Ancient China's Top Ten Royal Secrets

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Features: The original text of "Ten Great Royal Secrets of Ancient China" is entirely composed of rare and exquisite woodblock printed "jinxiangben" volumes. This reprint adheres strictly to the traditional method, preserving its authentic appearance and essence.
Jinxiangben (Cloak Box Books): Since the Song Dynasty, some books that were frequently banned by the government were produced as small volumes measuring one inch and eight fen in length and one inch and one fen in width. They were convenient for scholars and collectors to carry in small wooden boxes, akin to handkerchiefs or headbands, for personal enjoyment and leisurely reading at any time. Their charmingly compact size made them beloved and hard to part with, earning them the name "jinxiangben." After the Southern Song Dynasty, these books became subject to strict prohibition in every subsequent era. Those that have survived to this day are extremely rare and considered among the finest treasures in collections.
Old Song Edition Format: In terms of layout, margins, paper, ink, and calligraphy, they possess unique and refined qualities. Whether in single columns, double-sided columns, white borders, or fonts, they offer a fresh and pleasing aesthetic—truly embodying the saying, "Black silk margins, neat yet lively," without any of the drawbacks of uneven or clumsy printing. The characters are meticulously crafted in a regular script, and the ink resembles lacquer, revealing the cultural prosperity, material abundance, and exquisite craftsmanship of the Song Dynasty.
(Artistic Calligraphy): The calligraphy used is the "Old Song Script," invented in the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, meticulously inscribed by renowned calligraphers on the printing plates. It is distinct from the styles of Yan or Ou, and is referred to as the "Ming Dynasty Script" by Japanese collectors of books.
Handmade Binding: The pages are folded with the title block outward. Holes are punched on the right side, and paper strings are inserted. Book covers are added at both ends, and the pages are bound with two silk threads, not the crude method of wrapping the covers around the exterior.
"Ten Great Royal Secrets of Ancient China": This collection selects the ten most notorious and widely discussed books from various historical records and secret chronicles detailing the licentious lives of Chinese emperors. Since their inception, these books have been classified as the highest of forbidden texts by emperors of every dynasty. They were either explicitly banned or secretly destroyed, with anyone found publishing them facing severe penalties—execution or annihilation of their entire family. Even readers and disseminators risked imprisonment and harsh punishment. As a result, these works have remained extremely rare throughout history, accessible only to a few distinguished collectors and renowned libraries.
The lives of Chinese emperors have always been shrouded in mystery. Their depravity primarily manifested in the perverse and extravagant pursuit of material and sexual pleasure. The emperors' indulgence in women (and men) reflects humanity's and deeply ingrained patriarchal consciousness, rooted in the sexual exploitation, oppression, and exploitation of the weak by the strong. Even empresses like Wu Zetian, who dared to pursue sexual freedom under suppressive circumstances, engaged in typical male-centric acts of domination and revenge against men, as emperors and empresses in feudal society—the highest rulers—were both the greatest advocates and the most extreme violators of feudal ethical codes like the "Three" (Three Relationships, Five Constant Virtues) and "Three" (Three Obediences, Four Virtues).
From their actual records, we witness scenes of filth and shamelessness—such as fathers having sex with their stepdaughters, sons molesting their mothers, brothers humiliating their sisters, and emperors engaging in prostitution with commoners. The teachings of ancient sages and the "Virtue and Brightness" plaque were all used as excuses to conceal such depravity.