Wenzhao Pass

The year of defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War and the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki: the journey to the capital for the imperial examination taken by Liu Jiabin, an ordinary man caught up in a momentous era.

Most of the characters in this story are based on historical figures, and the facts have been researched with great care. Discussion is welcome, as are fellow writers of late Qing dynasty imperial examination stories who might use this as a reference for the history of the system.

Theme: Everyone is responsible for the fate of the nation