Secret History of the Tang Palace: The Emperor and the Dynasty

A faithful portrayal of history: The Tang dynasty was like a dazzling pearl. This book takes you from the founding emperor Li Yuan’s uprising in Taiyuan, through Emperor Taizong Li Shimin’s Reign of Zhenguan and the Xuanwu Gate Incident, to Empress Wu Zetian’s rise to power, then the Kaiyuan Golden Age under Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji, the An Lushan Rebellion, and the turmoil of the late Tang. Every emperor’s story is full of legendary drama. Their court secrets and romances, battles and strategies, and iron-fisted rule have captivated readers for generations. The twenty-one emperors were variously wise and decisive or incompetent and ineffectual. Some ushered in golden ages, while others sparked wars. Together, these vivid stories make up this sweeping historical novel. Let’s return to this tumultuous dynasty together.