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Books That Help You Understand Chinese History 有助于了解中国历史的书。

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  1. 1 The Secret History of Manchuria, Part Two 满洲秘史(中部) Historical224k WordsCompleted [Bandits + Northeast China + War + Japanese spies + Manchukuo + Republican era + Romance + Collaborators] A woman's turbulent journey through a chaotic age, a blood-soaked epic of Northeast China. From bandit chieftain's wife to a secret pawn of the Japanese, she witnesses every secret behind Manchuria's birth, caught between love and hate, home and country… Manchurian Secret History, Part Two continues the first volume. Set against the real historical background of Northeast China from late 193 3.1kReads9.5Score449Shelves
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  2. 2 The Secret History of Manchuria, Part One 满洲秘史(上部) Historical263k WordsCompleted [Bandits + Northeast China + Local life + War + Japanese spies + Manchukuo + Republican era + Romance] A woman's turbulent journey through a chaotic age, a blood-soaked epic of Northeast China. From bandit chieftain's wife to a secret pawn of the Japanese, she witnesses every secret behind Manchuria's birth, caught between love and hate, home and country… The story takes place in Northeast China in the early twentieth century, spanning the period from the Russo-Japanese War to the establishment 15.7kReads9.5Score1.7kShelves
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  3. 3 Pillars of the Nation: A Century of Chinese Business Rivalries, Parts One and Two 国之重器:百年中国商战传奇(上下部) Historical699k WordsCompleted [Grand historical saga + Self-Strengthening Movement + coastal and frontier defense + Sino-French War + China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company] The late Qing business world is rocked by turbulent waves, and a tycoon of his generation turns the tide! See how pioneers of industry build an economic Great Wall in the face of despair! In the final years of the Qing dynasty, Western powers force the Qing government to open treaty ports, while Western steamships monopolize China's shipping. Chinese 206Reads9.3Score—Shelves
  4. 4 The Chinese Labor Corps: A Coppersmith’s First World War 华工军团:一名铜匠的第一次世界大战 Historical527k WordsCompleted [Cross-border romance + an underdog's rise + a hero of World War I + rural life + bandits] From a wedding hall in Shandong to the trenches of Europe, an epic expedition by an ordinary man! On the day of his wedding, Shandong coppersmith Li Zhongfu discovers that soldiers and bandits have joined forces to massacre Wuji Town, where his fiancée Su Huizhen lives. At the brink of life and death, Li Zhongfu saves the townspeople, but Su Huizhen disappears. After accidentally uncovering the secret behi 531Reads9.5Score—Shelves
  5. 5 The Prequel to the Chinese Empire: The Hegemony of the Spring and Autumn Period 中华帝国前传之春秋争霸 Historical215k WordsCompleted [History + Chinese orthodoxy + the transformation from Zhou to Qin + institutional reform] After two hundred years of rival powers rising, see how a hegemon rewrites history. Based on historical works such as the Zuo Zhuan, the Records of the Grand Historian, and the Discourses of the States, this book tells the stories and introduces the figures of more than two centuries of Spring and Autumn history in vivid detail. Centered on the struggle for supremacy, it weaves together the major events an 69Reads9.3Score—Shelves
  6. 6 The Old Grandmother of Yue Family Village 岳家庄的老祖母 Historical107k WordsCompleted [A grandmother builds a business + Yue Fei's family teachings + brotherhood] A mother's love makes her strong, and she becomes the soul of her clan. One mother's thirty-year flight lays the foundation for her family's six-hundred-year legacy. During the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty, Yue Guangyong, the thirteenth-generation descendant of Yue Fei, dies young in Tangyin County, Henan Province, where his family has lived for generations. He leaves behind his widowed wife, Yue Yushi, and their tw 610Reads9.3Score104Shelves
