Recaps

Chen Caozhi arranged his mission to Di Qin, secured Shen Chiqian and Chen Yu as companions, and declined to take Xie Daoyun as his deputy. After learning of his firm intention to marry Lu Weiwei, the Princess of Nankang considered a match between him and Huan You'e while Li Jingshu plotted to exploit Xie Daoyun’s concealed identity; the chapter ended with Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun feeling newly constrained by their closeness.

• Shen Chiqian begged Chen Caozhi to take him north to reunite with his father, and Chen Caozhi agreed to ask Huan Wen for permission.
• Huan Wen proposed Clerk Zhu as Chen Caozhi’s deputy, but Chen Caozhi rejected the suggestion and requested Chen Yu and three hundred escort soldiers instead.
• Huan Wen promoted Chen Yu to Commander of a Thousand Household Troops, approved Shen Chiqian’s participation, and had Chen Caozhi meet the Princess of Nankang.
• Chen Caozhi told the Princess of Nankang that he intended to marry only Lu Weiwei, while she later asked Li Jingshu whether Huan You'e could marry him.
• Li Jingshu considered using Xie Daoyun’s concealed identity to pressure Chen Caozhi and make Lu Weiwei suffer.
• Chen Caozhi told Xie Daoyun about the proposed deputy appointment, and they discussed her plans to return to Jiankang before feeling awkwardly conscious of their growing attraction.

After Xie Xuan’s betrothed died of pestilence, Chen Caozhi accompanied him and Xie Daoyun to Guangling to offer condolences and warn local officials about the epidemic. Back in Jiankang, Chen met with Sima Yu, who asked him to treat Sima Daofu, and Chen found Li Jingshu with the princess before leaving a prescription.

• Ran Sheng returned to Gushu with news that Xie Xuan’s betrothed had died, and Xie Xuan asked Huan Wen for permission to travel to Guangling to offer condolences.
• Chen Caozhi persuaded Huan Wen to let him accompany Xie Xuan and investigate the pestilence, and Huan Wen also ordered Xie Daoyun to summon Gu Kaizhi to the Western Headquarters.
• Xie Xuan sang a funeral song aboard the boat, and the travelers reached Guangling, where Xie Xuan read his betrothed’s final letter and paid his respects.
• Chen Caozhi warned Wang Shao to take the pestilence seriously, but Wang Shao said he had already distributed medical texts and stocked medicines.
• After returning to Jiankang, Chen Caozhi visited Sima Yu, who asked him to examine Sima Daofu; Chen found Li Jingshu there and wrote a prescription before taking his leave.

Chen Caozhi prepared for his mission to Di Qin by consulting Xi Chao and the Xie family, then made connections among Jiankang’s leading officials. After Lu Qin learned that Lu Na had invited Chen Caozhi to a banquet, he told his father that one man would dare marry Lu Wei Rui.

• Xi Chao warned Chen Caozhi that Luoyang was difficult to defend and advised him to assess whether its commanders should hold or abandon the city.
• Xie An, Xie Wan, and Xie Daoyun discussed Chen Caozhi’s mission and gave him detailed information about officials in the Two Huai Regions.
• Chen Caozhi visited the Chen Clan’s North Garden with Chen Shang, Gu Kaizhi, and Liu Shangzhi, then continued making calls on influential officials.
• Lu Na invited Chen Caozhi, Chen Shang, Gu Kaizhi, and Gu Kaizhi’s wife to a banquet, and Banli told Lu Qin about the invitation.
• Lu Qin complained to Lu Shi that Chen Caozhi had damaged Lu Wei Rui’s marriage prospects, then said that one man would dare marry her.

Lu Qin proposed that Wei Rui marry Emperor Sima Yi to strengthen the Lu Clan against Huan Wen, while Lu Shi hesitated over the plan. As Chen Caozhi prepared to leave for Di Qin, he and Lu Weiwei were given time together to paint portraits and share a boat ride.

