Ming Shi Yi Wang

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: "In terms of literature, Mr. Cai's book can only be considered mediocre. But, it is a mine, towering like a mountain, with lush forests, flowing springs and waterfalls, containing coal, iron, gold, and jade. Naturally, there is also soil, and inconspicuous sand and stones. Its extraordinary quality lies in its rich reserves. As mentioned earlier, it was not born out of obedience to orders or reviews, but emerged in time. During the collapse of the feudal system and the turmoil of the new era, Mr. Cai dedicated his life to composing this epic, which can be heard as a dirge or seen as a catalyst for the new age. From a practical perspective, its vitality is still growing. How many people today can still read the traditional character edition of the 24 Histories of China? Not many, and even the simplified character version of the classical texts is no longer widely read. But our national history must be inherited and continued. Reading Mr. Cai's book can guide you into the world of history, and there is no other like it. In this sense, his achievement is truly remarkable."
Cai Dongfan, a renowned historian and novelist of the Republic of China, aimed to "save the nation through storytelling" and spent ten years writing The Popular Histories of China. Starting from Qin Shi Huang and ending in 1928, the series comprehensively records the 2,166 years of China's feudal period. It gained fame for its rich content and well-sourced material, becoming highly favored by readers. The writing style of this series combines elements of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Mao Zonggang's annotations, featuring main text, annotations, and overall summaries—all self-annotated by Cai Dongfan. Through these annotations, he either refuted fictional claims, noted the sources and differences of certain historical records, explained ancient government systems, laws, geography, artifacts, titles, and even colloquialisms in plain language, or praised or criticized the characters he wrote about, all to help readers understand the main text and clarify historical context.
In terms of historical source selection and application, Cai Dongfan primarily relied on "official histories" while also incorporating folk tales and anecdotes. Anything derived from folk tales or anecdotes was necessarily corroborated, and he "subjected sources to rigorous verification" to ensure accuracy. Due to his strong emphasis on historical authenticity and opposition to fictionalization, this series, though popular, holds significant historical value.
The Romance of the Ming Dynasty is one of the Popular Histories of China. The 100 chapters of The Romance of the Ming Dynasty vividly depict the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty, drawing from extensive research and making appropriate cuts. It provides readers with a lively and convenient read to understand historical knowledge.