This is a novel that travels through history, and it is also a soul-searching contest with time.
Eighteen dynasties, eighteen key nodes, and eighteen late-night conversations with historical figures. From the palace of Xia Jie to the ancestral temple of the Shang Dynasty, from the beacon tower of King You of Zhou to the sand dunes of Qin Shihuang, from the gradual platform of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to the abdication platform of Wang Mang, from the Imperial Academy of the Eastern Han Dynasty to Baidi City of the Three Kingdoms, from the execution ground of the Western Jin Dynasty to the Southern Dynasties Tongtai Temple, from the dragon boats of the Sui Dynasty to the Xuanwu Gate of the Tang Dynasty, from the ruins of the Five Dynasties to the West Lake of the Southern Song Dynasty, from the observatory of the Yuan Dynasty to the prison cells of the Ming Dynasty, and then to the fire of the Old Summer Palace - every scene is a slice of civilization.
The author incarnates as a "passer-by" and travels through time, meeting historical figures such as Guan Longpang, Fu Hao, Bao Si, Li Si, Madam Gou Yi, Wang Zhengjun, Li Ying, Liu Bei, Lu Ji, Xiao Yan, Yang Guang, Li Shimin, Feng Dao, Wen Tianxiang, Guo Shoujing, Huang Zongxi, Gong Zizhen, etc. They are no longer just names in history books, but people of flesh and blood - with fears, hopes, regrets, and unwillingness.
Power and responsibility, ideals and reality, integrity and survival, civilization and barbarism, trust and betrayal, individuals and the world. There is no standard answer, only moments of choice, and the consequences that must be borne after the choice.
This is not a historical novel about "what happened" but a thought experiment asking "why" and "what if it were you". It invites readers to walk into the historical scene, stand side by side with the ancients, and then ask themselves: What would I choose?
History is a matter of the past and present, and it is also a matter of you and me.
