Chapter Summaries

Lu Yu staged his resignation from the Imperial Secretariat, prompting Gao Rou to seek an edict that would force him out for real. At Zhaoyang Hall, Sima Fu confronted Gao Rou before Empress Dowager Guo, and the two ministers traded accusations.

• Lu Yu claimed he had served the realm without self-interest, announced his resignation, and withdrew to his Inner Chamber.
• Wang Xiang recognized Lu Yu's move as a retreat designed to advance, while Xun Yi promised the ministers he would persuade Lu Yu to return.
• Gao Rou learned of Lu Yu's resignation and decided to ask Empress Dowager Guo to order him home, turning his feigned withdrawal into a real one.
• Gao Rou arrived at Zhaoyang Hall and learned that Sima Fu had entered before him to see Empress Dowager Guo.
• Sima Fu accused Gao Rou of controlling access to the Empress Dowager and intercepting memorials, while Gao Rou blamed the Imperial Secretariat and the Sima Family.

Cao Mao recruited Chen Qian as his prospective Grand General and learned that Ma Long had arrived in Luoyang. After summoning Ma Long to the palace, Cao Mao offered him the same rank, leaving Ma Long stunned.

• Wang Xiang warned Cao Mao about Lu Yu's resignation, and Cao Mao said he planned to meet with Chen Qian and Zheng.
• Wei Shu told Cao Mao that Li Zhao, Jiao Bo, Ji Kang, and Lü An were ready to serve, but Cao Mao said he still needed one more Commandant.
• Cao Mao offered Chen Qian the position of Grand General, and Chen Qian agreed to help him take control of the Central Army.
• Chen Qian revealed that Ma Long was in Luoyang, so Cao Mao summoned him to the East Hall.
• Cao Mao praised Ma Long's reputation and asked whether he would become his Grand General, leaving Ma Long speechless.

Cao Mao cultivated Ma Long for his plans to gain control of the Central Army and reassured Cheng Ji about his future. Zhong Hui pressured Yang Huiyu and Wang Yuanji to support imperial control rather than let the General Who Conquers the West inherit Sima Shi's power.

• Cao Mao praised Ma Long, received his pledge of loyalty, and suggested that he could command a Central Army battalion without making a firm appointment.
• Cao Mao reassured Cheng Ji that he would eventually send him to Yongliang to earn merit rather than place him in the troubled Central Army.
• Cao Mao planned to meet Gao Rou to place trusted men in the Central Army and Zheng Mao to loosen restrictions on the Imperial Clan before Sima Shi could respond.
• Zhong Hui urged Yang Huiyu to support You as Sima Shi's successor under imperial protection, and she recognized that his proposal would give Cao Mao power.
• Zhong Hui warned Yang Huiyu that the General Who Conquers the West would bring destruction upon the Sima Family and its relatives, leaving her troubled after she ordered him out.
• Zhong Hui told Wang Yuanji that he had come on His Majesty's orders to seize the Sima Family's estate and argued that supporting Cao Mao would protect her children.

Cao Mao spent a rare peaceful winter afternoon playing with Guo Ping and Sima You, then received a kneeling support from Sima Yue. His brief respite ended when Zhang Hua summoned him to meet Gao Rou, whose efforts to manage the Imperial Secretariat had been undermined by Lu Yu’s absence and Sima Fu’s maneuvering.

• Cao Mao built a snowman with Guo Ping and Sima You, then accepted Sima Yue’s invitation to share a meal with her and the children.
• Cao Mao reflected on Zhong Hui’s complicated loyalties and his own exhaustion before thanking Sima Yue for a padded kneeling support.
• Zhang Hua told Cao Mao that Gao Rou was waiting in the East Hall, and Cao Mao went to see him.
• Lu Yu’s departure left unfinished work and missing staff in the Imperial Secretariat, prompting ministers to seek his return.
• Sima Fu visited ministers and the Empress Dowager, undermining Gao Rou while Lu Yu’s affairs proceeded smoothly.

