Chapter Summaries

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.

Jiang Wei returned to Chengdu after learning of Yan Yu’s defeat and resolved to strike Wei before Cao Mao’s reforms made it too strong. Chen Zhi warned that Shu could not afford another campaign and revealed that he was gravely ill.

• Jiang Wei read the delayed imperial edict in Hanzhong and learned that Yan Yu had been defeated in Jingzhou, while Wei’s military reforms and growing strength alarmed him.
• Jiang Wei decided Shu had to attack Yongliang soon, then left Hanzhong for Chengdu and took the eunuch who delivered the edict into custody.
• Liu Shan welcomed Jiang Wei and asked about joining Wu against Wang Ji, but Chen Zhi argued that Wang Ji was unlikely to attack and Shu could support Wu without sending troops.
• After leaving the palace, Jiang Wei urged Chen Zhi to approve a campaign and argued that Shu could fund it by confiscating the wealth of corrupt officials such as Huang Hao.
• Chen Zhi told Jiang Wei that Shu had no grain or money for war and disclosed that he was dying despite the physicians’ treatment.

Chen Zhi and Jiang Wei proposed assassinating Cao Mao as a way to disrupt Cao Wei without launching a costly northern expedition. Zhuge Zhan doubted the plan, while Chen Zhi entrusted him with supporting Jiang Wei if anything happened to him.

• Chen Zhi summoned the generals and argued that Shu Han needed to undermine Cao Wei, but the generals worried that the state lacked the provisions and funds for another expedition.
• After dismissing the generals, Chen Zhi asked Zhuge Zhan’s opinion, and Zhuge Zhan said a northern expedition was ill-timed because the treasury was depleted and talk of embezzled provisions would unsettle the army.
• Chen Zhi and Jiang Wei revealed that they did not actually intend to send troops and explained that they planned to exploit Cao Mao’s willingness to receive defectors by sending someone to assassinate him.
• Zhuge Zhan objected that a surrendered general would not be able to reach or kill Cao Mao, but Chen Zhi argued that even a failed attempt could discourage further defections to Cao Wei.
• Chen Zhi told Zhuge Zhan that he had been unwell and asked him to support Jiang Wei before Liu Shan if Chen Zhi died.

Chen Zhi and Jiang Wei chose Luo Xian for a mission to infiltrate Wei and assassinate Cao Mao, while Cao Mao continued receiving defectors from Wu. The chapter ended with Cao Mao learning that Luo Xian had surrendered to Wei.

• Chen Zhi proposed Fu Qian for the assassination mission, but Jiang Wei refused because he wanted to appoint him Hanzhong Inspector.
• Chen Zhi suggested Luo Xian, and Jiang Wei agreed to ask him to feign surrender and kill Cao Mao if he accepted.
• Chen Zhi told Luo Xian that his nephew would be cared for, while Jiang Wei warned that refusal meant he would have to leave the imperial court; Luo Xian rose without answering.
• Cao Mao reviewed reports about generals defecting from Wu and discussed the upcoming examinations with Guo Ze.
• Jiao Bo told Cao Mao that General Wang had sent a letter reporting that the Shu general Luo Xian had surrendered.

Cao Mao questioned the circumstances behind Luo Xian’s flight from Shu and ordered Wang Ji to escort him to Luoyang. Meanwhile, Zhang Hua trained Liu Lu and Wang Yuan to rebuild the School Affairs Office, then the ministers gathered to welcome Zheng Chong after He Zeng released him.

• Cao Mao read Wang Ji’s memorial about Luo Xian fleeing Shu after Huang Hao targeted him, ordered Wang Ji to escort Luo Xian to Luoyang, and sent word to Maoxian.
• Zhang Hua instructed Liu Lu and Wang Yuan to establish local School Affairs Offices and place covert agents near officials and great clans to gather firsthand evidence.
• Zhang Hua received Cao Mao’s command, wrote a reply, and continued directing Liu Lu and Wang Yuan’s work.
• Zhang Hua reorganized the Luoyang School Affairs Office, assigned Liu Lu to open surveillance and Wang Yuan to secret surveillance, and listed Xun Yi and He Zeng for scrutiny.
• The ministers gathered at the Censorate to welcome Zheng Chong, whom He Zeng had released after repeatedly arresting him as an alleged conspirator.
• Zheng Chong returned the ministers’ bows without showing pleasure, and the gathering dispersed when Zhang Hua arrived.

Zhang Hua secured Zheng Chong’s residence as a training ground and route for spreading secret agents, then joined Cao Mao to discuss Pei Xiu’s Southern Xiongnu proposals and Luo Xian’s suspicious surrender. Cao Mao agreed to treat Luo Xian generously while keeping him under close watch rather than entrusting him with important duties or killing him.

• Zhang Hua escorted Zheng Chong home, reassured him that he was safe in Luoyang, and arranged for Ministry of Personnel staff to look after him.
• Zhang Hua explained to Liu Lu and Wang Yuan that Zheng Chong’s residence would train secret agents and help place them in leading ministers’ households through letters of recommendation.
• Pei Xiu presented a radical plan to assimilate and disperse the Southern Xiongnu, and Cao Mao rejected its most extreme measures as likely to provoke rebellion.
• Zhang Hua told Cao Mao he suspected Luo Xian had feigned surrender to assassinate Minister Zhong, possibly at Shu’s behest.
• Zhang Hua advised Cao Mao to treat Luo Xian generously, monitor him closely, and withhold important duties; Cao Mao agreed that surrendered generals should not be killed without proof.

