Use original article dates in ePub chapters

includes/class-e-reader.php

@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ protected function get_content( $format, \WP_Post $post ) {
 			array(
 				'title'  => $post_title,
 				'author' => $post->author_name,
-				'date'   => get_the_time( 'l, F j, Y', $post ),
+				'date'   => $this->get_post_display_date( $post, 'l, F j, Y' ),
 			)
 		);
 
@@ -161,6 +161,29 @@ protected function get_content( $format, \WP_Post $post ) {
 		return $content;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the date to show for a post in generated e-reader content.
+	 *
+	 * Collected posts can preserve the original article date as metadata. Prefer
+	 * that value in the chapter byline, while leaving ordinary posts on their
+	 * WordPress publish date.
+	 *
+	 * @param \WP_Post $post   The post.
+	 * @param string   $format Date format.
+	 * @return string Formatted date.
+	 */
+	protected function get_post_display_date( \WP_Post $post, $format ) {
+		$published_time = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'published_time', true );
+		if ( $published_time ) {
+			$timestamp = is_numeric( $published_time ) ? (int) $published_time : strtotime( (string) $published_time );
+			if ( $timestamp ) {
+				return date_i18n( $format, $timestamp );
+			}
+		}
+
+		return get_the_time( $format, $post );
+	}
+
 	protected function update_author_name( \WP_Post $post ) {
 		if ( ! isset( $post->author_name ) ) {
 			$author = self::get_post_author( $post );

tests/Test_E_Reader.php

@@ -186,6 +186,22 @@ function () {
 		$this->assertSame( 'Zetaphor', $post->author_name );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Test collected article dates replace the saved post date in chapter bylines.
+	 */
+	public function test_collected_article_date_replaces_post_date_in_chapter_byline() {
+		$post = new \WP_Post();
+		$post->ID = 124;
+		$post->post_author = 1;
+		update_post_meta( $post->ID, 'published_time', '2026-06-29T16:44:13+00:00' );
+
+		$ereader = new E_Reader_Download( 'Test' );
+		$method = new \ReflectionMethod( $ereader, 'get_post_display_date' );
+		$method->setAccessible( true );
+
+		$this->assertSame( 'Monday, June 29, 2026', $method->invoke( $ereader, $post, 'l, F j, Y' ) );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Test same-site upload image URLs are embedded in generated ePubs.
 	 */