Recaps

After the Qiantang Chen Clan entered the gentry register, Chen Caozhi planned to use Chu Wenqian’s misuse of county funds to bring down the Chu Clan. The chapter ended with Chen Caozhi learning that Xie An had gone to the Western Command of Gushu, possibly to take office under Huan Wen.

• Chen Shang explained how the court admitted the Qiantang Chen Clan and five other surnames to the gentry register, though Chen Caozhi would still have to defend his reputation before the court after mourning.
• Liu Clan Chief warned that the Chu Clan might target the Liu Clan, and Chen Caozhi promised that they could bring down Chu Wenqian before news of the Chen Clan’s admission reached him.
• Chen Caozhi proposed investigating Chu Wenqian’s expansion of the County Yamen to uncover other unlawful acts and implicate the Chu Clan.
• Chen Xian kept the news of the Chen Clan’s new status from his clansmen while he celebrated with Ding Yi and Liu Clan Chief.
• Chen Shang told Chen Caozhi that Xie Xuan had said his elder cousin Zhu had gone with Lord Anshi to the Western Command of Gushu, leaving Chen Caozhi to wonder whether Xie An had accepted Huan Wen’s invitation.

Chen Caozhi learned that Xie Daoyun had rejected Wang Ningzhi through debate and wondered whether she was honoring her promise to remain his friend for life. The Qiantang Chen Clan’s registration as a gentry clan was approved, but Chu Wenqian moved to frame and punish the clan during the land review.

• Chen Shang told Chen Caozhi that Xie An had joined Huan Wen’s headquarters and that Xie Daoyun’s refusal to marry Wang Ningzhi had become the talk of Jiankang.
• Chen Caozhi copied Xie Daoyun’s letter and wondered whether she was turning down suitors to keep her promise to remain his friend.
• Chen Caozhi told Ding Youwei that the Qiantang Chen Clan had secured gentry registration, and she shared his joy while urging him to marry Lu Wei Rui after their mourning ended.
• Chen Xian proposed building an ancestral temple at the Chen Clan Cemetery, where the clan members paid their respects to their ancestors.
• Chu Wenqian grew angry as the Chen Clan accepted independent farmers’ allegiance and arranged for tenant households to accuse it of tax evasion, harboring hidden households, and seizing land.
• Chu Wenqian ordered the Wu County Commandant to take thirty Foot Archers to Chen Family Cove and arrest Chen Xian, Lai Fu, Ran Sheng, Jing Nu, and others, hoping to implicate Chen Caozhi.

Ding Yi rallied the Qiantang Seven Surnames against Chu Wenqian as the Chen Clan’s admission to the Gentry Register overturned the Chu Clan’s plans to suppress them. Chu Wenqian backed down and tried to make peace, but Wang Shao arrived in Qiantang with a large delegation, bringing a greater crisis for the Chu Clan and intending to meet Chen Caozhi.

• Ding Yi persuaded the Zhu and Fan clans to join the Seven Surnames’ petition accusing Chu Wenqian of misconduct and protecting the Lu Clan’s fraudulent Gentry Register entry.
• The Wu County Commandant went to Chen Family Cove to summon Chen Xian, but Chen Shang and other clan chiefs departed for the county town with hundreds of tenant farmers.
• After learning that the Qiantang Chen Clan had entered the Gentry Register, Chu Wenqian halted his plans and appeased the tenant farmers by punishing three false accusers and agreeing to register their hidden households.
• Chu Wenqian apologized to Chen Xian and visited Chen Caozhi, who refused to let him make offerings at his mother’s grave.
• Wang Shao arrived in Qiantang with more than a hundred officials and runners, while Chu Jian failed to persuade him to hear his explanations; Wang Shao planned to meet Chen Caozhi.

Wang Shao and Jia Bizhi visited Chen Caozhi’s grave hut, where they admired his calligraphy and learned about his studies. Jia Bizhi secretly read a letter suggesting that Zhu Yingtai was likely Xie Daoyun and had deep feelings for Chen Caozhi; the chapter ended as Chen Caozhi returned from Lingyin Temple.

