Romance of the Eastern and Western Jin

Author: Yang Erzeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-03-01
Features: Romance of the Eastern and Western Jin Dynasties, also titled Comprehensive Records of the Eastern and Western Jin Dynasties with Embroidered Images, compiled by Yang Erzeng during the Ming Dynasty. It is divided into Romance of the Western Jin Dynasty and Romance of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Romance of the Western Jin Dynasty narrates Sima Yan's usurpation of Wei and establishment of the Jin Dynasty, with its capital in Luoyang. After his death, Emperor Hui ascended the throne. Due to Emperor Hui's weakness, power fell into the hands of Empress Jia, leading to dissatisfaction among the princes and the ensuing "Eight Princes' Rebellion" that lasted sixteen years. The five northern nomadic tribes seized the opportunity to rise, with the Huaiwang and Minwang being captured in Chang'an and Luoyang, respectively. The Western Jin Dynasty lasted four emperors and fifty-two years before falling. Romance of the Eastern Jin Dynasty recounts the division of the empire after the fall of the Western Jin, with northern and southern factions emerging. The north saw the rise of over twenty regimes, collectively known as the Sixteen Kingdoms. Later, Fú Jiān of the Former Qin launched a massive army of a million to attack the Eastern Jin. In the south, Sima Rui reestablished the regime and attempted multiple northern invasions, which failed until Shi Le invaded, leading to the "Battle of Feishui" victory and alleviating northern threats. The Western Jin Dynasty had eleven emperors, but power later transferred to Liu Yu, who usurped the throne and established the Eastern Jin, which lasted one hundred four years. The Eastern and Western Jin Dynasties spanned one hundred fifty years, interspersed with the Sixteen Kingdoms and the northern-southern confrontation, marked by continuous warfare. The book's structure is disorganized yet coherent, tracing events from the Western Jin to the Eastern Jin, then from the Southern Dynasties to the Northern Dynasties. Major historical events and both large and small battles are interconnected, with each preceding and following event reflecting historical accuracy while portraying a variety of historical figures. Mr. Zheng Zhenduo once praised: "This romance is exceptionally refined, with almost every word rooted in historical sources, making it one of the better historical narratives."