Merits and Faults of Emperor Wu of Han

Name: Merits and Faults of Emperor Wu of Han
ISBN: 9787555916093

Wang JuerenHenan Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaNov 2023

3.8

Word count: 271K words
Chapters: 63
ISBN: 9787555916093

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Summary

Emperor Wu of Han reigned for fifty-four years. During his rule he campaigned north against the Xiongnu, extended control over the Western Regions, subdued the Two Yue in the south, and brought Korea in the east to heel. He incorporated the Hetao Plain, the Hexi Corridor, Lingnan, Minyue, the Northeast, and the Southwest into direct central administration, greatly expanding the territory of ancient China. Yet the appraisal of his merits and faults has been contested for millennia; Sima Guang, in Zizhi Tongjian, criticized him for "indulging in extravagance and luxury, imposing heavy punishments and exorbitant taxes." To realize his grand enterprise, Emperor Wu paid a price nearly as immense as the historical achievements he created.

Editor's review

This book examines Emperor Wu of Han within the overall arc of his fifty-four-year reign. It recounts his territorial expansion—the northern campaigns against the Xiongnu, the management of the Western Regions, the pacification of the Two Yue in the south, and the subjugation of Korea in the east—while not shying away from the extravagance and the heavy punishments and exorbitant taxes that Sima Guang criticized. The author presents merits and faults side by side, showing readers that great achievements and their costs are often two sides of the same coin, rather than offering a simple revisionist defense or a final verdict. The narrative is clear and accessible, suited to general readers interested in Han politics, frontier administration, and the evaluation of emperors, and also useful as supplementary reading beyond the history classroom. Readers might enter with a questioning mind: where are the boundaries of an emperor's achievements, and how should the benefits and costs of expanding central power be weighed? For readers who wish to understand how ancient China's territory took shape and who are unsatisfied with caricatured judgments, this biography offers a perspective that balances historical fact with reflection.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Han history and the life of Emperor Wu
History enthusiasts who want to understand the expansion of ancient China's territory
Students who need material on the evaluation of emperors and the analysis of merits and faults
Readers who prefer narrative history biographies over purely academic scholarship

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers seeking rigorous source criticism and scholarly annotation
Readers who want only Emperor Wu's positive achievements and avoid critical perspectives
Readers uninterested in Han political institutions who prefer modern or contemporary topics

Reading tips

Read the overall arc first, then return to Sima Guang's criticism of Emperor Wu to form your own judgment.
When reading about territorial expansion, note costs and benefits as you go so you can weigh merits and faults afterward.
Read alongside the relevant passages of Zizhi Tongjian to appreciate how different historians portray Emperor Wu.
After finishing, write a paragraph stating your own conclusion on his merits and faults to test whether the author's narrative swayed you.

About the publisher

Henan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Founded in 1996, Henan Literature and Art Publishing House mainly publishes books on literature and art, social sciences and broadly cultural subjects, and also edits and publishes the journal Celebrity Biography, gradually forming a publishing style characterized by full-length historical novels and biographical literature. Judging from the 269 titles in the database, its publishing scope also covers mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, classic works and world classics. Representative books include Ellery Queen's four tragedies, Slaughterhouse-Five, Blindness, The Siege of Lisbon, The History of the Siege of Lisbon, the ten-volume Collected Works of Wang Zengqi, Old Tales Retold and the two-volume Classic Short Stories of Stanisław Lem, the God of Science Fiction. In terms of authors, it includes foreign masters such as Kurt Vonnegut, José Saramago and Ellery Queen, as well as translators such as Yang Xi, Yu Jianhua and Fan Weixin.