• Wang Shao traveled to Qiantang with Jia Bizhi and other officials to oversee the Chen Clan’s entry into the Gentry Register and the distribution of official fields.
• Ding Chunqiu guided Wang Shao and Jia Bizhi to Chen Caozhi’s home, but Chen Caozhi was away visiting Lingyin Temple for Buddha’s Birthday.
• While waiting at the grave hut, Wang Shao and Jia Bizhi sampled Chen Caozhi’s unusual tea and admired his handwritten copy of Wang Chong’s Balanced Discourses.
• Jia Bizhi found a letter signed by Yingtai tucked into the manuscript and inferred that Zhu Yingtai was probably Xie Daoyun, who had deep affection for Chen Caozhi.
• Chen Caozhi returned up the mountain with a hulking young companion as Wang Shao and Jia Bizhi waited to meet him.

Chen Caozhi’s flute playing impressed Wang Shao and Jia Bizhi, while their private discussion revealed Wang Shao hoped to use Chen’s rumored romance with Lu Na’s daughter to avenge an old humiliation by the Lu Clan. The Qiantang Chen Clan entered the Gentry Register and gained land and protected households, while Chu Jian, desperate to save his clan, decided to ask Chen Caozhi to intercede for him.

• Chen Caozhi played two pieces on his flute at his mother’s grave, earning Wang Shao’s and Jia Bizhi’s praise for his talent and bearing.
• Wang Shao privately told Jia Bizhi that Chen Caozhi’s humble birth made him unlike Xiahou Xuan and Liu Kun, and Jia realized Wang was building Chen’s reputation to encourage his rumored match with Lu Na’s daughter.
• Jia Bizhi recalled the Lu Clan’s rejection of a marriage proposal from Wang Dao and understood that Wang Shao hoped Chen’s marriage to Lu Na’s daughter would humiliate the Lu Clan; Jia worried that the feud could inflame tensions between northern and southern gentry families.
• On the ninth day of the fourth month, Chen Xian, Chen Man, and Chen Shang watched officials enter the Qiantang Chen Clan in the Gentry Register, granting it twenty qing of land and twenty protected households.
• As the Chen Clan celebrated its rise, Chu Jian, facing investigation and fearing his clan’s decline, decided to ask Chen Caozhi to persuade Wang Shao to spare the Qiantang Chu Clan.

Chu Jian tried to secure Chen Caozhi’s help in stopping the investigation into the Lu Clan’s fraudulent gentry registration by apologizing and offering the Chen Clan twenty qing of farmland. Chen Caozhi refused to intercede, and after the gift was left behind, he sent the land deeds and registers to Neishi Wang so the Chen Clan could watch for the Chu Clan’s next move.

• With the investigation threatening the Chu Clan, Chu Jian brought Chu Wenqian and Chu Wenbin to Chen Family Cove to beg forgiveness and ask Chen Caozhi to persuade Neishi Wang to drop the Lu Clan case.
• Chu Jian offered the Chen Clan deeds and registers for twenty qing of fertile farmland, but Chen Xian declined to accept them and insisted that Chen Caozhi decide what to do.
• Chu Jian made Chu Wenbin walk through the rain and took the party to Jade Emperor Mountain, where he asked Chen Caozhi to intercede with Neishi Wang.
• Chen Caozhi cited the saying about repaying resentment with uprightness and refused to help Chu Jian, who left the farmland documents behind despite the refusal.
• After Chen Man argued for accepting the gift, Chen Caozhi ordered the deeds and registers sent to Neishi Wang and asked him to keep the matter quiet while the Chen Clan watched the Chu Clan’s next move.

Chen Caozhi arranged how the Chen Clan would divide its new land and protected households, reserving most for shared clan needs and selecting skilled workers. He also assigned West Tower’s household places and reassured Lai Gui and Lai Zhen that the clan would cover their taxes and corvée, before reuniting with Run’er and Zongzhi on the day of Ding Youwei and Run’er’s birthdays.

