Recaps

Wang Anye challenged Wu Canglong to handle the dispute fairly, and Wu Canglong took him, Wang Lilong, Wang Yingxuan, Wu Xuening, and Wu Zhixing to meet Emperor Longchang. The Emperor welcomed the children and kept them in the palace, hoping to draw Wang Shouzhe into requesting an audience.

• Wang Zhouhua explained that Wang Lilong belonged to the Changning Wang Clan, and Wu Canglong said the dispute should be settled according to the rules but required Wang Shouzhe to explain Lilong's ancestry to Emperor Longchang.
• Wang Anye introduced himself to Wu Canglong, and Wu Xuening recognized him as Wu Yiluo's fiancé.
• Wang Anye pointed out that Wu Zhixing had struck first and injured Wang Yingxuan, while Wang Lilong and Wang Yingxuan supported his account.
• Wu Zhixing admitted that he had failed to control his strength, and Wu Canglong decided to take the group to see Emperor Longchang.
• Emperor Longchang welcomed the children, teased Wu Xuening for being outmatched, and told Old Yao to inform the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate that they would stay in the palace for a few days.

Emperor Longchang tested Wang Anye and the others, hoping to use their Clan School scores to mock Wang Shouzhe, but the children performed far better than he expected. After Wang Anye scored perfectly on increasingly difficult papers, Longchang offered to grant him a request if he passed one final examination from the ruins of the Divine Martial Dynasty.

• Emperor Longchang inspected Wang Anye and complained that Prince An and his wife had not consulted him about Yiluo's betrothal, then decided to test the young people.
• Emperor Longchang arranged an examination from the imperial Clan School, and Wu Zhixing, Wu Xuening, Wang Lilong, Wang Yingxuan, and Wang Anye sat for it.
• Wu Zhixing scored 100, Wu Xuening scored 65, Wang Lilong scored 73, Wang Yingxuan scored 98, and Wang Anye scored a perfect mark, frustrating Emperor Longchang's plan to embarrass Wang Shouzhe.
• Emperor Longchang raised the difficulty, and Wang Anye again scored perfectly while the others' results fell; Longchang then challenged him to a final paper excavated from the ruins of the Divine Martial Dynasty.
• Emperor Longchang promised to grant Wang Anye one reasonable request if he earned another perfect score, and Wang Anye reluctantly agreed to try.

Wang Anye calmly defeated Emperor Longchang’s brutal exam and stunned the imperial family with his exceptional score and collection of powerful treasures. After discovering that Anye’s painting was an authentic work by his master Ji Wuchen, the Emperor invited him to choose a personal item from the Divine Armament Hall, with restrictions.

• Emperor Longchang gave Wang Yingxuan, Wang Lilong, Xuening, Wu Zhixing, and Wang Anye an extremely difficult exam, and Anye alone completed it calmly.
• The results showed three zeros, one score of thirty, and Anye’s perfect score, prompting the Emperor to offer him a reward.
• Anye asked for a red packet, then revealed that he already possessed the Divine Ability Spirit Treasure storage ring Infinite Treasure Ring and a divine Spirit Treasure weapon.
• Emperor Longchang examined Anye’s Divine Dynasty Afterglow Painting and realized it was an authentic work left to him by his master Ji Wuchen, the father of the painter Master Ji.
• Emperor Longchang invited Anye to choose one personal item from the Divine Armament Hall, forbidding him from taking a divine Spirit Treasure or giving his choice to someone else.

Wang Anye explored the imperial family’s Divine Armament Hall while the Great Qian Wang Clan worried over three children staying in the palace. The chapter ended with Wang Anye and Wu Xuening accidentally falling together and kissing, leaving him terrified that he was going to become a father.

• Emperor Longchang sent Eunuch Yao to guide Wang Anye through the Divine Armament Hall, and allowed Wu Xuening to accompany him.
• The Great Qian Wang Clan elders worried that Emperor Longchang would mistreat three of their juniors, but Wang Shouzhe agreed to leave the children in the palace after Commander Xiang delivered Eunuch Yao’s reassuring message.
• Wang Anye toured the Divine Armament Hall with Eunuch Yao and Wu Xuening, passing over its Spirit Artifacts, Dharma Treasures, and Purple Mansion treasures.
• Wu Xuening slipped as she entered the chamber of divine power Spirit Treasures, and Wang Anye caught her before they fell together and kissed.
• Wang Anye panicked after the kiss and thought he was going to become a father.

