The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Later Zhou
The year I became Chai Rong, it was the biting cold of early spring in the first year of Xiande.
The histories say he would cough up blood and die five years later, leaving behind a seven-year-old heir while the realm passed into another family's hands. This sickly body is mine now. The blood in my cough is real, and so is the pity in the imperial physicians' eyes.
At court, Zhao Kuangyin knelt to report on the military situation, a future imperial yellow robe in his eyes. Feng Dao claimed illness and stayed away. The old minister who had served four dynasties was waiting for a state funeral. The Northern Han cavalry had already taken Luzhou, while the Khitan's curved blades hung over the Yellow River.
I opened the History of the Five Dynasties in my mind. Its ink-dark words stared back at me:
“Emperor Shizong died at thirty-nine. His young heir took the throne, and Zhao Kuangyin, commander of the palace guard, staged the Chenqiao Mutiny.”
But I was determined to rewrite this tattered scroll.
I would burn through this sickly body with a modern soul and make my moves in a chaotic age with the foresight of a prophet. First pacify Gaoping, then take Huainan, then launch three campaigns against Youzhou and Yan. Let the iron hooves of the palace army trample the prophecy in the history books, and let the banners of Great Zhou fly across the divided realm.
If you like it, please follow and rate it. Thank you!
The world has gone awry because of people like Feng Dao, who believe their own righteousness is an obstacle to the entire world, willing to abandon it for their own selfish interests. Feng Dao was like this, Qian Qianyi was like this, and so were the Confucian scholars! The entire Donglin Party was like this!
I like the style of this book.
The unique angle and historical feel of the design make this a masterpiece! 👍
The writing is very detailed, and the characters are well-developed. The only drawback is that it's too idealistic.
The new car's arrived. Shouldn't we arrange two tables to celebrate?
Very good, worth watching
It benefits the people and is a good thing.
Cao Bin and Han Tong could be promoted to counterbalance Zhao and Li.