Chapter Summaries

Wei Nisheng recalled how his family had condemned and neglected him since birth, and how Wei An had once saved him from being starved. When Wei An escorted him through the snow to the ancestral hall at his father’s summons, Wei Nisheng feared the meeting would bring trouble.

• Wei Nisheng remembered that he had transmigrated into the Wei family as a twin born breech, blamed for his mother’s and grandfather’s deaths, and named Nisheng.
• Wei Nisheng reflected on how his poems had helped protect him from worse mistreatment, while the household servants still skimmed his coal and gave him thin clothes and meager meals.
• Wei An entered Wei Nisheng’s room, took the verse from his desk, and told him that his father wanted him in the ancestral hall.
• Wei Nisheng recalled how Wei An had confronted his father with Wei Zheng’s spirit tablet and stopped the family from starving him as an infant.
• Wei An urged Wei Nisheng to walk faster through the snow, and Wei Nisheng followed him toward the ancestral hall, unsure what his father wanted.

Wei Nisheng was summoned to the ancestral hall, where Wei Mingde punished him while celebrating Wei Shouzheng’s chance to study under Qin Gong. Cui Shi manipulated the confrontation and hoped Wei Nisheng would die, but as she prepared to leave with Wei Shoucheng, Wei Nisheng called for her to wait.

• Wei Shouzheng insulted Wei Nisheng on their way to the ancestral hall and told him to keep his distance.
• Wei Nisheng entered the ancestral hall alone and saw that Lu Shi’s tablet had fewer offerings than the tablets of Wei Zheng and Wei Mingyuan.
• Wei Mingde made Wei Nisheng kneel on the cold floor and announced that Wei Shouzheng would become Qin Gong’s disciple.
• Cui Shi provoked Wei Mingde by suggesting the dead would be pained to see Wei Nisheng kneel, and Wei Mingde kicked him to the floor.
• Cui Shi soothed Wei Mingde and concealed her hope that Wei Nisheng would die, then prepared to leave with Wei Shoucheng.
• Wei Nisheng called out to Cui Shi and asked her to wait.

Wei Nisheng used the Wei Family’s rites to expose Cui Shi’s neglect of Lu Shi’s spirit tablet and offerings, forcing Wei Mingde to punish her. The chapter ended with Wei Mingde ordering Wei Nisheng to finish kneeling and sending him winter clothes and charcoal.

• Wei Nisheng pointed out Lu Shi’s meager offerings and invoked the Book of Songs and clan rules to challenge their neglect.
• Wei Mingde confronted Cui Shi, who admitted nothing but could not deny that she had approved the offerings.
• Wei Shouzheng stayed silent rather than defend Cui Shi or denounce his mother’s treatment.
• Wei Mingde ordered Cui Shi to restore Lu Shi’s offerings, burn a confession, and kneel before her tablet for a month.
• Wei Mingde forbade anyone from speaking about the incident and told Wei Nisheng to finish kneeling, promising him a winter garment and charcoal.

After being left alone in the ancestral hall, Wei Nisheng reflected on how the Wei family’s dead had protected and empowered him while the living despised him. He honored his grandfather, mother, and eldest uncle, then left the hall with Wei An waiting outside.

• Wei Nisheng stood up after the servants left, having learned that no one checked whether he truly knelt in the ancestral hall.
• Wei Nisheng examined the tablets of his grandfather Wei Zheng, his eldest uncle Wei Mingyuan, and his birth mother, and recognized how their legacies had helped him survive and defend himself.
• Wei Nisheng lit incense and promised his grandfather that he would uphold the Wei family’s honor.
• Wei Nisheng respectfully kowtowed to his mother’s and eldest uncle’s tablets, seeing his uncle’s lack of an heir as a path forward for himself.
• Wei Nisheng opened the ancestral hall door and found Wei An waiting outside in the falling snow.

Wei Nisheng learned that his father had blocked adoption into the eldest branch to keep its wealth for himself, and that he might eventually be adopted as its heir. Cui Shi unexpectedly invited him to move into the main courtyard and study with Shoucheng, leaving Wei Nisheng suspicious of her sudden kindness.

• Wei Nisheng considered his future and realized he could not register for the imperial examinations without his father's endorsement or adoption into the eldest branch.
• Wei An told Wei Nisheng that the eldest branch held farmland, shops, and accumulated profits, and that Wei Mingde wanted to keep the property for himself.
• Wei An predicted that Wei Mingde would eventually have to let Wei Nisheng carry on the eldest branch to claim its wealth.
• Cui Shi summoned Wei Nisheng to the main courtyard, apologized for the ancestral hall incident, and offered to have him study there with Shoucheng.
• Wei Nisheng pretended to be delighted by Cui Shi's offer but suspected she had a hidden motive.

