Abstract: The Year 1839, the eve of Opium War, was the turning point in Zhang Mu’s life. After taking part in the Imperial Examination in Shuntian, he was unexpectedly expelled from the examinations forever, and lost possibility of ever becoming an imperial official. From that moment forward, Zhang Mu followed a path of academic fame. In other words, the pre-1839 Zhang Mu and post-1839 Zhang Mu parted ways. He proposed the establishment of the Temple of Gu Yanwu, edited the Chronology of Gu Tingling, Chronology of Yan Qianqiu, and wrote Record of Mongolian Nomad. These works were a vivid manifestation of the potency of his lifelong academic pursuits.