• Chu Jian told Chu Wenbin and Chu Wenqian that the twenty qing of land he gave the Chen Clan might help the Chu Clan escape its crisis, while Chen Shang carried the land registers to Wang Shao.
• At the Ancestral Hall, Chen Caozhi proposed keeping twelve qing of land and twelve protected households for the whole clan, with the remaining shares divided equally among the four towers.
• Chen Caozhi specified that the clan’s twelve households should be selected for useful skills, and Chen Xian assigned Lai Fu to recruit them with Chen Caozhi making the decisions.
• Chen Caozhi reserved West Tower’s protected-household places for Lai Fu and Lai De, promised to cover Lai Gui and Lai Zhen’s taxes and corvée, and approved Old Huang as the orchardist household.
• Ran Sheng told Run’er that Chen Caozhi had returned for her and Ding Youwei’s birthdays, and Run’er happily insisted he would remember her birthday.

Chen Caozhi gave Ding Youwei and Run'er birthday portraits before the investigation into the Lu Clan’s fraudulent registration exposed the Chu Clan’s role and brought down its standing. Wang Shao stripped the Chu Clan of gentry status, awarded its twenty qing of farmland to the Chen Clan, and appointed Feng Mengxiong acting magistrate of Qiantang.

• Chen Caozhi presented Ding Youwei and Run'er with portraits for their birthday, and Ding Youwei was moved by the likeness in her painting.
• Jia Bizhi and the officials left Qiantang, while Wang Shao continued investigating the Lu Clan’s fraudulent registration and uncovered its seizure of land on the Chu Clan’s behalf.
• Chu Jian accused the Chen Clan of colluding with the Lu Clan and coercing the Chu Clan, but Wang Shao revealed that the Chen Clan had already delivered the land deeds and that Chen Liu had been expelled from the clan.
• Wang Shao concluded the cases, dismissed Chu Wenqian, sentenced Lu Jun to exile and lifelong hard labor, and recommended removing the Chu Clan from the Gentry Register and making Chu Jian a commoner.
• Wang Shao gave the Chu Clan’s twenty qing of fertile farmland to Chen Xian and asked Chen Caozhi to recommend a temporary county magistrate.
• Chen Caozhi recommended Feng Mengxiong, and Wang Shao appointed him acting magistrate of Qiantang County.

Chen Caozhi organized donations and a six-year plan to expand Chen Family Cove into a thriving manor, while the clan recruited households, tenants, and craftsmen. As the Chen Clan consolidated its new gentry status and the Chu Clan fell from the register, Chen Mo and Chen Tan left to study in Wu Commandery, and news arrived that Lu Na had gone to Jiankang.

• The four Chen towers raised nearly a hundred taels of gold, and Chen Caozhi presented a six-year plan to develop Chen Family Cove into a large manor with farming and crafts.
• Chen Caozhi stopped Chen Man from hiding displaced households and urged the Ding Clan and Liu Family Fort to register theirs, warning them about Huan Wen's coming household census.
• Chen Caozhi painted a portrait for Zongzhi's birthday and gave him a rubbing of the Cao'e Stele inscribed by Wang Xizhi.
• The Chu Clan lost its gentry status, official fields, and protected households after Chu Jian was reduced to a commoner.
• Chen Mo and Chen Tan went to study under Xu Zao in Wu Commandery after their mourning period ended.
• Lu Na went to Jiankang to take the post of Minister of the Left for the People, while Lu Weiwei's seventeenth birthday approached.

Jia Bizhi postponed asking Xi Chao about the identity of “Yingtai” while rumors about Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei continued to spread. Lu Shi pressured Lu Na to arrange Lu Weiwei’s marriage and keep Chen Caozhi away, but on her birthday Chen sent her a painting that revealed how carefully he remembered her.

• Jia Bizhi decided to wait until Xi Chao came to Jiankang before asking about the letter signed “Yingtai.”
• Lu Shi rebuked Lu Na over the rumors about Lu Weiwei and urged him to arrange her marriage, while Lu Na defended Chen Caozhi.
• Lu Weiwei spent her birthday boating on Pinghu and remembered the day Chen Caozhi had taken her there.
• Lai De arrived at the Lu estate with a painting from Chen Caozhi, and Zhang Wenwan inspected it before allowing Lu Weiwei to keep it.
• Zhang Wenwan pointed out the red mole on the painted girl’s right ankle, leaving Lu Weiwei blushing with recognition.