Wei Nisheng accepted Cui Shi’s offer to go out with her younger brother, hiding his understanding that she meant to corrupt him while seeing a chance to learn about the world beyond the side courtyard. Meanwhile, Wei Mingde and Cui Shi planned to use Wei Shouzheng’s upcoming apprenticeship banquet to seek help from the Feng Family for a lucrative Ministry of Works post.

• Cui Shi invited Wei Nisheng to study with Wei Shoucheng and offered to have her younger brother take him around the Capital; Wei Nisheng pretended to hesitate before accepting.
• Wei Shouzheng intercepted Wei Nisheng, insulted him, and warned him to stay out of sight at the apprenticeship banquet in five days.
• Wei Nisheng returned to the side courtyard and resumed reading while Wei An was away collecting his allowance.
• Cui Shi told Wei Mingde about her plan to send Wei Nisheng out with her younger brother, and Wei Mingde agreed as long as the Wei Family’s reputation remained safe.
• Wei Mingde told Cui Shi about a coming vacancy in the Imperial Parks Bureau and said he would approach the Feng Family after Wei Shouzheng’s apprenticeship banquet.

Cui Fu tried to take Wei Nisheng out on Cui Shi’s orders, but their departure was interrupted when Wang Rong insulted Wei Nisheng. Wei Nisheng and Wei An struck Wang Rong, and Wei Nisheng invoked his status as the Wei Family’s legitimate son to make Wang Rong flee.

• Cui Fu accepted three taels from Cui Shi to take Wei Nisheng out and lead him to gamble.
• Cui Fu found Wang Rong spying near Wei Nisheng’s courtyard before he left with Wei Nisheng and Wei An.
• Wang Rong blocked Wei Nisheng and mocked him in front of the servants, so Wei Nisheng slapped him.
• Wang Rong tried to grab Wei Nisheng, but Wei An slapped him down.
• Wei Nisheng reminded Wang Rong that he was the legitimate second young master and Wang Rong was a hereditary slave, then Wang Rong fled after threatening him.

Wei Nisheng thwarted Cui Fu's plan to take him somewhere disreputable, seized Cui Fu's money, and explored the Capital for the first time. After observing Great Zhou's thriving literary culture, he considered the paths he could take to distinguish himself.

• Wei Nisheng used the threat of telling Wei Mingde about Cui Fu's plans to frighten Cui Fu into surrendering all his money.
• Wei Nisheng ordered Cui Fu to follow Wei An and tell the stepmother that their outing had gone as planned.
• Wei Nisheng wandered through the Capital, taking in its busy streets, shops, teahouses, and literary gatherings.
• Wei Nisheng watched scholars recite poetry and concluded he would need to shine through literary brilliance or earn fame at the East Flower Gate.

Wei Nisheng visited a bookshop to learn about Great Zhou’s history and discovered it was an alternate dynasty where many famous poets from his previous life never existed. He met the kindhearted Fu Niang, then chose five books for the autumn provincial examinations, though their price startled him.

• Wei Nisheng asked Wei An to take him to a bookshop, where he read histories and concluded Great Zhou was an alternate dynasty with territory and institutions unlike the Song Dynasty of his previous life.
• Wei Nisheng found no works by familiar poets such as Li Yu or Su Shi and realized the history of Great Zhou had diverged from his own.
• Wei Nisheng met Fu Niang, who objected when he described himself as a bringer of doom and insisted that his mother must have loved him.
• Fu Niang told Wei Nisheng her name before leaving the bookshop when someone from her household came looking for her.
• Wei Nisheng selected five classics required for the autumn provincial examinations and learned they cost three taels and eight mace.

Wang Rong falsely accused Wei Nisheng of insulting Wei Shouzheng and challenging his status, prompting Wei Mingde to order Wei Nisheng brought from the side courtyard under guard. Wei Nisheng left peacefully with the servants, unaware of how the accusation had been framed.

• Wang Rong showed Wei Shouzheng a slap mark and claimed Wei Nisheng and Wei An had beaten him and insulted Wei Shouzheng.
• Wei Shouzheng took Wang Rong to Wei Mingde and repeated the allegations, while Cui Shi suggested there might be a misunderstanding.
• Wei Shouzheng warned that the dispute could damage the Wei Family's standing before Qin Yan at his Apprenticeship Banquet.
• Wei Mingde ordered two servants to bring Wei Nisheng to the central hall under guard.
• Wei Nisheng reassured Wei An, straightened his robe, and went with the servants.

Wei Nisheng defended himself before Wei Mingde against accusations that he had beaten Wang Rong and insulted Wei Shouzheng. Wang Rong and three servants supported the accusation with prepared testimony, leaving Wei Nisheng outnumbered as the confrontation continued.

