The Kangxi Emperor’s Calculated Mercy In a strategic display of imperial magnanimity, the Kangxi Emperor allowed the disgraced warlord Geng […]
The Tide Turns in Wu Sangui’s Favor By early 1674, rebel commander Wu Sangui found himself in an enviable military […]
The Gathering Storm: China’s Most Dangerous Rebellion The year was 1673 when the 19-year-old Kangxi Emperor faced the greatest threat […]
Introduction: Reassessing the Kangxi Emperor’s Early Struggles Historical narratives often depict the Kangxi Emperor as a master strategist during the […]
A Fateful Summons in Kunming On November 21, 1673, Zhu Guozhi, the governor of Yunnan, received an ominous invitation from […]
The Unwilling Rebel: Wu Sangui’s Dilemma In 1673, the sixty-two-year-old Wu Sangui, a veteran general who had served the Qing […]
The Aging General’s Persistent Plea In March 1673, Prince Pingnan Shang Kexi submitted his eleventh formal request to retire to […]
A Chess Game of Imperial Politics On an unremarkable evening in 1669, the 15-year-old Kangxi Emperor summoned his confidant Songgotu […]
The Untimely Yet Timely Death of a Regent In the summer of 1667, the Qing Empire stood at a crucial […]
A Reign in the Shadows The year 1667 marked a pivotal moment in the early Qing dynasty, when the formidable […]
A Precarious Inheritance When the Shunzhi Emperor died in 1661, he bequeathed to his seven-year-old son Kangxi an empire both […]
A Beloved Emperor Faces His Mortality Johann Adam Schall von Bell, the German Jesuit missionary, enjoyed unwavering favor throughout Emperor […]
A Jesuit Astronomer at the Fall of the Ming In the tumultuous year of 1644, as Beijing’s Ming dynasty collapsed […]
Introduction: A Monument in Beijing’s Ancient Observatory At Beijing’s Ancient Observatory stands a statue commemorating Johann Adam Schall von Bell […]
Introduction: A Nation in Turmoil The early 20th century witnessed China at a critical crossroads, as centuries of imperial rule […]
Introduction: The Making of a Revolutionary In the twilight of the Qing Dynasty, as ancient traditions clashed with modernizing forces, […]
Introduction: A Ruler Behind the Curtain In the twilight of China’s Qing Dynasty, while the empire faced internal decay and […]
The Aftermath of Failed Reform In the closing years of the 19th century, China stood at a critical crossroads. The […]
Introduction: A Nation at the Crossroads In the late 19th century, the Qing Dynasty found itself grappling with unprecedented challenges. […]
Introduction: A Statesman’s Final Gambit In the twilight of the Qing Dynasty, as imperial China faced unprecedented external pressures and […]
Introduction: The Geopolitical Landscape of 1894 The late 19th century witnessed a dramatic shift in East Asian power dynamics as […]
Introduction: A Dynasty at the Crossroads The year 1884 marked a critical juncture in the final decades of Qing dynasty […]