  7. 7 Random Notes from the Western Capital 西京杂记 Historical17k WordsCompleted The Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital is an ancient collection of anecdotes about Chang'an, the capital of the Western Han dynasty. It was traditionally attributed to Liu Xin of the Western Han, though later accounts generally credited Ge Hong of the Jin dynasty with compiling it. In six volumes, it gathers court lore, stories about famous figures, local customs and traditions, ingenious crafts, and folk legends from the Han dynasty. Its contents are wide-ranging, and its prose is sim 42Reads7.9Score—Shelves
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  8. 8 The Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms 东周列国志 Historical677k WordsCompleted More than five hundred years of upheaval in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods unfold in this book! The Zhou royal house declined and the feudal lords rose. The Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period took turns dominating, while the Seven Warring States fought for control of the Central Plains. From the brief hegemony of Duke Zhuang of Zheng to Duke Huan of Qi uniting the feudal lords; from Wu Zixu’s quest for revenge to the battle of wits between Sun Bin and Pang Juan; from 81Reads9.1Score—Shelves
  9. 9 History of the Song: Annals of Emperor Taizu 宋史·太祖本纪 Historical21k WordsCompleted He may have been the best “actor” among the founding emperors in Chinese history. In 960 CE, a carefully orchestrated “forced enthronement” at Chenqiao Station propelled Zhao Kuangyin from a general of the Later Zhou into the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty. Over drinks, he stripped the founding generals of their military power; amid the shadows of an axe and candlelight, the mystery surrounding his bizarre death remains unsolved to this day. Some call him a wise ruler who ended the chaos o 147Reads8.4Score—Shelves
  10. 10 The Ming Dynasty (2 Volumes) 大明王朝(共2册) Historical653k WordsCompleted The novel of the hit drama Ming Dynasty 1566, rated 9.5 on Douban, is essential reading for Taiwan’s political circles and a political reference book for Singapore’s cabinet. It is the celebrated work of Liu Heping, screenwriter of Yongzheng Dynasty and author of No War in Peking. Centered on the downfall of the powerful official Yan Song, the book tells the gripping story of a complex anti-corruption campaign in the Ming Dynasty. It uncovers the mystery behind Jiajing, one of the most unconvent 43.8kReads9.6Score8kShelves
  11. 11 The Yongzheng Dynasty, Volumes One and Two 雍正王朝(上下册) Historical525k WordsCompleted For more than two thousand years, a vast, irreconcilable conflict has existed between the highly centralized system of commanderies and counties and the system of independent farmers. Faced with this contradiction, reform was inevitable. Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng both attempted it throughout history, but only the Yongzheng Emperor succeeded. His forceful reforms, pursued for thirteen years, resolved this conflict. Yet Qianlong, the heir he personally chose, gradually dismantled his new polici 1kReads9.5Score202Shelves
  12. 12 Three Kingdoms: I Am the True Imperial Uncle, Reviving the Han Dynasty for Three Generations 三国:我,真皇叔,三兴大汉 Historical1.3M WordsCompleted [Three Kingdoms] [Invincible] [Warring for supremacy] [The real imperial uncle] [System] Do all dynasties perish because they grow weak, while the Han alone falls because it is strong? After four hundred years, beacons of war burn across the land. Everything lies in ruin, and the people wail in misery. Thirteen provinces are strewn with bones, so numerous that even the fertile fields beside the roads cannot contain them. Some maneuver through the world of politics, while others roam as heroes wi 42.1kReads9.3Score3kShelves
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  13. 13 I'm in the Spring and Autumn Period, and I Really Don't Want to Transmigrate! 人在春秋,我真的不想穿越啊! Historical3.7M WordsCompleted Other people are overjoyed when they transmigrate. When it happens to Lou Ling, he can only look miserable. The moment he opens his eyes, Lou finds himself in the middle Spring and Autumn period, more than 2,500 years in the past, in an era when food, drink, and clothing are hard to come by, and anyone who isn’t a noble is treated like an insect. This is an age when gentlemen are as refined as jade and unskilled in deceit, and wars between states are governed by countless rules. Watch how Lou Li 8.7kReads8.6Score641Shelves
