Recaps

Ding Feng tried to warn Sun 𬘭 about a letter from Sun Yi, but Sun 𬘭 suspected him and continued consolidating power against Emperor Sun Liang. A second letter convinced Sun 𬘭 that Ding Feng had betrayed him, and he ordered troops mustered.

• Ding Feng seized Sun Yi’s envoy and brought the letter to Sun 𬘭 to prove his loyalty.
• Sun Liang confronted Sun 𬘭 over killing Sun Yi and demanded to know where he was, but Sun 𬘭 stormed out without answering.
• Sun 𬘭 accepted Ding Feng’s explanation of his past acquaintance with Sun Yi, then dismissed him; Ding Feng decided he would have to find a way to remove Sun 𬘭.
• Sun 𬘭 and his brothers plotted to suppress Lü Ju’s allies, while Sun 𬘭 appointed his brothers to military posts and Sun Liang sought the ministers’ support against him.
• Zhong Hui’s chain letter reached Sun 𬘭 and claimed that Sun Yi’s promotion showed a plot against him had succeeded.
• Sun 𬘭 concluded that Ding Feng had deceived him and ordered his men to muster the troops.

Sun 𬘭’s brutal attempts to consolidate power drove Wu’s ministers and generals to conspire against him, but their plot failed and he deposed Emperor Sun Liang. Shi Ji then raised troops against Sun 𬘭, plunging the Wu Kingdom into civil war.

• Zhang Bu warned Ding Feng that Sun 𬘭 planned to kill him and helped him escape toward Jingzhou, then returned to Sun 𬘭 and was beaten and dismissed.
• Sun 𬘭 replaced Zhang Bu with Sun Kai and searched Jianye for Ding Feng, while Quan Shang and Sun Liang began plotting to eliminate him.
• Sun Liang investigated Princess Zhu’s murder, and Princess Quan blamed Zhu Xiong and Zhu Sun; Sun 𬘭 responded by ordering Zhu Yi to attack Cao Wei and executed him when he refused.
• The deaths and defections alarmed the court, and Sun Liang, Quan Shang, Liu Cheng, and Princess Quan plotted to kill Sun 𬘭, but Lady Sun revealed the plan to him.
• Sun 𬘭 seized Quan Shang and Sun Liang, killed Liu Cheng, and announced the emperor’s deposition; days later, Shi Ji raised troops against him.

Cao Mao considered exploiting the conflict between Sun 𬘭 and Shi Ji to seize Jingzhou, consulting Central Army officers and veteran generals about the risks. Wang Chang explained that Wu’s defenses made a swift conquest unlikely and judged that Shi Ji was not seeking a full civil war.

• Zhong Hui urged Cao Mao to seize Xiling, Jiangling, and nearby lands while Wu was divided, and Cao Mao decided to consider the opportunity rather than cling to the old course of history.
• Cao Mao visited the Central Army, watched its contest, and asked its officers whether Wei should advance into Jingzhou.
• Xiahou Xian warned that Wu’s fortified cities, the risk of being caught between Wu and Shu, and Wang Ji’s limited reputation made an attack dangerous.
• Ma Long proposed advancing cautiously and reinforcing Wang Ji, while Wen Yang volunteered to defeat Sun 𬘭 and Shi Ji; most younger officers favored action.
• Cao Mao consulted veteran generals, and Chen Tai urged them to hear Wang Chang’s assessment of Jingzhou.
• Wang Chang said Wu’s defenses would prevent an easy conquest, but Shi Ji was unlikely to attack first and might be trying to draw Sun 𬘭 away from Jiangdong rather than start a true civil war.

Cao Mao ordered limited troop deployments to Jingzhou amid unrest in Wu, then turned his attention to a severe snow disaster and persuaded Empress Dowager Guo to cut palace spending for relief. He left Zheng Xian waiting after explaining that he would not rush into intimacy.

• Wang Chang warned Cao Mao that Shi Ji might be plotting against Sun 𬘭 and cautioned that Wang Ji might act without orders.
• Cao Mao sent Ma Long, Wen Yang, and Jiang Ban with troops to Jingzhou, while giving Wang Ji information but leaving him free to decide how to act.
• Heavy snow fell on Luoyang, and Cao Mao worried about the disaster’s effects on ordinary people across the realm.
• Sima Yue prompted Empress Dowager Guo to propose reducing palace expenses for disaster relief, and Cao Mao accepted her suggestion.
• Zheng Xian told Cao Mao that Empress Dowager Guo had instructed her to attend to him, but Cao Mao said he would not hurry because he feared harming his health.

