Northern Zhou was a dynasty that lasted barely more than twenty years, yet it produced an emperor capable of changing the course of Chinese history.
In 560 AD, the eighteen-year-old Yuwen Yong ascended the throne. At the time, all power lay in the hands of the powerful minister Yuwen Hu, and the young emperor was little more than a pawn and puppet at court. For twelve years, he endured and bided his time, keeping a low profile until he finally eliminated the minister in one decisive move and ushered in Northern Zhou's most glorious era.
He reformed the bureaucracy, introduced reforms, strengthened the military, freed slaves, and implemented the equal-field system. With overwhelming force, he destroyed Northern Qi and ended the long division of the north, laying a solid foundation for the Sui dynasty to unify the country.
How did he manage to turn Northern Zhou's fortunes around? Why do many historians consider him one of the most ambitious and capable rulers of the late Northern and Southern Dynasties? And how did his reforms shape the course of history for centuries to come?
Without Yuwen Yong, Northern Zhou would never have risen, and the historical foundations of the golden age of the Sui and Tang dynasties would never have been laid.
Countless books have been written about Qin Shi Huang, Cao Cao, and Li Shimin, yet popular histories about Yuwen Yong are few and far between.
This book seeks to reconstruct, as fully as possible, Yuwen Yong's legendary journey from patiently seizing power to reforming and strengthening his state and unifying the north. It invites you to rediscover this emperor, who transformed the balance of power in the Northern Dynasties and profoundly influenced the history of the Sui and Tang, yet has been obscured by history.