Wang Anye toured the Divine Armament Hall with Wu Xuening and took a rag-like black cloth that secretly spoke to him. The cloth revealed itself before Emperor Longchang as Sister Seven, a damaged half Dao Artifact and former banner of the Divine Martial Dynasty’s Seventh Legion, leaving the emperor shocked and regretful.

• Wang Anye and Wu Xuening examined the Divine Ability Spirit Treasures, including the temperamental Battle Axe Xingtian, Treasure Shield Safety, Ever-Victorious, and Snowcleaver.
• The black cloth privately told Wang Anye that it was sick of the Divine Armament Hall and asked him to take it away, so Wang Anye requested it from Old Yao.
• Old Yao let Wang Anye take the cloth, and Wang Anye declined to choose another treasure because he had already chosen one item.
• After Wang Anye left, the Divine Ability Spirit Treasures argued over who would rule the hall in the black cloth’s absence.
• Emperor Longchang tried to reclaim the cloth after it revealed itself as Sister Seven, a damaged half Dao Artifact and former Divine Martial Dynasty legion banner, but he nearly fainted when he learned what it was.

Wang Anye won Seventh Sister, a battered Dao Artifact legion banner, while Emperor Longchang reluctantly let him keep her. Meanwhile, Zhao Hongbo ordered an investigation into the Changning Wang Clan for tax evasion, and Wang Shouzhe remained unaware as trouble gathered around his clan.

• Seventh Sister revealed herself as a Dao Artifact legion banner and chose to accompany Wang Anye, who comforted her over the fall of the Divine Martial Dynasty.
• Emperor Longchang accepted that Wang Anye would keep Seventh Sister, arranged lodging for the Wang children, and recovered his spirits by playing with the wolf cubs.
• Zhao Hongbo gave Meng Yuanbai an impeachment memorial accusing the Changning Wang Clan of tax evasion and ordered three directorates to investigate together.
• Wang Shouzhe relaxed in his portable cave abode with Wang Lixian and the shield Wang Tank, enjoying tea and telling stories.
• Emperor Longchang learned that the Wang children and wolf cubs had disappeared into the imperial herb garden, then grumbled that Wang Shouzhe had not visited him.
• Wang Shouzhe sneezed as his jade talisman trembled and reflected that a season of grain harvests was approaching.

Chen Clan and the Zhao Clan’s proposed marriage alliance over Wu Xuening sparked a dispute, while two disguised tax officials began investigating the Wang Clan in Ping'an Town. At the palace, Chen Jinglong told Emperor Longchang about the marriage proposal, leaving Wu Xuening stunned and the emperor’s smile frozen.

• Princess Kang Zhao Yijing and Zhao Yuankun proposed that Wu Xuening marry Zhao Yuanqing, and Prince Rong agreed after hearing that Prince Dexin supported the match.
• Chen Clan confronted Wu Yingcai over the marriage proposal, then went to her maternal home with him to seek Chen Jinglong’s support.
• Two tax officials disguised as traveling merchants entered Ping'an Town to investigate whether the Wang Clan had evaded taxes, unaware that the Wang Clan had deliberately let them through.
• Emperor Longchang beat Wang Anye at chess during a barbecue gathering and joked with Wu Xuening before Chen Jinglong arrived seeking an audience.
• Chen Jinglong told Emperor Longchang that Prince Dexin and the Zhao Clan had arranged Wu Xuening’s marriage without consulting the Chen Clan or the emperor, and Wu Xuening reacted in shock.

Emperor Longchang used Wu Xuening’s refusal to delay her proposed marriage to Zhao Yuanqing, while privately criticizing the Zhao Clan’s growing power. In Ping'an Town, tax investigators found the Wang Clan’s records clean but then mistook a hidden shipment bound for South Qin as evidence of treason, leaving the investigation poised to threaten Wang Shouzhe.

