The Emperor's Secret--A Psychological Analysis of Seven Chinese Emperors

Author: Zhao Liang
Author Country: China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features: Why did Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, burn books and bury scholars? Why could the habitual drunkard Liu Bang seize the world from Xiang Yu? Did Wu Zetian's debauchery stem from early male worship? Why is Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty described as a "bloodthirsty man constrained by sorrowful memories"? And how did Emperor Guangxu become a withered being under the shadow of his necrophilic tendencies? See the psychological biographies of seven Chinese emperors written by the author, drawing on the research methods of psychological history! (Recommended by Southern Weekly!)
Author's Self-Introduction: This book is precisely a lyrical prose-style psychological biography. The term "lyrical" indicates that whether I discuss someone or something, I express my personal views. I have always held the belief that a unique person, even when drafting a document, has a distinctive flavor in their words; conversely, a victim of the masses' aesthetic preferences, no matter what genre they choose, will not express anything personal. Their feelings are universal, and their ideas are popular, so in my view, their works do not qualify as lyrical prose. I have always aspired to be an author of lyrical prose and use this as a measure of my achievements. This book is an attempt at lyrical prose writing. The writing of this book draws on certain methods of psychological history. Psychological history is a historiographical school that emerged in Western countries in the 1960s, aiming to apply various psychological theories, particularly Freudian psychoanalytic theory and methods, to explain historical processes, phenomena, and the actions of historical figures. In the 1970s, the study of psychological history reached its peak, with a large number of works being published, among which the biographical studies of historical figures stand out. Notably, there were studies by Erikson on Luther and Gandhi, Frank Manuel on Newton, Doris Kearns on Johnson, Peter Loewenberg on Heinrich Himmler, Otto Francis on Bismarck, and analyses of Hitler by many others. Some also studied contemporary important figures, such as Mao Zedong, Richard Nixon, and Henry Kissinger. The inclination of psychological history toward biographical research was clearly influenced by Freud's own biographical study of Leonardo da Vinci. Freud's Leonardo da Vinci and a Memory of His Childhood comprehensively records and analyzes the process of the "Han Han phenomenon" and the underlying social factors it embodies, concentrating on discussions from various strata of society about Han Han's personality, his own limitations, and the various flaws of the current education system in China.