The Complete Biography of Sima Guang

Author: Song Yanshen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: A historical chronicle that reaches the pinnacle of Chinese annalistic history, providing insights into past events to guide governance. Countless emperors, generals, scholars, and talented figures have read it, understanding the principles of rise and fall, acquiring wisdom in conduct, and discerning the opportunities for success in planning. In the third year of Tiansheng in the Great Song Dynasty, spring bathed the land in sunlight. Luoyang, located on the banks of the Yellow River and at the center of the empire, was the western capital of the royal family. The sun shadow of the earth square aligned with the harmony of yin and yang, with the rivers Yi, Luo, Song, and Sha, and the mountains Zhong and Shan, all contributing their beauty. Since the founding by Emperor Taizu, the efforts of Emperor Taizong, the governance of Emperor Zhenzong, and the reign of Emperor Renzong over more than seventy years had transformed Luoyang, in addition to the capital, into a city that renewed its old foundations and built anew. With a population boasting half a million, the streets crisscrossed, shops lined the alleys, prosperity flourished, and culture thrived.