Reinterpreting Chinese ancient history through the mouth of Yuan Tengfei, hailed as the "greatest history teacher ever," turns those originally dull historical passages into fascinating stories, and makes those already interesting historical segments even more spectacular. In the joy akin to listening to crosstalk, one absorbs a vast amount of historical knowledge. This is a book that thoroughly convinces readers of the adage "learning history enlightens the mind," and it's a most engaging historical text that tirelessly educates and entertains.
Following the footsteps of Dan Yu and Wang Lixun from "The 100 Schools Forum" and Dang Nianmingyue's "Those Ming Dynasty Affairs," another master storyteller emerges, leading a new wave of nationwide enthusiasm for studying, reading, and discussing history. His storytelling is clear and logical, with unique insights, extensive references, focused on key points, and packed with information—possessing all the qualities a good history book should have. His writing style is novel and distinctive, his words sharp and revealing, humorously witty—a book that possesses all the virtues a history book lacks.
In addition to the textual content, a large number of color images are inserted, printed in four colors, combining fun, knowledge, and readability.
What is History?
"Look at what he looks like; where is there any sign of an emperor's fortune? That face is like a shoe horn, or a trowel, covered in pockmarks... If you paint him like this, he'll kill you. And if you beautify him, making him look like Emperor Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Han Wu, he'll still kill you." Probably no other history book contains such descriptions about the founding emperor of a dynasty, yet Yuan Tengfei not only narrates but also provides extensive references and logical analysis.
Besides criticizing Zhu Yuanzhang, Yuan doesn't hesitate to reasonably praise the wise emperors of the Manchu, calling the weak and incapable Song Dynasty "the cutest dynasty"...
Recalling the Prosperous Days of Kaiyuan
It is estimated that the father of Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou married Yang Jian's daughter possibly out of coercion. Usurpation by relatives was often like this. Wang Mang, being the maternal grandfather of the emperor, usurped the throne; Cao Cao, being the father-in-law of the emperor, did not, but his son Cao Pi did, deposing his brother-in-law and establishing himself as emperor. Similarly, Emperor Xian of Han married Cao Cao's daughter under duress after the original empress was killed. Yang Jian was enfeoffed as Duke Sui of Northern Zhou, so after his coup, he established the Sui Dynasty, setting the era name Kaihuang, with the capital at Chang'an. In 589 AD, Yang Jian sent his second son, Prince Jin Yang Guang, commanding over 500,000 troops by land and water to destroy Chen, unifying the north and south.
You Sing 'Bà' and I Enter the Stage
Our nation is relatively diverse, which means there are more opportunities for mutual learning and cultural exchange, making the entire Chinese people smarter, with increasingly excellent genetic traits. Look at the Native Americans who belong to the same Mongoloid race as us, but why were they still in the prehistoric civilization era when Columbus discovered America? One important reason is their isolation and lack of communication. Among their more than a thousand tribes, there are over two thousand languages. Zhang Village can't understand what Li Village says, and Li Village can't understand what Wang Village says, and they don't unify the language, developing blindly. The consequence of lacking communication is that Zhang Village knows crabs can be eaten, while Li Village considers them poisonous insects; Li Village knows crocodiles shouldn't be provoked, but Wang Village keeps feeding them.
The Last Han Dynasty
Yingtian is today's Nanjing, and Zhu Yuanzhang is the Hongwu Emperor of Ming. Look at what he looks like, without a trace of an emperor's fortune. That face is like a shoe horn. Yes, just like a shoe horn, or a trowel, full of pockmarks. This is the true appearance of the Hongwu Emperor. If you paint him like this, he'll kill you. If you beautify him, making him look like Emperor Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Han Wu, he'll still kill you. So this thing can't be done. This Ming Dynasty is the darkest dynasty in Chinese history, with 121 years out of 276 where the emperor didn't attend court, and when he did, it wasn't for good reasons. Look at Zhu Yuanzhang, who didn't do good things, a typical tyrant. He ascended the throne, becoming the most humble-born emperor in Chinese history.
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