Chapter 1

At the end of last year, I went to Xi'an, the ancient capital I had always longed to visit, with Yan Jiu and Jia Lan. Although the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty is no longer, standing under the Great Wild Goose Pagoda at sunset, I still felt as if I had traveled through time. The grand scene of inscribing names on the Wild Goose Pagoda seemed to be right before my eyes.

When I finished "The Splendor of the Red Gate," I had once dreamed of vividly depicting the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the plan was put on hold. Nearly two years later, after my trip to Xi'an, I made up my mind to write about the Tang Dynasty.

In historical fiction, some authors excel at depicting the boundless passion and fiery clashes of heroes, some at the chaotic wars of the declining empire, some at the intricacies of the political arena, and some at the delicate and refined emotions. As for me, I now have a greater fondness for the various characters lost in history, the different atmosphere of a time that is hundreds of years away, and the distinct way of life in a distant era.

This time, I am not just writing about an era of heroes. It was an era of literary brilliance, with the most outstanding scholars and poets from ancient times to the present; it was an era of distinguished officials, with one after another of famous prime ministers and ministers recorded in history; it was an era of artistic competition, with unparalleled excellence in music, dance, and all kinds of musical instruments; it was an era of military and political achievement, where people would write poetry and drink in taverns after dismounting from their horses, and gallop on the battlefield with swords to slay enemies, displaying their heroic and confident spirit; it was an era of the flourishing of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, with various ideas colliding to produce countless sparks of wisdom.

It was the brilliant glory before the empire reached its peak, the struggle to renew and innovate, and the unparalleled achievement of the world paying homage.

Recalling the prosperous days of the Kaiyuan era, even small towns still housed thousands of households. Rice and millet were abundant, and both public and private granaries were full.

"Prosperity of the Tang Dynasty" will begin with the Kaiyuan era. Stay tuned.