Notes on the Years of Reform in the Northern Song Dynasty

This section covers the start of the reforms from the second to the third year of Xining. The female lead doesn't appear. Since it strays from the main plot, I removed it from the main story. If you like the Wang Anshi and Emperor Shenzong pairing, feel free to read it. There's also a tragic bonus story included, so proceed with caution. My next novel, The First Female Scholar of Late Qing, starts next January. Please add it to your favorites. 1. Before Xue Mu's mother died, she told her: The thing I regret most in this life is getting married. With a scumbag for a father, Xue Mu resolutely chose the path of an older single woman. As one of the first female students of the late Qing, then a teacher, principal, and renowned scholar, she braved every obstacle and climbed to the top step by step, living the life she wanted. 2. An exclusive interview with Qi Yun, editor-in-chief of the empire's best-selling New People's Daily: What do you think of editor-in-chief Qi Yun? Onlookers: He turned down a prestigious career to start a newspaper. What a waste of his family's money. Fellow journalists: A master of both old and new ideas, an advocate for women's rights, and the uncrowned king of the empire. Reformists: Well versed in Western learning, he is truly a brilliant talent for establishing a constitutional government. Xue Mu: It's all a familiar story, but he's my hero. Mini-theater: Qi Yun: I knew from the start that we were alike. You'll never find anyone more suitable to marry than me. Xue Mu: I know you're wonderful, but I don't intend to marry in this lifetime. Until later, when the Wang clan seized power and China fell into darkness, Qi Yun joined forces with others to turn the tide, even at the cost of imprisonment. Xue Mu asked him: Do you regret it? Qi Yun smiled. If I can benefit the state and its people, I would have no regrets even if I died nine times over! Xue Mu's eyes seemed to glimmer with tears. I want you to live. Wait for me to save you, and wait for me to marry you! In the end, she kept her promise, and he got his wish. May we have years to look back on, and share a deep love until our hair turns white. Reading guide: 1. A farming-and-leveling story with equal focus on career and romance. A little sweet, not angsty, with a happy ending. 2. An alternate late Qing setting. Entirely fictional, entirely fictional. Everything serves the plot, so please don't read it as a direct allegory. Theme: Doing what you know cannot be done