Chapter Summaries

Guanqiu Jian learned that grain production had risen after the emperor’s reforms and was asked to remonstrate against He Zeng’s growing power. As He Zeng’s purge put Pei Xiu in danger of execution, Xun Xu reassured Pei Kai that his brother would survive and prepared to leave for Bing Province.

• Zhong Hui and the ministers claimed credit for the increased autumn harvest, while Guanqiu Jian credited the emperor’s new tools and the Famous Artisans.
• Xun Yi told Guanqiu Jian that He Zeng had arrested Pei Xiu, and Guanqiu Jian learned the arrest followed Pei Xiu’s late arrival at court after consuming powder.
• He Zeng pursued Wang Rong over alleged patricide, then Guo Zhi accused Pei Xiu of conspiring with Tao Qiu Yi and threatened to execute him and his clansmen.
• Pei Kai begged Xun Xu to save Pei Xiu, and Xun Xu told him his brother would not die but warned him to keep silent.
• Xun Xu sent Pei Kai back to work and said they would soon travel to Bing Province.

Cao Mao disciplined Pei Xiu for consuming powder, then ordered him to curb superstition and sent officials to investigate corruption in the localities. After hearing that Cao Ju, Prince of Pengcheng, had arrived in Luoyang, Cao Mao met him warmly, leaving the terrified prince protesting that his reputation was exaggerated.

• Cao Mao reprimanded Pei Xiu for consuming powder, fined him a year's salary, and kept him as acting minister while ordering him to address superstition.
• Cao Mao blamed the rise in autumn grain production after officials were removed on widespread local corruption and ordered more inspections.
• Zhang Hua praised Cao Mao's regional inspectors and the changes they had brought to Great Wei.
• Jiao Bo reported that Cao Ju, Prince of Pengcheng, was nearing Luoyang, and Cao Mao looked forward to meeting him.
• Cao Ju feared Cao Mao would punish him for once being considered for the throne, but Cao Mao greeted him warmly and praised him, prompting Cao Ju to deny the rumors about his abilities.

Cao Mao gathered the Cao princes and relatives to enlist them as his eyes and representatives against powerful local clans, appointing Cao Yan Minister of the Imperial Clan after Cao Ju declined. He then welcomed his younger half-brother Cao Qi to Luoyang, teasing him about the old rumor that he might be forced to compose a poem in seven steps.

• Cao Mao hosted a family banquet with Cao Ju, Cao Yu, Cao Yan, Xiahou Xian, and other members of the Imperial Clan.
• Cao Mao told the clan members he wanted them to report on local abuses and support the court in their regions.
• Cao Mao sent Cao Yu back to his fief in Hebei and offered Cao Ju the post of Minister of the Imperial Clan.
• Cao Ju recommended Cao Yan for the post, and Cao Yan eagerly accepted Cao Mao's appointment.
• Cao Mao later welcomed Cao Qi to Luoyang and teased him about whether he had learned to write poetry.

Jiang Wei and Chen Zhi urged Liu Shan to prepare for a possible Cao Wei invasion, but Qiao Zhou opposed further campaigns and wrote the widely circulated Treatise on the Enemy State. Liu Shan praised the essay and promoted Qiao Zhou, leaving Jiang Wei and Chen Zhi’s plans politically weakened.

• Jiang Wei warned Liu Shan that Cao Wei’s troop movements in Liangzhou and Yong Province threatened Hanzhong, but Liu Shan resisted mobilizing troops because of the cost.
• Chen Zhi reported that Wu’s grain shipments had stopped amid unrest, and he persuaded Liu Shan to muster troops and prepare defenses.
• Qiao Zhou denounced Chen Zhi’s proposal for another campaign, arguing that years of warfare had exhausted the people and Yi Province.
• Qiao Zhou wrote the Treatise on the Enemy State, criticizing constant warfare and calling for the people to rest and recover.
• The essay spread throughout Shu, drawing officials into fierce debate and prompting Jiang Wei to fall silent while Chen Zhi offered no rebuttal.
• Liu Shan decided not to punish Qiao Zhou and promoted him from Palace Counsellor to Grand Master of Splendid Happiness.

Cao Mao questioned Sun Yi about Wu, arranged for Zhong Hui to use him to undermine Ding Feng, and reassured his younger brother Cao Qi that he would not kill him. After learning that Qiao Zhou’s Treatise on the Enemy State had stirred unrest in Shu, Cao Mao decided to revive School Affairs as an intelligence network and asked Zhang Hua to recommend someone for the task.

• Cao Mao praised Sun Yi’s defection, appointed him Attendant and Inspector of Jiaozhou, and questioned him about Wu’s military supplies, but Sun Yi gave few precise answers.
• Zhong Hui offered to handle Cao Mao’s plan to exploit Sun Yi, and Cao Mao directed him to write to Ding Feng rather than Quan Shang.
• Cao Qi told Cao Mao that Shi Zuan had warned him against the emperor, and Cao Mao promised not to kill his younger brother and allowed him to study in Luoyang.
• Zhang Hua brought Cao Mao Qiao Zhou’s Treatise on the Enemy State and reported that Wu had rejected Shu’s request for grain unless Shu traded cities for it.
• Cao Mao said he would revive School Affairs to gather intelligence, and Zhang Hua recommended Yellow Gate Gentleman Liu.

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.