Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Volume 1 and 2

Author: Chu Renuo (Qing) and Zhao Naizeng (Annotations)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties is a popular historical romance novel favored by the masses. The novel follows the history of the Sui and Tang dynasties as its main thread, extensively collecting numerous historical legends and folk tales that were prevalent during that time. More directly, it draws upon Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Qi Dongye's The Splendid History of Emperor Yang of the Sui, and Yuan Yuling's Remnants of the Sui History and other romance novels to comprehensively reprocess, rewrite, and polish them into a grand-scale historical romance novel featuring a vast cast of characters and encompassing the rise and fall of the Sui and Tang dynasties.
The historical story told in Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties begins with Emperor Wen of Sui's conquest of the Chen Dynasty and ends with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang suppressing the An Lushan Rebellion, returning from Shu to Chang'an, and passing away in the Western Palace. From the perspective of the book's structure, it primarily narrates three aspects of stories:
1. The heroic legends of the heroes who gathered to rebel against the Sui Dynasty and establish the Tang Dynasty, such as Qin Qiong, Xu Maogong, Cheng Yaojin, Li Jing, Yu Shigong, and Luo Cheng.
2. The palace intrigue of Emperor Yang of Sui, who murdered his father to seize the throne and brought ruin to the nation through his debauchery.
3. The martial and literary achievements of Emperor Taizong of Tang, who recruited heroes who rebelled against the Sui, seized power through the Xuanwu Gate massacre, and established the golden age of the Tang Dynasty (interwoven with Wu Zetian's declaration of a new era and her ascension to the throne), as well as the tragic outcome of Emperor Xuanzong's infatuation with Yang Guifei, which led to the An Lushan Rebellion.
Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties succinctly reflects the complex and vibrant social life of the Sui and Tang dynasties over more than 170 years. It portrays and praises numerous characters, including heroes, righteous men, wise rulers, loyal ministers, brave generals, and virtuous women. It particularly emphasizes the chivalrous actions of the grass-root heroes who rebelled against tyranny, vividly describes the scandalous court life of Emperor Yang of Sui and the romantic relationship between Emperor Xuanzong and his empress, exposing and satirizing the extravagant, licentious, and corrupt lives of feudal emperors.
The narrative is lively, the language is fluent, the plot is intricate, and the characters are vividly and distinctively portrayed. For example, Qin Qiong's destitute and fallen state, Dou Xianniang's "marriage on horseback," and especially the vivid portrayal of the heroic group in Waling, such as the "Devil of the World" Cheng Yaojin, the chivalrous and righteous Qin Shubao, the vengeful Shan Xiongxin, the witty Xu Maogong, and the rough but straightforward Yu Shigong—all are depicted with distinct and lifelike personalities.