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Records of the Three Kingdoms – Sanguo Zhi
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A historical text compiled by Chen Shou (233–297 CE) during the Western Jin dynasty. It is a biographical state-by-state history chronicling the Three Kingdoms period – Wei, Shu, and Wu – and comprises 65 scrolls: Book of Wei (30 scrolls),Book of Shu (15 scrolls), and Book of Wu (20 scrolls).
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Records of the Grand Historian – Shiji
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Originally titled Taishi Gong Shu (“Book of the Grand Historian”), the Shiji was compiled by Sima Qian (c. 145–c. 86 BCE) during the Western Han dynasty. It is China’s first comprehensive biographical universal history (jizhuanti tongshi), covering approximately three millennia – from the legendary Yellow Emperor to the reign of Emperor Wu of Han…
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The Madness of Excess: How Elites Competed in Conspicuous Consumption [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]
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Introduction: This article reveals Western Jin’s elite obsession with conspicuous consumption. Figures like Shi Chong and Wang Kai competed wildly in luxury – from lavish feasts to a famous coral tree contest. Their decadence, cruelty, and moral decay eroded the state, laying ground for the catastrophic War of the Eight Princes.
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The Tragic Throne: Decadence, Delusion, and the Fall of an Heir [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]
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Brief: This article explores Emperor Wu of Jin’s tragic legacy. He shifted from frugality to decadence, ignored warnings, and chose his intellectually unfit son Sima Zhong as heir, sidelining capable Prince Sima You. His blind faith in royal kinship planted the seeds of the devastating War of the Eight Princes and Jin’s collapse.