Tales of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

The golden age of the Tang has ended, and chaos is everywhere! This is an era where betrayal and loyalty intertwine, where bloody warfare exists alongside refinement. Warlords, strategists, and emperors maneuver across the board, while ordinary people struggle to survive amid the flames of war. From the Huang Chao Rebellion in 875, which severed the empire’s lifeline, to the Northern Song’s defeat of Northern Han in 979, the realm remained fragmented for nearly a century. Zhu Wen betrayed his lord and usurped the Tang; Li Cunxu went from god of war to foolish ruler; Shi Jingtang ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and called himself a son; Chai Rong’s northern campaign ended in heartbreak; and Zhao Kuangyin donned the yellow robe and brought the land under his rule. The southern kingdoms each pursued their own path: Wuyue prospered through water management, Southern Tang flourished in lyric poetry, and eunuchs wreaked havoc in Southern Han. In accessible prose, this book weaves together the full story from the final years of the Tang to the rise of the Song, revealing the many faces of humanity amid flashing blades and uncovering how the foundations of a golden age were forged in an age of chaos.