The Sovereign
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Enthusiasts of classical Chinese and literature and history who want to understand the precise meaning of the word renzhu
- Language teachers and editors who need concise and reliable lexical reference
- Readers new to ancient political texts who need to clear away obstacles posed by appellations
- General readers interested in imperial appellations and the concept of monarchical power
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting long historical narratives or character stories
- Researchers who need a systematic theory of political institutions
- Readers who only want popular stories and are unwilling to engage with lexical research
Reading tips
- First read the definition, then excerpt sentences containing renzhu from classical texts you often read for comparison and understanding.
- Read alongside books on ancient history or institutional history, placing the word's meaning back into its historical context.
- Make a one-page note recording the differences in usage between renzhu, junzhu, tianzi, and other appellations.
- As the book is short, it can be read and consulted in installments; there is no need to finish it in one sitting.
About the publisher
Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.
Contents
- 版权信息
FAQ
Is this book about stories of emperors?
Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?
Is it suitable as a teaching reference?
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About the author
Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.
