Recaps

Wei Nisheng helped reopen the Director of Palace Affairs Office and navigated factional battles over Eastern Palace appointments, recommending Xie Lin for his military knowledge. The chapter ended with Wei Nisheng and Wei Shouzheng parting like strangers, each recalling the distance that had grown between them.

• Jiang Heng opened the Director of Palace Affairs Office, where Qin Yan took charge of the classics and Wei Nisheng handled administrative business.
• Wei Nisheng found his ancestor Wei Zheng on an old roster, and Qin Yan recalled that only Feng Yan had succeeded on that career path.
• Wei Nisheng withdrew from deliberations over his cousin Wei Shouzheng’s appointment, while Qin Yan said Wei Shouzheng was qualified to serve as a text collator.
• Kou Yuan argued for his son Kou Ning as Reader-in-Waiting, clashing with Fang Qi and Qin Yan over the other candidates; Qin Yan left the final choice to the Crown Prince.
• When Jiang Heng asked about attendants versed in military affairs, Wei Nisheng recommended Xie Lin, and Qin Yan placed Xie Lin’s name under “Awaiting Summons.”
• Qi Zhao considered challenging Kou Yuan’s influence, and Wei Nisheng offered Wei Shouzheng access to the office’s old archives before they parted.

After Peng Ding’s unauthorized advance ended in a disastrous defeat at Ningxia, the court debated how to defend the frontier and appoint a new commander. Wei Nisheng backed Zhou Quan to take command and called for a court audit of military farmland, while Emperor Jing of Zhou’s decision remained pending.

• A dispatch reported that Tangut cavalry had raided the frontier, defeated Peng Ding’s troops, and forced the survivors back to the Garrison City.
• At court, Shen Duan called for Peng Ding to be severely punished, and the emperor ordered his crimes investigated.
• Song Yue nominated Zhou Quan to command Ningxia, while Fang Qi questioned his suitability and Wang Kan defended his military record.
• Shen Duan argued that Xu Zhen should reinforce Ningxia before the court chose a new commander, but Song Yue objected that the garrison could not remain without one.
• At Emperor Jing of Zhou’s order, Wei Nisheng backed Zhou Quan and proposed auditing military farmland to address abuses in the frontier garrisons.

At court, Wei Nisheng argued that the military farmland inheritance rules had left the frontier garrisons filled with aging soldiers while their able-bodied sons remained outside the military rolls. The emperor heard the dispute over whether to revise the rules, and Wei linked the system’s failure to the defeat at Peng Ding.

• Emperor Jing of Zhou asked whether the military farmland could be put in order, and Shen Duan urged delaying the matter until the frontier settled.
• Wang Kan argued that postponement would invite another defeat, while Fang Qi warned that changing the rules would threaten Emperor Taizu’s system and old soldiers’ property.
• Wei Nisheng countered that he proposed revising inheritance rules rather than seizing land, and argued that old soldiers’ sons should inherit fields and enlist.
• Wei Nisheng explained how the original military farmland system supported recruitment, military provisions, frontier defense, and the transmission of martial skills.
• Wei Nisheng argued that the rules had become outdated because old soldiers kept their land and service obligations while their vigorous sons remained unregistered.
• Wei Nisheng blamed the defeat at Peng Ding partly on troops who had grown old under the existing system.

Shen Duan warned that reforming Ningxia’s military farmland after a defeat would defy ancestral institutions, provoke unrest, and ruin the state, while Wei Nisheng argued that the failing garrisons demanded immediate change. Wei ended by asking the emperor to rule in favor of reform, declaring that heavenly portents, ancestral laws, and public criticism should not prevent it.

• Shen Duan urged caution, arguing that Ningxia’s military farmland needed repair rather than wholesale reform and warning that unrest could follow.
• Wang Kan started to intervene, but Yao Zhen and Song Jing restrained him, and Wei Nisheng met his gaze before stepping forward himself.
• Wei Nisheng countered that the losses at Peng Ding showed the frontier system was already collapsing and blamed the defeat on human failures, not Heaven.
• Wei Nisheng rejected Shen Duan’s accusation that he sought fame, saying he wanted farmland and support for soldiers and that delay would make reform impossible.
• Wei Nisheng declared that heavenly portents were nothing to fear, ancestral rules need not be followed, and public opinion need not obstruct reform, then appealed to the emperor for a decision.