Cao Mao persuaded Gao Rou that they had no reason to oppose each other and asked him to help appoint new commandants to the disordered Central Army. Gao Rou agreed to try to secure two appointments, though he warned that powerful ministers might obstruct them.

• Cao Mao asked Gao Rou why he had treated him as an enemy, and Gao Rou admitted he had misunderstood their relationship.
• Cao Mao argued that neither he nor the Empress Dowager intended to seize power from the other, and urged Gao Rou to work with him rather than guard against him.
• Cao Mao proposed appointing ten allies as Central Army commandants, but Gao Rou explained that the ministers could block such a sweeping change.
• Cao Mao reduced his request to two appointments, and Gao Rou agreed to help while warning that the ministers might prevent it.

Guanqiu Jian prepared Huainan to resist Sima Shi while accepting grain from Wu, but Hu Fen arrived with news that Sima Shi wanted him to replace the gravely ill Grand General and oppose the ministers at court. Guanqiu Jian began to believe him and considered changing course, leaving Wen Qin to wonder whether they had borrowed grain from Wu for nothing.

• Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin welcomed Wu's offer of grain but refused to request Wu troops, and Guanqiu Jian ordered preparations to resist Sima Shi.
• Hu Fen arrived bound with a letter in which Sima Shi offered Guanqiu Jian the position of Grand General.
• Hu Fen described the turmoil at court and warned that the ministers' policies threatened Great Wei, but Wen Qin dismissed his account as a scheme.
• Guanqiu Jian believed Hu Fen's report was likely true, ordered that he be treated well, and said their enemies might now be the ministers at court rather than Sima Shi.
• Wen Qin asked whether they had borrowed grain from Wu for nothing.

Cao Mao appointed Ji Kang and Ma Long as Central Army commandants, hoping to strengthen his control over the army and resist the Great Clans. He then summoned Zheng Mao to discuss ending restrictions on the imperial clan and giving its princes authority in their fiefs.

• Cao Mao selected Ji Kang and Ma Long to replace Hua Yi and another commandant, and Sima Zhao supported the edict because he believed Gao Rou was challenging Lu Yu.
• The Empress Dowager approved the appointments, while Gao Rou accused Lu Yu of defying the edict and displeased her with his account.
• Ji Kang warned Cao Mao that greedy ministers and Great Clan policies threatened the realm, and Cao Mao charged him and Ma Long with building effective Central Army battalions.
• Cao Mao explained that he wanted the army strong enough to help him challenge the eminent clans, then summoned Zheng Mao to discuss restoring authority to the Cao imperial clan.
• Cao Mao proposed allowing the imperial princes to return to their fiefs and granting them power to monitor local officials and restrain powerful clans, shocking Zheng Mao.

Cao Mao discussed easing the Imperial Clan’s hardships with Zheng Mao and maneuvered him into recommending the Prince of Pengcheng Ju as Minister of the Imperial Clan. He then proposed the office to Sima Yan, but Sima Yan’s youth made the appointment contentious, so Cao Mao asked whether his father might be suitable instead.

• Cao Mao explained to Zheng Mao that he wanted to improve the Imperial Clan’s living conditions, while Zheng Mao worried that empowering the princes would provoke conflict with court officials and Great Clans.
• Cao Mao asked Zheng Mao to recommend someone for Minister of the Imperial Clan, and Zheng Mao nominated the Prince of Pengcheng Ju.
• Cao Mao warned Zheng Mao to stay out of tangled affairs and told him to remain at home for the time being.
• Cao Mao summoned Sima Yan and proposed making him Minister of the Imperial Clan, but Sima Yan objected that he was still a teenager.
• Cao Mao asked Sima Yan who would be suitable for the post, and Sima Yan suggested his father, prompting Cao Mao to react with surprise.