  14. 14 Historical War of Nations: The Yellow Turban Rebellion from the Start 历史国战:开局黄巾起义 Urban1.8M WordsOngoing (History + nation-versus-nation war + famous generals + livestreaming + national destiny + political scheming + passion) The historical nation-versus-nation war begins. Having lost its historical records, Huaxia forfeited the initiative and spent twenty years mired on the battlefield, losing all its accumulated strength. Li Chen, who transmigrated here, is inexplicably chosen as the sixteenth contestant. Bearing the name of Huaxia, he enters the battlefield to fight for a glimmer of hope. Lookin 67.3kReads9.0Score5.3kShelves
  15. 15 I Am Hongli, Building a Golden Age for the Qing Dynasty 朕是弘历打造大清盛世 Historical1.4M WordsOngoing [Political Intrigue + Harem Rivalries + Factional Strife + Romance + Emperor] Hongli ascended the throne at twenty-five and ruled for sixty years, making him the longest-reigning and longest-lived emperor in history. He governed with diligence, excelling in both civil and military affairs, and led the Qing to the height of its golden age. Yet factional strife raged through the court, conflicts in the deep palace never ceased, and danger lurked behind the splendor. In the end, the golden age ga 15.8kReads8.3Score437Shelves
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  16. 16 Empress Dowager Cixi and Her Three Favored Eunuchs 慈禧皇后与她的三个宠爱太监 Historical3.7M WordsCompleted [Eunuchs + Palace Secrets + Empress Dowager Cixi + Court Intrigue] From the time Empress Dowager Cixi entered the palace to the day she ruled from behind the curtain, she shared an unusual relationship with three eunuchs: An Dehai, Li Lianying, and Xiao Dezhang. They were like master and servants, like friends, and more than anything, like old companions. She doted on the three eunuchs, who relied on her favor to do as they pleased, throw their weight around, and take part in court affairs. This 50.2kReads9.0Score3.1kShelves
  17. 17 The Saga of Wagang Stronghold 瓦岗寨演义 Historical74k WordsCompleted The Tale of Wagang Stronghold is set amid the chaos of the late Sui dynasty and vividly recounts how the heroes of Wagang rise up to resist tyranny. The story follows bold outlaws such as Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong, Shan Xiongxin, and Xu Maogong, chronicling their legendary exploits: gathering at Wagang, seizing the imperial tribute, rebelling in Shandong, and joining forces with eighteen rebel kings to fight the Sui court. The book features both bloody battles amid flashing blades and clashes of w 869Reads9.5Score107Shelves
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  18. 18 Fierce as Xifeng Liquor 西凤烈 Historical1.2M WordsCompleted A modern special forces instructor dies heroically on a mission. When he opens his eyes again, he has become Liu Qi, the son of a military family in the Northern Song dynasty. The story starts at full throttle: a bloody battle at Zangdi River, where the heavily armored Iron Kite cavalry charges forward like a steel torrent, crushing the Song army. Just as the commander’s banner is about to fall and the commander’s son lies near death, a soul from a thousand years in the future quietly awakens. T 7.3kReads9.2Score886Shelves
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  19. 19 The History of Emperor Taizu of Song, Too Gruesome to Read Closely 不忍细看的宋太祖史 Historical82k WordsCompleted Did you know? In the long sweep of Chinese history, the Song dynasty is one of those extraordinary dynasties you simply can’t leave out. The History of Song Taizu: Too Wild to Read Closely is a fascinating book that will have you laughing your way through those years of the Song dynasty. From Zhao Kuangyin’s dramatic rise from the start, when he was “cloaked in the yellow robe,” to the tragic end of the Southern Song, emperors, generals, ministers, and famous scholars spring vividly to life, as 2Reads7.7Score—Shelves
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  20. 20 Veritable Records of Qing Taizu, Emperor Wu 清太祖武皇帝实录 Historical59k WordsCompleted The Veritable Records of Emperor Wu, Taizu of Qing is the authoritative official biography of Nurhaci, founder of the Later Jin dynasty. Written in chronological form, it recounts the sweeping story of the Manchus’ rise from tribal rivalries to the foundation of an empire. The book not only reveals the mythic origin of the “Three Fairy Maidens Who Ate the Divine Fruit and Bore the Ancestor,” but also vividly depicts Nurhaci’s legendary deeds: raising an army with thirteen suits of ancestral armo 3Reads7.8Score—Shelves
