during his southern campaign.
• Jiang Heng described the Buddha-Raccoon Shrine on Guabu Mountain and wondered whether people worshipped the emperor who unified the north or the man who slaughtered six provinces.
• Jiang Heng asked whether Wei Nisheng’s lyric had been completed after his experiences in Suzhou, and Wei replied that it had, though its spirit was not what Jiang Heng imagined.
• Wei Nisheng wrote out his completed version of “Yong Yu Le: Remembering the past at Beigu Pavilion in Jingkou” for Jiang Heng.

Empress Zhou received Fu Niang and agreed that her wedding to Wei Zi'an should take place in May rather than the rushed April date her family proposed. Fu Niang left reassured by the empress's blessing, while Princess Luyang promised to escort her to the wedding.

• Princess Luyang greeted Fu Niang and brought her to sit beside Empress Zhou in Kunning Palace.
• Fu Niang told Empress Zhou that her parents had settled on a mid-April wedding date.
• Empress Zhou explained that April was too rushed and proposed choosing an auspicious date in May instead.
• Princess Luyang said she had sent Wei Nisheng to meet the Crown Prince and promised to reason with him if he treated Fu Niang badly.
• Empress Zhou approved selecting several May dates for Fu Niang's family to review, and Fu Niang thanked her for her blessing.
• Princess Luyang offered to escort Fu Niang to her wedding, making Fu Niang laugh.

Emperor Jing of Zhou grew frustrated with the Six Ministries’ requests for money, then learned that Wei Nisheng had met with the Crown Prince and completed a lyric. While reading tribute memorials, he discovered that Khitan and Tangut had submitted a joint message, leaving him wary of their intentions.

• Emperor Jing of Zhou mocked the Six Ministries for repeatedly requesting funds, and Wang Cheng explained their financial troubles.
• Wang Cheng told Emperor Jing of Zhou that Wei Nisheng and the Feng Family Girl had visited the Empress to request an auspicious wedding date.
• Wang Cheng reported that Wei Nisheng had spoken with the Crown Prince about Northern Wei history and completed an unfinished lyric.
• Wang Cheng suggested that Emperor Jing of Zhou read the tribute memorials, and Emperor Jing noticed Khitan and Tangut listed together.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou recalled the kingdoms’ histories of conflict with Great Zhou and concluded that their joint message demanded investigation.

Wei Nisheng waited for Fu Niang outside the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, and the pair spent the evening teasing each other as they walked to the palace gates. They left together in a carriage, sharing a quiet moment as dusk fell.

• Wei Nisheng waited beneath the covered walkway until Fu Niang emerged from the hall, and they greeted each other warmly.
• Fu Niang told Wei Nisheng that Princess Luyang had said May was a good month, and he agreed.
• Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang teased and bumped into each other as they walked through the palace gardens, while Wang Cheng watched them and dismissed his Junior Eunuch to scrub chamber pots.
• At the palace gates, Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang paused beside their joined shadows before climbing into the waiting carriage.
• In the carriage, Fu Niang gently pinched Wei Nisheng's cuff, then withdrew her hand as he looked up.

Wei Nisheng returned to court and reported recovering more than 3.2 million taels of silver in Suzhou, while officials probed his view of its disposition. The upright officials then proposed that the Ministry of Revenue take custody of the silver, bringing the court’s dispute over it into the open.

• Officials crowded around Wei Nisheng with praise and overtures when he entered the waiting hall.
• Kou Yuan questioned Wei Nisheng about the emperor’s plans for the recovered silver, but Wei Nisheng declined to advise on its allocation and credited Wang Kan’s contribution to the Suzhou case.
• The court heard routine reports before Emperor Jing of Zhou asked Wei Nisheng to report on Suzhou.
• Wei Nisheng reported recovering over 3.2 million taels of silver and said hundreds of suspects had been detained pending court orders.
• Qi Zhao proposed that the recovered silver be entered into the Ministry of Revenue’s accounts and allocated according to statute.

At court, the Upright Officials tried to force Wei Nisheng to send the recovered Suzhou silver to the State Treasury by invoking the people's suffering, while Song Yue pushed for it to fund the frontier. Wei Nisheng avoided choosing a faction by arguing that the silver must circulate across the realm and leaving its allocation to Emperor Jing of Zhou, who postponed the decision.

