Book of Northern Qi (Full 2 Volumes) -- Traditional Vertical Layout

Author: Li Baihe of the Tang Dynasty
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The Book of Northern Qi, a 50-volume work comprising 8 volumes of chronicles and 42 volumes of biographies, authored by Li Baihe of the Tang Dynasty. In the late years of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Northern Six Towns experienced a massive wave of rebellion. Gao Huan, who rose from the ranks of a low-level military official in Huai xu Town, eventually gained leadership over over 200,000 Xianbei people and controlled the Northern Wei court. In 534, Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei, whom Gao Huan had installed, was forced to flee west to Chang'an. Gao Huan then established Emperor Xiaojing of Northern Wei, moved the capital to Ye, and the regime was known as Eastern Wei in history. In 550, Gao Huan's son, Gao Yang, deposed Emperor Xiaojing and established the Northern Qi. The domains of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi extended south to the Yangtze River, engaging in conflicts with the Liang and Chen dynasties in succession, while their western borders were with Western Wei and Northern Zhou in modern-day Shanxi, Henan, and Hubei. In 577, Northern Qi was annexed by Northern Zhou. The Book of Northern Qi was originally titled The Book of Qi, and the addition of "Northern" came later during the Song Dynasty to form its current name. Although it primarily records the history of Northern Qi, it actually covers approximately 80 years of history from Gao Huan's uprising to the fall of Northern Qi, focusing on the rise and fall of the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties. Li Baihe (565–648 AD), styled Chonggui, was a native of Anping in Dingzhou (now Anping, Hebei). He came from a family of officials. From a young age, Li Baihe was diligent in studying and, serving as a Prince Imperial Attendant in the early Sui Dynasty and inheriting his father's title as Duke of Anping. He passed away in the 22nd year of the Zhenguan era (648 AD) at the age of 84. During the Northern Qi regime, internal conflicts among the imperial family, including cousins and brothers, led to the short-lived dynasty having six emperors in just 20 years. The Book of Northern Qi contains extensive accounts of power struggles among feudal rulers. During its transmission, the work suffered severe damage, with only 17 volumes remaining in their original form, while the rest were supplemented by later scholars using The Book of Northern Wei and other works. This has significantly diminished the value of The Book of Northern Qi. Nevertheless, it still serves as a crucial historical record for understanding the history of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi.