Monarchs and Ministers: the Field of Power under the Politics of Scholar-officials in the Song Dynasty (why China Series)
by Wang Ruilai
About This Novel
This book is an investigation of the balance between macro and micro power in traditional Chinese society. Taking the Zhenzong Dynasty of the Northern Song Dynasty as a cross-section, it completes an overall observation of the issue of imperial power in Chinese history. The five prime ministers of the Zhenzong Dynasty described in the book almost cover the basic types of prime ministers in ancient China. The institutional foundation and power structure laid by the Zhenzong Dynasty profoundly affected the political trend of subsequent Chinese history. The spiritual genes formed by the politics of scholar-bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty still influence Chinese intellectuals today. The text of this book is popular and elegant, the argument is rigorous, the information is informative, and the descriptions are vivid. It discusses the relationship between monarch and ministers in detail, analyzes the battle of wits in the power arena brilliantly, and provides a comprehensive overview of the imperial power issues in Chinese history. With the improvement of the administrative system, the imperial power gradually moved toward symbolization. This trend was unprecedented. It was evaluated by Japanese scholars as subverting the "monarchy and dictatorship theory" popular in academic circles. It is a rare historical work that can be appreciated by both refined and popular people.
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