• Wei Mingde ordered Wei Nisheng to kneel and accused him of disgracing the Wei Family by mistreating a servant.
• Wei Shouzheng and Wang Rong claimed Wei Nisheng had beaten Wang Rong and said he would harm his elder brother.
• Wei Nisheng questioned Wang Rong about the supposed delivery and challenged him to repeat the insult he had allegedly been given.
• Wei Nisheng denied insulting Wei Shouzheng and named Wei An and Cui Fu as witnesses, but Wang Rong argued they could not be trusted.
• Wei Mingde summoned three servants, who testified that Wei Nisheng had struck Wang Rong and repeated a remark against Wei Shouzheng.

Wei Nisheng drew a sword and killed Wang Rong after Wei Mingde condemned him and allowed Wang Rong to humiliate him. He threatened to kill himself at the Ancestral Hall, forcing Wei Mingde, Wei Shouzheng, and Cui Shi to beg him to stop, while he stood in the courtyard with his sword raised.

• Wei Mingde accused Wei Nisheng of coveting Wei Shouzheng's place as heir, ordered him to take his own life, and let Wang Rong punish him.
• Remembering his years of powerless obedience, Wei Nisheng took the sword and confronted Wang Rong.
• Wei Nisheng killed Wang Rong and declared that he no longer considered Wei Mingde his father.
• Wei Nisheng threatened to go to the Ancestral Hall and take his own life, warning that the scandal would ruin Wei Mingde's standing.
• Wei Mingde, Wei Shouzheng, and Cui Shi pleaded with Wei Nisheng to stop, but he kept hold of the sword and watched them in the courtyard.

Wei Nisheng killed Wang Rong after the servant insulted him, then refused to let the Wei family dismiss the killing as justified without publicly admitting how they had wronged him. He secured their admissions in front of the household and finally lowered his sword, having stood up to his family after years of submission.

• Wei An arrived at the Central Hall, saw Wang Rong's corpse, and argued that the servant's insults and defiance made his death permissible under Great Zhou law and Wei family rules.
• Wei Mingde, Cui Shi, and Wei Shouzheng agreed that Wang Rong deserved to die and praised Wei Nisheng for purging the household.
• Wei Nisheng demanded public explanations for the lies that had led his father to force him to take his own life and his brother to order Wang Rong to strike him.
• Wei Mingde admitted his fault, Wei Shouzheng knelt and apologized, and Cui Shi confessed she had believed Wang Rong's claims.
• After securing their admissions before the servants, Wei Nisheng threw down his sword.

After killing Wang Rong, Wei Nisheng forced Wei Mingde and Wei Shouzheng to acknowledge his innocence and promise not to mistreat him again. Wei Mingde ordered Cui Shi and Wei Shouzheng to avoid provoking him until Wei Shouzheng’s Apprenticeship Banquet was over, while privately intending to settle accounts with Wei Nisheng afterward.

• Wei Nisheng made Wei Mingde promise to testify on his behalf and warned Wei Shouzheng not to send servants to his courtyard again.
• Wei Nisheng returned to the Side Courtyard with Wei An and asked him to spread a favorable account of Wang Rong’s death to build his reputation.
• Wei An told Wei Nisheng that Wang Rong had no surviving family, and Wei Nisheng washed the blood from his face as his hands began to tremble.
• Cui Shi and Wei Shouzheng urged Wei Mingde to deal with Wei Nisheng, but Wei Mingde blamed Wei Shouzheng for provoking the confrontation.
• Wei Mingde ordered Cui Shi and Wei Shouzheng not to provoke Wei Nisheng until the Apprenticeship Banquet had passed, then vowed to settle accounts with his second son.

After Wei Nisheng’s sword strike cowed the Wei Residence, he enjoyed a peaceful breakfast while Wei An secretly arranged for rumors about his boldness to spread through the Capital. Cui Shi questioned Cui Fu about Wei Nisheng’s recent behavior and learned the full story of Wang Rong’s killing, leaving both of them frightened by his ruthlessness.

• Wei Nisheng ate an unusually generous breakfast and read in peace, recognizing that his sword strike had earned him respect and time.
• Wei An disguised himself, met old contacts at a teahouse, and arranged for stories of Wei Nisheng killing Wang Rong to circulate around the Capital.
• People in teahouses praised Wei Nisheng for punishing a servant who insulted his master and linked his conduct to his distinguished family.
• Cui Shi summoned Cui Fu and questioned him about taking Wei Nisheng out, while Cui Fu claimed they had visited a gambling house and enjoyed themselves.
• Cui Shi told Cui Fu that Wei Nisheng had killed Wang Rong with a sword after Wang Rong complained to Wei Shouzheng, and Cui Fu feared Wei Nisheng had been possessed.

