Considering It

Yongyu Le: Memories of the Past at Jingkou's Beigu Pavilion was a work woven together from many allusions.

Who was Ji Nu?

Who was the one who sealed Lang Ju Xu?

And why had the Yuan Jia Northern Expedition ended with a hasty retreat northward?

Yongyu Le: Memories of the Past at Jingkou's Beigu Pavilion had sparked Shen Nuo Fei's intense interest in Chinese history.

She jotted down in her little notebook: Zhong Mou, Sun Quan. Ji Nu, Liu Yu. Sealing Lang Ju Xu, Huo Qubing. Fo Li, Tuoba Tao. Lian Po—he was Lian Po.

Shen Nuo Fei wanted to learn more about the history surrounding these figures.

She would have to study it after class.

After class, Shen Nuo Fei asked Teacher Shu, "Teacher Shu, I really want to read about those famous historical figures you just talked about. What books should I read?"

Teacher Shu smiled. He was very pleased that his students had become so curious about Chinese history in his class. "Records of the Grand Historian, Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Han, History of the Southern Dynasties... I recommend these books, but they're too difficult for someone your age. For now, start with Five Thousand Years of Chinese History."

Shen Nuo Fei committed his advice to memory and said politely, "Mm-hmm, I understand. Thank you, Teacher Shu!"

After school, Shen Nuo Fei hurried straight to her family's study.

It was like a small library, with shelves full of books.

Shen Nuo Fei remembered that her family seemed to have the history books Teacher Shu had recommended.

Standing before row upon row of bookcases more than two meters tall, the one-meter-twenty-tall Shen Nuo Fei gazed up at the towering giants.

Her family's math books filled three entire bookcases.

Physics had a bookcase to itself, as