Wei Nisheng defended his “three insufficiencies” before the emperor after Fang Qi and Kou Yuan accused him of undermining Heaven, ancestral laws, and remonstrance. He clarified that he meant rulers must prioritize human affairs, scrutinize old laws, and examine counsel before accepting it, leaving the court to weigh his argument.

• Wei Nisheng’s declaration that changes in Heaven, the ancestors, and others’ words were not enough to fear, emulate, or heed silenced the hall and provoked alarm among the ministers.
• Fang Qi accused Wei Nisheng of rejecting Heaven, Emperor Taizu’s institutions, and officials’ counsel, and charged him with bringing ruin upon the realm.
• Kou Yuan joined Fang Qi, arguing that Heaven’s warnings and the people’s words required rulers to heed calamities and remonstrance.
• Wei Nisheng clarified that rulers must not neglect human affairs because of heavenly changes and cited disasters under good and wicked rulers to support his point.
• Wei Nisheng said he meant that old land-inheritance rules were not sacred foundations and that he would defend the bonds between sovereign and subject.
• Wei Nisheng argued that officials must examine remonstrance before accepting or rejecting it, and promised to heed sound counsel while refusing biased advice.

Wei Nisheng defended his Three Inadequacies before the Court and won approval for his Ningxia reforms, though the emperor warned that history would judge him if they failed. Alone that night, Wei reflected on the lonely fate of a reformer from history and recognized that, unlike him, Wei still had people standing beside him.

• Wei Nisheng answered Kou Yuan’s objections with the sages’ own words and offered to test his Three Inadequacies in Ningxia.
• Qin Yan argued that Wei’s ideas could be tried in Ningxia but should not become universal principles, and the emperor approved the reforms with safeguards.
• The emperor warned Wei that success would vindicate him while failure would leave his words to the judgment of history.
• Shen Duan told Fang Qi that Wei’s statements would remain a weapon against him if anything went wrong in Ningxia.
• Wei Nisheng told Wang Kan that laws must serve their times and that he had no regrets about speaking out.
• At home, Wei Nisheng reflected on a historical reformer’s isolation, then took comfort in Wang Kan, the emperor, the Crown Prince, and Fu Niang’s support.

Emperor Jing of Zhou invited Crown Prince Jiang Heng to dinner and used stories from his youth and a game of Go to teach him how to judge Wei Zi and govern with measured trust. Jiang Heng left the emperor with a clear answer: Wei Zi was not a piece to be deployed, but the breath that kept his whole board alive.

• Emperor Jing of Zhou summoned Jiang Heng to dine with him and asked what he thought of Wei Zi's words in court.
• Emperor Jing recounted how Grand Tutor Feng defended him as a young Crown Prince, then asked Jiang Heng to visit the ailing tutor on his behalf.
• Emperor Jing played Go with Jiang Heng and taught him to weigh the whole board rather than focus on the gain or loss of a single stone.
• Jiang Heng said he had learned to measure how he used, guarded against, and trusted Wei Zi.
• Emperor Jing asked which stone represented Wei Zi, and Jiang Heng replied that Wei Zi was his breath, whose loss would empty the whole board.

The Grand Secretaries debated how to respond to Ningxia’s military crisis, disputing whether Zhou Quan should immediately receive the Marshal’s Seal or Xu Zhen should first reinforce the region. Unable to reach agreement, they sent three proposals to the Emperor for judgment.

• Shen Duan argued that Zhou Quan’s past frustration and the long journey from Datong made him a risky and slow choice, while Xu Zhen could unite the western forces and reinforce Ningxia.
• Song Yue defended Zhou Quan’s military record and warned that Xu Zhen could not protect both Lanzhou and Ningxia, while Fang Qi opposed appointing Zhou Quan before the situation stabilized.
• Shen Duan accused Song Yue of using the crisis to build influence and proposed sending Xu Zhen first, then considering Zhou Quan after the troops and defenses had stabilized.
• Kou Yuan raised concerns about auditing land registers under the Imperial Edict, and Song Yue promised Zhou Quan would establish authority before conducting the audit.
• Shen Duan proposed submitting the differing positions to the Emperor, and the Secretariat drafted three proposals on Xu Zhen’s reinforcements, Zhou Quan’s appointment, and the land-register process.
• A junior eunuch carried the three proposals and the deliberation minutes into the palace for the Emperor’s judgment.