• Chen Jinglong consulted Old Yao and realized Wu Xuening could publicly refuse Zhao Yuanqing, allowing Emperor Longchang to postpone the marriage without openly taking sides in the War of the Imperial Sons.
• Wu Xuening defeated Zhao Yuanqing at White Cloud Pavilion, rejected the marriage before spectators, and then sought refuge with Emperor Longchang, who delayed the decision until after her studies at Lingyun Sacred Land.
• Emperor Longchang told Old Yao that the Zhao Clan had grown greedy and recalled Wang Shouzhe’s criticism of clans prospering by squeezing others, while stating he would not yet concern himself with the succession.
• Two tax officials found no evidence of tax evasion by the Wang Clan, but later followed heavily loaded carriages to a hidden harbor and discovered shipments of metal, refined salt, and grain seeds traveling southwest toward South Qin.
• The old tax official concluded that the Wang Clan was smuggling contraband to Great Qian’s enemy, while Emperor Longchang wondered whether a report accusing the Wang Clan of tax evasion might let him win Wang Shouzhe’s gratitude.

Three Talents Directorate investigators failed to find tax evasion by the Changning Wang Clan but accused it of smuggling and colluding with South Qin, prompting officials to confront Wang Shouzhe at the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate. Wang Shouzhe remained under investigation, then told Wang Mei to publicize the scandal and make it dominate the trending searches.

• Zheng Hongwen’s tax officials returned without finding tax evasion, but Liu Bingrui presented images that he said showed the Changning Wang Clan smuggling goods to South Qin.
• Meng Yuanbai, Zhao Zhicai, and Chen Jinghu went to the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate to question and arrest Wang Shouzhe over suspected smuggling and treason.
• Ancestor Yinda emerged from seclusion and refused to let the officials take Wang Shouzhe away, so they questioned him at the estate instead.
• Wang Shouzhe answered the officials’ questions and agreed to remain at the estate while the case was investigated.
• Wang Mei offered Wang Shouzhe two trained maidservants, but he refused and ordered her to publicize the Wang Clan’s alleged smuggling and the estate’s protection of him.
• Wang Shouzhe told Wang Mei to make the scandal dominate all the trending searches.

As rumors of the Changning Wang Clan’s alleged smuggling and collusion with the enemy spread through Shangjing, Wang Annan fought Zhao Yuandi while Emperor Longchang burned the accusations against the clan. Zhao Zhikun ordered Zhao Kui to eliminate a smuggling fleet, but Wang Longyan intercepted him and revealed that she had attained a Sixth-Rank Sacred Body.

• Rumors and accusations against the Changning Wang Clan spread through Shangjing, alarming families that had invested in the Dara Reclamation Joint Office.
• Wang Annan challenged Zhao Yuandi after hearing him mock the Changning Wang Clan, defeated him, and broke his leg; Wang Shida approved of the fight.
• Emperor Longchang refused to entertain the memorials accusing Wang Shouzhe and the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate, ordered them burned, and told Old Yao to keep the matter from the Wang Clan’s younger members.
• Zhao Zhikun learned that Meng Yuanbai was heading toward the smuggling route and ordered Zhao Kui to intercept the Flood Dragon Gang fleet and erase the evidence.
• Wang Longyan confronted Zhao Kui beside the An River, explained that Wang Shouzhe had predicted the smugglers would try to silence witnesses, and revealed her Sixth-Rank Sacred Body.

Wang Longyan killed Zhao Kui after her Sacred Body and Divine Ability Spirit Treasure let her overcome him, while the Wang Clan’s allies managed the fallout from accusations of smuggling and treason. The chapter ended with officials uncovering testimony that implicated the Zhao Clan, forcing them to pursue the case as the Wang Clan’s broader plan advanced.

• Wang Longyan shattered Zhao Kui’s defenses and, after a prolonged battle, killed him despite suffering injuries herself.
• Yan Yufei and Wang Shouzong arrived to support Wang Longyan, and she asked Yan Yufei to keep her bloodline transformation secret.
• Wang Zongan gave Prince An a letter from Wang Shouzhe, and Prince An agreed to cooperate with the plan.
• Wang Shihong assured investors that the Dara Reclamation Joint Office could repay withdrawals, prompting many clan representatives to hesitate.
• Wang Shouzhe explained to Prince An that the accusations were part of a strategy to expose a powerful smuggling operation and its mastermind.
• Meng Yuanbai’s team arrested the smugglers and interrogated them, and Chen Jinghu and Meng Yuanbai stopped Zhao Zhicai from forcing a false confession after the testimony implicated the Zhao Clan.