版权信息
序汉武时代的得与失
第一章入主东宫
王娡的传奇人生：一切皆有可能
七国之乱：晁错成了背锅侠
后宫争夺战：改写刘彻命运的女人
太子是怎样“炼”成的
夺储引发的血案：袁盎之死
第二章君临天下
无箸之筵：直臣周亚夫的悲剧结局
太子登基：刘彻开启帝王生涯
帝国灵魂的变革：儒学登场
夭折的锋芒：少年天子对决太皇太后
飞鹰走马：刘彻的青葱岁月
第三章刘彻亲政
亲政初体验：当皇帝那些事儿
马邑之谋：细节决定成败
外戚之争：田蚡与窦婴
灌夫骂座：冲动的惩罚
第四章征匈奴，分诸侯，抑豪强
张汤牛刀小试，李广死里逃生
攻取河南地：卫青屡建奇功
主父偃发迹，“推恩令”颁布
郭解之死：游侠时代的落幕
主父偃被斩：一个政坛暴发户的败亡
第五章文臣武将
从“猪倌”到御史大夫：大器晚成的公孙弘
社稷之臣：汲黯与武帝的“相爱相杀”
凿空西域：张骞的伟大探险
从奴仆到大将军：卫青的人生逆袭
霍去病登场：自古英雄出少年
第六章狂飙突进
淮南王刘安：一个“重度拖延症患者”
一场横跨十七年的谋反闹剧
扫平河西：无往不胜的霍去病
生财有道：疯狂运转的财政机器
从“盐铁专营”到“算缗告缗”
第七章外扬国威，内固皇权
“李广难封”：坏运气酿成的人生悲剧
封狼居胥：一代战神霍去病
兔死狗烹：酷吏的逻辑终局
一切都在天子的掌控之中
张汤之死：出来混，迟早是要还的
第八章开疆拓土
断匈奴右臂：张骞二次出使西域
平定南越：一个独立王国的覆灭
蔓延的战火：征服西南和闽越
东征朝鲜：一波三折的远征
第九章武帝的另一面
雄主也昏聩：迷信神仙，巡游无度
都是“宝马”惹的祸：李广利西征
汉匈博弈：从文斗到武斗
二征大宛：一场代价惨重的胜利
苏武牧羊记：铮铮铁骨，屹立千秋
血战千里：李陵的光荣与耻辱
致命的谎言：英雄后人为何叛国？
第十章大时代落幕
血腥的帝国：叛乱纷起，“巫蛊”发端
巫蛊之祸：酷吏江充的恐怖阴谋
喋血长安：太子刘据兵变始末
李广利之死：又是巫蛊惹的祸
《轮台罪己诏》：一代雄主的最后忏悔
临终托孤：武帝安排身后事

FAQ

Does this book praise or condemn Emperor Wu?

The material suggests the book does not offer simple praise or blame. It presents achievements such as the northern campaigns against the Xiongnu and the management of the Western Regions alongside the costs of extravagance and heavy punishments and exorbitant taxes, emphasizing the millennia-long controversy over his merits and faults. It is better read as a biography that presents complexity than as a revisionist tract.

Can I read it without prior knowledge of Han history?

Yes. The book's main narrative follows Emperor Wu's reign and does not require systematic prior knowledge of Han history. If the background on the Xiongnu, the Western Regions, or the Two Yue is unfamiliar, a simple map or chronological table will make the reading smoother.

Does the book discuss Sima Guang's evaluation?

The material shows that the book explicitly mentions Sima Guang's criticism in Zizhi Tongjian that Emperor Wu was extravagant and imposed heavy punishments and exorbitant taxes, and notes that the cost of his great achievements was immense. This indicates the author brings traditional historians' criticism into the discussion; readers can watch for how the book responds to it.

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About the author

Wang Jueren Author · Chinese · 1972

Wang Jueren, whose real name is Wang Lin, was born in 1972 in Zhangzhou, Fujian. He is a Chinese writer and screenwriter for film and television, as well as a columnist for Southern Metropolis Daily and Baijia Jiangtan and a researcher of traditional culture. He has long written where history and philosophy meet, covering history books, fiction, social psychology and Eastern philosophy; the library holds 22 of his works. His representative work, Three Hundred Years of the Rise and Fall of the Tang Dynasty (formerly The Bloody High Tang), is known for its narrative drive, making the Tang's rise and fall vivid and readable, while Wang Yangming's Philosophy of Mind turns to the organization and interpretation of traditional thought. He has also written novels such as The Lanting Xu Murder Case. His historical writing emphasizes readability and storytelling, skillfully turning historical sources into coherent narratives, and has thus gained a broad readership in popular history.