A Plain-Language Romance of the Late Tang and Five Dynasties

The Romance of the History of the Five Dynasties and the Decline of the Tang, also known as The Five Dynasties and the Decline of the Tang and The Romance of the Five Dynasties and the Decline of the Tang, is a long historical novel traditionally attributed to Luo Guanzhong, who is said to have compiled it in the late Yuan or early Ming dynasty. It was completed around the turn of the Ming dynasty. Based on historical accounts and interspersed with fiction, the novel is written in chronological form. It primarily depicts the rise and fall of the tumultuous period from Huang Chao’s rebellion at the end of the Tang to Zhao Kuangyin’s Chenqiao Mutiny, presenting the major political and military struggles of the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods. As chaos engulfed the land at the end of the Tang, the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou successively arose. The book recounts legendary tales such as Gao Laoyao (Gao Xingzhou) defeating Guo Que’er (Guo Wei), Wang Yanzhang’s death at Juezhang Ridge, and Zhao Kuangyin’s three attacks on Han Tong, before ending with Zhao Kuangyin ascending the throne and founding the Song. [1] The novel draws on official histories and folk tales, with little artistic elaboration and frequent use of stock phrases. Its portrayal of Huang Chao is often distorted, while a few characters, such as Li Cunxiao and Wang Yanzhang, are depicted more vividly.