Zhao Zhikun confessed to smuggling for Prince Kang, and Zhao Bingsheng ordered him to take the blame before the scandal spread. While Wang Shouzhe remained under house arrest, Prince Deshun disrupted the Zhao Clan’s plan to settle the matter quietly by demanding that the Wang Clan be punished, as part of Wang Shouzhe’s wider scheme to reshape the War of the Imperial Sons.

• Zhao Zhikun told Zhao Bingsheng and Zhao Hongbo about the smuggling operation, and Zhao Bingsheng decided he must confess and take responsibility to protect Prince Kang and the Zhao Clan.
• Wang Shouzhe spent his house arrest playing chess and eating with Fairy Tianyan and Wang Mei, while Wang Annan and Prince An endured their rivalry for his attention.
• Emperor Longchang made Zhao Hongbo and Zhao Zhikun wait outside Humble Governance Pavilion for two hours before Prince Deshun arrived and brought them inside.
• Prince Deshun demanded that Emperor Longchang punish the Wang Clan and accused Wang Shouzhe and Wang Zongan of influencing Prince An.
• Zhao Hongbo realized Prince Deshun’s accusations could delay the Zhao Clan’s confession and expose the wider smuggling scandal, while Prince Deshun followed Wang Shouzhe’s plan to prevent the Zhao Clan from escaping the consequences.

Emperor Longchang accepted Zhao Hongbo’s proposed penalties for Zhao Zhikun’s smuggling, including Zhao Hongbo’s resignation and Wang Yinda’s appointment as Grand Chancellor, while agreeing to mediate with Wang Shouzhe. After the investigation exposed Zhao Zhikun, public suspicion shifted toward Prince Kang, who rushed back to Guilong City as Wang Shouzhe and Prince An prepared for the Grand Court Assembly.

• Prince Deshun disrupted Zhao Hongbo’s attempt to settle the case quietly, and Zhao Hongbo confessed that Zhao Zhikun had smuggled goods for ninety years and offered the Zhao Clan’s money and authority as penalties.
• Emperor Longchang accepted Zhao Hongbo’s terms, directed him to recommend Wang Yinda as Grand Chancellor, and ordered the Zhao Clan’s punishments announced publicly.
• The Three Talents Directorate cleared the Changning Wang Clan, and public rumors increasingly blamed Prince Kang while praising Zhao Zhikun as “Iron-Hearted and Utterly Loyal.”
• Prince Kang heard the rumors and hurried back from the Outer Realm Battlefield to Guilong City to quell them.
• Prince An discussed the coming Grand Court Assembly with Wang Shouzhe, who said he expected Prince Kang to abandon the Zhao Clan when crisis came.

Wang Shouzhe met with Yao Chengchao to arrange materials for a large Spirit Gathering Array while Prince An discussed raising Great Qian’s strength. Meanwhile, Emperor Longchang cleared Wang Shouzhe of tax suspicions and ordered Prince Kang’s name restored, but Prince Kang’s newfound popularity left him walking into a trap.

• Yao Chengchao complained that Emperor Longchang had extorted compensation from the Yao Clan and detained the five wolf cubs, while Wang Shouzhe insisted the Yao Clan remained responsible for their delivery.
• Wang Shouzhe gave Yao Chengchao a list of materials for a large Spirit Gathering Array, and Yao Chengchao agreed to gather them before heading to see the Emperor about the wolf cubs.
• Meng Yuanbai reported that the Wang Clan had paid its taxes and funded public works, so Emperor Longchang ordered a commendation and summoned Wang Shouzhe to the next Grand Court Assembly.
• Emperor Longchang found no evidence linking the Zhao Clan or Prince Kang to Zhao Zhikun’s smuggling and ordered the authorities to help Prince Kang quash the rumors.
• Prince Kang returned to public acclaim after a speech cleared his name, but he unknowingly stepped into a trap.

Prince Kang ordered Luo Yuqing to use the U Brothers to abduct Liu and other Wang Clan members in Changning Guard, hoping to gain leverage over Wang Shouzhe before the Grand Court Assembly. Meanwhile, Jiang persuaded Zhao Zhikun to consider escaping to the Immortal Dynasty, and the U Brothers approached the Wang Clan’s home under cover of night.

