Romance of the Former Han Dynasty (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 legacy, gathered millions of strong soldiers from Guanzhong, intimidating and deceiving them to gradually devour and eliminate the six states, 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 name to create the term "Emperor." The four characters "Emperor's Autocracy" are the overarching theme of the entire work. The Qin dynasty was established, and the Han dynasty inherited it, making the Qin and Han closely related with little distinction. The Qin dynasty lasted for three generations—Ying Zheng, Huai Zi, and Zi Ying—for only fifteen years. Described in a concise manner, it does not constitute a complete volume. Moreover, although named a dynasty, it was marked only by tyranny, with no period of peace. Thus, the Qin dynasty was truly a transitional era 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, barbarian tribes, favored officials, eunuchs, and corrupt ministers. All the (calamitous ends) that have plagued countries throughout history were gathered within it. Some argue that the Former Han dynasty was defined by its reliance on concubines and foreign relatives, 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 rise of heroes at the end of the Qin dynasty, Liu Bang's establishment of the Han dynasty, and Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han. It is a monumental work with a unique structure, featuring self-commentary and annotations. The entire text is written in an intimate, natural, and easily understandable style.