[No transmigration or rebirth + marriage first, love later + comedy + absurd humor]
I originally wanted to write a really impressive historical novel set in ancient China, but… I ran out of ideas…
Some parts have been revised. The heroine is entirely fictional, so please don’t be mad at me. Thank you.
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the list of successful candidates from the second year of the Jiayou reign. If you’re interested, feel free to look it up.
The male lead was that year’s top candidate. Emperor Renzong of Song personally set the exam questions, Ouyang Xiu was the chief examiner, and five of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song were connected to it. It was a star-studded gathering of literary greats.
Also involved was Zhang Zai, who said: “Establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, a destiny for the people, carry on the lost teachings of the sages, and bring peace to all generations.”
As the top candidate that year, Zhang Heng was undoubtedly a formidable man, but little about him is recorded in history.
The story broadly follows Zhang Heng’s life.
He spent years studying within his family, unknown to the world.
He fought his way through the competition and became the top candidate, astonishing everyone. (His uncle, Zhang Dun, passed the imperial exams in the same year. Unwilling to rank beneath his nephew, he refused an official post and retook the exams. He eventually became chancellor.)
He became assistant prefect of Huzhou, then a Salt and Iron Commissioner.
After his interests clashed with others’, he was sent or demoted to various places, where he accomplished a great deal.
He went on a diplomatic mission to the Liao, secretly recording the terrain and defenses in hopes of reclaiming the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, but the plan came to nothing.
He eventually reached the third rank in office. He disagreed with his uncle Zhang Dun, who had by then become chancellor, and even won the argument.
He was then sent to serve as an official in many more places.
In his old age, he returned to court and eventually retired unscathed.
Some characters retain their original names, but I felt I couldn’t do justice to their integrity and stories, so I changed most of the names later on. I’d already used the earlier ones, so I left those unchanged.
Since this is a female-oriented novel, the male lead’s protagonist aura is weak. Please don’t read it if that bothers you. Thank you.