• Prince Kang struck Zhao Yijing for asking him to help Zhao Zhikun, then ordered Luo Yuqing to reassure Zhao Zhikun and activate a hidden agent near him.
• Prince Kang and Luo Yuqing discussed Wang Shouzhe and arranged for the U Brothers, accompanied by Elder Xin, to seize Liu and other Wang Clan members.
• Jiang urged Zhao Zhikun to flee with her to the Immortal Dynasty rather than face the Cannon Fodder Camp, and he agreed to follow her plan.
• Three days before the Grand Court Assembly, the U Brothers and Elder Xin arrived by flying carriage near Ping'an Town in Changning Guard.
• The U Brothers left the carriage and silently descended toward the Wang Clan’s territory.

Liu Ruolan, Wang Liyao, Wang Longyan, and their companions were ambushed at Moon-Water Pavilion by two Purple Mansion Realm brothers sent by Prince Kang. Wang Liyao and Wang Longyan gained the upper hand in battle, while Liu Ruolan confronted a hidden Elder Xin above the lake.

• Wang Zongkun detected the U Brothers hiding in warped space and blasted them into the open with a water column.
• The U Brothers threatened Liu Ruolan and the others, and Wang Liyao attacked them with Xiange and her Primordial Water sword techniques.
• Wang Liyao's rainstorm Divine Ability weakened the U Brothers, who countered with their paired Mandarin Duck Scissors treasure.
• Wang Longyan joined the fight with her Ice Baleful Divine Ability, and she and Wang Liyao pressed the U Brothers back.
• Liu Ruolan addressed Elder Xin, who was concealed in a flying carriage above the lake, and challenged him to come down and speak.

Liu Ruolan and the Wang Clan defeated the invaders at Ping'an Town, while Wang Shouzhe and Prince An pursued their political plans in Shangjing. Their effort to smuggle Zhao Zhikun toward the Cold Moon Immortal Dynasty was interrupted when Gongyang Ce arrived to arrest him.

• Liu Ruolan destroyed Prince Kang's flying carriage and fought Elder Xin, with Wang Zongkun joining her in battle.
• Ancestor Longyan and Wang Liyao defeated the U Brothers with support from Wang Shouzong, Wang Zongkun, and Senior Sister Luwei.
• The Wang Clan killed the invaders, concealed its strength by crediting True Person Tianhe, and claimed the enemies' Purple Mansion treasures.
• Wang Shouzhe's trade arrangements sent a Cloud Ray Flying Ship carrying Wang Clan goods toward the Cold Moon Immortal Dynasty with Zhao Zhikun and Jiang Yuanxiang hidden aboard.
• Prince An and Wang Shouzhe discussed securing the Imperial Son position, while Yao Chengchao warned them to handle the arrest without leaving evidence.
• Gongyang Ce of Lingyun Sacred Land announced that he had come to apprehend Zhao Zhikun, terrifying Zhao Zhikun and Jiang Yuanxiang.

Wang Shouzhe, Prince An, and Yao Chengchao intercepted Gongyang Ce as he tried to seize Zhao Zhikun and his wife, then subdued him and sent him into confinement aboard the ship. Three days later, Emperor Longchang prepared for the Grand Court Assembly, eager to confront Wang Shouzhe.

• Gongyang Ce boarded Yao Chengchao's Cloud Ray Flying Ship and demanded Zhao Zhikun and his wife be handed over, but Yao refused and revealed Prince An and Wang Shouzhe.
• Wang Shouzhe brought Zhao Zhikun and his wife out of hiding, while Prince An confronted Gongyang Ce over his threats and his loyalty to Prince Kang.
• Gongyang Ce attacked with his sword intent, but Wang Shouzhe's puppet Wang Shouzu and Prince An overpowered him.
• Wang Shouzhe ordered Yao Chengchao to bind Gongyang Ce and take him on a tour of the Immortal Dynasty, while Zhao Zhikun begged Prince An not to leave him to Wang Shouzhe.
• Three days later, Emperor Longchang awaited the Grand Court Assembly and plotted how to embarrass Wang Shouzhe after the commendations.

