That Day, Zheng He Went a Little Farther

History is full of regrets and imperfections. We often wonder: If Fusu had ascended the throne, would the Great Qin have survived? If Emperor Xuanzong of Tang hadn’t become incompetent in his later years, could the Great Tang have lasted longer? If Emperor Gaozong of Song had trusted Yue Fei, could the tragedy of Yashan have been avoided? If Zheng He had sailed a little farther west, reaching Europe, would the Age of Exploration have begun with us? If Emperor Qianlong had been curious about the outside world when receiving the Macartney Embassy, would the Opium Wars never have happened? These are all regrets of the Chinese people. When we read about them today, we feel melancholy, regret, and confusion. Step into those eras: no transmigrators, no spoilers from the future, just a tiny spark of insight. Consider another possibility for history and explore the road not taken at each fork.