Book of Han

  • Book of Han – Hanshu

    A foundational Chinese historical text compiled by Ban Gu (32–92 CE) of the Eastern Han dynasty.

  • The Fall of the Dou Clan: How a Teenage Emperor Toppled an Empress’ Tyranny [Eastern Han]

    The Rise of the Dou Family When Empress Dowager Dou – great-granddaughter of the famed general Dou Rong – assumed regency for her ten-year-old stepson, Emperor He of Han, real power fell to her brother, Dou Xian. As the de facto ruler, Dou Xian’s first major act was to repeal the state monopolies on…

  • Lie Yukou

    Lie Yukou was a representative figure of Daoism in the early Warring States period. He is also known as Yu Kou, Yu Kou, or Liezi. Traditionally believed to be from the state of Zheng (in present-day Zhengzhou, Henan) during the Warring States era, he advocated the principles of emptiness, stillness, and non-action (wu wei),…

  • Wang Bo

    Wang Bo (649 or 650–676) was a renowned literary figure of the Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Zi’an, and he was from Longmen, Jiangzhou (present-day Hejin, Shanxi). At the age of nine, after reading Yan Shigu’s annotated version of theBook of Han, he composed a ten-volume critique titled Zhi Xia (“Pointing Out Flaws”),…

  • The River God’s bride [Warring States]

    After conquering the distant state of Zhongshan, Marquis Wen of Wei knew he needed a trusted man to govern it – so he appointed his crown prince as Marquis of Zhongshan and recalled the capable general Ximen Bao. But rather than reward him with leisure, Marquis Wen sent Ximen Bao to another critical post:…