Cao Mao explained his plan to use the East Hall Banquet to encourage scholars to speak freely and reshape intellectual life, then considered candidates for Minister of the Imperial Clan. He went to Zhaoyang Hall to consult the Empress Dowager but found two people kneeling outside.

• Cao Mao weighed possible candidates for Minister of the Imperial Clan and judged the Prince of Pengcheng unsuitable, while noting that Wen Qin and others were unavailable or lacked seniority.
• Cao Mao persuaded Sima Yan that continuing to assist the government honored his gravely ill elder uncle better than canceling the East Hall Banquet out of concern for appearances.
• Cao Mao revealed that he wanted the East Hall Banquet to unite schools of thought, promote practical governance, and give scholars the freedom to criticize openly.
• Cao Mao discussed the banquet’s arrangements with Sima Yan and sent him to tell his father about the plan.
• Cao Mao considered recalling Qin Lang and went to Zhaoyang Hall to consult the Empress Dowager, where he saw two people kneeling in the cold before Eunuch Guo.

Cao Mao persuaded Empress Dowager Guo to pardon Guo Li and Guo Zhi’s family so he could use them against her rivals, then arranged to summon Xiahou Xian to Luoyang. Meanwhile, Gao Rou rejected the ministers’ demand that he take charge of the Imperial Secretariat, and the court remained in disarray.

• Guo Li and Guo Zhi begged Cao Mao to protect their family after Sima Family followers had officials in their clan dismissed and arrested.
• Cao Mao convinced Empress Dowager Guo that pardoning the Guo Family could help her control the ministers, though she had previously refused to forgive them.
• Cao Mao learned Qin Lang had died and Xiahou Xian was alive, then asked Empress Dowager Guo to summon Xiahou Xian to Luoyang as Minister of the Imperial Clan.
• Xun Yi and the other ministers pressed Gao Rou to take charge of the Imperial Secretariat and blamed him for Lu Yu’s refusal to serve.
• Gao Rou denounced Lu Yu and feigned a collapse until the ministers left, then revealed he had only been acting.

Xun Yi and the ministers agreed to make Lu Yu Director of the Secretariat and enlisted Sima Fu to confront Sima Shi. Sima Fu declared that the delirious Sima Shi had ordered Lu Yu to take over, and the ministers left the residence while Sima Zhao objected.

• Xun Yi and the ministers accepted Lu Qin's condition that Lu Yu become Director of the Secretariat, though they said the Grand General had to approve it.
• Lu Qin proposed that Sima Fu lead the ministers to demand that Sima Shi temporarily hand control of the Imperial Secretariat to Lu Yu.
• Sima Fu led the ministers to the Grand General's Residence, where Sima Zhao and Sima Yan tried to stop them from entering.
• Sima Fu entered Sima Shi's chamber and claimed that Sima Shi's delirious murmur of “Father” was an order appointing Lu Yu Director of the Secretariat.
• Sima Zhao objected, but Sima Fu challenged him to manage the Imperial Secretariat, then led the ministers away as they thanked him.

Lu Yu took control of the Imperial Secretariat, while Cao Mao predicted that Sima Shi would soon die. Sima Shi awoke long enough to give Sima Zhao instructions for the family’s future, then died after thanking Sima Yan for the willow bark.

• Lu Yu accepted appointment as Director of the Secretariat and received Empress Dowager Guo’s edict confirming his new position.
• Cao Mao told Zhang Hua that Sima Shi’s death was imminent and that Lu Yu had gravely underestimated him.
• Sima Shi awoke in the Grand General’s Residence and ordered Sima Zhao to withdraw their men, announce his death, and later accept the Grand General position.
• Sima Shi instructed Sima Zhao to support Cao Mao, distance the family from the Great Clans, and prepare Sima Yan and Sima You for the family’s future.
• Sima Shi gave Sima Yan a piece of malt candy, thanked him for the willow bark, and died.