Song Yue raged at Shen Duan for delaying Zhou Quan’s appointment to protect the Shen family’s interests, then sought Wei Zi’an’s help with urgent government business. He realized Wei had left the office as usual and placed his hope in the young man Lord Feng had taught.

• After the voting slips were sent to the palace, Song Yue cursed Shen Duan for opposing Zhou Quan’s appointment and accused him of protecting his power and concealed military accounts.
• Song Yue summoned Vice Director Wei Zi’an to discuss the frontier decision and several pending government matters.
• The clerk reported that Wei Zi’an had already left at his usual time, with a record of clearing paperwork accurately and never staying late.
• Song Yue reflected that Wei’s examination proposal had put the question of frontier reform before the emperor, while the Secretariat’s voting slips seemed to matter little to him.
• Song Yue lamented that his efforts could not remove Zhou Quan’s title of deposed marquis and said they could only place their hopes in the young man Lord Feng had taught.

Wei Nisheng visited his ailing teacher, Feng Yan, and found that Feng Yan mistook him for Wenyue and no longer recognized him as Ni Sheng. The chapter ended with Wei Nisheng breaking down in Fu Niang’s arms.

• Wei Nisheng and Fu Niang arrived at the Feng Residence and learned that Feng Yan had been sleeping more and eating little.
• Feng Ci told Wei Nisheng he preferred a quiet life by West Lake and was content for Wei Nisheng to shoulder the family’s responsibilities.
• Wei Nisheng entered Feng Yan’s room, where Feng Yan mistook him for Wenyue and spoke to him about court affairs and his grandson.
• Feng Yan eventually recognized Wei Nisheng only as Wenyue and asked him to stay beside him until he fell asleep.
• Fu Niang waited outside, and Wei Nisheng collapsed into her arms, crying that Feng Yan no longer recognized Ni Sheng.

Wei Nisheng reflected on the guidance of his teacher, Feng Yan, and his grandfather as he prepared to take charge of his own political game. He arrived at Song Yue’s residence to discuss the pending decision on Ningxia’s commander.

• Fu Niang told Wei Nisheng that Officer Qiu’s wife had described the court dispute over the Ningxia commander-in-chief post.
• A servant from Song Yue’s household summoned Wei Nisheng, saying four recommendations awaited the emperor’s decision and some matters had to be discussed first.
• Wei Nisheng asked Cui Fu to take the western road so he could see Mount Zhong-Purple-Gold Mountain and reflect on Feng Yan’s and his grandfather’s teachings.
• Wei Nisheng reviewed his plans for Ningxia, including sending Zhou Quan to clear military farmland and train recruits, while relying on allies arranged through Feng Yan.
• Wei Nisheng told Cui Fu to wait at Song Yue’s gate and to tell Fu Niang not to wait for him at supper.
• Wei Nisheng entered Song Yue’s study, where Song Yue teased him for making a twilight visit.

Wei Nisheng told Song Yue that Lord Feng had lost awareness and rejected using the Crown Prince’s influence to pressure Shen Duan over the Ningxia appointment. After Wei Nisheng left to speak with Shen Duan himself, Song Yue broke down over the news of Lord Feng’s condition.

• Song Yue told Wei Nisheng that he had exhausted his influence on the Ningxia Command Change and warned that Shen Duan was using delay to secure the post for his own faction.
• Wei Nisheng revealed that his teacher, Lord Feng, had lost awareness, and Song Yue reacted with shock and concern.
• Wei Nisheng thanked Song Yue for supporting Zhou Quan but said he would seek out Shen Duan himself.
• Song Yue suggested Wei Nisheng invoke the Crown Prince’s influence, but Wei Nisheng rebuked him for drawing the Eastern Palace into court disputes.
• Wei Nisheng left Song Yue’s residence, and Song Yue collapsed in his study and sobbed over Lord Feng’s illness.

Wei Nisheng used news of his gravely ill teacher, Feng Yan, to secure an immediate audience with Shen Duan, who had intended to refuse him. Shen Duan granted the visit, and Wei Nisheng set out for the Shen Residence, determined to act swiftly.