• Xu Bingwen and a Censorate newcomer urged Wei Nisheng to direct the Suzhou silver toward public needs, and a Ceremonial Branch official likened sending it to a private treasury to He Yanming's corruption.
• Song Yue backed the Ministry of Revenue's claim to the silver but asked Wei Nisheng to support sending it to the frontier instead.
• Wei Nisheng argued that concentrating all the silver in either the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of War would make it stagnant and said its distribution belonged to Emperor Jing of Zhou alone.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou shelved the decision, and Wei Nisheng recognized that he had escaped the immediate trap but still faced pressure from Song Yue, Kou Yuan, and Shen Duan.

After the court audience, Shen Duan warned Wei Nisheng that the Upright Officials and his allies would abandon him when he was no longer useful, and that Feng Yan could not protect him for much longer. Wei Nisheng resolved to build the Wei Faction and pursue the position of Little Heavenly Official.

• The imperial court appointed Qin Yan Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Hanlin Academician, and Superintendent of the Institute of Foreign Languages after the Suzhou silver matter remained unresolved.
• Shen Duan mocked Wei Nisheng over his reliance on the Upright Officials and warned that Song Yue and others were pursuing their own interests.
• Shen Duan told Wei Nisheng that Feng Yan was growing weaker and that Wei would face a long road without his teacher's support.
• Wang Kan explained that Censorate officials had prevented him from helping Wei Nisheng in court, and Wei Nisheng said he understood.
• Wei Nisheng vowed to establish the might of the Wei Faction and decided that his goal was to become Little Heavenly Official.

Wei Nisheng rejected the officials’ invitations and analyzed how to survive the struggle over Suzhou’s silver and the balance of power after Feng Yan’s departure. He decided to exploit the conflict between Kou Yuan and Shen Duan, while recognizing that he needed to become a source of support for the Feng Faction himself.

• Wei Nisheng ordered Cui Fu to decline all the invitations that had arrived, while continuing to accept future ones without attending banquets.
• Wei Nisheng reflected on the court’s factions and concluded that he needed to become a powerful figure in his own right rather than rely on Feng Yan’s name.
• Wei Nisheng identified Kou Yuan’s pursuit of the silver as a bid for legitimacy and the Chief Minister’s seat, while Shen Duan sought to block Kou and prevent Wei from inheriting influence.
• Wei Nisheng reasoned that Shen Duan might cooperate with him because both had aligned goals concerning Gansu and Shen needed a new path to survival.
• Qu Niang brought Wei Nisheng pastries and tea, noticing his troubles without pressing him to explain.

Wei Nisheng visited Feng Yan to discuss the court audience and seek guidance on balancing Kou Yuan, Shen Duan, and Song Yue. Feng Yan affirmed that Wei Nisheng’s strategy was sound and urged him to take charge of his own path as his teacher’s life neared its end.

• Wei Nisheng told Feng Yan his analysis of the Upright Officials, Song Yue, Kou Yuan, and Shen Duan, and proposed balancing their interests to secure his position.
• Feng Yan praised Wei Nisheng for seeing Shen Duan as a potential ally and for learning to wield the court’s rival factions rather than merely borrowing their power.
• Feng Yan explained that Shen Duan would need Wei Nisheng’s support if Feng Yan died, and advised Wei Nisheng to use that shared need to build his own foundation.
• Feng Yan told Wei Nisheng his strategic thinking was on the right track and that he must walk the road himself from then on.
• Feng Yan instructed Wei Nisheng to visit Qin Yan, who was returning to court, and sent him off with a reminder that the road stretched ahead.

Wang Kan reflected on his inability to support Wei Zi alone and decided he needed allies within the Censorate. He set out to seek Yao Zhen, whose authority could help him resist the Wei Faction’s opponents.

• Wang Kan recalled how fellow censors had restrained him at court while Wei Zi faced the attacks alone.
• Wang Kan recognized that he lacked people to support him and concluded that Yao Zhen was the one person in the Censorate who could help.
• Wang Kan left his humble home and refused the wonton seller’s offer, insisting he had merely followed the law when he had helped the man’s son recover unpaid wages.
• Wang Kan walked toward Yao Zhen’s residence, reflecting on the veteran censor’s standing and independence from Kou Yuan.

Wang Kan visited Yao Zhen to ask him not to restrain him when he next broke ranks among the Upright Officials. Yao Zhen agreed not to obstruct him, and Wang Kan left resolved to help build Wei Zi'an's faction while preserving his willingness to challenge its leader.

