Wei was a precocious student, excelling at the early stages of China’s imperial examination system. His performance on the first stage of examinations, at the country level, identified him as one of the brightest young students in Hunan Province. His performance won him a fellowship to study for the highest levels of the examinations in the capital in Beijing, where he passed the province level examinations at 28.

In Beijing, Wei strayed from the well-trodden path of ambitious young Chinese, gravitating towards unconventional thinkers like Liu Fenglu. Liu was one of the leading philosophers of his day, and may have planted in Wei Yuan’s mind a more linear, teleological reading of the Confucian texts, supplanting the belief that the dynasties moved in great, repeating cycles.

Whether due to the influence of Liu or other factors, Wei’s upward momentum slowed, and he failed to pass the highest exams for two more decades. But unburdened by official duties, Wei was left with far more time to do radical, original thinking.