The book is a biographical study of Wu Ch'eng (1249-1333), a major Confucian scholar and thinker during the period of Mongol rule in China. It deals with his educational career and service in Peking and examines his contributions to classical scholarship and Neo-Confucian thought. It highlights issues relating to educational policy, historical interpretation, and philosophical approaches, during a time when there was a variety of opinion about serving the Mongol regime.