• Wang Kan told Yao Zhen that colleagues had physically restrained him at a Court assembly and asked him not to catch his sleeve the next time he spoke out.
• Wang Kan argued that he would align with Wei Zi'an because Wei's Upright Officials could serve the public, unlike Kou Yuan's faction, which served private ambition.
• Yao Zhen wrote that orchids blocking the road should be uprooted and declared that he would neither speak for nor stop Wang Kan.
• Yao Zhen praised Wang Kan as someone who could correct Wei Zi'an if the Wei family's power grew corrupt.
• Wang Kan left resolved to help establish the Wei Faction while keeping the resolve to admonish Wei Zi'an.

Wei Nisheng visited Shen Duan and asked him to recommend his promotion to Vice Director of the Selection Bureau, arguing that he needed a secure position after earning major merit in Suzhou. He left Shen Duan facing his blunt certainty that the Chief Minister would help him.

• Shen Duan agreed to receive Wei Nisheng at the Shen Residence through the main gate.
• Wei Nisheng asked Shen Duan to commend his Suzhou achievements and propose him for promotion to Vice Director of the Selection Bureau.
• Shen Duan condemned Wei Nisheng’s ambition as arrogant, citing his lack of experience and asking why he expected help.
• Wei Nisheng explained that he could not wait for the court to reward him and needed a position to secure his footing.
• Wei Nisheng told Shen Duan that his expectation of help was not confidence, but certainty.

Wei Nisheng warned Shen Duan that the loss of his usefulness to the emperor would leave him vulnerable to political attacks, then explained why Kou Yuan could seize the Chief Minister’s seat. He left Shen Duan facing the question of who could help him resist Kou Yuan without Wei Nisheng’s teacher at Court.

• Wei Nisheng asserted that Shen Duan would help him and used the threat of his teacher’s continued influence to seize control of their conversation.
• Wei Nisheng outlined Shen Duan’s three dangers: the Grain Reserves case, the Prince Ning Case, and losing his usefulness as a counterweight to Lord Feng.
• Wei Nisheng explained that Kou Yuan was waiting for his teacher to fall before pressing the emperor to remove Shen Duan from office.
• Wei Nisheng argued that Shen Duan’s past success in suppressing Kou Yuan depended on his teacher’s presence, not Shen Duan’s power alone.
• Wei Nisheng questioned whether Shen Duan’s allies could withstand Kou Yuan’s attack if the Ministry of Revenue and the Upright Officials came under Kou’s influence.

Wei Nisheng persuaded Shen Duan to ally with him and support his bid for Vice Director of the Selection Bureau, then forced Shen to abandon a demand that would have left him powerless. Shen agreed to raise Wei’s candidacy at the cabinet deliberations, while reserving the right not to press His Majesty if the emperor refused.

• Wei Nisheng proposed a lasting alliance with Shen Duan, arguing that their factions could balance the Upright Officials and protect each other at Court.
• Shen Duan questioned whether Wei would turn against him and challenged how he would defend Shen if Kou Yuan accused him of privately gathering partisans; Wei answered each hypothetical with prepared arguments.
• Shen Duan agreed to speak for Wei’s appointment but said he would not insist if His Majesty rejected the recommendation for lack of seniority.
• Shen Duan demanded that Wei leave members of the Shen Faction untouched, but Wei denounced the condition as an unfair bargain and threatened to seek an alliance with Kou Yuan instead.
• Shen Duan admitted he had been jesting and agreed to Wei’s terms, and Wei left the Shen Residence satisfied.
• Alone afterward, Shen Duan marveled at Wei’s persuasive skill and wondered whether he had misremembered a story about Marquis Zhuge’s stratagems.

At a cabinet meeting, Shen Duan unexpectedly proposed promoting Wei Nisheng to Vice Director of the Revenue Bureau for his work recovering Suzhou silver, revealing a move that threatened Kou Yuan’s influence in the Ministry of Revenue. Kou Yuan rejected the promotion on grounds of seniority and precedent, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• Fang Qi opened the deliberations by repeating Qi Zhao’s position that the Suzhou silver should go to the ministry.
• Shen Duan interrupted Fang Qi and argued that Wei Nisheng deserved substantial rewards for recovering more than 3.2 million taels of silver.
• Shen Duan proposed promoting Wei Nisheng to Vice Director of the Revenue Bureau, positioning him to build influence in the Ministry of Revenue.
• Kou Yuan recognized the promotion as a threat to his control of the ministry and opposed it, citing Wei Nisheng’s limited experience and the need to uphold promotion rules.