• Lu Qin urged Lu Shi to arrange Wei Rui’s marriage to Emperor Sima Yi, arguing that the alliance could protect the Lu Clan from Huan Wen’s growing power.
• Lu Shi warned Lu Qin to keep the proposal secret and preserve his dignity, while Lu Qin planned to raise the idea with the emperor after Empress Yu’s mourning period.
• Chen Caozhi visited Lu Na’s residence and learned from Lady Lu that she was expected to give birth within ten days; Lu Na also said he would remonstrate with his elder brother about the previous year’s actions.
• Lady Lu arranged for Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei to spend time together by painting portraits and going boating, since Chen Caozhi would soon leave on a mission to Di Qin.
• Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei shared a boat on Hengtang, sitting close, holding hands, and speaking softly.

Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei completed their paired portraits with Gu Kaizhi and Zhang Tongyun, and Gu Kaizhi captured Chen Caozhi’s spirit by adding three crimson hairs to his eyebrow. After Lady Lu gave birth to a son, Chen Caozhi learned that Huan Wen had recommended him as Crown Prince's Attendant and envoy to Di Qin.

• Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei finished their portrait of Gu Kaizhi and Zhang Tongyun, while Gu Kaizhi refined his portrait of Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei.
• Gu Kaizhi added three crimson hairs to Chen Caozhi’s painted eyebrow, saying they revealed his distinctive spirit.
• Lady Lu went into labor, and Chen Caozhi recognized the signs before she gave birth to a healthy boy.
• Lu Shi told Lu Qin that he intended to press Lu Na to send Wei Rui into the palace as empress, and Huang Ying overheard them.
• Xie Xuan took Chen Caozhi and Gu Kaizhi on an outing to Mount Zhidu after their planned Qingxi outing was canceled.
• Xi Chao told Chen Caozhi that Huan Wen had recommended him as Crown Prince's Attendant and envoy to Di Qin, pending discussion and an edict.

Lu Weiwei learned that Lu Shi intended to force her into a marriage alliance, but kept the news from Chen Caozhi so it would not trouble his mission to Di Qin. As Chen prepared to leave, Lu Na permitted the couple to meet, and gave Chen a fine horse for his journey.

• During her Shangsi bath, Lu Weiwei heard from Huang Ying that Lu Shi and Lu Qin were discussing a forced marriage alliance for her.
• Lu Weiwei told her attendants to keep the news secret and decided not to alert Chen Caozhi before he departed for Di Qin.
• At court, Sima Yu, Xi Chao, and others supported promoting Chen Caozhi before his mission, and Emperor Sima Yi ordered him to depart on the sixth day of the third month.
• Zhang Wenwan persuaded Lu Na to let Lu Weiwei and Chen Caozhi go boating together, and Lu Na instead arranged for Chen to visit the residence.
• Chen Caozhi told Lu Na he still hoped to marry Lu Weiwei properly, and Lu Na gave him a black Western Regions horse for his mission.

Chen Caozhi prepared to leave for Jingzhou while Lu Weiwei, facing pressure to marry into another aristocratic clan, arranged a private wedding with him at the Chen Clan residence. They exchanged nuptial wine and entered their bridal chamber before his departure.

• Chen Caozhi visited Xie An and Xie Wan, and Xie Daoyun asked him to invite Gu Kaizhi to travel with him to Jingzhou.
• Xie An and Xie Wan discussed Chen Caozhi's prospects and whether he might marry Xie Daoyun.
• Chen Caozhi took Lu Weiwei on a pleasure boat, where they promised to marry each other.
• Lu Weiwei arranged a private wedding at the Chen Clan residence and told Chen Caozhi that her second paternal uncle wanted her to marry someone else.
• Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei exchanged nuptial wine and entered the bridal chamber.

Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei privately pledged themselves to each other before his departure on an envoy mission to Di Qin, tying a red string between their ankles. They parted with promises to reunite in marriage, and Chen Caozhi sent letters to his family explaining his mission and reassuring them.