  21. 21 Unsolved Mysteries in Chinese History 中国历史未解迷案 Historical2.7M WordsCompleted Chinese history stretches back a long way and is full of fascinating things. Some aspects, however, remain baffling. Scholars have offered their own theories about a few of these mysteries, but most remain mere speculation. This book takes a look at history's great unsolved mysteries. 82Reads6.6Score—Shelves
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  22. 22 A Crooked History of the Dragon Throne: The Emperors Who Went Off Course 龙椅歪史:那些跑偏的九五之尊 Historical1.2M WordsCompleted Across the brilliant five-thousand-year history of China, more than four hundred emperors appeared between Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, who first took the title of emperor, and Puyi, who abdicated at the end of the Qing dynasty. Some were brilliant rulers who expanded their territories, while others were mediocre caretakers who merely maintained the status quo. And then there were the eccentric sovereigns, whose behavior was bizarre and whose actions were absurd. These unconventional rulers added 2Reads—Score—Shelves
  23. 23 The Northern Qi Dynasty of Beastly Emperors 一群禽兽皇帝的王朝北齐 Historical1.3M WordsCompleted 1.1kReads6.3Score101Shelves
  24. 24 The Great Ming Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qizhen 大明英宗朱祁镇 Historical487k WordsCompleted Some call him an incompetent ruler, while others regard him as a wise emperor of his age. Some say he surrounded himself with treacherous officials, while others say he had the mettle of a true emperor. He was also one of the few emperors in history to ascend the throne twice. 45Reads—Score—Shelves
  25. 25 Stories of Famous Generals in Ancient China 中国古代名将故事集 Historical1.1M WordsCompleted The celebrated generals of ancient China shine like a galaxy of stars. Sun Wu wrote The Art of War, laying the foundations of military science, and led thirty thousand troops into Ying in a feat that seemed miraculous. Bai Qi fought more than seventy battles without a single defeat and buried 450,000 Zhao soldiers alive at the Battle of Changping. Han Xin famously said, “The more troops, the better,” and helped Liu Bang lay the foundation for the Western Han dynasty. Wei Qing won seven battles i 9Reads—Score—Shelves
  26. 26 Secret Records Behind the Red Walls: A Complete History of China's Unofficial Past, Unabridged 红墙秘录:中国野史大全(无删节完整版) Historical2.7M WordsCompleted This complete collection is like a secret key unlocking the hidden chambers of China's imperial past, guiding readers into shadowy corners that official histories leave shrouded in secrecy. From the ancient legends of Unofficial History of the Xia and Shang to the imperial passions and court intrigues of The History of the Imperial Harem in the Song Dynasty, The History of the Imperial Harem in the Ming Dynasty, and Unofficial History of the Yuan Dynasty; from the extravagant excesses of The Ero 1.6kReads9.3Score239Shelves
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  27. 27 Everyday Life in Beiping During the War of Resistance 抗战时期的北平民间 Historical53k WordsCompleted A friend said that the area east of Beiping served as a buffer zone, and Tanggu was covered by a treaty, so Japan wouldn't make another move for the time being. I'm afraid this matter... If we fight the war to the bitter end, our allies will naturally help us. After all, if we really lose, they won't be able to bear it either, so we know they'll help. 33Reads8.7Score—Shelves
  28. 28 The Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties: Complete, Edited Edition 隋唐演义-精编完整版 Historical617k WordsCompleted An epic tale of heroes rising amid chaos. Qin Qiong sells his horse, revealing a hero at the end of his rope; Cheng Yaojin robs the imperial tribute convoy, showing off his street smarts; and Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident reshapes the course of history. Blending the official historical record with folk storytelling, it weaves a legendary tale steeped in history and the spirit of the jianghu. 838Reads9.6Score—Shelves
