In this list
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1
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）
[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
224Reads9.3Score—Shelves
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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
[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
971Reads9.5Score—Shelves
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The Secret History of Manchuria, Part Two 满洲秘史（中部）
[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
3.7kReads9.5Score577Shelves
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The Secret History of Manchuria, Part One 满洲秘史（上部）
[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
18.8kReads9.5Score2.2kShelves
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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
[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
75Reads9.3Score—Shelves
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6
The Old Grandmother of Yue Family Village 岳家庄的老祖母
[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
1.6kReads9.2Score104Shelves
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Arriving in Southern Ming, an Engineering Student Crushes the Qing and Restores China 来到南明，工科生横扫满清复华夏
In the first year of the Hongguang reign, Jiangnan is on the verge of falling. The realm is shattered, and the people are displaced. A modern engineering expert unexpectedly arrives in the storm-tossed chaos of the Southern Ming. The land is divided among warlords, powerful enemies press at its borders, and the old and new dynasties take turns on the stage. He has no peerless martial arts, but he possesses engineering, manufacturing, and scientific knowledge far ahead of his time. He gathers dis
1.5kReads—Score116Shelves
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An Engineering Student Ventures into the Late Ming 工科小伙闯明末
A middle-aged bachelor, beaten down by society and thwarted at every turn in the modern world, with no connections to his name but plenty of knowledge and ability, is accidentally transported to the Chongzhen era at the end of the Ming dynasty. Relying on his modern knowledge while adapting to the era’s actual technological and industrial capabilities, he works hard to quietly change history and prevent China’s decline.
2.9kReads7.8Score223Shelves
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The Legendary Han Xin, the Greatest General of All Time 千古第一将韩信之千古传奇
Han Xin was born a beggar, so where did he learn his astonishing military strategies? Where did he master such superb swordsmanship? How did he win every battle without a single defeat? Why were his victories so decisive, with large-scale clashes against his opponents so rare? How were his battlefield instincts and judgments so precise? This book recounts every one of Han Xin’s legendary exploits in detail.
5.3kReads8.4Score463Shelves
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One Book Is All You Need to Read Chinese History 中国历史读这本就够了
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
90Reads8.3Score—Shelves
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11
A Century of Rise and Fall: The History of the Late Qing Dynasty 百年兴亡清末史
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,
20Reads9.2Score—Shelves
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The Hot-Blooded Hunter: God’s Assault 热血猎人神之袭击
[Survival] [Hunting] [Fighting the Japanese invaders and looting their gear] [Cultivation] Wang Fei has just entered the world of cultivation when he's forced into becoming a live-in son-in-law. One blow shatters his dantian, setting him on a long road from staying alive to rising to greatness. Though he has lost his cultivation, he takes countless disciples. This novel was not written by AI. Every word was painstakingly typed out by the author, who only hopes readers will enjoy the story in its
20kReads9.0Score2.2kShelves
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Death God of the Night 黑夜杀神
Hunted from the start, I barely escaped with my life. I fought to defy fate, launching attacks and taking down countless powerful opponents. Born with a beautiful face... I hope you enjoy the story. Your support motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well!
2.4kReads8.8Score162Shelves
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City of Heartbreak 情伤都市
My new work is out! Come read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you'll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I'll do my best to tell every story well!
1.3kReads—Score—Shelves
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History of the Song: Annals of Emperor Taizu 宋史·太祖本纪
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
163Reads8.4Score—Shelves
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A Humorous Take on Zizhi Tongjian: The Northern and Southern Dynasties 笑谈资治通鉴之南北朝
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589), regimes changed constantly and heroes emerged one after another. Armies clashed across the Central Plains as plots, schemes, stratagems, and military tactics arose in endless succession. It’s a thrilling period! But this was also an era of great ethnic integration, as northern peoples gradually assimilated with the Han amid the turmoil of war. In short, the Northern and Southern Dynasties were a time of upheaval and diverse development in Ch
6.6kReads9.4Score671Shelves
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The Common People Beneath the Prosperous Tang 盛唐下的百姓
No transmigration, no System. See the High Tang from the perspective of an ordinary person at the bottom of society. In his later years, Emperor Xuanzong was obsessed with grand achievements and indulgence. Warfare grew ever more frequent, greatly increasing the people’s corvée and military service, until the An Lushan Rebellion broke out.
