Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
Wenyuan Yinghua (Finest Blossoms in the Garden of Literature) is one of the Four Great Books of Song, a monumental literary anthology commissioned by Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song dynasty and compiled between 982 and 986 CE. Led by the chief editor Li Fang, along with scholars such as Song Bai and Xu…
This article recounts Emperor Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin)’s unification wars of the early Song Dynasty. After centralizing power, he adopted the “First South, Then North” strategy proposed by Zhao Pu. Song forces successively conquered Jingnan, Hunan, Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang, defeating rulers like Meng Chang and Li Yu. The campaign laid the…
This article reveals how Emperor Huan of Eastern Han ennobled five powerful eunuchs as marquises, letting them dominate the court. Their corruption, tyranny, and abuse of power outraged scholars and students. Their ruthless rule weakened the Han Empire, laying the ground for its eventual collapse.