In the final years of the Warring States period, the realm was in chaos, and mighty Qin watched the Six Kingdoms east of the passes like a tiger stalking its prey.
Ying Zheng, a hostage-born prince, endured countless hardships. He ascended the throne as a boy, biding his time and concealing his ambitions. He gathered worthy ministers, employed famed generals, swept across all directions, and rose to the highest seat of power.
The Great Qin unified the realm and established an imperial system meant to last for generations, yet it could not escape the principle that all things decline after reaching their peak.
As rival heroes rose once more and war engulfed the land, Liu Bang, a commoner, raised an army and founded the Han dynasty. The reigns of Wen and Jing gave way to the might of Emperor Wu, followed by the upheaval and decline of the late Han.
Following the great river of history, this book records each emperor and each era, chronicles every dynasty, recounts the years of Qin and Han, tells the stories of rulers, ministers, generals, and statesmen, and judges the merits and failings of the ages!