Lu Weiwei confessed her determination to marry Chen Caozhi despite her clan’s opposition, while Zhang Wenwan promised to help but hoped she would eventually forget him. Later, news reached Chen Caozhi that Lu Weiwei had refused an arranged match with Kong Wang, who withdrew his proposal, leaving their marriage unresolved.

• Zhang Wenwan warned Lu Weiwei that the Lu Clan would not accept a marriage to Chen Caozhi because of the Chen Clan’s lower standing, but Lu Weiwei said she would marry no one else.
• Lu Weiwei knelt and begged Zhang Wenwan to help her; Zhang comforted her and promised to think of a way, though she privately intended to delay matters until Lu Weiwei forgot Chen Caozhi.
• Lai De reported that he had delivered Chen Caozhi’s painting to Lu Weiwei, and Ding Youwei reassured Chen Caozhi that Lu Weiwei would remain steadfast and said she would visit her.
• Ding Youwei traveled to Huating in the tenth month but learned that Lu Weiwei had gone to Jiankang with her father and Zhang Wenwan.
• Xie Daoyun’s letter reported that Lu Shi had accepted Kong Wang’s proposal without Lu Na’s consent, but Lu Weiwei refused to marry and public criticism drove Kong Wang to withdraw his proposal and return to Kuaiji.

Chen Caozhi spent the winter at Chen Family Cove as friends departed for new posts and reunited to admire his paintings. In Jiankang, Xi Chao identified Yingtai as Xie Daoyun and considered how her secret affection for Chen Caozhi might be used to ease tensions between northern and southern gentry clans.

• Liu Shangzhi told Chen Caozhi that Lu Na had invited him to Jiankang as a secretary-assistant, and he shared Lu Na’s letter praising Chen Caozhi’s prospects.
• Ding Chunqiu and Liu Shangzhi left for new posts, while Xu Miao and Gu Kaizhi visited Chen Caozhi; Gu Kaizhi admired Chen Caozhi’s paintings and renewed their friendly rivalry.
• Xu Miao told Chen Caozhi that Fan Wang had been appointed to oversee military affairs in several provinces, a move intended to check Huan Wen.
• Jia Bizhi told Xi Chao about the letter signed Yingtai, and Xi Chao concluded that Yingtai was Xie Daoyun, who had secretly studied recorder music with Chen Caozhi.
• Xi Chao warned Jia Bizhi to keep Xie Daoyun’s affection secret and said he would report the matter to Huan Wen, hoping to turn it to political advantage.

Xi Chao escorted Xi Xuan and Xi Daomao back to Jingkou for Xi Tan’s funeral and learned that Xi Xuan still resented Xie Daoyun for rejecting her sons. Meanwhile, Huan Wen’s power grew, Emperor Mu died and Sima Pi took the throne, while Chen Caozhi received news that Lu Shi planned to drive him out of Jiankang and separate him from Lu Weiwei.

• Xi Jian’s choice of the bare-bellied Wang Xizhi as Xi Xuan’s husband established the old marriage connection between the Xi and Wang clans, while Xi Chao returned to Jingkou with Xi Xuan and Xi Daomao after Xi Tan’s death.
• Xi Xuan recalled how Xie Daoyun had rejected Wang Ningzhi and Wang Huizhi, and ordered Wang Xianzhi to defeat Xie Daoyun at a future gathering; Xi Chao privately worried that Xianzhi was meant to marry Daomao.
• Huan Huo captured Xuchang and defeated Murong Chen, strengthening the Huan family’s standing.
• Emperor Mu, Sima Dan, died without an heir, and Empress Dowager Chu Suanzi named Sima Pi as his successor; Sima Pi ascended the throne as Emperor.
• Chen Caozhi received Liu Shangzhi’s letter describing Xie Xuan’s entry into Huan Wen’s Western Headquarters, Lu Weiwei’s situation, and Lu Shi’s threat to humiliate Chen and force him to leave Jiankang.

After completing his mourning for his mother, Chen Caozhi returned to public life as the Qiantang Chen Clan’s wealth and reputation continued to grow. Huan Wen and Wang Shu both sent envoys to recruit him, leaving the chapter with Chen Caozhi receiving two prestigious offers at Chen Family Cove.

