Romance of the Former Han Dynasty - Popular Histories of China's Dynasties (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The Eastern Zhou gradually declined, while Western Qin rose. The Seven States of the Warring States period engaged in constant warfare and conquest. Emperor Ying Zheng, leveraging his ancestral foundation, gathered millions of strong soldiers from Guanzhong, coercing and luring them to devour and swallow the six states one by one, ultimately claiming the land of the nine provinces for himself. Ying Zheng believed his virtue surpassed the Three Emperors and his achievements surpassed the Five Emperors, so he combined one character from each of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors' names to create the term "Emperor." The four characters "Imperial Autocracy" are the overarching theme of the entire book. The Qin Dynasty was established, and the Han Dynasty inherited it, making the Qin and Han fundamentally connected with little distinction. The Qin Dynasty, from Ying Zheng to Huai Zi and Zi Ying, spanned three generations and existed for only fifteen years. Described in a concise manner, it does not constitute a complete volume. Moreover, although named an era, it was marked only by tyranny, with no signs of peace. Thus, the Qin Dynasty was truly a transitional period from the Zhou to the Han, and is placed before the Han with a brief account of its events.
During the over two hundred years of the Former Han Dynasty, there were concubines, foreign relatives, regional military commanders, ethnic minorities, favored officials, eunuchs, and power-hungry officials. All the (calamitous ends) that have plagued nations throughout history were gathered within it. Some say the Former Han Dynasty was defined by its concubines and foreign relatives from beginning to end, and this is not without merit.
This series, guided by the idea of "using romance to save the nation," was one of the long historical novels created by Cai Dongpan during the Republic of China. It depicts the turmoil at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the rise of Liu Bang to establish the Han Dynasty, and Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han. It is a monumental work with a unique structure, written in a special style with self-commentary and notes. The entire book is written in an intimate, natural, and easily understandable manner.