• Chen Caozhi brought out the red string he had carried for years, and Lu Weiwei agreed to let him tie it around her foot.
• Chen Caozhi tied one end of the string around Lu Weiwei’s right ankle and the other around his own left ankle, fulfilling their long-held wish.
• Lu Weiwei explained that she had chosen to become his wife before his journey because she feared what might happen while they were apart.
• Chen Caozhi promised that they would reunite and hold a grand wedding, while Lu Weiwei promised to wait for him to return safely.
• Chen Caozhi wrote letters to Chen Xian and Ding Youwei about his mission to Di Qin and sent them to Qiantang with a private soldier.

Chen Caozhi departed Jiankang as an envoy to Di Qin, receiving a prized horse and a gift from Xie An to deliver to Murong Chui. He shared an emotional farewell with Lu Weiwei, who resolved to wait for him and prevent the emperor from taking her into the palace.

• Emperor Sima Yi appointed Chen Caozhi Crown Prince's Attendant and commissioned him as an envoy to Di Qin, while Lu Qin saw him riding Lu Na's prized black horse and plotted to have Wei Rui enter the palace.
• At New Pavilion, Xie An gave Chen Caozhi golden wine cups and a letter for Murong Chui, recalling Murong Chui's childhood gift of white wolf fur ornaments.
• Lu Weiwei met Chen Caozhi privately, gave him a sachet, and received a folding fan he had made and inscribed with a portrait and a rhapsody praising her.
• Chen Caozhi kissed Lu Weiwei goodbye and rode away; she watched the procession depart and resolved to wait for him and seek an edict granting their marriage after the mourning period.
• Xiao Chan told Lu Weiwei that Chen Caozhi had left her behind in Jiankang, and Lu Weiwei invited her to visit with Zhang Tongyun.

Chen Caozhi prepared to travel north with Huan Wen as Yan invaded Huaibei, and he met Duan Si to gather intelligence about Yan and recruit Duan Zhao for his mission. Before departing for Hefei, Chen Caozhi also secured Huan Wen’s help in transferring Ding Licheng to a post closer to home.

• Huan Wen announced that Yan had invaded Huaibei and ordered Chen Caozhi to accompany him north as an envoy to Di Qin.
• Ran Sheng confirmed that three hundred soldiers were ready to accompany Chen Caozhi, and Shen Chiqian prepared twenty household troops for the journey.
• Chen Caozhi met Xie Daoyun and Xie Xuan on his way to visit Duan Si, and Xie Daoyun defended Chen Caozhi’s motives from her brother’s suspicions about Huan Wen.
• Chen Caozhi questioned Duan Si about Yan, and Duan Si assigned his trusted servant Duan Zhao to accompany Chen Caozhi.
• Chen Caozhi asked Huan Wen to transfer Ding Licheng closer to home, and Huan Wen agreed to arrange a post for him in Jiangzhou.

Huan Wen led the Western Headquarters fleet north to Hefei, where Chen Caozhi revealed that he planned to use Five-Stone Powder as a cultural lure among the northern elites rather than consume it. After Yuan Zhen reported that Murong Ping and Li Hong had retreated with thousands of captives, Chen Caozhi set out for Chang'an with Xie Daoyun accompanying him as far as Shouyang.

• Huan Wen rallied his officers at Ruxu Mouth and led his fleet across Chao Lake toward Hefei.
• Xie Daoyun questioned Chen Caozhi about his purchase of Five-Stone Powder ingredients, and he explained that he planned to display Jin culture to northern nobles by using the powder's refined image.
• The Western Headquarters fleet reached Hefei, where Huan Yi welcomed Chen Caozhi and listened as he played the Keting Flute's farewell melody.
• Yuan Zhen reported that Murong Ping and Li Hong had withdrawn north after carrying off more than ten thousand households, while Yuan Zhen had avoided pursuing them.
• Chen Caozhi left Hefei for Chang'an, and Huan Wen allowed Xie Daoyun to accompany him to Shouyang while considering possible marriages within his family.

