It’s Hard to Be the Emperor of This Generation

When the Tang dynasty died, no one noticed. In 907 AD, a group of warlords were at each other's throats, and whoever had the strongest fist made the rules. For the next fifty-three years, there was only one question: How do you seize the throne? And once you have it, what will it cost you? This book tells the stories of six men. Zhu Wen was born a cowherd. He killed, betrayed, and switched sides, clawing his way to the top. In the end, his own son stabbed him to death in bed. He proved that ruthlessness can take you to the highest point, but at the summit, the cold bites deep. Li Cunxu was a god of war reborn, undefeated on the battlefield. After becoming emperor, he took up acting and gave himself the stage name “Li Tianxia.” When the mutiny came, he was left utterly alone, and they burned his body under a pipa. Shi Jingtang called the Khitan king his father in order to become emperor, ceding the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun in return. He ascended the throne on his knees and died the same way. Chai Rong was the greatest wise ruler of the Five Dynasties. He turned a terrible hand into a royal flush. Then he fell ill and died at thirty-nine. Heaven gave him the finest sword in the world, only to snatch away his strength the moment he swung it. Li Yu was an emperor who never wanted to be one. He wrote beautiful poetry but couldn't govern a country. After being captured, he left behind the famous poem “Yu Meiren,” but it cost him his life. He lost his kingdom, yet won immortality. Zhao Kuangyin was a brash young man who took the throne in a coup known as “the yellow robe bestowed upon him.” He solved the problem of military commanders with a feast and a few cups of wine, but also planted the seeds of the dynasty's weakness. Six men, six paths, six different costs. In troubled times, power isn't the end. It's the beginning. And everyone seated on the dragon throne must answer the same question in their own way: Just how hard is it to be the emperor of this era?