Historical story

Empress Wang Zhengjun, mother of Emperor Cheng of Han, had eight brothers. The second son of her second brother, Wang Man, was named Wang Mang. Some court ministers praised Wang Mang highly, so Emperor Cheng enfeoffed him as Marquis of Xindu and later appointed him Grand Marshal, granting him control over the imperial court.

In the struggle among powerful feudal states for hegemony, large states annexed smaller ones, expanding their territories. However, the rulers of these large states had to enfeoff newly acquired lands to their meritorious ministers. As a result, the power of these ministers grew stronger.

Wang Mang's main forces had already been destroyed, leaving only the two major cities of Chang'an and Luoyang under his control. Wang Xian, the governor of Hongnong (in present-day Henan),simplysurrendered to the Han army, and many powerful aristocratic families followed Wang Xian to attack Chang'an. They set fires everywhere inside and outside the city.

Introduction: He ascended the throne wearing straw sandals, his imperial robe patched and mended. After reigning for 23 years, he never built a new palace, repaired a garden, added to his carriages and ceremonial guards, or even acquired an extra dog or horse.

The "Records of the Grand Historian: The Basic Annals of Gaozu" records: When summarizing his experience in seizing the empire, Liu Bang said: "...In planning strategies within the command tent and deciding victory a thousand li away, I am not as good as Zifang (Zhang Liang); in stabilizing the state, comforting the people, providing supplies, and ensuring the grain routes never fail, I am not as good as Xiao He; in commanding an army of a million, winning every battle and taking every attack, I am not as good as Han Xin.

During the struggle among the major feudal states for hegemony, large states annexed smaller ones and expanded their territories. However, the rulers of these powerful states had to grant newly acquired lands to their meritorious ministers. As a result, the ministers' power grew significantly.

In the early 4th century AD, under the dual blows of internal rebellions and external invasions, the Western Jin dynasty's rule became precarious. Its capital was temporarily moved from Luoyang to Chang'an. However, this relocation could not save it from its destined collapse. In 316 AD, the Xiongnu leader Liu Cong led his troops to capture Chang'an, taking Emperor Min of Jin, Sima Ye, captive, thus declaring the end of the Western Jin dynasty.

During the Western Jin dynasty, apart from powerful officials like Wang Kai and Shi Chong, who lived in extravagant luxury, there was another group of aristocratic officials. These men, after filling their bellies, would gather in groups of three or five to engage in idle boasting, spouting nothing but absurd and fantastical nonsense disconnected from reality.

Downstream of the Yellow River, there was a tribe called Shang. Legend says that Xie (pronounced "xiè"), the ancestor of the Shang people, lived during the time of Emperors Yao and Shun and worked alongside Yu to control floods, earning great merit. Later, due to rapid development in animal husbandry, by the end of the Xia dynasty, when Tang became its leader, the Shang tribe had grown into a powerful force.

While the eunuch faction led by Wei Zhongxian was throwing the Ming court into chaos, the Khan of Later Jin, Nurhaci, was continuously attacking Ming forces in Liaodong. After the Battle of Sarhu, the Ming dynasty sent an experienced general, Xiong Tingbi, beyond the pass to command military affairs in Liaodong. Xiong Tingbi was a highly capable commander, but Wang Huazhen, the provincial governor of Guangning (present-day Beizhen, Liaoning), felt that Xiong’s presence would undermine his own authority and thus did everything possible to obstruct Xiong Tingbi’s command.