Proficient in Chinese classics with a sharp mind, Gongsun Ce nevertheless failed the imperial examination multiple times.

(Although not clearly stated, the novel implied his failures were due to other candidates bribing corrupt chief examiners like Pang Ji.)

He found refuge at a monastery and was treated well by the abbot, who eventually recommended him to the newly appointed Kaifeng prefect Bao Zheng.

Gongsun Ce also cured a madman with his "Five-wood Decoction": boiled water containing woods from mulberry, elm, peach, pagoda trees and willow.

Using his knowledge of anatomy, Gongsun Ce also invented a torture instrument called "Apricot Flower Raindrops".