Tang History Wasn’t All That Dull, Part Two: The Long Song of Zhenguan (Revised Edition)

Written in a lighthearted, witty style, A History of the Tang Dynasty Is Not All Smoke recounts the history of the Tang Dynasty. This is the second volume. It begins with Li Shimin putting down rebellions at home and launching the Xuanwu Gate Incident, then details the splendor of the prosperous Zhenguan era. At Li Shimin’s court, civil officials governed the realm and generals won glory on the battlefield. Timeless statesmen and commanders such as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Li Jing, and Yuchi Jingde forged enduring legends. The Tang pushed west against the Eastern Turks, conquered Tuyuhun, and its emperor earned fame far and wide as the Heavenly Khan. The era also saw a bold experiment in people-centered governance, Xuanzang’s remarkable journey west to seek Buddhist teachings, and Wang Xuance’s astonishing conquest of a kingdom single-handedly. There were setbacks, too: Li Shimin’s campaign against Goguryeo ended anticlimactically, and rival princes clashed over the succession. But none of this diminishes the Zhenguan era’s standing as an age of enduring prosperity, or Emperor Taizong’s place as one of China’s greatest rulers.