Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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The Sudden End and the Succession Puzzle By 976, the Song Dynasty’s strategy of “First South, Then North” was nearly complete. The southern kingdoms of Jingnan, Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang had fallen, leaving only Wuyue. The Northern Han remained the stubborn enemy in the north. However, before the northern campaign could…
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Centralizing Power and Formulating Strategy After consolidating control over the military and curbing the power of the Prime Minister – mandating that chancellors could only offer advice while final decisions rested solely with the emperor – Song Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin) secured his internal authority. Unlike his harsh treatment of potential military rivals, he adopted…