Discussing History with the First Strategist of the Qin and Han Dynasties

Half a year ago, our group went hiking on Tiantai Mountain. Along the way, they talked about Emperor Yang of Sui and the Grand Canal, the Tiantai school and Guoqing Temple, and the ancient road traveled by Xu Xiake. I was completely lost and couldn't get a word in, so all I could do was smile along.

That wouldn't do. I had to go home and cram on history.

Not to uncover the truth behind history, but simply to get the order of the dynasties straight and learn some related cultural anecdotes. That would be enough.

As luck would have it, while gathering study materials, I stumbled across a summary by a history buff. It listed forty historical figures, linked one after another from the Qin Dynasty all the way to New China, spanning more than two thousand years. I treasured it as if I had accidentally caught sight of the table of contents of the Sunflower Manual. So I decided to follow that outline and practice.

The purpose of writing this series is to learn by writing, sharing what I have just learned. Everything is fresh: freshly learned and freshly put together.

So who would enjoy my historical series? People like me, who know very little about history. Through my "Talking History with the Top Strategist of the Qin and Han Dynasties" series, you can get a general sense of the historical framework, much like reading a picture book. That's all.