Long ago, when I read the history of the Five Dynasties, I saw rulers and ministers turn on one another, while the imperial seal gathered dust. I watched the rise and fall of the Northern and Southern Song, lamenting their weakness and poverty, and the ruin of their homeland. And I grieved over a thousand years of conflict between farmers and nomads, which left countless lives in ruin. I often asked myself: Is there a way to break free of history's cycle and create a world united in harmony?
So I entered the game myself, embarking on a sociological experiment spanning a thousand years. On the day of the Chenqiao Mutiny, I transmigrated into the perspective of Zhao Kuangyin and rewrote history.
The protagonist, Zhao Kuangyin, is none other than the author. He is me.
I understand geography, so he uncovers mountain passes and natural barriers. I study maps, so he sends scouts to explore the roads. I think about people's livelihoods, so he lightens taxes and travels to learn about the people's needs. I long for home, so he returns to visit his family and comfort his native land.
When the Imperial Jade Seal vanishes, I dig up broken jade and recast it. When Zhao Guangyi's candlelit shadows and axe blows come, I repay him in kind.
Not a single person is killed unjustly in this book. That is who I am. This book is the entire epic of my life, lived again in the Northern Song as Zhao Kuangyin.
To recreate history as faithfully as possible, all ancient place names and waterways in the book, such as Juye Marsh, the Guangling Tide, the Ji River, Juyan Lake, and Puchang Sea, have been meticulously researched and reconstructed. Later lakes such as Hongze Lake, formed after the Yellow River changed course, are not mentioned because, at this point in the book's timeline, the river has not yet shifted its course into the Huai River.
This book incorporates my thoughts and insights on geopolitics, agriculture, military affairs, people's livelihoods, seafaring, early industry, astronomy and geography, and political systems. My experience is limited, so if you spot any mistakes or oversights, please don't hesitate to point them out.
Finally, my heartfelt thanks to every reader willing to open this book.