Chen Caozhi traveled toward Shouchun with Xie Daoyun, where he learned that Jin forces might abandon Luoyang and urged Huan Wen to send reinforcements. He left Xie Daoyun to deliver his letter and rode with her to Mount Bagong before their farewell.

• Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun crossed the rain-soaked Two Huai region, where Xie Daoyun explained how refugee leaders governed fortified manors.
• Displaced people tried to rob the party, but Xie Daoyun identified them as local refugees; afterward, she fell from her horse and Chen Caozhi helped her into a carriage.
• Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun exchanged stories about youthful banditry as they continued to Shouchun.
• Yuan Zhen told Chen Caozhi that Luoyang might be abandoned and suggested he take a different route to Chang'an; Chen Caozhi disagreed and left without revealing his full views.
• Chen Caozhi wrote Huan Wen urging him to reinforce Luoyang, then asked Xie Daoyun to deliver the letter and accompany him to the Fei River.
• Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun rode to Mount Bagong, where Chen Caozhi reflected on the future Battle of Fei River.

Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun parted beneath a sudden downpour as he set out for Di Qin, then crossed the Huai and reached Runyin. There, he recognized a band of displaced people and learned their leader belonged to Su Family Fort, whose lord was Su Daozhi, before deciding to travel with them toward Pingyu.

• Chen Caozhi and Xie Daoyun exchanged farewells on Mount Bagong as Chen Caozhi led his party north through the rain.
• Chen Caozhi's party crossed the Huai and continued toward Runyin under Ran Sheng's heightened guard.
• Outside Runyin, Chen Caozhi recognized a passing group of displaced people as the band whose leader had once cried that there had been a misunderstanding.
• Shen Chiqian's soldiers traced the group to the Shiping Inn and learned they came from Runyang Su Family Fort, led by Su Qi.
• A soldier told Chen Caozhi that Su Family Fort's lord was Su Daozhi, and Chen Caozhi decided to travel with the group toward Pingyu.

Chen Caozhi traveled with Su Qi to Pingyu, where he admired a palindrome poem embroidered by Su Qi’s fourteen-year-old sister, Su Ruolan, and visited the heavily fortified Su Family Fort. Su Daozhi welcomed Chen Caozhi and, after hearing Su Qi’s report, warned his son not to let Chen Caozhi see the envoy from Di Qin.

• Chen Caozhi met Su Qi on the road and invited him and his household troops to accompany his party to Pingyu.
• At Gaotang Market Town, Su Qi presented Chen Caozhi with brocade, and Chen recognized an embroidered palindrome poem as the work of Su Ruolan.
• Chen Caozhi apologized for knowing Su Ruolan’s private name, while Su Qi privately wondered how her name had reached Jiangzuo.
• After reaching Pingyu, Chen Caozhi accepted Su Qi’s invitation to visit Su Family Fort and left most of his soldiers outside its walls.
• Su Daozhi welcomed Chen Caozhi and was impressed by his learning; Chen stayed overnight in the fort.
• Su Qi told Su Daozhi about Chen Caozhi’s interest in Su Ruolan’s poem, and Su Daozhi warned him to keep the Di Qin envoy hidden from Chen.

Chen Caozhi explored Su Family Fort and discovered that Dou Tao had come to court Su Ruolan while secretly trying to persuade Su Daozhi to return his clan to Di Qin. He warned Su Daozhi that moving back to Shiping would endanger the clan, and the chapter ended with Su Daozhi asking him to explain the risks and benefits.

• Chen Caozhi explored Su Family Fort with Ran Sheng and Shen Chiqian, then met Su Qi on the fort's eastern wall.
• Chen Caozhi offered to recommend Su Daozhi and Su Qi for better positions and recognized Dou Tao as a visitor from Chang'an.
• Su Qi revealed that Dou Tao had come to seek his younger sister Su Ruolan's hand, and Chen Caozhi suspected the proposed marriage was tied to Di Qin's efforts to win over the Su Clan.
• At a meal with Su Daozhi, Chen Caozhi identified Dou Tao's grandfather as Di Qin's General of the Right and asked whether Dou Tao meant to persuade Su Daozhi to return to Shiping.
• Chen Caozhi warned that returning to Shiping would exhaust the clan and leave it vulnerable under Di Qin, and Su Daozhi asked him to explain the advantages and dangers.