Liu Lu and Wang Yuan began organizing a secret network of Affairs Officers to gather intelligence for Cao Mao, while Cao Mao curbed palace spending and planned Great Wei’s first Imperial Examination. The chapter ended with the examination’s rules taking shape, though its candidates would initially come from the Great Clans.

• Cao Mao assigned Liu Lu to recruit covert Affairs Officers across the realm, and Liu Lu enlisted Wang Yuan to help establish the network, starting in Sili.
• Liu Lu and Wang Yuan selected recruits, began training them with a veteran of the School Affairs Office, and planned eventually to send the mountain stronghold’s people home.
• Cao Mao cut palace expenses and urged officials to practice frugality, prompting Luoyang’s nobles and ministers to compete in displays of ragged clothing and humble living.
• Cao Mao and Zhong Hui planned Great Wei’s first Imperial Examination, whose initial eligibility recommendations would draw on the literati of the Great Clans.

Wang Ji received the emperor’s trust and planned to exploit Wu’s civil war by attacking Jiangling, Xiling, and Xiakou. As Wei prepared to march, Sun 𬘭’s harsh rule drove more Wu generals to defect, while his army supervisors intensified the fear among those who remained.

• Wang Ji welcomed Ma Long, Wen Yang, and Jiang Ban, then warned them that he would punish any officer who disobeyed his orders.
• Wang Ji explained his long preparations in Jingzhou and ordered the army to march in three days to seize Jiangling, Xiling, and Xiakou.
• Sun 𬘭 deposed Sun Liang, sent him to Kuaiji, killed Quan Shang, banished Sun Luban, and selected Sun Xiu to become emperor.
• Sun 𬘭 left Jianye with an army to confront Shi Ji, while Quan Clan members fled to Cao Wei and Tang Zi surrendered there.
• Sun 𬘭 sent army supervisors to watch Wu’s generals and ordered them killed if they showed signs of deserting.

Cao Wei’s military mobilization forced Shu and Wu to shift their forces, while Luoyang prospered under Cao Mao’s rule. Cao Mao explained to Sima Yan that restoring the Three Elders would protect commoners by making local powers check one another, and the chapter ended with Sima Yan worrying that those powers might turn on the people.

• Wang Ji led Cao Wei’s army against Wu, prompting Shu to redirect troops toward Hanzhong as Deng Ai advanced there.
• Guanqiu Jian, Hu Zun, and Wen Qin prepared to threaten Wu, causing Sun 𬘭 to halt his advance and move troops from Jingzhou.
• Cao Mao took Cao Qi and Sima Yan to a crowded Luoyang restaurant, where Cao Qi marveled at the city and Sima Yan treated him kindly.
• Cao Mao and Sima Yan saw a notice requiring candidates for the provincial examination to obtain certificates from local elders.
• Cao Mao told Sima Yan that rebuilding the Three Elders system would let commoners choose qualified representatives who could restrain officials and other powerful groups.
• When Sima Yan asked whether the savage beasts might hurt the people, Cao Mao said their greed would make them oppose one another unless their ruler was like Sun 𬘭.

Cao Mao managed Zhuge Dan’s attempts to command regional generals while Chen Qian reported on the campaigns against Shu and Wu. After hearing Du Yu’s plans for military equipment and developing Jingzhou, Cao Mao ordered caution toward Shu and preparations for waterways, farmland, and roads if Jiangling was captured.

• Cao Mao persuaded Zhuge Dan to stop pressing for control of the regional armies by warning that people might think he was trying to claim Wang’s military credit.
• Chen Qian reported that Wuqiu declined a direct assault on Wu, Deng Ai saw opportunities to attack Shu, and Wang had already engaged the enemy.
• Cao Mao ordered Deng Ai not to act rashly against Shu, allowing pressure at Hanzhong only if Shu intervened in Jingzhou.
• Du Yu reported that production had begun on Ma’s improved twelve-bolt Repeating Strong Crossbow and proposed developing waterways, farmland, and roads around Jiangling if Great Wei took the region.
• Du Yu argued that Wu had lost the people’s support and would be defeated, and Cao Mao ordered preparations for development in Jiangling while warning his ministers not to celebrate before victory.

