The Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties: A History of China

The Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties: A History of China PART TWO takes you on an exciting journey deep into the fate of a dynasty. In this journey, you'll experience palace plots, heroic battles, and the rise of one of the most powerful women in Chinese history—Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian, who first entered the palace as Zhaoyi, used her smart mind and fearless decisions to climb from a low-ranked concubine to the highest ruler. Her words could make an emperor or remove one. This book takes you into her world, showing how she cleared away powerful enemies in court and took control, changing China's future in ways no one saw coming. In these pages, you'll follow brave generals marching west to fight in the Western Regions and against Tubo. You'll see wars and shaky peace deals, like marriage alliances that almost kept battles from breaking out. From the moment the "Two Sages" ruled together, every chapter will leave you wondering what will happen next. Then you'll be pulled into the bloody struggles of the Wu Zhou dynasty, where royal families were wiped out and the line between hero and villain was blurred. You'll feel for loyal ministers who tried to save the empire but were crushed by ambition, and you'll see the golden age of the Kaiyuan era appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. As the story unfolds, you'll meet the famous Consort Yang, follow the Tang armies in tough wars against Nanzhao, and witness their devastating loss at the Battle of Talas against the Abbasids—an event that changed Central Asia forever. By the end, you'll feel the empire shatter as powerful warlords rise, An Lushan's brutal rebellion erupts, Luoyang falls, and desperate orders lead to shocking betrayals and palace coups. This book lets you see the incredible fall of one of history's greatest dynasties with your own eyes.