At the Ministry of Works, Wei Mingde learned that his second son, Wei Nisheng, had killed a servant and won praise from the emperor for defending the legitimate line. Qin Yan invited Wei Nisheng to Wei Shouzheng’s Apprenticeship Banquet, leaving Wei Mingde to realize his son’s actions had put their conflict in the public eye.

• Wei Mingde prepared pastries to invite his colleagues to Wei Shouzheng’s Apprenticeship Banquet, expecting congratulations on Qin Yan taking his eldest son as a disciple.
• Zhou Yan and other officials congratulated Wei Mingde on his family’s fierce son, while Wei Mingde assumed they meant Wei Shouzheng.
• Qin Yan arrived and told the officials that the emperor had praised a ten-year-old who drew his sword and killed a wicked servant to defend the legitimate line.
• Wei Mingde realized the celebrated child was his second son, Wei Nisheng, and reluctantly corrected the officials.
• Qin Yan enthusiastically invited everyone to the banquet and said he wanted to meet Wei Nisheng.
• After the others left, Wei Mingde recalled Wei Nisheng’s warning and realized his son had acted deliberately.

Wei Shouzheng completed his apprenticeship ceremony under Qin Yan at the Wei Residence, while Wei Nisheng was summoned from the Side Courtyard to attend the banquet. Wei Nisheng dressed in formal robes and headed to the Main Courtyard, where the ceremony had already concluded.

• The Wei Residence hosted a grand apprenticeship banquet for Wei Shouzheng, attended by Qin Yan, officials, scholars, and their families.
• Cui Shi sent new formal clothes to Wei Nisheng and summoned him to the Main Courtyard after the ceremony was already underway.
• Wei An urged Wei Nisheng to attend because Qin Yan had asked to see him and his reputation had risen after the Emperor praised him as an unyielding son.
• Wei Nisheng changed into the moon-white robes and went with Wei An toward the Main Courtyard.
• Wei Shouzheng offered the traditional gifts and petition, bowed to Qin Yan, received his admonition, and completed the apprenticeship ceremony to the guests' approval.

At Wei Shouzheng’s apprenticeship banquet, Wei Nisheng arrived despite Cui Shi’s claim that he was ill and impressed Qin Yan with his manners, appearance, and thoughtful answers. Qin Yan favored Wei Nisheng over his new disciple and ended the banquet wondering whether he had chosen the wrong student.

• Qin Yan asked Wei Mingde to bring Wei Nisheng to the banquet, but Cui Shi claimed the boy was ill and needed rest.
• Wei Nisheng arrived at the Central Hall, greeted Qin Yan and his family with impeccable manners, and explained that he had recovered after resting.
• Qin Yan praised Wei Nisheng’s bearing and told Wei Shouzheng to set a good example for his younger brother.
• Qin Yan questioned Wei Nisheng about his studies, and Wei Nisheng explained why he was reading the Arithmetical Classic.
• Qin Yan kept Wei Nisheng beside him throughout the banquet while Wei Shouzheng sat ignored, and Qin Yan wondered if he had chosen the wrong disciple.

At Wei Shouzheng's Apprenticeship Banquet, he challenged Wei Nisheng to compose a lyric on the Wei brothers, hoping to outshine him. Wei Nisheng wrote a stirring verse that left the hall silent and impressed the guests.

• Wei Shouzheng proposed that he and Wei Nisheng compose lyrics together to entertain the banquet guests.
• Qin Yan approved and set the theme as “Twin Jades of the Wei House,” asking Wei Shouzheng to write first.
• Wei Shouzheng presented a polished but conventional lyric and received restrained praise from Qin Yan.
• Wei Nisheng rejected the idea of using famous verses from his previous life and decided to write an original lyric.
• Wei Nisheng recited “Partridge Sky · Composed at the Banquet,” linking his past endurance and family principles with his future ambitions.
• The guests fell silent, and Zhou Yan praised a line from Wei Nisheng's lyric.

At the Wei Family banquet, ten-year-old Wei Nisheng impressed Qin Yan and the guests with his poem and the calligraphy style he had developed. Qin Yan named the style Slender Gold and invited Wei Nisheng to visit him, while Wei Nisheng left for the Side Courtyard with his reputation established.

• Wei Nisheng recited a poem that moved Qin Yan to praise his talent and declare him the one who would bring the Wei Family greatness.
• Qin Yan and the guests marveled at Wei Nisheng’s unfamiliar calligraphy, and Wei Nisheng explained how he had combined the styles of earlier masters.
• Qin Yan named Wei Nisheng’s calligraphy Slender Gold, praised him, and invited him to visit at the Imperial College.
• Wei Shouzheng fell silent as the guests favored Wei Nisheng, while Wei Mingde accepted their praise awkwardly.
• After the banquet ended, Qin Yan urged Wei Mingde to nurture Wei Nisheng, and Wei Nisheng returned to the Side Courtyard with Wei An.