• Wei Nisheng stopped the carriage, bought fine paper and ink, and wrote Shen Duan a calling card about Feng Yan’s worsening condition.
• Wei Nisheng explained to Cui Fu that Shen Duan would refuse a scheduled visit about the Marshal’s Seal, but could not easily turn away an urgent report about Feng Yan.
• At the Shen Residence, Shen Duan initially ordered the gatekeeper to return Wei Nisheng’s card, then changed his mind after reading that Feng Yan repeatedly spoke his name.
• Shen Duan granted Wei Nisheng an immediate audience, and Cui Fu returned with the invitation.
• Wei Nisheng set out for the Shen Residence, saying that he had to play the day’s game swiftly.

Wei Nisheng told Shen Duan that Feng Yan regarded him as the only person capable of holding Great Zhou together after his death. Shen Duan accepted Feng Yan’s praise and invited Wei Nisheng to state his own request.

• Shen Duan warmly welcomed Wei Nisheng and asked whether Feng Yan had truly become confused and mentioned him.
• Wei Nisheng recounted Feng Yan’s words praising Shen Duan’s judgment and naming him the one who could steady Great Zhou after Feng Yan was gone.
• Shen Duan believed the message came from Feng Yan and laughed as he reflected on their decades of rivalry and mutual understanding.
• Shen Duan explained how he had endured hardship at Court to secure funds and defenses for Great Zhou.
• Wei Nisheng promised to convey Shen Duan’s response to Feng Yan, and Shen Duan accepted the favor before inviting Wei Nisheng to make his own request.

Wei Nisheng persuaded Shen Duan to support Zhou Quan’s appointment to Ningxia by framing it as a way to secure the frontier and Shen’s own standing after Feng Yan’s death. Shen agreed to visit Feng Yan the next day, then admitted he saw through Wei’s mixture of truth and fabrication but could not stop the young man’s ambitions.

• Wei Nisheng argued that Shen Duan’s delay over Ningxia endangered the frontier and exposed him to impeachment, while supporting Zhou Quan could strengthen Shen’s position at court.
• Wei Nisheng explained that Zhou Quan and Xu Zhen could secure Ningxia and Xi’an while Shen oversaw the military audits and planning for Gansu.
• Wei Nisheng urged Shen Duan to honor Feng Yan’s trust and choose a plan that could make him indispensable to the emperor.
• Shen Duan agreed to visit Feng Yan at the Feng Residence the next day.
• After Wei Nisheng left, Shen Duan acknowledged that Wei’s claims about Feng Yan were partly fabricated but reflected on how the young man resembled himself and how Feng Yan had once seen through him.

At the Cabinet Council, Shen Duan reversed his position and pushed through Zhou Quan’s appointment as Western Campaign General, claiming the critically ill Feng Yan had urged him to act. Kou Yuan suspected Shen Duan had made a bargain at the Feng Residence and identified Wei Nisheng as the person who might know the truth.

• Shen Duan visited Feng Yan at the Feng Residence, after which Feng Yan was reported critically ill and the Crown Prince visited him three times.
• Shen Duan told the Cabinet Council that Feng Yan had said frontier affairs could not wait and demanded Zhou Quan receive the Western Campaign General’s seal immediately.
• Kou Yuan challenged Shen Duan’s sudden change of position and questioned whether Feng Yan had truly given those instructions.
• Song Yue supported issuing the order, and the council drafted Zhou Quan’s appointment and Peng Ding’s arrest.
• Kou Yuan and Qi Zhao suspected Shen Duan had struck a bargain at the Feng Residence and wondered whether Wei Nisheng, who attended Feng Yan’s bedside, knew what had happened.

Kou Yuan planned to secure the Chief Minister position by approaching Wei Nisheng, whose account of Lord Feng’s wishes could determine Shen Duan’s standing after Feng’s death. But Qi Zhao went elsewhere, recruiting Xu Bingwen for a political move of his own.

• Kou Yuan reasoned that Shen Duan’s influence after Lord Feng’s death depended on Wei Nisheng and decided to send Wei a personal visiting card.
• Kou Yuan gave Qi Zhao the sealed card and told him to deliver it to the Wei Residence without explanation.
• Qi Zhao instead went to Xu Bingwen’s residence and asked whether Xu wanted to become Vice Minister.
• Qi Zhao warned Xu that Shen Duan’s change of direction and Lord Feng’s approaching death could bring a major upheaval at Court.
• Xu asked what Qi Zhao wanted, and Qi Zhao proposed they pursue their shared ambitions; Xu invited him to explain.

