Romance of the Former Han

3.7

Chapters: 40
Series: Romance of the Former Han

Summary

Romance of the Former Han is the first volume of The Popular Romance of Chinese Dynasties (also known as The Popular Romance of Successive Dynasties) by Cai Dongfan, a historian and popular historical novelist of the Republican era. The book has one hundred chapters, beginning with Lü Buwei's "rare commodity worth hoarding" in the late Warring States period and the origins of Ying Zheng, and continuing to Wang Mang's usurpation and the replacement of Han by the Xin dynasty, covering more than two hundred years of Qin and Western Han. The author states that he takes the official histories as the warp and seeks accuracy, and anecdotes as the weft without indulging in fabrication. Major plotlines are built on the backbone of the Records of the Grand Historian, the Book of Han, and other official histories, with unofficial histories and anecdotes occasionally adopted but always requiring corroboration, so the book can be read both as a story and as popular history. Its deepest emphases are three: first, the tyranny and rapid fall of Qin, cut short in the second generation and lasting only fifteen years, which the author treats as a transition from Zhou to Han; second, the contending heroes of the Chu-Han period, with the successes and failures of Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Han Xin, Zhang Liang, Chen Ping, and others narrated in detail; third, the court and political scene after Han's founding, from the siege of Baideng, the Lü clan turmoil, the reigns of Wen and Jing, Emperor Wu's expansion, the witchcraft calamity, Huo Guang's regency, and the Zhaoxuan restoration to Wang Mang's usurpation, presenting one by one the "sources of national disorder" such as favorites, consort clans, regional commanders, barbarians, sycophants, eunuchs, and treacherous ministers. Beyond the main text, Cai Dongfan adds his own annotations, interlinear notes, and end-of-chapter summaries, sometimes refuting absurd tales, sometimes noting discrepancies in historical sources, sometimes explaining ancient official titles, geography, objects, and dialect, combining the vividness of novelistic technique with the calm of historical commentary in a distinctive self-annotated format. This entry refers to a recent simplified-character edition titled Romance of the Former Han.

Editor's review

读历史最怕两件事：一是正史太难，翻两页便昏昏欲睡；二是野史太野，读完不知哪句是真。蔡东藩这套书写在两者之间——骨架是《史记》《汉书》，血肉是章回体的叙事，骨肉之间还夹着作者自己的批注，告诉你这条材料出自何处、那段传闻不可尽信。一本《前汉演义》，百回之中从吕不韦献姬写到王莽代汉，秦皇汉武、楚汉群雄、文景二帝、卫青霍去病、苏武李陵、霍光宣帝，两百年的人物与格局尽在其中。它的句子带着民国白话的旧味，读起来有节奏，也有隔膜，需要一点耐心；但一旦入港，比读小说更长见识，比读史书更省力气。史学家顾颉刚推崇此书的普及之功，作家二月河也说读它可以入门民族历史。想弄明白“汉承秦制”到底是怎么回事、为什么西汉的外戚问题贯穿始终，不妨从这一册开始。

Who it's for

A good fit for

想系统了解秦与西汉历史、又不愿啃《史记》《汉书》原文的普通读者
喜欢章回体叙事、看重故事情节的历史小说爱好者
需要为历史课、通识课补充通俗史料的中学与大学师生
对“汉承秦制”、外戚政治等主题有兴趣，想从叙事中建立整体印象的读者

Not a good fit for

期待完全白话、无文言痕迹的读者，书中民国腔调与旧式词汇较多
以考据研究为目标的专业史学者，本书是通俗演绎而非严格学术著作
希望读到一个现代作家重新虚构人物的读者，本书忠实于史料，虚构成分有限

Reading tips

先看自序与回目，弄清楚作者“以正史为经、以轶闻为纬”的取舍标准，再进入正文。
每回读完回末的总批再看下一回，蔡东藩的判断常比正文更有意思。
遇到人名地名受阻不必停顿，可对照书前世系图或随手查阅《史记》相关列传。
不必强求一次性读完百回，可按“秦亡—楚汉—文景—汉武—昭宣—王莽”分段推进。