• Emperor Mu was buried, Wang Meng’s daughter became empress, and Wang Meng died at thirty-nine.
• Huan Wen recalled Xi Chao for another northern expedition, dismissed Fan Wang after he missed the appointed deadline, and saw Yu Xi and Yuan Zhen appointed to posts beyond his influence.
• Chen Caozhi completed his mourning and welcomed the Qiantang gentry and commoners who gathered to honor his mother and mark his return.
• Xie Xuan arrived as Huan Wen’s envoy, greeted Chen Caozhi warmly, and paid his respects at Chen Mother Lady Li’s grave.
• Recording Officer Zong arrived on Wang Shu’s orders to recruit Chen Caozhi as Provincial Literary Registrar, stunning the assembled gentry.
• Chen Caozhi accompanied Xie Xuan and Zong back to Chen Family Cove, where a large new fortified complex was under construction.

Chen Caozhi hosted Xie Xuan and Registrar Zong at a feast, then mourned his late mother by playing the recorder melodies he had once played for her. After Xie Xuan admired Chen Caozhi’s writings, he asked whether his elder sister Zhu Yingtai had written to him since their parting.

• Chen Caozhi declined to choose between serving in the Western Headquarters or Yangzhou until after his Grand Zhongzheng Assessment.
• Chen Caozhi entered his late mother’s untouched bedroom, found the moldy Hawthorn Pills he had made for her, and wept.
• Chen Caozhi played the two recorder melodies for his mother, moving the Chen clanspeople and guests and bringing Zongzhi and Run'er to tears.
• Xie Xuan read Chen Caozhi’s books and asked scribes to copy thirteen volumes so he could study them.
• Xie Xuan asked Chen Caozhi whether his elder sister Zhu Yingtai had written to him since they parted.

Chen Caozhi prepared to leave for Jiankang, where he hoped to join the Western Headquarters, while farewells, family celebrations, and plans for his journey unfolded at Chen Family Cove. With Xiao Chan chosen to accompany him, she ended the chapter anxious and excited about traveling by his side.

• Chen Caozhi told Xie Xuan that he had received no further letters from Xie Daoyun, and Xie Xuan urged him to seek advancement at the Western Headquarters.
• Chen Caozhi agreed to visit Governor Wang in Yangzhou after going to Jiankang, while Xie Xuan stayed at Chen Family Cove to copy his manuscripts and await Xu Miao's wedding.
• Xu Miao married Feng Lingbo, and Chen Caozhi, Ding Chunqiu, Xie Xuan, and Gu Kaizhi later escorted the couple as they departed Qiantang.
• Chen Shang and Chen Mo received ranks at the Qiyun Mountain gathering, and the Chen Clan prospered as the family prepared for Chen Caozhi's journey.
• Chen Caozhi's family selected Lai Zhen, Huang Xiaotong, Ran Sheng, and Xiao Chan to accompany him, and Ding Youwei insisted that Xiao Chan go.
• Xiao Chan was delighted to learn that Chen Caozhi had agreed to take her to Jiankang, then woke frightened from a dream in which she missed the departure.

Chen Caozhi began his journey to Jiankang, bidding farewell to his family, clansmen, and fellow villagers along the way. After reaching Yuhang for the night, he copied his books while Xiao Chan attended to him and quietly cherished traveling at his side.

• Chen Caozhi returned to his mother's grave before setting out, then rejoined the party and accepted farewells from the Chen estate's tenants and workers.
• At Maple Forest Ferry, the southern-bank clan leaders saw Chen Caozhi off, and the Liu Clan Chief asked him to deliver two bundles to Liu Shangzhi.
• After crossing the river, Chen Caozhi comforted Zongzhi and Run'er, gave them reading and calligraphy assignments, and taught them a farewell song.
• At the post pavilion outside Qiantang, Ding Youwei, Xiao Chan, and the children said goodbye to Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng.
• Chen Caozhi and his party reached Yuhang at nightfall, where Xiao Chan helped him bathe and he copied his books while she washed their clothes.

