In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang dynasty, Li Shimin brought the former dynasty’s Empress Xiao, now over sixty, back from the Turks.
That night, Yang Xi, now a Consort, reminisced with her birth mother, whom she had not seen for more than ten years. She asked carefully, “Your Majesty, what do you think Father’s greatest achievement in life was? The Eastern Capital, the Grand Canal, or the gathering of envoys from all nations beneath Mount Yanzhi?”
Xiao Meizhi heard her question and suddenly pictured the refined, noble young man she had known in the early years of the Kaihuang era. She lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long while before replying softly, “His greatest achievement was bringing the north and south together through their cultures. He erased regional divisions and united the people’s hearts. So even after the Sui dynasty fell and the realm descended into chaos, a new unified dynasty could rise again in no time.”
A dynasty rises in its flourishing prime, then falls in an instant: the cycle of a kingdom’s rise and fall.
See how the exceptionally talented Prince of Jin, accomplished in both letters and arms, successfully wins the succession,
leads the Sui dynasty to its height, and then loses the empire...
The male lead is a construction fanatic. In just a few years, he builds the Eastern Capital, constructs the Grand Canal, opens the Silk Road, makes a western expedition to Zhangye, and develops the Western Regions. He strengthens the integration of north and south in the political, economic, and cultural spheres, and consolidates a unified, multiethnic nation. But he is also the one who insists on launching three campaigns against Goguryeo, provoking such widespread resentment that the realm falls into chaos and the dynasty ends with his death. _(:з"∠)_
Reader’s Guide
1. This is a wide-ranging, ensemble narrative with multiple perspectives. It does not focus solely on the protagonist.
2. The historical storyline respects the official histories, while the romance plots are full of melodramatic twists. The main storyline progresses chronologically, with the romance plots woven throughout.
3. This story continues directly from the previous installment. Reading that first is recommended, but you can still follow along without it if you have a general understanding of the history and characters.
The first installment is complete. It centers on Yang Jian. Follow the bold and farsighted Duke of Sui as he bides his time, establishes a unified dynasty, and ushers in the Kaihuang era of prosperity... If you’re interested, dear readers, please add it to your collection. Thank you so much, mwah~
Click here for the first installment.
Theme: Power and responsibility go hand in hand.
Great, updated. Unfortunately, the comments are locked. The next chapter is such a cruel chapter for fans (I cover my face, not sure if I am laughing or crying)
I chose a chapter about Concubine Yang and read it. I was a little speechless. I didn't expect him to interact with children like this. I feel like he has no feelings for his children and is very cruel to them. There is no record of his paternal love for Yang Gao in the history books, and he left Concubine Yang in Daxing without any special treatment. I feel that this aspect of him is very similar to Qianlong's. He didn't express anything special to his legitimate daughter. He attached great importance to the etiquette of monarchs and ministers. It can also be seen from the side that this person is cruel. On the contrary, the history books focus more on his favor towards the children of his relatives and the favor of civil servants and generals. I even thought before that for such a beautiful, lovely and friendly person, it would be very happy to be his wife and concubines, but when I read the history books, I was speechless. This is also the one thing I have a lot of objections to about him, except for his three visits to Jiangdu.
Suddenly I discovered that Yang Guang's life was a life of countering various rebellions. He put down the Jiangnan rebellion when he was a prince, put down the Yang Liang rebellion before he ascended the throne, put down the Yang Xuangan rebellion during the Eastern Expedition, and then various nationwide rebellions at the end of the period. It's quite a miserable life. It seems like there haven't been a few quiet days? Mrs. Da Xuanhua handled this section really well. She not only took care of the historical records, but also made the logic of the event smooth, which is very convincing.
I shed some tears when I reviewed and summarized the merits and demerits of Yang Jian's life. Although Lao Yang had some dark spots, he was still a great emperor. It was a pity that Erguang failed to hold on to the world his father had established. It was indeed hard to reconcile! I once saw Mrs. Rong Hua's "self-invited statement" and I doubted her. I'm afraid this matter is not simple. It is also possible that Xuan Hua is doing it openly and she is doing it secretly.
Looking forward to further updates
I really like to respect the official history. I haven't read it yet, so I will buy one to show my respect.
Yeah, I agree, people are indeed complicated. The same person may make different choices in different situations and at different times.
Dear, you finally updated, haha. I just learned the origin of Xia Man's name today. Yang Guang's harem was so harmonious. I feel that it may have been the same in history. There are no anecdotes about any disturbances in the historical data. I would like to ask your opinion: Love is selfish, exclusive, and exclusive. It can also mean putting one's own attitude very low, and just hoping that the other person will be happy. Which of these two states of mind has the deeper feeling?
It has been gone for a long time. When will it be updated again?
He said another prophecy (sad face~)