The Western Han Dynasty: A History of China

The Western Han Dynasty: A History of China, PART ONE, plunges you into one of the most dramatic and transformative chapters of Chinese civilization. From the smoldering ruins of the Qin Dynasty rose Liu Bang—a man with no royal blood, no illustrious pedigree, and yet a stubborn will to build an empire that would far outlive his wildest ambitions. I wrote this book to trace how that unlikely founder, surrounded by fiercely loyal generals and cunning rivals, turned chaos into one of history's great success stories. You'll meet warriors whose names still ring through the centuries—Han Xin, the brilliant strategist whose long string of victories remade the map of China; Cao Can (also recorded as Cao Shen), the steady counselor who helped steady the court; and Zhang Liang, the master of subtlety and long-range planning. You'll watch alliances harden into deadly rivalries—Empress Lü's iron-fisted rule, the tragic downfall of Consort Qi and her son Liu Ruyi, and the lethal court games that decided who would sit on the Han throne. These are not distant legends—they were flesh-and-blood people who lived, schemed, and paid the price for ambition. As the dynasty matured, its emperors faced fresh tests of authority and conscience. Emperor Wen brought relief and stability after years of bloodletting, while the reform-minded Jia Yi dreamed of moral renewal only to be pushed aside by the hard realities of politics. The Rebellion of the Seven States tore at the empire's unity, and the events surrounding the execution of Chao Cuo and the rise—and later tragic fall—of Zhou Yafu showed how precarious power could be when surrounded by jealousy, fear, and suspicion. Then came the golden age of Emperor Wu of Han — one of the most remarkable rulers in Chinese history. Under his rule (reigning from 141 to 87 BCE), the empire pushed outward both its borders and its imagination.