Prince Kang gained momentum at the grand court assembly by presenting a plan to conquer the Southern Frontier Barbarian Gu Tribe, while Gongyang Ce remained stranded aboard the Cloud Ray Flying Ship. Emperor Longchang summoned Wang Shouzhe to be commended, but Xiao Xiangzi reported that Wang Shouzhe had refused the decree, leaving the court stunned and enraging the Emperor.

• Prince Kang dressed for the grand court assembly and took confidence from his Outer Realm military merits, while he worried about missing reports from Elder Xin, the U Brothers, and Gongyang Ce.
• Yao Chengchao freed Gongyang Ce aboard the Cloud Ray Flying Ship, but Gongyang Ce realized he could not cross the Divine Martial Sky Ruins and had to remain on the ship.
• Civil and military officials gathered at Stabilizing Qian Hall, where Emperor Longchang began the assembly and dismissed Taishi Ankang's proposal for Longzuo Prefecture.
• Emperor Longchang commended Prince Kang for his Outer Realm merits, and Prince Kang presented a plan to exterminate the Southern Frontier Barbarian Gu Tribe and develop the region.
• Emperor Longchang ordered Wang Shouzhe summoned, but Xiao Xiangzi reported that Wang Shouzhe had defied the decree, provoking the Emperor's wrath and shocking both factions.

Wang Shouzhe refused Emperor Longchang’s summons, arguing that paying taxes was an aristocratic family’s duty rather than a reason for praise. Wang Zhouhui turned that argument into a demand for a realm-wide tax investigation, leaving the court in uproar and Meng Yuanbai once again caught in the Wang Clan’s political struggle.

• Xiao Xiangzi relayed Wang Shouzhe’s explanation for refusing the imperial decree, and Emperor Longchang publicly accepted his reasoning despite privately resenting the loss of prestige.
• Wang Zhouhui accused court officials of mocking Wang Shouzhe’s stance and challenged Meng Yuanbai over the Three Talents Directorate’s handling of aristocratic tax evasion.
• Wang Zhouhui questioned why the Changning Wang Clan had been investigated while other aristocratic houses were not, then called for every family, including the imperial family, to face a full tax investigation.
• Ancestor Yinda backed the proposal and ordered Meng Yuanbai to begin with the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate, while Wu Mingyuan and Prince Deshun demanded investigations of their own mansions.
• The court erupted as Meng Yuanbai realized Wang Shouzhe had used him to launch a sweeping political attack without appearing in Stabilizing Qian Hall.

Emperor Longchang authorized Meng Yuanbai to lead a sweeping tax investigation after Prince Deshun exposed Prince Dexin and Prince Kang’s resistance to an audit. Wang Shouzhe then recruited Meng Yuanbai to Prince An’s side and hinted that the investigation should track unexplained funds, leaving Meng poised to uncover deeper schemes.

• Prince Deshun argued that imperial properties had to pay taxes and proposed audits of several princely mansions and ducal estates, while other clans conducted self-examinations and repaid missing taxes.
• Emperor Longchang gave Meng Yuanbai the Azure Dragon Sword Command Token and ordered him to lead the tax investigation, threatening anyone who obstructed it.
• Emperor Longchang explained to Old Yao that Wang Shouzhe’s counterattack had helped him commit to tax reform and that Prince Kang would have to prove his worth as a potential Imperial Son.
• Meng Yuanbai hurried to the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate and asked Wang Yuchang to take him to Wang Shouzhe.
• Meng Yuanbai apologized to Wang Shouzhe and pledged to support him, while Wang Shouzhe promised to introduce him to Prince An.
• Wang Shouzhe advised Meng Yuanbai to watch for unexplained large sums entering and leaving accounts, and Meng Yuanbai eagerly agreed to pursue the financial traces.

Prince Kang scrambled to contain the tax investigation, while Wang Shouzhe’s probe exposed widespread corruption and won Prince An support among the common people. The chapter ended with Zhao Zhikun captured and ready to identify the mastermind behind the smuggling and treason case, leaving Emperor Longchang to realize Prince Kang could be removed from the Imperial Son contest.

