Raising the Banner of Rebellion

How little literary talent Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han possessed; how slightly less refined Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Taizu of Song were. Genghis Khan, the hero of his age, knew only how to bend his bow and shoot great eagles. The past is gone. To find the truly great, look to the present. For more than three hundred years, the Great Xi dynasty prospered. Its emperors all governed with diligence, the people were honest and the roads were safe, and one golden age followed another. Perhaps the dynasty had reached the end of its allotted fate. After Emperor Xi Li took the throne, he squandered the legacy left by his ancestors, ruling with cruelty and killing the innocent. He was obsessed with grand achievements, waging war year after year against the Jianghu factions and raiding pavilions, turning a peaceful age into one in which everyone lived in fear. After Emperor Li died, Emperor Huang succeeded him. He indulged in pleasure and neglected state affairs, turning his court into a playground of wine and women like King Zhou of Shang. He scoured the land for beautiful women, keeping countless commoners from ever reuniting with their families. The laws gradually fell into disuse, corruption worsened by the day, and even murderers and looters could escape justice. Resentment grew across the land, planting the seeds of chaos. After Emperor Huang died, Emperor Yang succeeded him. He became the worst of the Three Tyrants and a scourge of war. Taxes doubled year after year, leaving the common people barely able to survive. The high officials grew ever more brazen, and people starving or freezing to death became a common sight. The emperor, convinced of his own greatness, ceaselessly launched campaigns against the raiding pavilions. Their conflict reached a breaking point. He focused only on foreign wars and ignored unrest at home. Between rebellion and submission, the people were torn, and chaos stood on the brink of erupting. Someone has to step forward and do this.