Chen Caozhi and Dou Tao debated whether Su Family Fort should return to Di Qin or remain in Jin, while Su Hui listened from behind a curtain. Chen challenged Dou’s case for Qin and warned that its peace between Han and non-Han peoples might collapse after Wang Meng’s death, leaving Su Daozhi to weigh the danger of returning.

• Zou Shi brought Su Hui to listen as Chen Caozhi and Dou Tao argued in the front hall, and Su Hui was captivated by Chen’s measured voice.
• Dou Tao urged Su Daozhi to move the Su Clan to Shiping, promising farmland, tax exemptions, and an appointment while warning that Jin could not protect them.
• Chen Caozhi argued that the Su Clan had established itself in Pingyu and would suffer by abandoning its homes and livelihoods for Qin-controlled lands.
• Dou Tao praised Wang Meng’s rule and criticized Jiangzuo, claiming Qin was peaceful, prosperous, and welcoming to Han officials.
• Chen Caozhi questioned whether Qin’s non-Han clans truly accepted Wang Meng and warned that ethnic conflict could erupt after his death, alarming Su Daozhi.

Chen Caozhi persuaded Su Daozhi and Su Qi to keep their clan in Pingyu, then faced Dou Tao’s challenge to prove his abilities. Chen won a palindrome-poetry contest before Dou Tao could finish, while Su Hui watched from behind a curtain and declared him the victor.

• Dou Tao argued that Wang Meng’s reforms would make Qin prosper and urged the Su clan to move to Guanzhong, but Chen Caozhi warned that the Han would be mistreated if Jin fell.
• Chen Caozhi persuaded Su Daozhi and Su Qi that the Su clan could rise in Jin, and they decided to remain in Pingyu and asked Dou Tao to return to Guanzhong.
• Dou Tao insulted Chen Caozhi and challenged him to riding and archery; Chen Yu stepped forward to accept, and Chen Caozhi suggested letting Su Daozhi choose the contest.
• Su Daozhi proposed a palindrome-poetry contest based on Su Ruolan’s brocade, and Chen Caozhi wrote fifteen poems from its verses.
• Su Hui saw Chen Caozhi’s work and declared him the winner before Dou Tao had submitted his own poems.

After Chen Caozhi defeated Dou Tao in debate, he refused to let the envoy’s mission intimidate him and moved to alert Gao Rou about Di Qin’s efforts to win over displaced clans. At Su Family Fort, the Su family admired Chen Caozhi and considered a marriage alliance, while Su Hui became captivated by him and heard a faint, beautiful recorder melody.

• Dou Tao left Su Family Fort in humiliation, and Chen Caozhi rejected Ran Sheng’s suggestion to pursue and kill him.
• Chen Caozhi wrote to Gao Rou warning him that Di Qin was courting displaced people’s clan retinues in Huaibei.
• Su Daozhi invited Chen Caozhi to a banquet, but Chen said he would marry no one but the Lu Clan Lady; he recommended Su Daozhi for county commandant and planned to recruit Su Qi into the Beifu Army.
• Su Qi proposed that Su Hui become Chen Caozhi’s concubine, and Su Daozhi agreed to reconsider after Chen returned from his mission to Di Qin.
• Su Hui sat weaving with her maid Qinghu, distracted by thoughts of Chen Caozhi, and wondered whether a faint, lovely melody carried on the wind came from a recorder.

Chen Caozhi traveled from Su Family Fort toward Chang'an and reached Xiangcheng, where Administrator Gao Rou welcomed him and sought his counsel on Yingchuan’s fortified settlements. Gao Rou invited Chen Caozhi to stay and visit his ancestral home, leaving Chen Caozhi poised to help address the commandery’s uncertain loyalties.

