This is one of the representative works by Song Jie, a scholar of historical military geography, and an extension of his book The Geographical Hubs of Ancient Chinese Warfare. It offers an in-depth look at the “Hedong geographical hub” in the struggle for supremacy among the Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, and Northern Qi. The author first traces the administrative evolution of Hedong from the Qin and Han through the Wei and Jin periods, defining the scope of the geographical term “Hedong” and discussing the region’s economic, topographical, hydrological, and transportation features. On this basis, he systematically examines the histories of the commanderies, counties, fortified cities, and garrisons within Hedong, including their establishment and abolition. From the perspective of strategic geography, he analyzes the political situation during the split between Eastern Wei and Western Wei, focusing on military contests for Hedong to trace the course of the wars between the eastern and western powers in the late Northern Dynasties. Rulers, ministers, and generals match wits, devising one remarkable stratagem after another and performing no shortage of heroic deeds. The book offers insightful analyses of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi’s repeated counterattacks in northern Fen River territory after the Battle of Shawan, the characteristics and adjustments of Western Wei and Northern Zhou’s eastward campaigns, and the course and reasons for the success of Emperor Wu of Zhou’s campaign to defeat Qi.
The Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, and Northern Qi regimes faced each other across the Yellow River, with Hedong serving as the central stage on which both sides put their strategies to the test. For the Yuwen and Gao clans, control of Hedong and the extent to which they could exploit it militarily directly affected the fate of their regimes. This book is an excellent way to understand the history of the late Northern Dynasties from a “Hedong perspective.”
This book is very interesting! I remembered that I have a relative who is from Yuncheng. He told me about the history there. The content in this book is quite consistent with what he said. And I especially like the part about war in the book. I feel that the monarchs, ministers and generals are so powerful, especially the Yuwen family and the Gao family. Their resourcefulness and courage are really admirable. But what I hate most are those treacherous ministers who always want to ruin other people's plans. It's so abominable! Overall, this book is well worth reading and gave me a deeper understanding of the history of the Hedong region.