31Reads—Score—Shelves
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The Saga of Wagang Stronghold 瓦岗寨演义
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
876Reads9.5Score—Shelves
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Wu Zetian's Four Great Mystery Cases 武则天四大奇案
[Historical Mystery + Four Great Cases + Ancient-Era Deduction] From strange cases in the countryside to courtly intrigue, Di Renjie carefully unravels the truth at every turn. Newly appointed magistrate of Changping County, Di Renjie is immediately faced with a bizarre murder: a merchant from Huzhou is found mysteriously dead at an inn in Liulidun. The local headman, Hu De, abuses his power, but the identity of the real culprit raises even more questions. Disguised as an ordinary traveler, Di R
667Reads9.5Score—Shelves
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The Wind Rises, the Geese Return Through the Snow 风起雁归雪
She was renowned throughout the land for her talent, yet her life was full of misfortune. Born into a family of scholars, she was nurtured by her father's profound learning. But after he offended the powerful, she was forced to flee to Jiangnan. Her first love was as beautiful as a dream, yet as dazzling and fleeting as fireworks. Then war swept across the land, and she fell into the hands of the Xiongnu, forced to leave her homeland for twelve years. By some twist of fate, every man she met lov
24Reads—Score—Shelves
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Unsolved Mysteries in Chinese History 中国历史未解迷案
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.
107Reads6.6Score—Shelves
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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
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
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The Northern Qi Dynasty of Beastly Emperors 一群禽兽皇帝的王朝北齐
Amid the chaos and flames of China's Northern and Southern Dynasties, Northern Qi was a land of contradictions. Its battle-hardened Xianbei soldiers from the Six Garrisons swept across the north, yet in just twenty-eight years, it went through six emperors and became history's most grotesque “Beastly Dynasty.” Gao Yang drank heavily and murdered his own kin; Gao Zhan indulged in debauchery and incest; Gao Wei lived extravagantly and slaughtered his subjects. The imperial clan's cruelty crossed e
1kReads6.3Score101Shelves
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The Great Ming Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qizhen 大明英宗朱祁镇
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.
33Reads—Score—Shelves
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Stories of Famous Generals in Ancient China 中国古代名将故事集
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
11Reads—Score—Shelves
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Tales of Fox Ridge 狐岭轶事
Tales from Fox Ridge
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Shuanzhu Goes on a Blind Date 拴柱相亲
Shuan Zhu Goes on a Blind Date
2Reads—Score—Shelves
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A Worker’s Chronicle 打工纪事
Adapted from real experiences of rural teenagers who worked summer jobs in the 1980s and 1990s, this story shows their honest, hardworking spirit and courage in building a new life. They did not fear the hardships or exhaustion of life, knowing that a better life is something you earn through your own efforts.
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Ming's God of War, Zhu Di 大明战神朱棣
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
20.1kReads8.2Score1.6kShelves
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From Pangu to Puyi 从盘古到溥仪
[A Tomato-style Records of the Grand Historian + a blessing for audiobook listeners + grounded in historical sources + told with the flair of a novel] [Also known as From Pangu's Creation of the World to the Last Emperor's Abdication] A million-character epic spanning from Pangu's creation of the world to the last emperor's abdication. This isn't a mindless power fantasy: it combines historical authenticity with an engaging, nuanced touch. The book tells the whole story of Chinese history, from
780Reads8.3Score130Shelves
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Ten Days to the End 十日终焉
2024 Tomato Novel Annual Peak Rankings TOP 1 | 2024 China Online Literature Influence List | 2024 China Good Novel Award | Over 2 million copies sold (No harem, no formulaic tropes, no invincibility, no System, no mindless antics, no wish fulfillment. Read with caution if these bother you.) Just when I thought it was an ordinary day, I discovered I had been captured and taken to the End. Just when I thought I could escape by continually taking part in death games, people began awakening supernat
1.7MReads9.9Score228kShelves
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The Supernaturally Gifted 神通者
Among the living things of this world, some are born with strange bones. These bones can be inscribed with wondrous arts, granting their bearers immense power: conjuring fire and wind, summoning thunder and lightning, swallowing the sun and plucking stars, suppressing demons and imprisoning gods. These are Divine Ability Bones. Those born with such bones are called... Divine Ability Users.
