Eunuch Kingdom

Author: Arctic Wolf
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The Southern Han during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was one of the world's most peculiar regimes. Its founder was Liu Yan. This emperor implemented a fundamental state policy: those who passed the imperial examination had to be castrated before being appointed to official positions. Additionally, officials who had not taken the imperial examination but were favored by Liu Yan were also unlikely to escape the blade. As a small regime, the Southern Han ended up with over 20,000 eunuchs, many of whom were well-educated scholars. To enforce this policy, the regime even created specialized positions for castration technicians. When the Southern Han was conquered, as many as 500 castration technicians were killed. The Tang Dynasty, corrupted and brutalized, gave birth to a series of weak and troubled small courts, which eventually collapsed on its own. In the south, a small court survived, known as the Southern Han. This book tells the story of that era. The emperor was always thinking about how to make his ministers loyal to him. The eunuchs suggested that all ministers should become eunuchs, so they would have no attachments. The emperor found this idea good, and thus, heaven weeps for those it loves. In just fifty-five years, the king was not a king, the ministers were not ministers, sons killed fathers, and brothers killed brothers. The brave generals grew old in vain, the beautiful women's blood and tears were drowned in the chaos—everyone took their turn on stage. The Southern Han, under its ruler Liu Yan during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, implemented a "castration" policy, and when the regime fell, as many as 500 castration technicians were killed. The protagonist of this book is Prince Liu Chang, who later became the last ruler of the Southern Han. Following him, this brief and absurd era ised in countless blood and tears, reviving its former glory.