• Prince Kang learned that his mansion had evaded at least eighty percent of its taxes, and Jiang Zhuyi advised him to cooperate publicly while exposing other clans’ tax evasion and rallying allies against Prince An.
• The tax investigation spread through Guilong City, bringing down aristocratic families and imperial clansmen as commoners praised Prince An, Prince Deshun, and the Great Qian Wang Clan.
• Emperor Longchang reviewed reports of corruption and condemned Wang Shouzhe’s investigation, believing it had alienated aristocratic families and improved Prince Kang’s chances against Prince An.
• Meng Yuanbai reported that Prince Kang’s mysterious funds matched the timing and amounts in Zhao Zhikun’s smuggling and treason accounts, and Emperor Longchang accused him of making a reckless charge.
• Little Jizi reported that Chen Jinglong and Chen Jinghu had captured Zhao Zhikun, who was willing to reveal the mastermind behind the smuggling and treason case.
• Emperor Longchang realized Wang Shouzhe had used the tax investigation as a feint to bring down Prince Kang and leave Wu Mingyuan as the only viable Imperial Son.

Emperor Longchang received Zhao Zhikun’s testimony naming Prince Kang as the mastermind behind the smuggling and treason scheme, and ordered his arrest. After Prince Kang was stripped of his Quasi-Imperial Son status, Emperor Longchang summoned Wang Shouzhe to the palace, while Prince An tried to recruit him for the Southern Frontier campaign.

• Chen Jinglong and Chen Jinghu brought Zhao Zhikun before Emperor Longchang, who read his testimony implicating Prince Kang in smuggling and treason.
• Emperor Longchang ordered Chen Jinglong to seal Prince Kang’s Mansion and detain those involved, while Meng Yuanbai and Chen Jinghu continued the investigation.
• Imperial Guards arrested Prince Kang as he tried to flee, and Prince Dewei stripped him of his Quasi-Imperial Son status on behalf of the Imperial Clan Office.
• Prince Kang’s Mansion surrendered, and its residents were detained or imprisoned while Prince Kang and Zhao Yijing were placed under house arrest.
• At Four Seasons Garden, Prince An tried to recruit Wang Shouzhe as his military strategist, but Wang Shouzhe refused and teased him about taking vegetables and fruit.
• Xiao Xiangzi delivered Emperor Longchang’s decree summoning Wang Shouzhe to the palace, and Wang Shouzhe accepted before borrowing the produce Prince An had picked.

Emperor Longchang received Wang Shouzhe at Lakeside Cottage, first venting his resentment by repeatedly defeating him at chess. Over dinner, Longchang invited Shouzhe to assess his rule, and Shouzhe’s blunt criticism left the Emperor overwhelmed and eager to end the discussion.

• Emperor Longchang made Wang Shouzhe wait while fishing, then summoned him and Prince An to Lakeside Cottage.
• Wang Shouzhe brought Longchang fruits and vegetables, and Longchang repeatedly crushed him at chess before inviting him to dinner.
• Longchang asked Wang Shouzhe for his honest opinion, and Shouzhe criticized his military spending, wars, and approach to domestic administration.
• Wang Shouzhe also faulted Longchang’s appointments and his failure to discipline the imperial clan, until Old Yao claimed the Emperor’s soul injury had flared up.
• Wang Shouzhe offered to write down his critique and stay in the capital for further consultations, leaving Longchang privately horrified.

Wang Shouzhe explained why the War of the Imperial Sons had forced him to act, then discussed rewards and state policy with Emperor Longchang. The Emperor ultimately offered him the Divine Power Spirit Treasure shield Safety, which eagerly accepted Wang Shouzhe as its master.

• Emperor Longchang offered to make Wang Shouzhe the Imperial Son, but Wang Shouzhe refused and complained that Prince Kang had forced his clan into the War of the Imperial Sons.
• Emperor Longchang acknowledged Wang Shouzhe’s difficulties and proposed that he and Prince An draft plans for using increased tax revenues to develop the economy and improve people’s livelihoods.
• Wang Shouzhe asked for a True Method inheritance as his reward, but Emperor Longchang refused and searched for another suitable reward.
• Old Yao brought out the Divine Power Spirit Treasure Safety, and Emperor Longchang offered it to Wang Shouzhe.
• Safety tested Wang Shouzhe’s cautious approach to combat, embraced his dual-shield strategy, and chose him as its master.