Chapter 1: Grafting Flowers onto a Branch, a Beautiful Concubine Is Presented; Substituting Li for Tao, Pleasure Is Enjoyed with the Wanton Queen
Chapter 2: Executing the False Father, Accepting Advice to Welcome the Mother; Declaring Himself Emperor, Establishing Laws to Fool the People
Chapter 3: Sacrificing at Mount Tai, Descending the Mountain to Escape Rain; Crossing the Xiang River, Frightened by Wind Mid-crossing
Chapter 4: A Mistaken Hammer Blow, Escaping Death and Meeting a Strange Man; Seeing a Prophecy, Sending Generals to Build the Great Wall
Chapter 5: Trusting Flatterers, Destroying All Books of Poetry; Building the Epang Palace, Undertaking Great Construction
Chapter 6: Burying Scholars in a Deep Pit, the Learned Meet Their End; Obtaining the Original Jade, the Tyrant Is Startled
Chapter 7: Seeking a Way Out, Xu Fu Reclaims Wasteland; Following a Treacherous Plot, Li Si Forges an Edict
Chapter 8: Burying the First Emperor, Mount Li Becomes a Giant Tomb; Slaughtering the Imperial Clan, a Strange Injustice Is Framed
Chapter 9: Appointed Company Commander, Plotting Midway; Killing Officers, Raising the Rebel Banner at Daze
Chapter 10: Against Advice, Chen Sheng Declares Himself King; Skilled at Pacification, Wu Chen Stands Alone
Chapter 11: A True Dragon Descends, Light Hidden by the Si River; Slaying the Great Snake, Fleeing at Night from Feng Township
Chapter 12: Killing the County Magistrate, Liu Bang Rises; Slaying the Commandery Governor, Xiang Liang Raises Troops
Chapter 13: Persuading the Yan General, a Common Soldier Saves the King; Entering the Zhao Palace, a Rebel Minister Kills His Lord
Chapter 14: Losing the Military Initiative, King Chen Meets His End; Spared a Son's Disaster, Ying's Mother Leaves Words
Chapter 15: Following Fan Zeng to Seek and Enthrone a Chu King's Descendant; Trusting Zhao Gao, Unjustly Killing Chancellor Li
Chapter 16: Stationed at Dingtao, Xiang Liang Dies of Defeat; Camped at Anyang, Song Yi Loses His Life
Chapter 17: Breaking the Cauldrons and Sinking the Boats, Fighting with All One's Might; Losing Troops and Generals, Fearing Punishment and Begging to Surrender
Chapter 18: The Wise Li Yiji Offers a Plan to Take a Key City; The Foolish Huhai Meets Murder in the Fasting Palace
Chapter 19: Executing the Treacherous Eunuch, Trying to Prolong Qin's Mandate; Burying Surrendered Soldiers, Marching Straight to Hangu Pass
Chapter 20: Feasting at Hongmen, Zhang and Fan Protect the Emperor; Burning the Qin Palace, the Pass and Shaanxi Are Laid Waste
Chapter 21: Burning the Plank Road, Zhang Liang Sets the Plan; Building the Altar, Han Xin Is Made General
Chapter 22: Using a Secret Plan, Secretly Crossing Chencang; Receiving Secret Orders, Secretly Killing the Righteous Emperor
Chapter 23: Descending to Henan, Chen Ping Flees to Seek Audience; Passing Luoyang, Elder Dong Offers a Plan
Chapter 24: Escaping Chu's Danger, Fortunately Meeting Consort Qi; Knowing Han Will Rise, Ling's Mother Fights to the Death
Chapter 25: Crossing the River on Wooden Jars, Capturing Wei Bao by Stratagem; Drawing Up Troops with Back to the River, Luring and Killing Chen Yu
Chapter 26: Sui He Delivers Orders to Recruit Ying Bu; Zhang Liang Borrows Chopsticks to Refute Li Yiji
Chapter 27: Sowing Dissension, Fan Zeng Meets His End; Willing to Die in Another's Place, Ji Xin Is Burned
Chapter 28: Entering the Inner Tent, Secretly Seizing the General's Seal; Saving the Whole City, Fortunately Obtaining a Servant's Son
Chapter 29: Greedy for Merit and Courting Disaster, Li Yiji Is Boiled Alive; Enumerating Crimes and Speaking Out, the King of Han Is Struck by an Arrow
Chapter 30: Killing Long Qie, Winning by Surprise; Drawing the Hong Canal, Reuniting with Family and Making Peace
Chapter 31: The Great General's Wondrous Stratagem, Fierce Battle at Gaixia; The Beauty's Tragic Farewell, Dying by the River
Chapter 32: Ascending the Throne, the Han Sovereign Is Honored; At the Post Station, Tian Heng Cuts His Own Throat
Chapter 33: Advising the Move of the Capital, Lou Jing Offers Counsel; Feigning a Tour, Han Xin Is Captured
Chapter 34: Ranking Marches and Grants, Favoring Chancellor Xiao; Establishing Court Ceremonies, the Merit Goes to Shusun Tong
Chapter 35: Plotting Patricide, Shooting the Chanyu Dead; Seeking to Break the Siege, Bribing the Barbarian Queen
Chapter 36: Banqueting in the Deep Palace, Raising a Cup to Toast the Father's Longevity; Tied in Imperial Prison, Fighting to Death to Clear the King's Innocence
Chapter 37: Debating Deposition and Installation, Zhou Chang Fights for the Heir; Suppressing Rebels, Chen Xi Flees
Chapter 38: The Fierce Empress Lü's Poisonous Plot Kills Meritorious Ministers; The Wise Lu Sheng's Skillful Words Recruit Barbarian Chiefs
Chapter 39: Suppressing Huainan, an Arrow Wounds the Imperial Carriage; Passing through Pei, Feasting with Fellow Villagers
Chapter 40: Protecting the Heir Apparent, the Four White-Haired Elders Attend the Banquet; Leaving a Testament, Emperor Gaozu Ascends to Heaven