Luo Xian traveled through Wei on his way to Luoyang, where he was expected to assassinate the emperor, and saw how its farmland, markets, and administration differed from the Shu Kingdom. He began to understand why Wei had gained the advantage, though his mission remained ahead.

• Luo Xian agreed to Jiang Wei and Chen Zhi's demand, staged an escape, and surrendered to Wang Ji so he could be escorted to Luoyang.
• As Luo Xian traveled toward Xiangyang, Wang Qiao described Wei's public-field leases and argued that its farmers were thriving.
• Luo Xian saw cheerful farmers working the fields and reflected on how exhausted and hungry people in Shu Commandery had become.
• Wang Qiao boasted about Wei's frugal emperor, recruitment examinations, and enforcement of laws as the party continued toward Luoyang.
• After observing Wei's prosperous markets and efficient officials, Luo Xian concluded that Wei was recovering while Shu and Wu were declining.

Luo Xian arrived in Luoyang and met Cao Mao, intending to assassinate him but finding no chance to obtain a weapon. Cao Mao praised Luo Xian’s abilities and described his plans for the realm, leaving Luo Xian unsettled; Luo Xian feigned allegiance and agreed to serve him.

• Luo Xian entered bustling Luoyang and considered Jiang Wei’s advice to wait for a chance to assassinate Cao Mao while armed.
• Palace guards searched Luo Xian and Wang Qiao before Cheng Ji escorted them to the Western Hall.
• Cao Mao praised Wang Qiao’s family and promised honors for Wang Zhennan’s father and advancement for Wang Qiao’s father.
• Luo Xian searched the Western Hall for a weapon but found none, while Cao Mao questioned his loyalty to Shu and recognized his military abilities.
• Cao Mao described his plans to reform Wei, unify the realm, and bring peace, making Luo Xian question his mission.
• Luo Xian decided to feign allegiance until he could find another chance to assassinate Cao Mao, then agreed to assist him.

Cao Mao questioned Luo Xian about Shu and learned that Chen Zhi’s illness could destabilize Shu’s court, while Zhang Hua warned that Luo Xian had meant to assassinate the emperor. Wang Su tried to calm Zhuge Dan and other ministers frustrated by their loss of authority, then received an unexpected visit from Sima Gan.

• Cao Mao questioned Luo Xian about Chen Zhi and Shu’s court, and Luo Xian answered while realizing the emperor was assessing Shu’s weaknesses.
• Cao Mao sent Luo Xian to rest, heard Wang Qiao report on affairs in Jiangbei, and then learned from Zhang Hua that Luo Xian had been watching for a chance to attack him.
• Cao Mao dismissed the assassination threat and maintained his regular routine of eating and sleeping to preserve his health.
• Wang Su and Zhuge Dan discussed how the Imperial Secretariat had sidelined the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers, and Wang Su urged Zhuge Dan to show his usefulness to Cao Mao.
• After Zhuge Dan left, Wang Su resolved to manage the court’s discontent and seek Cao Mao’s help, but Sima Gan arrived unexpectedly.

Sima Gan sought Wang Su’s help in freeing Sima Zhao, but Wang Su warned him that the court served Cao Mao and drove him away. Wang Su then reported the visit to Cao Mao and realized Sima Gan had been used as bait.

• Sima Gan confronted Wang Su and demanded to know why he would not help free his elder brother, Sima Zhao.
• Wang Su explained that the court’s officials served Cao Mao, reminded Sima Gan that Sima Zhao had been pardoned after his failed attack on Luoyang, and warned him to stop stirring up trouble.
• Wang Su ordered servants to drive Sima Gan out, then hurried to Taiji Hall to discuss the matter with Cao Mao.
• Cao Mao finished sword practice with the Armored Guards and invited Wang Su to spar, but Wang Su declined and reported Sima Gan’s visit.
• Cao Mao guessed that Sima Gan had asked Wang Su to rescue Sima Zhao, and Wang Su realized Sima Gan had been bait.

Cao Mao tested his control over the court, rewarded Wang Su by appointing Wang Xun governor of Jiangling, and approved Zhong Hui’s proposal to assess Luo Xian before employing him. Luo Xian concealed his plan to assassinate Cao Mao and accepted the prospect of joining the Ministry of War, hoping it would bring him closer to the emperor.

• Cao Mao praised Wang Su for managing the ministers and told him the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers would remain without authority over government affairs.
• Cao Mao offered Wang Xun the governorship of Jiangling, and Wang Su gratefully accepted the appointment for his son.
• Cao Mao concluded that the Sima Family no longer controlled the court after his test involving Sima Gan.
• Zhong Hui warned Cao Mao that Luo Xian might be a spy, and Cao Mao proposed placing him in the Ministry of War to learn Shu’s military methods.
• Zhong Hui visited Luo Xian, questioned his motives for surrendering without his family, and told him Cao Mao wanted him in the Ministry of War.
• Luo Xian dropped his immediate plan to kill Zhong Hui and decided to accept the post so he could seek an opportunity to assassinate Cao Mao.