Record of the Setting Sun of the Five Dynasties

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Ding Dynasty revolution, Tang Zuo collapsed, and Bianliang usurped the throne, ushering in fifty-three years of chaos. Five dynasties in the Central Plains changed, emperors were replaced by horses, ten kingdoms in the north and south were separated, mountains and rivers were broken, arrogant soldiers chased commanders, powerful ministers stole the country, etiquette collapsed, and politeness was wiped out. This was the most chaotic and decadent era in Chinese history. This book is an orthodox chapter-style historical novel that is anchored by historical facts and blends fiction and reality. It strictly adheres to the core historical events of "New and Old History of the Five Dynasties" and "Zi Zhi Tong Jian". It does not tamper with the rise and fall of dynasties, the endings of monarchs and ministers, and the canon of the times. It uses the blank space of historical materials to unfold the original plot. The novel takes the perspective of the ups and downs of a poor scribe from a poor family in the late Tang Dynasty. He starts from the countryside and travels through the Liang, Tang, Jin, Han, and Wu Dynasties. He travels to the wars in the Central Plains and the separatist lands of the South. He personally experiences the turbulent changes in feudal times such as the struggle for hegemony in feudal vassals, the chaos of Lingguan, the humiliation of Yanyun, and the disputes between Hu and Han. He witnessed emperors and heroes vying for the top spot, civil and military ministers courting the Qin Dynasty and Chu Dynasty, and the people at the bottom being displaced and suffering. In the troubled times when military men were in power and morality was difficult to survive, he gave up his obsession with fame and honor, kept his true heart and morality, and used his little power to protect the people and remain polite. The book not only depicts the iron-blooded machinations and devastation of mountains and rivers during the troubled times of the Five Dynasties, but also depicts the struggles and perseverance of all living beings in the troubled times, unlocking the complex and true faces of historical figures such as Feng Dao, Chai Rong, and Shi Jingtang. From the collapse of the Tang Society to the Chenqiao Mutiny, watching the setting sun overturn the nine provinces, and reading about the final unification of the troubled times, it tells the story of the rise and fall of the Five Dynasties in the fifty-three years, and writes a tragic song about keeping one's heart in troubled times and putting life first.