A Life of Quiet Resistance Gong Kai lived through the heavy transition from the Song to the Yuan dynasty. Born in Huaiyin, China, he was a man of significant presence, described as being eight chi tall with a long, magnificent beard. In his younger years, he held a position within the Board of Salt Revenues and worked alongside officials like Lu Xiufu. However, when the Mongol forces took control and established the Yuan dynasty, his path changed. He chose not to serve the new regime, remaining a loyalist to the fallen Song. This choice brought a life of hardship. He moved between Hangzhou a…