Set against the Rebellion of the Five Barbarians during the Western Jin dynasty, the novel The Fierce Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di, and Qiang spans the years from the late Western Jin (303) to 439. It paints a sweeping picture of the many nomadic peoples who migrated into northern China, established regimes, and fought one another during this period.
Figures such as Shi Le, Fu Jian, and Murong Chui appear one after another as the fortunes of the various powers rise and fall. The story moves from Liu Yuan’s rise to prominence and the founding of Han Zhao, to Shi Le’s rise and the founding of Later Zhao, then to Fu Jian’s unification of the north and his crushing defeat at the Battle of Fei River, the restoration of the Murong dynasty, the supremacy of Later Qin, and the rise of Northern Wei. The kingdoms are locked in constant conflict.
Alongside fierce battles, the novel explores cultural encounters between the Hu and Han peoples, ethnic integration, political strategy, economic recovery, technological progress, and flourishing art.
In the end, Northern Wei gradually unifies the north while Liu Song rises in the south. After years of warfare, the realm moves toward peaceful unification, ethnic integration continues, and society gradually becomes stable and prosperous.
