Romance of the Former Han Dynasty

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Cai Dongfan's "Popular Historical Romances of China" spans from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Republic of China, comprising over 1,000 chapters and more than 5 million words, covering nearly 2,200 years of history. Based on reliable historical records and supplemented with anecdotes, the work is meticulously researched, presents balanced perspectives, is rich in content, well-structured, and written in elegant and concise language. It includes self-commentary and annotations, blending rationality and literary charm, making it a classic in popular historical literature. Since its publication, the series has been widely acclaimed and loved. In the mid-1930s, Mao Zedong once sent a message to Li Keqiang to purchase two copies of this book to help educate officials in Yan'an about Chinese history. It was often placed on the bedside of Mao's bed. The renowned historian Zai Degeng believed that while the book may have some shortcomings as a historical source, its content is sufficiently rich, and its narrative is systematic. The famous novelist Erhu River thought that the literary quality of the book is merely average, but reading it provides an entry point to understanding the nation's history, and it is unique in its kind.
As the Eastern Zhou declined, the Western Qin rose. The seven states of the Warring States period engaged in constant warfare, conquest, and slaughter. King Ying Zheng of Qin, leveraging the legacy of his ancestors, gathered millions of strong soldiers from Guanzhong, coercing and luring them to gradually devour and eliminate the six other states, ultimately claiming the land of the nine provinces for himself. Ying Zheng believed his virtue surpassed the Three Emperors and his achievements surpassed the Five Emperors, so he combined one character from each name to create the title "Emperor," thus becoming the first emperor. The four characters "autocratic emperor" dominate the entire work. The Qin dynasty was succeeded by the Han, and the two are closely linked with little distinction. The Qin dynasty, from Ying Zheng to Hu Hai and Ziying, lasted only three generations and fifteen years. Described in a few chapters, it does not constitute a full volume. Moreover, though named a dynasty, it was marked only by tyranny, not by peace. Thus, the Qin dynasty was a transitional period between the Zhou and Han, and is briefly summarized before the Han.
Over the more than 200 years of the Western Han dynasty, there were concubines, foreign relatives, regional military commanders, ethnic minorities, imperial favorites, eunuchs, and power-hungry officials—virtually all the (calamitous ends) that have plagued nations throughout history. Some argue that the Western Han dynasty was defined by its reliance on concubines and foreign relatives, and this is not without merit. This work extensively gathers materials, detailing all major events of the Western Han's rise and fall without omission.