• Su Daozhi saw Chen Caozhi off from Su Family Fort, and Su Qi joined the westbound party with ten household troops.
• Chen Caozhi’s party traveled northwest through Shangcai, Yinyang, and Linying toward Xiangcheng.
• Gao Rou sent commandery officials to reassure clan commanders and fortified-settlement leaders across Yingchuan’s Seven Counties.
• Gao Rou welcomed Chen Caozhi at Xiangcheng and hosted a banquet, where he praised Chen Caozhi’s analysis of Qin and Yan.
• Gao Rou asked Chen Caozhi to stay until his officials returned and offered to accompany him to his ancestral home.

Chen Caozhi traveled to Luoyang after learning that Shen Jin was left to defend the city with only eight hundred men, and he brought an imperial appointment and the promise of grain. He found Luoyang desolate but its defenders resolute, while Murong Ke’s envoys were preparing the surrounding settlements to submit to Yan, leaving Chen Caozhi to seek a way to save the city.

• Chen Caozhi learned that Chen You had abandoned Luoyang, leaving Shen Jin and eight hundred soldiers to defend it, and Shen Chiqian urged him to request relief troops.
• Chen Caozhi sent an urgent letter to Huan Wen requesting a naval relief force and asked Gao Rou to gather grain for Luoyang.
• Gao Rou learned that Di Qin and Yan envoys were courting fortified settlements, so he and Chen Caozhi planned to reassure those near Di Qin and assassinate Yan’s envoys near Luoyang.
• Chen Caozhi left Yangdi for Luoyang, while Gao Rou promised to send twenty thousand hu of rice by the end of the month.
• Shen Jin welcomed Chen Caozhi and Shen Chiqian at Longmen, and Chen Caozhi presented Shen Jin with credentials appointing him General Who Displays Martial Prowess.
• Shen Jin refused to let Shen Chiqian remain in Luoyang, and Chen Caozhi learned that Murong Ke’s forces might threaten the city within three months.

Dou Tao reported that Chen Caozhi had thwarted Qin’s effort to win over Su Family Fort, and Wang Meng became interested in meeting the Jin envoy. Wang Meng planned to welcome Chen Caozhi as Qin weighed its strategy toward Luoyang and Yan, while Chen Caozhi arrived there and began gathering intelligence.

• Dou Tao told Wang Meng that Chen Caozhi’s visit to Su Family Fort had prevented Su Daozhi from submitting to Qin.
• Wang Meng dismissed Dou Tao’s insults and praised Chen Caozhi’s record, noting that Empress Dowager Gou had asked Fu Jian to retain him in Qin as a painter.
• Wang Meng told Yang An that Qin would exchange unbreedable warhorses for Jin weapons and explained that he wanted to prevent Yan from taking Luoyang before Qin was ready.
• Wang Meng said he would decide whether to seize Luoyang after meeting Chen Caozhi, then ordered Dou Lang to welcome the Jin envoy beyond Tong Pass.
• Chen Caozhi reached Luoyang, consulted Shen Jin, sent scouts to monitor Yan’s army, and dispatched Duan Zhao to Ye City with children’s rhymes meant to spread as omens.

Chen Caozhi traveled from Luoyang to Chang'an to negotiate peace and an alliance with Di Qin, where Fu Jian welcomed him and invited him to lecture at the Imperial Academy. Wang Meng later visited Chen Caozhi, and their congenial conversation ended with a disagreement about the value of scholarly arts and practical statecraft.

