Cai Dongfan's "The Romance of the Song Dynasty" is a widely circulated historical romance classic of the Song Dynasty. It combs through the rise and fall of the two Song Dynasties for more than 300 years, and describes the replacement of emperors, court disputes, battlefield wars, and figures in the government and the public. It has both storytelling and historical reference value. However, the original work is half-text and half-white, and the writing is archaic, making it difficult for modern readers to read.
This book is loyal to the narrative context and historical perspective of Cai Dongfan's original work. It does not joke or fictionalize, and is rewritten in popular and fluent modern vernacular. It completely retains the original timeline, character stories and historical logic, removes the obscure classical language, and gives a panoramic view of the rise and fall of the Song Dynasty.
From the Chenqiao Mutiny that established the founding of the country, to the Chanyuan Alliance, Qingli New Deal, Wang Anshi's Reform, to the Jingkang Revolution, the Song Dynasty's southern migration, until the end of the Yashan Sea War dynasty. It has both the literary splendor of the Song Dynasty and the plight of the dynasty's chronic abuses; it has the character of virtuous ministers and lofty ideals, but it also has the tragedy of a troubled world dominated by powerful men.
It tells the romance in vernacular and uses stories to view history, allowing contemporary readers to easily understand the complete history of the two Song Dynasties. This set is a series of vernacular rewrites of the popular romances of past dynasties, and will be followed by separate volumes for Tang, Ming, Qing and other dynasties, giving an overview of the ups and downs of the Chinese dynasties.
