[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-373":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wanli, the Enlightened Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322195,4542,"Chapter 373: 184. Epilogue Reflection and a Day Off Tomorrow","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-373",373,"\u003Cp>184. Epilogue Reflection and a Day Off Tomorrow\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Epilogue Reflection and a Day Off Tomorrow\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Casual talk—it’s late and I’m sleepy, so no bullet points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve finished Volume Three; this book now has 922,509 characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The book launched on April 10, and it’s been 190 days since—writing 4,800 characters daily (seems acceptable?).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each volume is roughly 300,000 characters, close to the original estimate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from meeting the word count, the plot has also stayed true to the initial design—that’s what pleases me most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, I’d never written more than 400,000 characters; my foundation is shallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I often feared I’d suffer mid-book burnout or late-stage fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just look at how often I’ve taken breaks—I frequently struggled with unclear ideas, weak plotting, and revisions from editors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, I’ve now reached the hundred-thousand-character milestone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve accumulated some experience: plot entry points, perspective shifts, narrative structure, cinematic visuals—I’ve grasped the basics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to overly fear collapse midway—though I can’t rule out eventual creative exhaustion and gradual decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why didn’t I write reflections after Volumes One and Two, but suddenly feel like it now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, this volume finally shows results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before, I was a nobody—even if I wanted to express something, I felt I had no right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This month, I ranked in the top twenty on the monthly vote chart; once my average subscriptions rose, I gained some confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the plot has entered a new phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To balance the protagonist’s age and respect the objective reality that policy changes take time, I chose to skip ahead several years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While skipping, I might as well say something—a psychological cue to mark an ending, so readers feel the passage of years (I’m making this up).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Future plotlines will diverge more from history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new phase brings new challenges; narrative structure must be adjusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With some well-known characters now deceased, I must begin crafting new ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the protagonist’s direct involvement in military control, land surveys, tax reform, administrative reorganization, official system overhaul, and productivity development—all need deeper elaboration based on the outline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, a new phase calls for a summary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, well, the thing about taking leave—I’m not just used to it, I’ve become accustomed to it; I no longer feel like a coward afraid to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altogether, I felt moved tonight and wrote this reflection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today I told my editor again: why does historical fiction always feel so slow?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least in my view, there’s always more to write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bureaucrats constrained at every turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A treasury perpetually empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A restless frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confucianism stuck in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The protagonist taking daily rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indispensable supporting characters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could never finish writing it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the most detailed first volume covered only about twenty days (some readers may not have noticed).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the book’s first problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To address it, I jumped ahead several months at the start of Volume Two, and later often skipped by entire months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, I’ve jumped ahead by years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is essentially a correction for the original choice of timeline—selected for dramatic conflict, but left the protagonist too young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, it’s resolved now; I won’t end up with “Beijing Conan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The book’s second problem: my insufficient writing technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is my second novel; my first ended at 400,000 characters, so my technical reserves are minimal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clearly felt it during Volume Two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t write from any perspective except the protagonist’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can see: many chapters in Volume Two don’t feature the protagonist at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This once caused me immense difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supporting characters lacked immersion; perspective shifts felt clunky; plot transitions were awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those drafts were my most heavily discarded; I often rewrote them multiple times to be satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was then that I first learned to use information transmission to link different perspectives—the basic skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was then that I learned how to construct plots beyond strict historical lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many such lessons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, right—the unsatisfying conclusion of the Huguang arc was also due to my incompetence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, I intended to combine the historical cases of the Fake Chu King, the Robbery Case, and the Unmentionable Case into one plot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my ambition was too great; the result became bloated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, I decisively cut part of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence why some readers felt it was rushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During Volume Three, I discovered another flaw: I’m bad at depicting warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not just reader feedback—I personally find it hard to immerse myself in writing battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I write, I’m deeply immersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when forcing the protagonist’s personality—it’s usually my own reaction, so I write it effortlessly, with clear mental immersion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But writing battles feels different—it’s like watching someone defecate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The author’s perspective doesn’t engage; it’s natural readers feel a lack of momentum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is something I must practice seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, aside from flaws, I’m all strengths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what those strengths are, I can’t think of them right now—just give me some face and understand implicitly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’m currently satisfied with:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One, certain scenes have a cinematic feel—though that’s just my personal impression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two, I’ve never padded the text, even during breaks—I’ve never released garbage drafts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three, some scenes blend seriousness with light humor; I laugh out loud when reading them myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, uh, I can’t think of more—basically, though I write poorly in places, I’m slowly evolving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hope I can keep improving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, I just checked the outline again—there’s still so much left to write.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know when I’ll finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I won’t abandon it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, readers who found me on other social platforms may have seen: I started preparing for this book last year, even jotting down notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I prepared for a very long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outline too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve even thought through the ending—it’s a conclusion both I and a fellow writer find satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t know how many readers will reach it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes typhoons turn back—but readers who leave won’t return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, writing novels and readers leaving comments—we’re essentially pen pals; if you could treat each other with mutual respect and stop attacking He Ren, that’d be great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, I write books, readers leave comments—we’re practically pen pals. If we could all treat each other with mutual respect, and everyone would stop attacking me so much, that’d be great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title says: “Day Off Tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s late tonight, my mind is still active, I’ll probably sleep very late, and tomorrow I’ll likely be sluggish—I want to start the new volume with better focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mainly because it’s late tonight, and my mind is still active; I’ll probably fall asleep very late, and tomorrow I’ll likely be sluggish. I want to start the new chapter with a strong opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, one more thing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clarification: the reader group’s operation, group owner, moderators—all are unrelated to me or my family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please don’t harass the operators; they say they get constant requests for private info, loans, insults, and demands to see my organs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please stop bothering the staff—according to him, they’ve been getting countless messages asking for private information, borrowing money, insulting them, and even demanding to see the author’s private parts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I advise you not to waste your effort (shrugs).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s about it—final request: please vote for monthly rank. Thank you all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1205,"2026-06-20T16:31:35.124Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3794b1a0ea269f548c0ab77848a099c074d523f8cb4cf60ac5ef9027ae4e583f","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-374","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-372",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]