2.7MReads9.4Score405.5kShelves
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Impostor of the Langya Clan 冒姓琅琊
(Also known as “The Matter of Me Pretending to Be a Nobleman of the Southern Dynasties”) To transmigrate isn’t a dinner party. It’s a deadly game at every turn. The south is beautiful, yet lofty ambitions often fade away. Since ancient times, the Southern Dynasties have been weak, their heroes short-lived. No golden finger, no System, and no second chance at life. Everything starts from zero! Original owner’s memories: none! Identity: none! Supplies: none! When transmigration becomes reality, ho
499.8kReads9.7Score57.4kShelves
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The Hotel's Unspoken Secrets 酒店不能说的秘密
I'm devoted to the hotel industry and try to find time to record a little of everyday life. Updates are ongoing... The stories you're reading are actually our painful, tear-stained history. Don't ask me whether those bizarre things are real. Here, you'll definitely experience what “the diversity of species” really means.
402Reads—Score102Shelves
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Battlefields of the Southern Song 南宋沙场
The Southern Song Battlefield is a concise military history of the Southern Song dynasty. The book has several distinctive features. First, it upholds the idea that “history is more than the story of a single participant,” placing the Southern Song's military history within the broader context of the Mongol conquest of the world. It reveals the immense hardships endured by the Southern Song people in their resistance against the Jin and the Mongols, and challenges the traditional view of the Sou
250Reads9.3Score101Shelves
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Conquer the World Through Cunning 谋霸天下
On the eve of the emperor's rise, a sweeping war of unification is underway, while little-known spy networks operate throughout China. It is a time when open and secret schemes intertwine, when blood and fire bring agonizing suffering, and when love and self-interest force difficult choices... Only strategy can create the immortal, the miraculous, and the regrettable. Perhaps in this book, you'll see the seeds of every kind of evil and the beginnings of every conspiracy...
40Reads8.7Score—Shelves
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Scheming for the Realm 谋天下
Born into a prominent family, he faces one calamity after another. As his clan undergoes upheaval, he grows and transforms step by step, starting from a county town. Through schemes both covert and overt, he leads the people to suppress the great clans and overthrow the monarchy. He maneuvers across the land to contend for the Central Plains, unifies them, drives out foreign invaders, and brings the realm under one rule!
29Reads—Score—Shelves
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The Merchant Guilds of the World (2-Book Set) 天下商帮（全2册）
Meng Yuanheng was born into a family of merchants, but all he wanted was to earn distinction through the imperial examinations. He had no interest in business. However, when his father was framed and his own path to the examinations was blocked, he resolutely turned to commerce to survive and seek revenge. The road to business is full of setbacks, and the struggle to survive is fraught with danger! Faced with competition and sabotage from his peers, how will Meng Yuanheng use his commercial tale
275Reads9.5Score107Shelves
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39
Every Step a Scheme 步步为谋
Twenty years ago, he was the brilliant Prince of Yan, a legend on the battlefield. Betrayed by a close friend, he saw his achievements erased and his name smeared. His friends were killed, his fiancee was taken from him, and blood stained the Lantai Pavilion. Twenty years later, he returns to the capital under the assumed name Ye Lun. With careful plans at every step, he gathers a group of gifted young talents around him. The nation has been in ruins for twenty years, yet the moon still shines o
53Reads—Score—Shelves
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When Lilacs Bloom: Adventures in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 丁香花开之五代十国历险记
On the day his dissertation defense failed, Hao Xinren, a history PhD student at Yanjiang University, was also dumped by his girlfriend. With a lilac flower in hand, he transmigrated to Later Liang during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, and stumbled right into Zhu Yougui murdering his father. When Zhu Yougui spotted him, Hao Xinren was thrown into the imperial prison to await execution. Fortunately, Guo Xiangyu helped him escape. Hao Xinren won Guo Xiangyu's heart and earned the favo
12Reads—Score—Shelves
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41
The Miser of Kudangba 裤裆坝的守财人
Their ancestors left behind a little-known fortune. With banditry on the rise and warlord conflicts, the War of Resistance, and civil war following one after another, the Luo family feared the money would bring disaster. For three generations, they quietly guarded this fortune for decades. Centered on protecting their wealth, this book explores family bonds, love, human relationships, and society during a turbulent period in history. Laughter, anger, and everything in between all find their way
1.5kReads—Score202Shelves
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Turbulent Times in the Great Tang: Guo Ziyi 大唐风云之郭子仪