Chen Caozhi traveled toward Jiankang and visited Zhang Wenwan at the Lu Clan’s Huating residence, where she challenged his hope of marrying Lu Weiwei. He insisted he would not abandon her, but still did not know how to win the Lu clansmen’s approval.

• Xiao Chan watched Chen Caozhi write late into the night and privately resolved to serve him for life, whether or not he accepted her.
• Chen Caozhi and Chen Shang crossed the Songjiang, where the old boatman blessed Chen Caozhi and Lu Weiwei’s prospective marriage.
• Chen Caozhi and Chen Shang called on Zhang Wenwan at the Lu Clan’s Huating residence, and she agreed to receive them with Zhang Andao.
• Zhang Wenwan asked to speak with Chen Caozhi alone and questioned how he could expect to marry Lu Weiwei against the Lu clansmen’s opposition.
• Chen Caozhi admitted he did not know whom to persuade, then told Zhang Wenwan he could not retreat without betraying Lu Weiwei’s affection.

Chen Caozhi persuaded Lady Lu, Zhang Wenwan, to travel to Jiankang with him and support Lu Weiwei, while Zhang Mo joined their journey after admiring Chen Caozhi’s paintings. The convoy reached Wu Commandery, where Chen Caozhi revisited places tied to Lu Weiwei before continuing toward Jiankang.

• Chen Caozhi convinced Lady Lu, Zhang Wenwan, to accompany him to Jiankang so she could support Lu Weiwei.
• Zhang Mo admired Chen Caozhi’s Eightfold Heavenly Dragon Image and Four Seasons in the Mountain Dwelling, then decided to travel with him to Jiankang.
• Chen Caozhi and Lady Lu’s party departed for Jiankang alongside Chen Shang’s convoy, prompting Chen Shang to believe the Lu Clan was accepting Chen Caozhi as a son-in-law.
• In Wu Commandery, Chen Caozhi visited Zhenqing Daoist Abbey and learned from Daoist Li that Lu Weiwei had recently come to see the camellias and had grown thinner.
• Chen Caozhi visited Xu Zao’s cottage and Peach Grove Cottage with Ran Sheng, then left a Daoist Temple Camellia Painting for Daoist Li before departing Wu Commandery.

Lady Lu Zhang Wenwan arranged to enter Jiankang ahead of Chen Caozhi, leaving him a day to visit Mount Baohua. There, Chen Caozhi met the monk Zhi Fahan, who followed him to Jurong and sought a debate with a horse as the wager.

• Lady Lu thanked Chen Caozhi for his tea and asked him to remain in Jurong while she and Zhang Andao entered Jiankang first.
• Chen Caozhi went to Mount Baohua with Ran Sheng and Xiao Chan while Chen Shang stayed at the inn to recover.
• Chen Caozhi and his companions followed the fragrance of jewel magnolias to a cottage, where they met the monk Zhi Fahan and learned that his master was Zhi Daolin.
• Zhi Fahan offered his white horse if Chen Caozhi defeated him in debate, but Chen Caozhi refused to gamble and continued down the mountain.
• Zhi Fahan followed Chen Caozhi back to the inn in Jurong, still seeking a debate.

Chen Caozhi traveled toward Jiankang with Zhi Fahan, who was stumped by Chen’s account of the Buddha holding up a flower and gave Ran Sheng his white horse. After Zhi Fahan invited Chen to witness his debate with Xie Daoyun’s suitor, Chen’s party continued toward the capital, where Liu Shangzhi suddenly appeared on the road.

• Zhi Fahan tried to draw Chen Caozhi into metaphysical debate, but Chen told him the story of the Buddha’s flower and left him pondering its meaning.
• Zhi Fahan gave his white horse to Ran Sheng and invited Chen Caozhi to watch him assist Yuan Zicai in debating Xie Daoyun for her hand in marriage.
• At a crossroads, Chen Caozhi’s party encountered an ornate procession bound for Dong’an Temple, and a maid asked him for directions from its carriage.
• Chen Caozhi thought of Xie Daoyun and Lu Weiwei as his party continued toward Jiankang and prepared for Lu Shi’s anticipated humiliation.
• As Chen Shang’s party traveled toward Jiankang the next morning, Liu Shangzhi raced up in a tilted ox cart and called for Zizhong.

