In 907 AD, the Tang dynasty, which had ruled the Central Plains for 289 years, officially fell, ushering in an era of unprecedented chaos. The Huang Chao Rebellion had thoroughly shaken the foundations of Tang rule, and regional military governors used the excuse of suppressing the rebellion to expand their power. Zhu Wen founded the Later Liang, but failed to unify the country. China descended into division, with the Five Dynasties, Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou, replacing one another, while the Ten Kingdoms, including Former Shu, Wu, and Min, stood alongside them. Wherever armies marched, villages were reduced to scorched earth; children were hung from trees, and women and children were thrown into ditches. In years of great famine, people ate one another, cooked human bones, and traded children for food...
