Comments of the Chinese Emperor

Author: Zhu Xing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: What is history? It records the form and continuity of human society's activities, evaluates its overall achievements, seeks the causal relationships, and serves as a reference for the activities of modern people. — Liang Qichao
Stuck in confinement and recovering from illness, I reviewed the Records of the Grand Historian to pass the time, and I became even more aware that historical texts are not only readable but also thought-provoking, covering three ages and encompassing everything, making them a vast repository of knowledge. — Zhu Xing to a friend
This is a historical critique by linguist Zhu Xing, providing a comprehensive analysis of the Chinese imperial system. It discusses the interpretation of imperial titles, the process of becoming an emperor, the four greatest privileges and four desires of emperors, the schemes and tricks of emperors — the art of imperial governance, and more. It further proposes the view that emperors are a disaster to the people and that most emperors do not die well, concluding with an evaluation of seven memorable Chinese emperors. The book is rigorous in historical facts, profound in analysis, and written in colloquial language, making it easy to read and understand. For Chinese people long exposed to imperial ideology, it serves as a sobering reminder.