Ancient Chinese guard army

Author: Wang Jinglun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: Based on official historical records, this book sets the stages in the palaces of various dynasties and presents the history of the royal guard from the Ming to the late Qing dynasty over more than two thousand years, covering aspects such as the establishment, evolution, rise and fall, escort duties, guarding the imperial palace, and participating in political coups. The historical facts are authoritative and accurate, the content is comprehensive and systematic, and the stories are thrilling. It is a well-structured, light in style, and engaging historical read. The book primarily focuses on emperors closely related to the rise and fall of the guards of each dynasty, followed by the commanders of the guards, and then eunuchs authorized by the emperors to lead the guards. Additionally, there are scholars who served as commanders of the guards and powerful ministers who once held overall command of the guards. The largest portion of the book is dedicated to the commanders of the guards. Powerful ministers who led the guards were a special category of figures. Under normal circumstances, the guards could not be controlled by anyone other than the emperor. The rise of powerful ministers required multiple factors, with the main one being the weakness or immaturity of the emperor. Some powerful ministers evolved into the founding emperors of the next dynasty, while the powerful ministers included as guard figures in this book were those who had once been invincible but ultimately failed.