Sun Xiu and his allies lured Sun 𬘭 into the palace and killed him, allowing the emperor to reclaim control of Jianye. Sun 𬘭’s death threw his brothers’ forces into confusion, and Wang Ji exploited the chaos to trap Shi Ji in besieged Jiangling.

• Sun Xiu, Zhang Bu, and Wei Miao arranged to kill Sun 𬘭 at a palace banquet, with Shi Ji’s support.
• Sun 𬘭 attended the banquet despite suspecting a trap, then was captured and beheaded after a fire at his residence failed to let him escape.
• Sun Xiu pardoned Sun 𬘭’s followers and took control of Jianye, while Sun 𬘭’s clan and brother Sun Ju were killed.
• After news of Sun 𬘭’s death spread, Ding Feng killed Sun Gan, and Sun En and Sun Kai fled toward Cao Wei and offered to surrender Xiakou.
• Wang Ji bypassed Xiakou and launched an all-out attack on Jiangling, then defeated the Wu reinforcements with elite cavalry.
• Shi Ji realized Wang Ji was using the siege to weaken Wu’s forces and found himself surrounded, unable to send out orders.

Wang Ji tightened the siege of Jiangling while Shu’s court argued over whether it could afford to intervene. Liu Shan ordered Chen Zhi to organize an expedition under Yan Yu, but Yan Yu received provisions without additional troops and saw no safe way to march on Jingzhou.

• Wang Ji ordered Wen Yang to patrol the routes around Jiangling, block Ding Feng’s movements, and attack any small enemy detachments.
• Wang Ji judged that Shi Ji’s depleted forces could not hold Jiangling much longer, though Shu intervention from Xiling remained a concern.
• At Chengdu, Chen Zhi urged Liu Shan to send troops to protect Jingzhou, while Wei Ji and other ministers objected that Shu lacked troops, grain, and money.
• Huang Hao persuaded Liu Shan to entrust the campaign to Yan Yu, whom he hoped would gain influence and replace Jiang Wei.
• Liu Shan ordered Chen Zhi to arrange the expedition, and a new military tax sparked rebellion in Shu’s south.
• Yan Yu received an order to march with provisions but no extra soldiers, and he cursed the court because taking troops from Baidi could leave Shu exposed.

Cao Mao learned of Sun 𬘭's death and reviewed the war between Wu and Shu while turning his attention to Great Wei's domestic affairs. He proposed leasing public fields to farmers, but Zhong Hui warned that reduced grain revenues could force the court to levy taxes and undermine Cao Mao's support.

• Cao Mao learned that the King of Wu had killed Sun 𬘭 and pacified his followers, while Sun 𬘭's younger brothers submitted after Ding Feng defeated them near Xiakou.
• Jiao Bo reported that Shu had sent Yan Yu toward Xiling, and Cao Mao returned to the memorials and domestic administration.
• Cao Mao prepared to launch a tiered imperial examination system and considered reforming the military agriculture system without distributing public fields to powerful families.
• Cao Mao proposed leasing public fields to farmers so they could keep their surplus after paying land tax, and he summoned palace officials to discuss the plan.
• Zheng Xiaotong praised Cao Mao's proposal, but Zhong Hui warned that lower short-term grain revenues could force the court to levy taxes and make the people resent Cao Mao.

Cao Mao defended changes to military agriculture by arguing that new farming tools would raise grain yields and tax revenue, then visited the Imperial Academy incognito to investigate its strict security. He discovered that Sima Yan and Zhong Yu had used armored guards to ensure students attended classes, and Sima Yan asked whether he had earned merit.

• Cao Mao told Zhong Hui that spreading improved farming tools would boost harvests enough to support changes to military agriculture, while Zhong Hui said the proposal needed further discussion.
• Cao Mao told Zhang Hua that winning the support of soldiers, merchants, and farmers would strengthen his position, then went incognito to inspect the Imperial Academy.
• Armored guards stopped Cao Mao at the academy entrance, and Zhang Hua revealed his identity before Cao Mao ordered the guards not to announce his visit.
• Cao Mao found guards patrolling the academy and summoned Sima Yan and Zhong Yu to explain why they were there.
• Sima Yan said Zhong Yu had proposed using the five hundred armored guards to keep students attending classes, and Cao Mao challenged Zhong Yu over treating literati like prisoners.
• Sima Yan asked Cao Mao whether he had earned any merit, and Cao Mao told him to ask the literati.

