I recall the glorious days of Kaiyuan, when even small towns held thousands of households. Rice gleamed with fat, millet was white, and public and private granaries alike were full.
In the fourth year of Kaiyuan, the Tang Empire stood at the height of its power, and the capital, Chang'an, was the world's most prosperous city, bar none. Yao Chong, Song Jing, Li Bai, Wang Wei, Zhang Xu, Wu Daozi, Yan Zhenqing, Gongsun Daniang, Pei Min, Guo Ziyi... The skies of the High Tang were bright with stars.
Born into a golden age, Du Shiyi was a child prodigy who had run out of talent and faded into the crowd. What worried him was not the fate of the empire, but how to make this second life more fulfilling. The High Tang had no shortage of bold spirits and proud hearts, confidence and composure, men who rose to become generals or ministers. Its palace gates opened to the heavens, while envoys from every land bowed before the emperor!
After eight years of writing and nine novels, following The Flowery Gate, The Treacherous Minister, Splendor in the Capital, and Wealth and Glory, Futians 2013 novel The Splendor of the High Tang will take you on a journey through the true golden age of the Tang Empire!
