This book explains the general intellectual climate of the early Ch'ing period, and the political and cultural characteristics of the Ch'ing regime at the time. Professor Huang brings to life the book's central characters, Li Fu and the three great emperors - K'ang-hsi, Yung-cheng, and Chien-lung - whom he served. Although the author's main concern is to explain the contributions of Li Fu to the Lu-Wang school of Confucianism, he also gives a clearly written account of the Lu-Wang and Ch'eng-Chu schools from the twelfth century to the eighteenth. In a clear, succinct style, Huang explains the historical differences between the Ch'eng-Chu and Lu-Wang schools without sacrificing the subtleties of either. The book culminates in a discussion of the hero-emperor K'ang-hsi's appropriation of the 'Tradition of the Way' from his intellectual officials, which denied them their traditional role as moral censors and critics of the emperor's exercise of authority.

"This book is a pioneering work on its subject.....What Chin-shing Huang has achieved is a lucid, amazingly well-researched, and well-organized book....The book is worth reading by both specialist and nonspecialist." China Review International

"Chin-shing Huang is to be commended for his delivery to the scholarly world of the first book-length study of Li Fu....This book...is well thought out....This book is a pioneering work on its subject since there is no existing study which so meticulously examines Li Fu as a philosopher. Obviously Huang is well qualified to carry out this study. Despite the complexity of the subject, he analyzes everything with clarity and an understanding of its relevance. A careful observer, he is able to grasp firmly the many issues involving the two Neo-Confucian Schools....the author has taken a risk in dealing with such a profound and difficult subject, but the risk has been well worthwhile. What Chin-shing Huang has achieved is a lucid, amazingly well-researched and well organized book....The book is worth reading by both specialists and nonspecialists." Pei Huang, China Review International