Sima Shi died, leaving Sima Zhao to carry out his family’s wishes as officials rushed to confirm the news and position themselves for the ensuing power struggle. Cao Mao and Wang Xiang remained wary that Sima Shi’s death might be a deception, while Wang Xiang wondered why the Grand General had not made a final move.

• Sima Shi died in the Grand General’s Residence, and Sima Zhao sent Sima Yan to announce his death while resolving to avenge him.
• Lu Yu and other officials hurried to mourn Sima Shi, while Sima Fu refused to recognize him as his nephew.
• Gao Rou rejoiced at Sima Shi’s death and ordered his carriage taken to the Imperial Palace rather than the Grand General’s Residence.
• Cao Mao calmly continued his lesson with Wang Xiang after Zhang Hua reported Sima Shi’s death, then privately suspected that the news might be a trick.
• Wang Xiang went to the mourning hall, performed his grief, and wondered why Sima Shi’s trusted aides and death-sworn men had not acted.

After Sima Shi died, Sima Zhao withdrew from office on his brother’s orders, while Lu Yu and Empress Dowager Guo’s allies celebrated and maneuvered for power. Zhong Hui mourned Sima Shi and declared that neither the Grand General nor he had been defeated, leaving Sima Zhao unsure what he meant.

• Sima Zhao announced he would resign and mourn Sima Shi, delighting Lu Yu and surprising the ministers.
• Sima Zhao told Zhao Feng that he was following Sima Shi’s final instructions to withdraw and wait for the ministers to ask him to become Grand General again.
• Gao Rou urged Empress Dowager Guo to reclaim military authority, but she proposed other candidates for Grand General and did not appoint him.
• Zhong Hui visited Sima Shi’s mourning hall and said Sima Shi had lost only to time, then declared that he had not lost either.
• Sima Zhao and Sima Yan were left wondering what Zhong Hui meant.

After Sima Shi’s reported death, Cao Mao felt relief and discussed why Sima Zhao had withdrawn from state affairs, then agreed to take Sima Yue back to the Grand General’s Residence. Across Great Wei, a spring-supply shortage sparked coordinated rebellions that reached Luoyang in alarming reports.

• Cao Mao and his advisers considered whether Sima Zhao’s withdrawal followed instructions from Sima Shi, before Sima Yue startled them by entering with soup.
• Sima Yue asked to return to the Grand General’s Residence, and Cao Mao agreed to accompany her the next day before sleeping peacefully.
• In Zhuo County, a clerk refused to distribute spring supplies, and a rioter shot him with a crossbow before the crowd stormed the County Office and seized its grain.
• The rebels attacked the Zhuo Commandery Lu Clan’s fortified stronghold, using strong crossbows and preparing siege engines as rebellions spread throughout Great Wei.
• Regional generals sealed roads instead of sending troops to suppress the unrest, while an exhausted rider reached Luoyang and reported that the Lu family had been wiped out.

Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin exploited Huainan’s uprisings to eliminate powerful clans and blame the Imperial Secretariat, while Hu Zun chose to let unrest continue in Qingzhou. The chapter left the rebellion spreading as regional generals pursued their own interests despite the Grand General’s orders.

• Wen Qin reported that the targeted officials and clansmen had been killed, and Guanqiu Jian ordered him to restore order while keeping the troops controlling local roads in place.
• Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin agreed to accuse the Imperial Secretariat of causing the unrest and to submit a memorial blaming Sima Shi’s government.
• Mouqiu Dian grieved for the common people harmed by the uprisings, while Guanqiu Jian defended eliminating powerful clans as a way to prevent worse suffering.
• Hu Fen told Hu Zun that Qingzhou’s unrest had been suppressed without harming any Great Clans, and Hu Zun criticized Shi Bao for not acting against them.
• Hu Zun refused to intervene in the unrest and told Hu Fen to let more Great Clan members die, arguing that military power mattered more than reputation or learning.