Shen Duan defended promoting Wei Nisheng by citing Yao Chong, but Kou Yuan argued that seniority and established institutions should govern appointments in peaceful times. Fang Qi was provoked into an explosive outburst, attacking Kou Yuan and Song Yue over their hypocrisy and private conduct; the confrontation remained unresolved.

• Shen Duan cited Yao Chong’s rapid rise as a precedent for promoting Wei Nisheng despite his lack of seniority.
• Kou Yuan argued that Yao Chong’s promotion occurred in extraordinary times and warned that rewarding individual achievements with high office would undermine the system.
• Fang Qi supported Shen Duan, comparing Wei Nisheng’s discovery of three million two hundred thousand taels of silver to the achievements of young historical figures.
• Kou Yuan accused Fang Qi of changing his position to please both sides and invoked Wang Zhanzheng’s old insult, enraging Fang Qi.
• Fang Qi denounced Kou Yuan’s Upright Officials as self-serving, attacked Kou Yuan for taking a young concubine, and accused Song Yue of visiting brothels.

Song Yue and Kou Yuan fought over where Wei Nisheng should serve, while Shen Duan maneuvered them into reopening Wei’s path to the Ministry of Personnel. Shen then rebuked Kou Yuan for obstructing Wei’s appointment and declared that Kou was unworthy of becoming Chief Minister.

• Song Yue denied Fang Qi’s accusation and urged Kou Yuan to appoint Wei Nisheng to the Ministry of Revenue.
• Kou Yuan countered by proposing that Wei Nisheng enter the Ministry of War’s Military Selection Bureau, and Song Yue argued that Wei lacked the military experience for the post.
• Shen Duan ended the argument and proposed that Wei Nisheng return to the Ministry of Personnel’s Selection Bureau, citing the appointment previously approved by the court and emperor.
• Kou Yuan objected that Shen was reviving an old proposal for convenience, but Shen argued that Wei’s return followed established law, reason, and precedent.
• Shen Duan shouted down Kou Yuan, criticized him for blocking Wei’s advancement, and declared that he was unworthy of aspiring to the office of Chief Minister.

Shen Duan rebuked Kou Yuan and ended the Grand Secretariat’s dispute over Wei Nisheng’s appointment, directing the officials to focus on the Suzhou Silver Case. Emperor Jing of Zhou then questioned whether Wei’s lyric was too aged in spirit for a young man, but praised Wei’s explanation and accepted that he had written through empathy with others’ sorrow.

• Shen Duan told Kou Yuan that he was unworthy of Kou Laigong’s legacy and ruled that deliberations should first prepare Wei Nisheng’s return to the Ministry of Personnel for imperial review.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou read Wei Nisheng’s lyric and suspected that its aged sorrow came from experience beyond the young writer’s years.
• Wang Cheng told Emperor Jing of Zhou that the Crown Prince had also questioned Wei Nisheng about the lyric and sent along Wei’s written explanation.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou read Wei Nisheng’s quotation from The Grades of Poetry and praised him as a star of literary genius.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou concluded that Wei Nisheng had conveyed the sorrow of others through poetic empathy rather than personal experience.

Wang Cheng used Emperor Jing of Zhou’s good mood to raise Wei Nisheng’s posting and explain the Grand Secretariat’s debate over returning him to the Ministry of Personnel. After the emperor angrily defended Wei and denounced those who had opposed him, Wang Cheng argued that the appointment would help preserve stability as Feng Yan’s influence faded.

• Wang Cheng told Emperor Jing of Zhou that Chancellor Shen Duan had proposed restoring Wei Nisheng to his originally intended post in the Ministry of Personnel’s Selection Bureau.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou read the draft response and the Grand Secretariat proceedings, learning how Kou Yuan and Song Yue had opposed Wei’s appointment.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou angrily praised Wei’s achievements and condemned Kou Yuan and Song Yue for looking down on him.
• Wang Cheng argued that returning Wei to the Ministry of Personnel would preserve stability and give Feng Yan’s former subordinates a place within the court.

Emperor Jing of Zhou considered Wei Nisheng’s return to the Ministry of Personnel and approved it after Wang Cheng explained that the Crown Prince was preparing a wedding document for Wei. In Wei Nisheng’s courtyard, he and Fu Niang wrote wedding invitations together while Qu Niang watched over them.

