The Real Truth of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty is a popular book for the public to learn about Emperor Xuanzong. The most distinguished feature of this little book co-written by Mr. Yan Shoucheng and Mr. Wu Zongguo, the two experts of the Tang Dynasty history, is that it takes the main historical scene as the object of description. The “main historical scene” refers to making plans for state affairs and governing the country. For Emperor Xuanzong, this was the area in which he made the most important achievements throughout his lifetime and this was also what he thought about and dealt with everyday in his work. In other words, governing and rejuvenating the country was part of his daily routine for Emperor Xuanzong as the monarch of the state, while this most important part was the least known to ordinary people since “there was nothing interesting”. However, it was this dreary, uninteresting administrative life that made Emperor Xuanzong, the “founder of theater”, a man of flesh and blood, because this was not only his career but also his life itself. In contrast, the private life of Emperor Xuanzong, for example his romance with concubines of Wu Hui, Mei and Yang Yuhuan does not occupy a prominent space in the book, which is where the author’s purpose lies in pruning. Emperor Xuanzong was not a pleasure-seeking person in palace, instead, he was the conductor who led the movement of the Great Tang Dynasty up to a grand climax.
The special political structure and governing philosophy of the Tang Dynasty made it develop on the right track for quite a long period of time and thanks to institutional restrictions, personal desires could hardly wreak havoc on the state. The reign of Emperor Xuanzong was no exception. It was the requirements of the times in early years of Kaiyuan Reign to bring about order after social disturbances, however, the bad habits of the old era persisted and there was no lack of careerists among his ministers. But a positive situation appeared in Kaiyuan years: careerists neither impacted the redevelopment of the Great Tang Dynasty nor deflected the political goals of the benign administration of Kaiyuan Reign. How could this happen? Likewise, in nearly one hundred years of development, the Tang Dynasty was full of ups and downs, and it was not until the reign of Emperor Xuanzong that the Tang Dynasty fully realized its all-round prosperity, creating a “Glorious Age of Tang Dynasty” that was held in reverence and remembrance by future generations thereafter. And how could this happen? In creating the glorious Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong appointed many officials of Wuzhou Reign who became his right hand, and how could this happen again? Only by probing into the political and institutional systems and governing philosophy during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong can we find answers to these questions. And these answers constitute the real truth of Emperor Xuanzong.
It is starting from such political events during the Reign of Emperor Xuanzong that the authors analyze the governing ideas and practices of the emperor, as well as the great turn from prosperity to decline of his reign. Therefore, important political decisions and major changes in governing principles are seen as natural subjects of the book. Indeed, just as the authors admitted, “many issues were left untouched”, but as a book of popularizing the historical image of Emperor Xuanzong and displaying the development track of the Glorious Age of Tang Dynasty, this book is well worth putting on your desk for constant reading.(By Zhang Naidong)
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