The ideal of the traditional Chinese scholar to serve one's emperor as an official in government was challenged in the Yuan dynasty. The question as to whether to serve the new dynasty, or the Mongol rulers, or in government at all became a major decision in the lives of many scholars. Some opted for a simple life of reclusion, but others such as the Song imperial descendant Zhao Mengfu heeded the new government's call to service and became gentlemen of the court at the capital Dadu under Mongol rulers.

The political environment that Zhao Mengfu faced was unique because it was ruled by a Mongol clan as part of a vast empire. One of the most obvious features was that many of the officials at court looked different because they came from various ethnic groups and minorities in the empire and spoke different languages. This situation also offered them the rare opportunity of gathering together to engage in activities such as appreciating masterpieces of Chinese painting and calligraphy inherited from the previous dynasties. Thus, Zhao Mengfu offers us a chance to see how Yuan dynasty scholars and officials were able to transcend traditional boundaries of race and ethnic background under the Mongols and engage in an unprecedented and harmonious level of interactions and exchange.