• Emperor Jing of Zhou asked Wang Cheng about the Crown Prince and learned that Heng'er had skipped his classics lecture to write a marriage document for Wei Nisheng.
• Wang Cheng explained that the Crown Prince’s gift would establish a bond with Wei Nisheng before his formal public studies began.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou approved Wei Nisheng’s return to the Selection Bureau of the Ministry of Personnel.
• Wei Nisheng wrote wedding invitations in the courtyard while Fu Niang added her name beside his on one of them.
• Qu Niang served tea and watched Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang from the corridor while keeping Qingluo beside her.

At the Grand Court Audience, the upright officials tried to delay Wei Nisheng’s reward by demanding a full merit assessment, but Wang Kan challenged their reliance on ordinary procedure. He invoked an earlier extraordinary promotion, leaving Qi Zhao’s argument unanswered as the court’s debate continued.

• Kou Yuan learned from Qi Zhao that Yao Zhen had arrived early and was keeping apart from the factions.
• The Director of Transmission placed Wei Nisheng’s merits and faults before Emperor Jing of Zhou for judgment.
• Qi Zhao argued that the Ministry of Personnel should verify Wei Nisheng’s service record before deciding the extent of his reward.
• Wang Kan challenged Qi Zhao’s appeal to ordinary merit-assessment rules and cited Kou Laigong’s extraordinary promotion under Emperor Taizong.

Wang Kan challenged Qi Zhao’s demand to follow merit assessments, then Shen Duan defended flexibility in evaluating officials and backed Wei Nisheng’s case. The court was left with Shen standing between Qi and Wang, asserting a position based on balance rather than factional loyalty.

• Wang Kan invoked Kou Laigong’s example and questioned who controlled the official evaluations, leaving Qi Zhao unable to answer.
• Kou Yuan turned his attention toward Yao Zhen while Qi Zhao stood with no room to retreat.
• Shen Duan agreed that Qi Zhao’s concerns about merit assessment were reasonable, then argued that rigid rules could obstruct talented officials like Kou Laigong.
• Shen Duan said Wei Nisheng’s service should not be eclipsed by minor evaluation details or old records, and stood between Qi and Wang.
• Wang Kan retreated half a step to the Censorate’s ranks, while Shen Duan presented himself as standing for balance between rules and exceptions.

Emperor Jing of Zhou overruled objections to Wei Nisheng’s promotion, arguing that talent should be guided rather than constrained by seniority and merit rules. He appointed Wei Nisheng Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel’s Bureau of Selecting Officials and personally entrusted him with the responsibility.

• Qi Zhao hesitated after Shen Duan’s argument left him unable to press his case, and Emperor Jing of Zhou invoked the Late Emperor’s teachings to defend making room for Wei Nisheng’s talent.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou warned that refusing a young man who had earned Top Honors in All Three Examinations would discourage talent from serving Great Zhou, and Shen Duan publicly backed the emperor’s position.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou praised Wei Nisheng’s record in the Hanlin Academy, Suzhou, and the Ministry of Revenue, then summoned him to receive an imperial edict.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou appointed Wei Nisheng Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel’s Bureau of Selecting Officials, granting him authority over civil appointments and performance assessments.
• Emperor Jing of Zhou descended the imperial steps, placed a hand on Wei Nisheng’s shoulder, and urged him not to fail the trust placed in him.

Emperor Jing of Zhou formally entrusted Wei Nisheng with the role of “Ruler-Father,” and Wei performed the thanksgiving rite and received a jade ruyi. As deliberations on the Suzhou Silver Case resumed, Yao Zhen petitioned to promote Wang Kan for his service in several major cases.

• Emperor Jing of Zhou entrusted Wei Nisheng with the charge of “Ruler-Father,” stunning the assembled officials with the scale of his favor.
• Wei Nisheng carefully performed the formal rite of thanksgiving, pledging his service and receiving a jade ruyi from Emperor Jing of Zhou.
• Yao Zhen cited Wang Kan’s work in the Grain Reserves case, his deadly remonstrance, and his resistance to efforts against Suzhou’s grain routes.
• Yao Zhen asked Emperor Jing of Zhou to promote Wang Kan to Assistant Censor-in-Chief with the Subordinate Fifth Rank.