You're listening to an airwave media podcast.

Hello and welcome to the history of China.

Hello and welcome to the history of China.

Episode 140, turn of the millennium, Q&A.

Before getting into the thick of things today, as it's a Q&A. Before getting into the thick of things today, as it's a Q&A episode and we're also

pausing the narrative, and especially since we've had so many new supporters come and join the

guardians of the realms of men, the watchers on the wall, the flames

and the darkness? Yeah, that's right. Eat your heart out, George R.R. Martin.

I'm going to start off by fulfilling my oath to give the most glorious and harmonious thanks I possibly can to my newest

Patreon supporters, one and all.

Seriously, everyone, you are 100% the reason that this show has lasted for 140 episodes and is still going strong.

I didn't make this show to get rich, and just to be clear I am definitely still not rich.

THOC began and remains my personal passion project.

That said, being able to justify to my wife all the hours and hours and hours

hunched over my computer with books open on arcane Chinese

lore rather than doing you know normal things is so greatly appreciated by me

even barring all the other benefits, having a secondary income from this project,

meaning the number of arguments I've been able to avoid with my beautiful and fantastic wife by being able to say yeah but it's solvent and

here's a bouquet of flowers from my fans to you is priceless and totally keeps me going even when the going gets rough.

So in the interests of keeping this intro even of a somewhat reasonable length,

his wholly Imperial Highness has dictated that we read off our newest

contributors since our last big on-air thank-you session from the general level and

...