Spring and Autumn, Warring States 1: The Kings' Feud

In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, great states competed for supremacy while small states fought to prevail; great states annexed their neighbors, while small states struggled to survive. The strong endured, the weak perished; the strong grew ever stronger, while the weak eventually vanished. Good and evil clashed in the open, and heroes and beauties found kindred spirits in one another. The states waged war and traded barbs as the tides of history converged.

Drawing on historical sources from ancient and modern times, the author vividly portrays how the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Xiang of Song, Duke Wen of Jin, Duke Mu of Qin, and King Zhuang of Chu, governed with determination, recruited talented people, and pursued supremacy. It creates memorable portraits of Guan Zhong, Bao Shuya, Baili Xi, and Sun Shuao, all shrewd strategists who served diligently and cared for the people. It also depicts the distinct personalities of court women such as Wei Ji, Queen Kui, Nongyu, and Fan Ji. The book vividly recounts major events including Wu Qi’s efforts to enrich the state and strengthen its military, the contest of wits between Pang Juan and Sun Bin, Shang Yang’s reforms to strengthen the state, Zhang Yi and Gongsun Yan’s rival diplomatic strategies, and Su Qin’s alliance of six states against Qin. Together, these stories reveal the different fates people faced in the world of their time.

With its grand structure and profound themes, the three-volume Spring and Autumn and Warring States brings to life, through literature, an era regarded as one of the most vibrant and greatest in Chinese history.