A Petty Official in a World of Dust

In the twenty-first year of Jiaxing, Wang Qian and Shen Fengxi each had their fortunes told. Wang Qian was destined to serve as a first-rank court official and die with a name remembered through the ages. He had no regrets in life. Shen Fengxi would meet many benefactors, rise to the highest rank of government, and become famous throughout the land. Yet one bitter regret was fated to haunt him: he could drain all the waters of the Western River and still not quench the hatred in his heart.