In Hsian, books have been purchased by all classes from the
governor of the province down to the humblest scholar, and the
aristocracy have organized classes, and are inviting the
foreigners to lecture to them. Every one, except a few of the
oldest conservative scholars, are discarding their Confucian
theories and reconstructing their ideas in view of present day
problems. There is an intellectual fermentation now going on from
which a new China is certain to be evolved, and we propose to be
ready for it when it comes."

The leader of this reform party was Kang Yu-wei, a young
Cantonese, who had made a thorough study of the reforms of Peter
the Great in Russia, and the more recent reforms in Japan, the
history of which he had prepared in two volumes which he sent to
the Emperor. He had made a reputation for himself in his native
place as a "Modern Sage and Reformer," was hailed as a "young
Confucius," was appointed a third-class secretary in the Board
of Works, and as the Emperor and he had been studying on the same
lines, Kang, through the influence of the brother of the chief
concubine, was introduced to His Majesty. He had a three hours'
conference with the Foreign Office, in which he urged that China
should imitate Japan, and that the old conservative ministers and
viceroys should be replaced by young men imbued with Western
ideas, who might confer with the Emperor daily in regard to all
kinds of reform measures.

This interview was reported to Kuang Hsu by Prince Kung and Jung
Lu, who both being old, and one of them the greatest of the
conservatives, could hardly be expected to approve of his
theories. Kang, however, was asked to embody his suggestions in a