Chen Caozhi arrived in Jiankang after completing his years of mourning, where old friends welcomed him and crowds gathered to admire his appearance and reputation. The Prince of Kuaiji sent guards and a splendid carriage to escort him through the city as women showered his procession with flowers and fragrant sachets.

• Liu Shangzhi and A Jiao met Chen Caozhi’s party outside Qingxi Gate, and Liu read a letter from his father and discussed Chen Caozhi’s prospects with the Lu family.
• Liu Shangzhi warned that the elder Minister Lu might challenge Chen Caozhi’s learning or try to bar him from the Lu residence, but Chen Caozhi said he would visit soon.
• Gu Kaizhi joined Chen Caozhi, Liu Shangzhi, and Chen Shang as crowds gathered to see the famed young man enter Jiankang.
• Hao Ji arrived on the Prince of Kuaiji’s orders with guards and a carriage, then invited Chen Caozhi to ride through the city.
• Chen Caozhi entered Jiankang in the Prince of Kuaiji’s carriage while crowds admired him and young women scattered flowers and presented fragrant sachets.

Chen Caozhi arrived in Jiankang to a citywide welcome, while Kong Wang and Lu Qin grew jealous and failed to humiliate him. At the Minister of Works' Office, Sima Yu scheduled Chen Caozhi's metaphysical assessment for the eighteenth, and an unknown woman arrived asking to see him.

• Lu Qin, He Zhu, and Kong Wang watched Chen Caozhi's triumphant arrival and plotted to embarrass him by having peasant women throw eggs at his carriage.
• An old woman and the two peasant women pelted Lu Qin's servant with eggs, while Chen Caozhi's carriage passed safely through the crowd.
• Sima Yu welcomed Chen Caozhi and his companions to a simple banquet, then set his assessment on the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi for the afternoon of the eighteenth.
• Chen Caozhi learned that Huan Ji had arrived to marry Sima Yu's eldest daughter and asked Chen Shang to prepare a wedding gift.
• Chen Caozhi presented Sima Yu with his writings and left the tea room, where a woman asked to see him.

Chen Caozhi met the Princess of Xin'an in Jiankang and hurried away to avoid becoming entangled in her attention. As Gu Kaizhi welcomed him to stay at the Gu residence, Chen Caozhi considered his own marriage prospects and the people he hoped to see in the capital.

• The Princess of Xin'an questioned Chen Caozhi about his age and birth month, but he and his companions left after he pretended Gu Kaizhi was ill.
• Gu Kaizhi laughed about Chen Caozhi's meeting with the princess and invited him and Chen Shang to stay at the Gu residence.
• Chen Caozhi recalled the tragic history of the Princess of Xin'an, Wang Xianzhi, and Xi Daomao, and resolved to avoid entanglement with the princess.
• Gu Kaizhi told Chen Caozhi that he was betrothed to Zhang Andao's daughter, and Chen Caozhi agreed to visit her family with him the next day.
• Gu Kaizhi mentioned that Xie Youdu was also betrothed and had left for the Western Headquarters, while Chen Caozhi thought about visiting Wuyi Lane and meeting Xie Daoyun.

Lu Shi confronted Zhang Wenwan and Zhang Mo over Chen Caozhi’s arrival in Jiankang, driving Wenwan and Lu Weiwei to leave for the Zhang Residence. That night, Chen Caozhi met Kong Wang, who privately asked to speak with him after silently judging his calligraphy.

• Lu Shi angrily questioned Zhang Wenwan about traveling with Chen Caozhi and threatened that Lu Na should divorce her if Lu Weiwei disgraced the Lu Clan.
• Zhang Mo defended Wenwan, argued fiercely with Lu Shi, and took Wenwan and Lu Weiwei to stay at Zhang Changzong’s residence.
• Lu Na learned his wife and daughter had left and went to the Zhang Residence to comfort them.
• Gu Kaizhi praised Chen Caozhi’s Eightfold Heavenly Dragon Image and planned to show it to Zhu Fatai at Waguansi.
• Kong Wang visited Gu Kaizhi’s Study, dismissed Chen Caozhi’s calligraphy in his thoughts, and asked to speak with him alone.