Wang Ji captured Jiangling and outmaneuvered Shi Ji, then defeated Yan Yu and took Xiling before forcing Ding Feng to retreat. The Wu Kingdom’s entire Jiangbei defensive line fell to Cao Wei, and Sun Xiu collapsed upon hearing the news.

• Shi Ji abandoned Jiangling and retreated by warship to Lexiang, leaving Wang Ji to take the city.
• Wang Ji ordered Jiang Ban, Ma Long, and Wen Yang to bypass Xiling and attack Yan Yu, driving the Shu forces back toward Yongan.
• Ma Long and Wen Yang turned back and joined Jiang Ban in besieging Xiling, which fell after three days.
• Wang Ji advanced with superior forces, forcing Ding Feng to retreat to Baqiu, then joined Sun En at Xiakou and took command of the surrendered Wu soldiers.
• Sun Xiu collapsed when he learned Cao Wei had captured the Jiangbei defensive line, while Wang Ji halted his offensive to secure his holdings and supply routes.

Luoyang held Great Wei’s first County Examination, bringing humble-born candidates into competition with the sons of great clans who opposed the new system. After Wu Mao exposed and arrested several candidates carrying cheating materials, the examination began with a test on the classics.

• Sons of great clans disparaged Cao Mao and the imperial examination while humble-born candidates eagerly prepared to compete.
• Officials opened the county office gates and admitted more than seven hundred candidates after searching them for cheating materials.
• Wu Mao rejected the great-clan candidates’ objections to the searches and ordered those caught with prepared essays and cheating tools arrested.
• The candidates entered their examination rooms, and Great Wei’s first County Examination began with questions on the classics.

Cao Mao received news that Wang Ji had won a major victory and captured Jiangbei, prompting Zhong Hui and Chen Qian to discuss how Great Wei should exploit the strategic gain. The chapter ended with Zhong Hui advising Cao Mao to issue Wang Ji an order to press the advantage and destroy the Wu Kingdom.

• Candidates completed the county examination, where Cui Hong confidently answered agricultural questions drawn from his great-great-grandfather Cui Shi’s work.
• Yang Xiu reported the examination results to Cao Mao, who ordered him to monitor the reviews for fraud.
• Jiao Bo delivered Wang Ji’s report of a great victory in Jiangbei, and Cao Mao summoned Zhong Hui and Chen Qian to discuss it.
• Zhong Hui and Chen Qian praised Wang Ji’s campaign and agreed that the court did not need to interfere with his arrangements.
• Zhong Hui proposed that Cao Mao write to Wang Ji and order the regional generals to support him in an attempt to destroy the Wu Kingdom.

Zhong Hui advised Cao Mao to threaten Wu and Shu with alternating pressure while reviewing Cao Mao’s plan to lease public farmland to its cultivators. Cao Mao entrusted Lu Zhi with carrying out the farmland reform and began explaining his ideas to him.

• Zhong Hui explained that an imperial edict urging General Wang to advance would keep Wu and Shu wary and force them to spend resources preparing for a threat.
• Zhong Hui reported that Huainan’s new agricultural tools had increased grain output, but their usefulness varied by region, and Lu Zhi supported leasing public fields to cultivators to cut costs and encourage production.
• Cao Mao and Zhang Hua discussed the celebrated scholars’ withdrawal from government as they traveled to the Imperial Secretariat.
• Cao Mao heard Lu Zhi explain his proposals and appointed him to oversee the farmland reform, promising the Imperial Secretariat’s full cooperation.
• Cao Mao began explaining his specific plans to Lu Zhi and told him he would not interfere with the implementation.

Liu Lu brought Wang Yuan to Luoyang to discuss the Office of Affairs’ struggling efforts to place covert agents across Henan. After Wang Yuan learned that their meeting was with Emperor Cao Mao, Cao Mao ordered Liu Lu to return to Luoyang as School Affairs Commandant and reorganize the operation.

