The Phony Reformer

Luke S. K. Kwong is professor emeritus of history at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. His books include A Mosaic of the Hundred Days: Personalities, Politics, and Ideas of 1898 and T’an Ssu-t’ung, 1865–1898: Life and Thought of a Reformer.

Preface and Acknowledgments
Translator’s Introduction: A Long Vigil Before Daybreak
Notes on the Translation
Chapter 1
An anti-missionary case funnels public funds into private pockets;
Old-school folks break down prejudices to go after new measures.
Chapter 2
Promotions up official ranks and making riches are words of sound advice;
Patronage and gift-giving are shortcuts to success for which people scramble.
Chapter 3
The job of machine procurement comes as a reward for the cash contribution;
In the name of civilization is the effort made to join the Natural Feet Society.
Chapter 4
Mockery is what motivates the effort to study the English primer;
The social circle broadens to lead to making friends with Wilkes.
Chapter 5
The hunt for the Wealth Voucher rebels leads to a good friend’s death;
The investigation into local mining rights gives rise to covetous thought.
Chapter 6
Mining shares are peddled on Fuzhou Road to attract investors;
A company is set up in Guangxin prefecture to produce camphor.
Chapter 7
New rules are drafted to forestall school education’s harmful effects;
Preemptive action is the key to success in handling foreign relations.
Chapter 8
An old friend’s cooperation helps resolve a Sino-foreign dispute;
A police surcharge is enforced in the name of policy innovation.
Chapter 9
An old flame cannot reignite as the nestled bird is scared away;
The heartache lingers as the male fox sets out to look for a mate.
Chapter 10
A superior’s favor incurs add-on duties at the correctional center;
In search of marital bliss, a letter is sent with a marriage proposal.
Chapter 11
The dress-up embrace of Great Universality dazzles every eye;
Vengeance over a private feud goes public in the newspapers.
Chapter 12
Harsh words in heated argument cause affection and fortune to vanish;
Endurance through hardship yields fruits of fame and riches in the end.
Chapter 13
Commendation for the intendant status fulfills a long-standing career desire;
Supervision of school affairs calls for implementation of authoritarian rules.
Chapter 14
Deft skills in making money are applied to maximize mining profits;
Army duties become a concurrent job when no other deputy is found.
Chapter 15
Grandees play favorites with those who beseech their patronage;
Colleagues throw a banquet to celebrate his transfer and promotion.
Chapter 16
Once the mask is stripped away, the tracks of the past are fully revealed;
In a lyrical poem, warm-hearted but trite, the point of the tale is unveiled.
Bibliography