FAQ

《前汉演义》和《前汉通俗演义》是同一本书吗？

是同一部书的不同题名。蔡东藩原书多题作《前汉通俗演义》，收入《中国历代通俗演义》（亦称《历朝通俗演义》）系列，后世不少简体版本简称为《前汉演义》，内容均为一百回，从秦并六国写到王莽篡汉。

这本书是小说还是历史？

两者兼具，但更偏历史。作者以《史记》《汉书》等正史为主要依据，人物对话与细节有艺术加工，主要事件力求有据，因此可作通俗史读，也可作历史小说读。

没有读过《后汉演义》能直接读吗？

可以。系列各代独立成篇，本册是其中第一部，从秦末讲起，不需要前置知识；读完后接《后汉演义》正好衔接王莽之后的历史。

需要多少古文基础才能读下去？

中等即可。正文是民国时期的浅近文言与白话夹杂，普通人名叙事不难，但官名、地名与典故较多，作者多半在批注中自行解释，耐心读几回就能适应。

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About the author

Cai Dongfan Author · China · 1877–1945

Cai Dongfan (1877–1945) was a native of Xiaoshan, Zhejiang, and a modern Chinese writer of historical romances. Beginning in 1916, he spent ten years completing the 11-volume, 1,040-chapter Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, which recounts the rise and fall of dynasties in an accessible style; he also wrote Romances of Empress Dowager Cixi. Drawing on historical sources and adapting them into simple classical Chinese and the chapter-based vernacular form, his works balance historical fact with narrative interest, allowing ordinary readers to follow the broad course of a dynasty through its chapter headings. The collection holds 381 of his works, including dynastic romances on the Jin, Ming, Tang, Later Han and Republican periods, as well as series such as the Six Histories and the Popular Romances of Successive Dynasties, commonly classified as history reading and classical literature. Regarded as a representative figure in Chinese historical romance writing, Cai Dongfan's series have had a lasting influence in popularizing historical knowledge and continuing the romance tradition, and remain accessible introductions to Chinese history for readers today.