• Liu Lu and Wang Yuan entered Luoyang using Liu Lu’s credentials, and Liu Lu explained that their agents had been arrested or fled in many localities.
• Liu Lu took Wang Yuan to a restaurant to meet Cao Mao and discuss combining overt School Affairs personnel with covert Affairs Officers.
• Wang Yuan collapsed in fright when Liu Lu revealed that the man in the seat of honor was Emperor Cao Mao.
• Cao Mao praised Wang Yuan’s past support for Guo Ze and told him to continue serving under Liu Lu.
• Cao Mao ordered Liu Lu to return to Luoyang as School Affairs Commandant, arrange the covert agents under official cover, and disband the bandit stronghold while settling its people properly.

After Yan Yu returned from his defeat, Huang Hao coached him on how to win Liu Shan’s favor and then defended him before the emperor. Liu Shan pardoned Yan Yu but grew more resentful of Jiang Wei’s silence, while Xiahou Ba feared the court’s division would lead Shu Han to ruin.

• Huang Hao berated Yan Yu for losing at Yongan, then urged him to seek Liu Shan’s favor and promised to explain his actions.
• Liu Shan lamented that Cao Wei had many talented officials while he lacked worthy ministers and generals.
• Xiahou Ba warned Liu Shan that losing Jiangling left Shu Han exposed to attacks from multiple directions.
• Huang Hao told Liu Shan that Yan Yu had risked a small force to protect Yongan and had faced Wang Ji without help from Wu.
• Liu Shan accepted Huang Hao’s account, pardoned Yan Yu pending a personal inquiry, and asked why Jiang Wei had not replied.
• Huang Hao blamed Jiang Wei’s silence on his duties, deepening Liu Shan’s anger as Xiahou Ba worried that the court would split apart.

Sun Xiu pardoned past offenders and reorganized Wu’s defenses after losing Jiangbei, while Cao Mao received captured Wu nobles and planned to expand his surveillance network. Cao Mao also prepared to bring the Wangwu Mountain bandits into the court’s fold through Liu Lu.

• Sun Xiu issued pardons, condemned Sun Jun and Sun 𬘭, and appointed Shi Ji, Ding Feng, and Zhang Bu to military posts as Cao Wei prepared to advance again.
• Cao Mao urged the captured Sun Xin to surrender, but Sun Xin mocked Cao’s family and was taken away under guard.
• Cao Mao told Zhang Hua that he intended to appoint Liu Lu School Affairs Official and put him in charge of surveillance, and Zhang Hua agreed to help.
• Liu Lu submitted a memorial seeking permission to persuade the Wangwu Mountain bandits to surrender, and Cao Mao publicly offered them clemency and arrangements for returning civilians to their homes.
• Zhang Hua presented the bandits’ surrender as evidence of the emperor’s benevolent rule and wrote a piece praising it.

Guo Ze returned to Luoyang after accepting Cao Mao’s pardon and met the emperor, who warned him about the court’s accusations against Lord He. Guo Ze recognized that Cao Mao had feared his judgment and asked to resign, leaving their reunion unsettled.

• Liu Lu read Cao Mao’s edict pardoning Guo Ze and ordering him to Luoyang, while the mountain bandits agreed to surrender.
• Liu Lu escorted Guo Ze to Luoyang, where Cao Mao welcomed him and they spoke privately in the Western Hall.
• Cao Mao told Guo Ze that Lord He had exposed rebellions and that rumors of his cruelty were slander, then asked Guo Ze to help with court assessments.
• Guo Ze met Empress Dowager Guo and begged her forgiveness before leaving with Cao Mao.
• Guo Ze said he believed Lord He might truly be a cruel official and asked to resign because Cao Mao had not trusted him with the truth.

Cao Mao reconciled with Guo Ze and brought him to the Imperial Secretariat, where the ministers argued over policy before reaching practical compromises. Cao Mao then declared that the Imperial Secretariat would make final decisions on court decrees and hold its own government meetings, leaving him poised to govern through it alone.

• Cao Mao apologized to Guo Ze, who urged him to rule with benevolence and remain open to remonstrance, and Cao Mao asked Guo Ze to stay by his side as a moral mirror.
• Cao Mao told Cheng Ji and Zhang Hua that he intended to appoint Guo Ze Supervisor of the Secretariat, then brought Guo Ze with him to the Imperial Secretariat.
• Xun Yi, Lu Zhi, Zhong Hui, Chen Tai, Du Yu, and Pei Xiu argued over military agriculture, examinations, and printing, eventually agreeing to test the farmland policy before expanding it.
• Wang Chang explained to Cao Mao that heated debate helped the secretaries identify problems and reach agreement, and Cao Mao entered the hall after their discussions had nearly ended.
• Cao Mao announced that Imperial Court decrees would no longer pass through the Nine Ministers and that the Imperial Secretariat would set its own meeting schedule without external ministers; the ministers agreed.

