Why choose the “Most Entertaining History of China” series as your first stop for learning about history?
Because this work is rooted in official histories, yet brings the past to life in a way that's even more exciting and entertaining than fiction. It transforms dusty history into vivid, fascinating stories that are easy to understand and a breeze to read, drawing you in before you even realize it and making it hard to stop.
Three Hundred Years of Turmoil in the Great Song:
Since Zhao Kuangyin seized the throne by donning the imperial yellow robe, the Song dynasty passed through eight or nine generations, but its former glory gradually faded.
In the Jingkang Incident, Emperors Huizong and Qinzong were captured and taken north, where they endured humiliation before eventually dying in a foreign land. Gaozong fled south and clung to a corner of the realm, barely managing to survive.
The Song emperors who followed, whether the young Gongdi or the fleeing Duanzong and Bingdi, were little more than puppets adrift in a storm. The currents of history had already swept up their fates, leaving them powerless to choose their own paths.
After Yashan, there was no more Song dynasty.
A dynasty that had lasted for over three hundred years was brought to an end.
The Song dynasty saw the flourishing prosperity depicted in Along the River During the Qingming Festival, as well as the grievous national humiliation of the Jingkang Incident;
It saw the benevolent rule of Emperor Renzong and the folly of Emperor Huizong; it saw Yue Fei's unwavering loyalty to his country and Qin Hui's treacherous pursuit of wealth and favor.
It created a brilliant culture, yet was ultimately destroyed by the northern barbarians. The reasons behind this invite deep reflection and stir profound emotion.
Let us open this book together, follow the author's words into the turbulent age of the Great Song, explore the grandeur and twists and turns of its three-hundred-year history, and experience the unique charm and flavor of the past.
