Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties

When the mighty Sui Empire begins to decay under its own splendor, and the dawn of the Tang glimmers through the smoke of rebellion, a new generation of heroes rises.

Qin Shubao, the steadfast warrior; Cheng Yaojin, brave and boisterous; and Li Shimin, the prince destined to become one of China’s greatest emperors - their intertwined fates carve a path through chaos toward renewal.

First printed in 1695 and long celebrated in East Asia as a cornerstone of popular history, Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties completes the cycle of China’s great epics - following Three Kingdoms and Water Margin yet preceding the philosophical refinement of Dream of the Red Chamber. It is at once a chronicle of dynastic collapse, a meditation on virtue and ambition, and a panoramic stage upon which myth, folklore, and recorded history converge.

This first complete English translation provides solid foundation for enjoyment in classical Chinese historical fiction.

Through its pages, readers witness the transformation of empires and the endurance of moral courage - a vision of civilization repeatedly reborn from ruin.

Rediscover the great epics, mysteries and chronicles of dynastic China: gods and generals, swindlers and scholars, courtesans, ghosts and emperors, in complete English translations.