Guo Ziyi’s Four-Dynasty Survival Guide In a command tent on a snowy night, 58-year-old Guo Ziyi takes on An Lushan’s 150,000 rebels with just 30,000 battered troops. He single-handedly props up the tottering Tang Dynasty, yet survives power struggles across four reigns to become a legend: a man whose achievements could overshadow his sovereign, yet never arouse his sovereign’s suspicion! Born into the Guo clan of Taiyuan and a top graduate of the military examinations, Guo Ziyi spends more than
929Reads6.5Score102Shelves
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The Iron Cavalry of Liaodong 辽东铁骑
In the winter of 1580, when Nurhaci scattered his grandfather’s ashes into the Hun River with his own hands, Li Chengliang was at a training ground a hundred miles away, shooting a rebel general through the throat with a single arrow. The frigid land of Liaodong had always believed in one law: the strong prey on the weak. Li Chengliang, a descendant of a military family who had yet to make his mark even as he approached forty, finally saw his fortunes turn while his wife and children went hungry
1.1kReads6.9Score—Shelves
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The Sixteen Kingdoms: The Greatest God of War 十六国：第一战神
[Updates promptly every day at 9:00 and 9:10 a.m.] What dynasty came between the Three Kingdoms and the Northern and Southern Dynasties? How devastating was the Uprising of the Five Barbarians? How did the Murong clan rise from a small tribe to dominate the north? How did it fall, and how did it attempt to restore its rule? At thirteen, he was already renowned as the bravest warrior in the army. Through his own efforts, he changed Chinese history several times, earning the title “The Greatest Go
1.4kReads6.5Score102Shelves
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Great Tang: The Two Heroes 大唐：双雄
The Tang Empire rose from nothing and went from glory to greatness thanks in no small part to the hard work and bold reforms of Li Yuan and his son Li Shimin. We invite all fellow history enthusiasts to join the two heroes of the Tang Dynasty and explore the thorny road they traveled to build their empire.
75Reads—Score112Shelves
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The Iron-Boned Ming, Zhu Qizhen the Fortress Emperor 大明硬骨头，堡宗朱祁镇
[No System, no golden finger, no overpowered protagonist, no crushing everyone with brute force] On the eve of the Tumu Crisis, he transmigrates as Zhu Qizhen and is emperor for just one day. Why did Zhu Qizhen clear Wang Zhen's name? Was the Zhu Qizhen who returned to power in history really the same man? Did the Ming dynasty truly begin its decline with him? Of the sixteen Ming emperors, how many met a clear-cut end? He must survive first. Only then can he think about anything else. With three
3kReads—Score127Shelves
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47
Romance of the Qing Dynasty 清史演义
Cai Dongfan's The Romance of the Qing Dynasty is an epic of sweeping grandeur. In a million words, it uncovers the century-spanning secrets of the Qing Empire, from its rise to its fall! From Nurhaci rallying his troops against the Ming with his “Seven Grievances,” to Kangxi outsmarting and capturing Oboi and putting down the Three Feudatories; from undercurrents stirring beneath the Qianlong Emperor's prosperous reign to the humiliating guns of the Opium War; then to Empress Dowager Cixi ruling
5Reads8.3Score—Shelves
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The Secret Histories of the Four Great Beauties 四大美人秘史
The Secret History of the Four Great Beauties is a vivid, legendary novel about four famous beauties of ancient China: Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan, and Yang Guifei. Skillfully blending history and legend, fact and fiction, this work uses delicate prose and rich storytelling to reveal the important roles these four beauties played in their respective eras and the influence they had. During the Spring and Autumn period, Xi Shi used her beauty to beguile King Fuchai of Wu under a plan devised b
189Reads9.2Score—Shelves
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49
Night Walkers (Two-Volume Set) 夜行录（全二册）
Day gives way to night, the very hour when demons roam. The crowds fade, and a hundred ghosts take to the roads. Humans and demons once shared the same world: by day, voices fill the streets and markets bustle; when night falls, ordinary objects and plants all turn into demons wandering the narrow lanes, making for a world with its own peculiar charm. Japan’s Heian period was the heyday of demon culture, when demons transformed from mere legends into objects of genuine belief.
19Reads9.1Score—Shelves
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50
Railway Archives: Infiltration, Espionage, and the Shocking Case of Liaoshen 谍战潜伏铁路档案辽沈惊蛰
Espionage, agents, undercover work, urban life, history, mystery, hard-core railway detail, war, the Republic of China era, and passion. In the thirty-sixth year of the Republic, on the eve of the Liaoshen Campaign, undercurrents swirled along the railway lines at Jinzhou, Siping, and Meihekou. Ye Tian, a Communist underground agent codenamed Jingzhe, went undercover as a railway traffic dispatcher. He gathered military intelligence and disrupted Nationalist transport, providing crucial support
8Reads7.0Score—Shelves
Other lists with Pillars of the Nation: A Century of Chinese Business Rivalries, Parts One and Two