He Zeng and Chen Ben dealt with the widening rebellion in Hebei while Sima Shi’s secret plan exploited the distance between the court and provincial generals. In Luoyang, Lu Qin rushed into Lu Yu’s meeting with news from He Zeng’s letter, leaving Lu Yu’s confidence abruptly challenged.

• He Zeng demanded that Chen Ben send troops to suppress the Hebei rebellion, then memorialized the court blaming Chen Ben and requesting assistance.
• Chen Ben told his advisers that he was already fighting the rebels while defending against the Hu People, and continued following Sima Shi’s secret orders.
• Chen Ben used the appointment edict brought by Sima Shi’s death-sworn operatives to pursue a change in his title from General Who Guards the North to General Who Conquers the North.
• Lu Qin read He Zeng’s letter, hurried into Lu Yu’s residence, and interrupted the Imperial Secretariat meeting by crying out to his father.

Lu Qin’s report of a rebellion in Hebei left Lu Yu unconscious and Cui Zan furious, while a second report revealed uprisings in Yanzhou and beyond. The ministers rushed to the palace as Cao Mao entertained Empress Dowager Guo, unaware they were about to bring the crisis before her.

• Lu Qin delivered He Zeng’s memorial, and Lu Yu collapsed after reading that a vast rebellion had devastated Hebei.
• Cui Zan blamed Lu Yu and Lu Qin for delaying government work and demanded justice for his clan, while Xun Yi tried to calm him.
• Xun Yi read Deng Ai’s memorial reporting rebellions in Yanzhou and nearby regions, then hurried to the Imperial Palace with the ministers.
• Cao Mao told Empress Dowager Guo amusing stories and reflected on his wish to attend court and the danger posed by powerful ministers.
• The ministers gathered outside Zhaoyang Hall and called for Empress Dowager Guo.

Rebellions broke out across the realm, and Cao Mao suspected that Sima Shi and Zhong Hui had orchestrated them to destroy the great clans’ power. After Cao Mao sent the ministers to seek help from He Zeng and reassured Empress Dowager Guo, Zhong Hui urged him to ally with the General Who Conquers the West to control the ministers.

• Xun Yi reported widespread rebellions to Empress Dowager Guo, and Cao Mao inferred that Sima Shi had arranged a campaign against the great clans through Zhong Hui and allied generals.
• Cao Mao ordered Xun Yi and the ministers to go to the Minister over the Masses and have him suppress the rebellion.
• Cao Mao reassured Empress Dowager Guo that the rebels’ numbers had been exaggerated and that the rebellions would soon be quelled.
• Cao Mao left Zhaoyang Hall troubled by the harm the uprising would bring to innocent people and met Zhong Hui in the Western Hall.
• Zhong Hui admitted that the upheaval had devastated the great clans and urged Cao Mao to join forces with the General Who Conquers the West to keep the ministers in check.

Cao Mao rejected Zhong Hui’s plan to help Sima Zhao and Sima Fu take power, arguing that their vision of a flourishing age differed from his. He left Zhong Hui with a clear account of the people’s suffering and the humane society he intended to build.

• Cao Mao asked Zhong Hui whether he acted for the Sima Family, Cao Mao, or himself, and Zhong Hui claimed their political goals were the same.
• Cao Mao deduced how Sima Shi had arranged unrest in Hebei and positioned Sima Fu and Sima Zhao to divide the posts of Director of the Secretariat and Grand General.
• Zhong Hui proposed that Cao Mao support Sima Fu and Sima Zhao, then use disputes over classical studies and rank determination to weaken the great clans.
• Cao Mao described the poverty and abuses he had witnessed in Hebei, including abandoned infants, exhausted elders, plundered merchants, and unpaid laborers.
• Cao Mao declared that his vision of a flourishing age meant food and clothing for all, care for the elderly, healthy children, and freedom from threats and humiliation, and he refused to join forces with the Sima faction.