Rise and Fall of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (Illustrated Edition) (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A popular history masterpiece that has gained fame both domestically and internationally. Renowned historian Cai Dongfan uses official history as the backbone and anecdotes as the weft. After ten years of painstaking effort, he vividly portrays five thousand years of Chinese history in a novelistic style. The novel follows a traditional chapter structure, employs accessible language, and includes witty commentary, authentically recreating the tumultuous journey of the evolution of Chinese civilization. It depicts the emperors of Qin and Han, the founding emperors of Tang and Song, the customs and livelihoods during dynastic changes, and the survival wisdom amidst centuries of warfare and court intrigue. The book narrates stories such as Wu, the snake-slayer, whose destiny was foretold by seeing the dragon face of the king; the rebel army entering the capital to depose the tyrant and reporting its achievements for rewards; the daring campaign against the Southern Yan, which successfully defended the eastern capital and repelled invaders; the use of fire to destroy the enemy's ships and the strategic deployment of troops to achieve victory over Qiao; the defeat of Qin's general in Luoyang and the fall of Chang'an, leading to the of the Yao family; the loss of Qin's territory and the escape of Liu's heir, who eventually returned to restore the Jin dynasty; the usurpation of the throne by Emperor Wu of Song; the tragic fate of the former ruler's ghost seeking vengeance and the loss of loyal generals; and the rampant invasions by the nomadic cavalry.