Qi Zhao persuaded Xu Bingwen to use Grand Secretary Kou’s seemingly cordial letter to Wei Nisheng as cover for a planned impeachment of Shen Duan and Wei Nisheng. The plot was set for the Grand Court Audience on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, while Xu Bingwen worried that the scheme would bring calamity upon the realm.

• Qi Zhao showed Xu Bingwen Grand Secretary Kou’s ordinary calling card to Wei Nisheng and explained that Kou intended to win Wei over.
• Qi Zhao proposed impeaching Shen Duan for monopolizing Cabinet authority and granting it to the Eastern Palace, and Wei Nisheng for using power for private gain and factional favoritism.
• Qi Zhao explained that the letter would leave Wei unguarded and later serve as proof that Kou had suspected him, trapping Kou in the scheme.
• Xu Bingwen objected that Kou had advanced their careers, but Qi Zhao argued they could make Kou bear the reputational cost of the plan.
• Qi Zhao outlined the evidence for the impeachment memorial and confirmed it would be submitted on the fifteenth day of the seventh month.
• After Qi Zhao left, Xu Bingwen recalled Wang Kan’s warning about the Upright Officials’ craving for renown and feared the scheme would bring calamity upon the realm.

Wei Nisheng told Wang Kan he would use the rivalry between Shen Duan and Kou Yuan to secure support for his campaign in Ningxia while staying focused on his five-year military pledge. He asked Wang Kan to watch the Shen and Kou camps at the Grand Court Audience on the fifteenth day of the seventh month.

• Wang Kan visited Wei Nisheng and confirmed that he would marry the Yao Family Daughter at year's end.
• Wei Nisheng and Wang Kan discussed Kou Yuan's invitation and the competition with Shen Duan over control of the Feng Faction.
• Wei Nisheng explained that he would accept Shen Duan's Western Campaign General's seal and Kou Yuan's goodwill while using their rivalry to advance his plans for Ningxia.
• Wei Nisheng showed Wang Kan the words "The five-year pledge," recalling his promise to bring the Tangut Chieftain before the emperor within five years.
• Wang Kan pledged to be Wei Nisheng's sword and protect his heart, and Wei Nisheng asked him to watch the two camps at the Grand Court Audience.

Kou Yuan urged Wei Nisheng to help secure a legitimate succession at court as Grand Tutor Feng’s illness unsettled the balance of power. Wei Nisheng questioned Kou Yuan’s motives, and Kou Yuan offered him anything he needed in Duke Lai’s name.

• Kou Yuan welcomed Wei Nisheng and praised his uprightness and bold remonstrance at court.
• Kou Yuan warned that Shen Duan was exploiting Grand Tutor Feng’s illness and alleged final wishes to gain power.
• Kou Yuan promised to support Wei Nisheng’s ambitions in the Northwest while keeping the court stable.
• Wei Nisheng asked Kou Yuan what he truly sought, and Kou Yuan said he wanted a rightful name and legitimate standing to succeed Lord Feng.
• Kou Yuan asked Wei Nisheng to tell Lord Feng that Kou Fu'an had visited and promised to refuse no request in Duke Lai’s name.

Wei Nisheng tried to secure Zhang Zai an appointment as Director of the Shaanxi Office of Clear Accounts, praising Kou Yuan’s leadership while pressing the strategic importance of the post. Kou Yuan agreed to meet Zhang and review his record but postponed any decision, leaving Wei Nisheng’s plan unresolved.

• Wei Nisheng recommended acting prefect Zhang Zai to Kou Yuan and praised Kou Yuan’s work in the Ministry of Revenue.
• Wei Nisheng argued that Zhang Zai should direct the Shaanxi Office of Clear Accounts, which oversaw frontier military provisions and the tea-horse trade.
• Kou Yuan warned that the post was too demanding for a newcomer and proposed that Zhang Zai first gain experience in the Revenue and Expenditure Bureau.
• Wei Nisheng countered that Zhang Zai’s administrative skills suited military provisions and that his knowledge of the Book of Changes would benefit the Eastern Palace.
• Kou Yuan agreed to meet Zhang Zai and examine his record but deferred discussion of the Shaanxi appointment.
• After Wei Nisheng left, Kou Yuan privately called the office a great maw and suspected Wei wanted to control Ningxia’s provisions.

