Many of the characters in this book claim that their fate is inevitable, yet their actions seem to imply a modicum of free will. How much of their life is predestined and how much—if any—is decided through choice?

Historically, the real Zhu Chongba was a cisgender, heterosexual man. Why do you think Parker-Chan chose to make Zhu Chongba (the protagonist) female/nonbinary in their novel? What point(s) do they want to make through this choice?

Gender and gender roles are major themes in this novel. Choose a dynasty (Song, Yuan, Ming) or an ethnicity (Mongol, Semu, Nanren, Hui) mentioned in the novel. How are these characteristics depicted in the novel? What creative liberties did the author take?