  29. 29 The Complete Collection of Courtly Tales Through the Ages 历代宫廷演义全集 Historical2.0M WordsCompleted Xu Xiaotian brings the secret histories of the Ming, Qing, and Tang courts to life in the style of a novel: the bloodshed of the Nine Princes’ struggle for the throne, Wu Zetian’s political schemes, and the tragic final days of the Chongzhen Emperor... The book has the solid historical foundations of a meticulously researched account, enlivened with the colorful flesh and blood of historical fiction. More vivid than official histories, yet more rigorous than tales of the past, it is an ancient v 137Reads9.5Score—Shelves
  30. 30 Tales of the Sixteen Reigns of the Ming Court 明宫十六朝演义 Historical751k WordsCompleted The Romance of the Sixteen Reigns of the Ming Court delves into the imperial palace, recounting the love and enmity between emperors and their consorts, while ranging widely across history to survey the twists and turns of feudal dynasties. Understand this series, and you will understand the court; understand the court, and you will understand history; understand history, and the realities of the world will become clear to you. 78Reads9.4Score—Shelves
  31. 31 A History of the Ming Palace 明代宫闱史 Historical734k WordsCompleted Venture deep into the palace to explore the love and hatred between emperors and their consorts; delve into history and discover the twists and turns of feudal dynasties. Understand this series, and you understand the palace. Understand the palace, and you understand history. Understand history, and the realities of the world become clear. Palace romances are an important branch of traditional historical fiction. 33.9kReads9.6Score588Shelves
  32. 32 Party Struggles Throughout Chinese History 中国历代党争 Historical151k WordsCompleted Chinese Factional Struggles Through the Ages is a history of power struggles between factions, between factions and imperial authority, and between individuals. Using strategy as its thread and history as its fabric, it recounts a host of tangled stories. Covering three thousand years of factional strife, from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods through the Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the book details major events, rises and falls, triumphs and humiliations, and 296Reads7.7Score100Shelves
  33. 33 The Legend of Yue Fei 岳飞传 Historical161k WordsCompleted A historical epic novel by Huan Zhu Lou Zhu. Based on the life of Yue Fei, the famous Southern Song general who fought against the Jin, it begins with Yue Fei learning martial arts as a boy and vowing to serve his country. It vividly depicts how he formed the Yue Family Army, fought the Jin forces, and won one victory after another, until he was framed by treacherous officials and met a tragic end. The novel celebrates his unwavering loyalty and devotion to his country. 884Reads9.6Score—Shelves
  34. 34 The Complete Story of the Tang Dynasty: A Definitive Edition 说唐全传-精编完整版 Historical360k WordsCompleted The definitive account of the heroes of the Sui and Tang dynasties. From Qin Qiong rescuing the emperor at Lintong to Li Shimin’s Xuanwu Gate Incident, it establishes Li Yuanba’s legend as the mightiest hero of the Sui and Tang. Classic episodes such as the oath of brotherhood at Wagang Stronghold and Cheng Yaojin proclaiming himself emperor fuse historical fiction with the traditions of folk storytelling, laying the framework for later narratives about the Sui and Tang. 65Reads9.4Score—Shelves
  35. 35 Lingyan Pavilion: A Tang Dynasty Chronicle 大唐凌烟志 2.0M WordsCompleted The Great Tang Annals of Lingyan Pavilion is now complete. Author Ling Yun Lang Yue invites you to explore three hundred years of the Tang Dynasty's glory and turmoil. See how Li Yuan, a minor official of the Sui Dynasty, carefully navigates the chaos and rises to found a dynasty. And how does Prince of Qin Li Shimin go from being so powerful that he threatens his sovereign to turning the tables against all odds? This story follows Li Yuan and his sons from the uprising in Jinyang to the prosper 6Reads—Score—Shelves
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  36. 36 Wang Jinya 王金牙 10k WordsCompleted Wang Jinya —Reads—Score—Shelves
  37. 37 The Legend of Hong Xiuquan 洪秀全演义 Historical346k WordsCompleted The Romance of Hong Xiuquan is a historical novel by the late Qing writer Huang Shizhong. Set against the Taiping Rebellion of the Qing dynasty, it imaginatively recounts the heroic deeds and complicated fates of peasant uprising leaders such as Hong Xiuquan, Feng Yunshan, Yang Xiuqing, and Shi Dakai. The novel begins with Hong Xiuquan’s youthful ambitions and ideals. It tells how he meets Feng Yunshan, Qian Jiang, and others in Huaxian County, Guangdong, conspires with them to overthrow the Qin —Reads7.5Score—Shelves
