Ming History Romance (Illustrated Edition) (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A popular historical masterpiece that has gained fame both domestically and internationally. Renowned historian Cai Dongfan used official history as the backbone and anecdotes as the weft. After ten years of painstaking effort, he vividly portrayed 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 process of the evolution of Chinese civilization. It depicts the emperors like Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi, Tang Taizong and Song Taizu, as well as the customs and livelihoods of the people during the transitions of dynasties. It delves into the bloody battles on the frontiers and the intrigues in the palace, revealing the survival wisdom amidst the rise and fall of ages. Among the ancient histories, many are beautiful and comprehensive, but the history of the Yuan Dynasty is particularly lacking in completeness. This is not due to the negligence of historians but rather the insufficient historical records. The Yuan Dynasty originated from the northern grasslands, lacking early records. After its founding, some records emerged, but the language was crude and mostly in Mongolian and local dialects, making it difficult for scholars to interpret. By the time of Emperor Kublai, the first official chronicles appeared, continuing until the reign of Emperor Ningzong, covering a total of thirteen dynasties. However, before Kublai’s reign, many gaps remained; after his reign, the records often emphasized the virtuous while overlooking the wicked, as history tends to protect the state, which is not surprising. With the fall of the Yuan Dynasty and the rise of the Ming Dynasty in the second year of Hongwu’s reign, the Ming court acquired the chronicles of the thirteen Yuan dynasties and ordered the compilation of The History of the Yuan Dynasty.