Wei Nisheng returned home with iced cheese and shared a quiet evening with Fu Niang, recalling their early years together. As worries about General Zhou Quan’s assignment and Fu Niang’s grandfather surfaced, she promised to keep a lamp burning for Wei Nisheng as he continued forward.

• Wei Nisheng brought iced cheese home for Fu Niang, then helped her gather books they had aired in the courtyard.
• Fu Niang noticed the old temple talisman bearing her prayer for Wei Nisheng’s safety, and he told her he had kept it close during his examinations because it made him feel someone was waiting at home.
• Fu Niang showed Wei Nisheng a handkerchief with its second lotus blossom newly embroidered, completing the pair they had once left unfinished.
• Wei Nisheng told Fu Niang that the Cabinet Council had decided to send General Zhou Quan to Ningxia, and said he was uncertain what to think.
• Fu Niang told Wei Nisheng that her grandfather had mistaken her for others again, then promised to keep watch over their home lamp wherever Wei Nisheng went.
• Fu Niang coaxed Wei Nisheng away from his documents and toward bed as night settled over the courtyard.

Feng Yan briefly regained his lucidity and dictated a memorial defending Wei Nisheng and urging the Emperor to have the Crown Prince oversee the military farmland reforms. He ordered Feng Ci to keep the memorial secret as his clarity faded again.

• Feng Yan recognized Feng Ci and asked him to recount recent court and military affairs.
• Feng Ci told Feng Yan that Wei Zi'an had been appointed Crown Prince’s adviser and that Zhou Quan had taken command in Ningxia after Peng Ding’s defeat.
• Feng Yan asked Feng Ci to help him write a memorial, then dictated his defense of Wei Nisheng and his advice concerning the Crown Prince and the Northwest.
• Feng Yan told Feng Ci to hide the memorial and not show it even to Zi'an, explaining that Wei Zi'an had to make his own way.
• Feng Ci concealed the memorial inside his robe as Feng Yan lost his lucidity and no longer recognized him.

Wei Nisheng advised Crown Prince Jiang Heng on reviewing military farmland and learned that Wei Shouzheng would be sent as an envoy to Tangut. He accepted the choice but asked Jiang Heng to establish protections that would give Wei Shouzheng a safe path home.

• Jiang Heng asked Wei Nisheng how to begin reviewing military farmland, and Wei Nisheng said the court must first reassure veteran soldiers before checking military families' accounts.
• Jiang Heng told Wei Nisheng that Tangut was preparing beyond the Frontier Wall and that the court planned to feign peace negotiations to buy Zhou Quan time.
• Wei Nisheng agreed that sending an envoy to negotiate was a sound strategy, then learned that Wei Shouzheng would bear the imperial staff into Tangut's army.
• Wei Nisheng endorsed Wei Shouzheng's suitability but asked Jiang Heng to prepare regulations to protect him if the negotiations turned hostile.
• Jiang Heng said the Ministry of Rites would draft protections allowing the envoy to withdraw first, and promised to ensure Wei Shouzheng returned safely.

Wei Shouzheng shared a warm family dinner while concealing that he had been appointed an envoy and would leave the Capital on July fifteenth for a dangerous mission beyond the frontier. As his family praised his prospects and his younger brother recited the Classic of Filial Piety, Wei Shouzheng contemplated the possibility that he might not return.

• Wei Shouzheng returned home to dinner, where Wei Mingde joked about a mishap at the Construction and Repairs Office and praised his son's prospects.
• Wei Shouzheng privately recalled that he had received an Imperial Envoy's Staff, a State Letter, and a hundred mounted escorts, and was due to leave the Capital after the Grand Court Audience on the fifteenth.
• Wei Shoucheng recited the Classic of Filial Piety, and Wei Shouzheng explained that honoring one's parents meant establishing oneself and practicing the Way.
• Wei Mingde drank until he fell asleep, and Wei Shouzheng tucked a blanket around him and admitted that he feared he might not return from his journey.
• Wei Shoucheng recited another passage about bringing honor to one's parents as Wei Shouzheng thought of Su Wu's steadfast service as an envoy.