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  38. 38 Ming's God of War, Zhu Di 大明战神朱棣 Historical472k WordsCompleted Why do we love reading about him? Because he lived the way we wish we could: if you don’t like it, fight! If you lose, own it! If you win, don’t brag. He feigned madness, played the fool, and even ate pig feed in a pigsty. Then he fought his way from Beiping to Nanjing and seized the dragon throne with his own hands. Zhu Di, the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, was twenty when he was sent to govern Beiping. No one had any faith in this “Fourth Son.” His imperial father suspected him, his nephew trie 20.2kReads8.3Score1.4kShelves
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  39. 39 No Offenses Against Jin 不轨于晋 Historical1.7M WordsCompleted Who in history has never had regrets? Zhang Ao, the King of Zhao in the early Western Han dynasty, originally lived in the shadow of Liu Bang’s purge of kings with different surnames, spending his days in constant fear, never knowing whether he would see the next day. Heaven gave him a second chance to be reborn, in the form of Zhang Gui more than four hundred years later. Unfortunately, he now faced an even darker and more degenerate age of Wei and Jin. And so begins a tale of saving a world wh 804Reads—Score101Shelves
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  40. 40 Eastern Jin: Heir to the Gongsun Line, Seizing Murong’s Liaodong 东晋:公孙遗脉,截胡慕容辽东 Historical683k WordsOngoing In 370 AD, Wang Meng led the Great Qin iron cavalry to destroy Former Yan, leaving Liaodong ripe for the taking. After transmigrating as a descendant of Gongsun Du, he finds that his ancestors’ legacy has been occupied by the Sima and Murong clans for a century. Armed with knowledge from a later age, he secretly builds up his strength and seizes Wang Meng’s victory at the height of the Qin-Yan war! Murong Chui is left fuming, Wang Meng regrets his loss, and Liaodong, wrested away so long ago, re 4.2kReads—Score269Shelves
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  41. 41 The Late Ming Trilogy 明末三部曲 Historical697k WordsCompleted This is a late-Ming historical epic told primarily from the perspective of the Daxi Army and the peasant rebels. The general approach is seventy percent fact and thirty percent fiction: the main characters and major events are real, but some real historical figures’ personalities, backgrounds, and experiences have been fictionalized. The trilogy’s central themes trace a path from the ensemble cast’s “instinct to survive and ideal of universal harmony” in the Survival arc, to “destruction, plunde 916Reads8.2Score101Shelves
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  42. 42 The Romance of Chenghua 成化演义 Historical180k WordsCompleted After the Tumu Crisis, Zhu Qizhen endured countless hardships and returned, only to be placed under house arrest by his younger brother, Zhu Qiyu, in the Southern Palace. Zhu Qiyu broke his promise to hand back the throne after taking the crown during the crisis. Not only did he refuse to return the throne, but he also sought to harm Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen. By order of Empress Dowager Sun, Wan Zhen'er protected Zhu Jianshen and helped him escape the palace to seek refuge. They vowed to love e 23Reads—Score—Shelves
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  43. 43 Three Hundred Years of the Tang Dynasty’s Rise and Fall: A Thousand Years in One Glance 大唐兴衰三百年:一眼千年读唐史 Historical624k WordsCompleted [Read in One Sitting + Three Hundred Years of the Tang Dynasty + Historical Context + History Made Accessible + Major Historical Figures] The three-hundred-year Tang dynasty was about far more than the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras or the poet Li Bai. This book lets you take in a thousand years of history at a glance. From Li Yuan’s desperate uprising in Taiyuan to Li Shimin’s unrivaled glory as the “Heavenly Khan”; from Wu Zetian’s unprecedented era as an empress to the height of prosperity under L 14Reads8.2Score—Shelves