• After learning that Gao Rou's rice shipment was on its way, Shen Jin urged Chen Caozhi to travel to Chang'an and seek an alliance with Di Qin.
• Chen Caozhi, Ran Sheng, Su Qi, and more than three hundred soldiers left Luoyang, crossed into Di Qin territory, and reached Chang'an with Dou Lang and Palace Attendant Du Qian.
• Fu Jian received Chen Caozhi at the Qin Palace, hosted a banquet, and invited him to lecture on the classics at the Imperial Academy.
• Chen Caozhi accepted Fu Jian's invitation, and Fu Jian assigned Wang Meng to discuss the alliance after the lecture.
• Wang Meng visited Chen Caozhi at the guest quarters, spoke with him late into the night, and questioned the usefulness of Xuanxue and the arts during troubled times.
• Chen Caozhi defended cultivating the mind through calligraphy, painting, and music, and Wang Meng departed without further comment.

Fu Jian gathered Di Qin’s scholars at the Imperial Academy to test Chen Caozhi’s Confucian learning, while Empress Dowager Gou hoped to keep the handsome, Buddhist-minded envoy in Chang’an. After listening to the academy’s students and Erudites, Chen challenged the assembled scholars to debate all Five Classics, leaving Fu Jian worried that he would be embarrassed.

• Fu Jian assembled Di Qin’s scholars and students at the Imperial Academy to display their learning to Chen Caozhi.
• Empress Dowager Gou and Empress Gou arrived to listen, and Fu Jian recalled that his mother wanted Chen Caozhi kept in Chang’an.
• The students questioned the Erudites of the Five Classics, and Chen Caozhi listened as both groups demonstrated their knowledge.
• Fu Jian asked Chen Caozhi to assess the students’ learning, and Chen called them diligent and willing to learn.
• Fu Jian invited Chen Caozhi to debate the Book of Songs, but Chen offered to debate all Five Classics instead.
• Di Qin’s students and scholars doubted Chen Caozhi’s claim, while Fu Jian worried that the envoy would fail to answer their questions.

Chen Caozhi challenged the scholars of Di Qin’s Imperial Academy and defeated the Erudites of the Book of Rites, the Book of Documents, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. Wang Shi then took up the debate over the Book of Songs and the Book of Changes, and Chen’s first question left their argument poised over whether Wang’s explanation echoed the forbidden teachings of Lao Dan and Zhuangzi.

• Wang Shi arranged for Wei Rang to debate Chen Caozhi on the Book of Rites, and Chen answered Wei’s questions before exposing his unfamiliarity with Elder Dai’s Book of Rites.
• Erudite Xue debated Chen on the Book of Documents, confused a passage from Yang Xiong’s Fayan with Confucius, and withdrew in shame.
• Erudite Liang failed to defeat Chen in a debate over the Zuo Tradition, leaving Wang Shi as the last scholar prepared to challenge him.
• Fu Jian ordered Wang Shi to debate Chen, and Wang took on both the Book of Songs and the Book of Changes.
• Chen asked Wang to explain the Changes’ phrase “One yin and one yang are called the Way,” then cited Ruan Sizong’s Treatise on Connecting with the Dao De Jing to link Wang’s answer to Lao Dan and Zhuangzi.

Chen Caozhi dazzled Fu Jian’s court with his learning and praise of Wang Meng, prompting Fu Jian to offer him a high post and consider keeping him in Chang’an. Chen Caozhi refused, while Fu Jian faced pressure from Empress Dowager Gou to keep the envoy in the capital and invite him to the palace.

• Chen Caozhi defended his discussion of Lao-Zhuang teachings, praised Great Qin’s rule and Wang Meng, and reassured Wang Shi that he had not intended to slander him.
• Fu Jian rewarded the scholars and invited Chen Caozhi to lecture at the Imperial Academy, where Chen’s clear explanations impressed the students and ministers.
• Fu Jian and Wang Meng discussed keeping Chen Caozhi in Chang’an, and Wang Meng proposed delaying peace and trade negotiations so the envoy could not leave.
• At a banquet, Fu Jian offered Chen Caozhi the post of minister of ceremonial, but Chen declined because of family obligations.
• Empress Dowager Gou instructed Fu Jian to keep Chen Caozhi in Chang’an and summon him to expound Buddhist scriptures, leaving Fu Jian troubled by her interest in the handsome envoy.