Cui Hong took the Commandery Examination as Wang Xun cracked down on cheating, while Cao Mao heard Zhang Hua’s proposals for reforming the examinations. The chapter ended when Cheng Ji announced that Liu Bao, the Xiongnu Left Wise King, had arrived with the hostage prince Liu Yuan.

• Cui Hong prepared to take the Commandery Examination, confident that he could prove his own abilities.
• Du Mo approached Cui Hong, but Cui Hong turned him away as the examination was about to begin.
• Wang Xun ordered candidates from Heyin searched, uncovered cheating materials, disqualified them, and ordered the arrest of Heyin County’s magistrate.
• Cui Hong found the Commandery Examination’s practical policy questions far more challenging than the County Examination.
• Zhang Hua proposed regular assessments for officials and questioned whether the Province Assessment was necessary, and Cao Mao listened to his suggestions.
• Cheng Ji informed Cao Mao that Liu Bao had arrived with a hostage prince, Liu Yuan, and that the Ministry of Rites had failed to receive them in advance.

Liu Bao brought his young son Liu Yuan to Luoyang to pay homage to Cao Mao and assess the new emperor before deciding how to secure his position among the Southern Xiongnu. Cao Mao’s pointed remarks about Liu Bao’s brother and uncle unsettled him, and Liu Bao announced that he had come to court for three matters.

• Liu Bao and Liu Yuan entered the imperial palace, where Pei Xiu received them with little warmth.
• Liu Bao presented Liu Yuan to Cao Mao and explained that he hoped to leave his son in Luoyang.
• Liu Bao weighed the emperor’s conduct against three plans he had prepared for the visit.
• Cao Mao mentioned the disloyal Right Wise King Liu Meng and asked about Liu Bao’s learned uncle Xuan, alarming Liu Bao.
• Liu Bao told Cao Mao that he had come to the imperial court for three matters.

Cao Mao heard Liu Bao’s warnings about Tuoba Liwei and Liu Meng, then assigned Pei Xiu to lead the Ministry of Rites in managing the Hu peoples. Zhang Hua and Cao Mao concluded that Pei Xiu had deliberately mishandled Liu Bao’s reception to avoid the assignment, but Cao Mao intended to hold him to it.

• Liu Bao reported Tuoba Liwei’s rise and military strength, warned that he might threaten Great Wei, and described Liu Meng’s growing ambitions.
• Cao Mao told Liu Bao that Tuoba Liwei had expressed a desire for friendly relations and for his son to come to Luoyang, then said he had noted Liu Bao’s three matters.
• Cao Mao told Pei Xiu that the Ministry of Rites must take greater responsibility for instructing and assimilating the Hu peoples, including the Southern Xiongnu.
• Pei Xiu worried that changing Hu customs might provoke rebellion, but Cao Mao directed him to proceed and seek Chen Qian’s help if trouble arose.
• Zhang Hua questioned whether Pei Xiu was suited to the task, and Cao Mao said Pei Xiu had deliberately mishandled Liu Bao’s reception to avoid being assigned the work.

After Great Wei’s commandery examination exposed the scholars’ lack of practical skills, Cao Mao discussed the Imperial Academy’s failures with Zhong Yu and Sima Yan. He called for changes to teaching and incentives, while Zhong Yu promised to find a solution before the province examination.

• Most scholars failed the commandery examination, and many unsuccessful candidates took county clerk positions while remaining eligible for future examinations.
• Wang Jing reported that Heyin Magistrate Yang Jun had neglected to search candidates during the examination, and Cao Mao ordered him punished according to law despite his Hongnong Yang Clan background.
• Cao Mao summoned Zhong Yu after learning that few Imperial Academy students had passed the commandery examination; Sima Yan blamed the examination’s difficulty and practical subject matter.
• Zhong Yu agreed that the Imperial Academy’s focus on the classics had left students unprepared for governance, law, agriculture, and other practical subjects.
• Cao Mao urged reforms to Imperial Academy teaching and rewards, and Zhong Yu promised to resolve the problem before the province examination.