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  44. 44 A History of Chinese Warfare: Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods 中国战争史之春秋战国 Historical63k WordsCompleted [History + Military + Warfare + Strategy] On the battlefield, split-second decisions to kill or spare can determine a nation's fate. From Duke Huan of Qi's hegemony under the banner of “revering the king and repelling the barbarians,” to the rise of Qin's fierce army after Shang Yang's reforms; from the gleam of blades in the Wu-Yue conflict to the strategists' cunning schemes and verbal battles with scholars, every detail is steeped in the turmoil and bloodshed unique to the Spring and Autumn a 149Reads9.4Score—Shelves
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  45. 45 A Century of Rise and Fall: The History of the Late Qing Dynasty 百年兴亡清末史 Historical365k WordsCompleted The Rise and Fall of Society in the Late Qing A Century of Rise and Fall: The Late Qing Dynasty is a profound historical account of how the Qing dynasty went from prosperity to decline. From the glory of the Kangxi and Qianlong era to the humiliation of the Opium Wars, then the upheaval of the Taiping Rebellion and the disastrous defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, this book offers a panoramic view of the Qing dynasty's journey from its peak to its demise. With meticulous attention to detail, 44Reads9.2Score—Shelves
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  46. 46 One Book Is All You Need to Read Chinese History 中国历史读这本就够了 Historical357k WordsCompleted Discover the truth of history through clear, accessible writing. A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese History is the magnum opus of the renowned historian Lü Simian. Organized chronologically, it covers politics, economics, culture, society, and much more. In this sweeping historical work, Lü Simian brings a series of vivid scenes to life with engaging prose and a rigorous historical perspective: from ancient legends of the world's creation to the gradual formation of ritual and musical civilization 46Reads8.4Score—Shelves
  47. 47 The History of the Song Dynasty’s Imperial Court 宋代宫闱史 Historical607k WordsCompleted Drawing on official histories, unofficial accounts, and folk legends, this work offers a profound portrayal of the emperor's emotional world alongside a detailed depiction of life in the palace. It vividly recreates the lives of emperors and empresses in the secluded inner palace, while also offering readers interested in history clues to follow. 2.5kReads9.4Score321Shelves
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  48. 48 A Talk About the Qing Dynasty 谈谈清朝 Historical225k WordsOngoing Nurhaci spent his whole life taking what he wanted. Hong Taiji took what he wanted while trying to whitewash his image. Shunzhi spent his whole life trying to whitewash his, and resorted to killing whenever he lost his temper. This is a true game of clearing levels. Nurhaci cleared the first. When Hong Taiji took the stage, the game leveled up, and he cleared the second. Shunzhi took up the baton and entered the final stage. But it was not until Kangxi that the game was truly beaten. Four genera —Reads—Score—Shelves
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  49. 49 Jialan in the Misty Rain: The Twilight of Northern Wei 伽蓝烟雨,北魏的黄昏 Historical278k WordsOngoing Why Does Listening to “Song of Chile” Bring Me to Tears? Watch Gao Wang rise from an impoverished family that couldn’t afford even a horse to become a powerful minister of Northern Wei, only to fail to keep Northern Wei’s last emperor, Yuan Xiu, from leaving. Northern Wei splits into Eastern Wei and Western Wei. He tries to destroy Yuwen Tai of Western Wei, and the two clash five times with victories on both sides, until Gao Wang is finally defeated beneath the walls of Yubi City. His life was f 60Reads—Score—Shelves
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  50. 50 The Scandalous Tales of the Four Great Beauties 四大美人艳史演义 Historical104k WordsCompleted Uncovering the untold stories of the Four Beauties [History + biographies + the Four Beauties + unofficial anecdotes] Xi Shi, whose beauty could topple a kingdom as she washed silk, was caught in the turmoil of a chaotic age. Yang Yuhuan’s glance could captivate an entire city, but her passionate love became a shackle of fate. Wang Zhaojun left the frontier with a mournful song, bringing a brief peace between the Han and the Xiongnu. Diao Chan ingeniously set a chain of schemes in motion, turnin 92Reads8.7Score—Shelves
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