Peril

A Revelatory History of Northern Song Politics: Exploring the Interplay of Divine Mandate and Human Agency in the Dynamics of Rise and Fall
一部别开生面的北宋政治史，探寻兴衰背后的"天命"与"人力"

During the mid-to-late Northern Song Dynasty, the empire faced external threats from powerful rivals while being internally plagued by intense factional strife, resulting in recurrent crises. This book centers on historical events such as the Heavenly Texts incident, the Qingli Increase of Tribute, and the Yuanyou Reversal, as well as figures like Emperor Shenzong, Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, and Empress Dowager Gao. Through a series of interconnected narratives, it offers new interpretations of several key issues in the political history of this period.

In terms of analytical approach, the work places particular emphasis on detailed examinations of political processes. It strives to understand the perspectives of historical actors, exploring the possibilities, contingencies, and uncertainties inherent in history. By doing so, it seeks to recover the multifaceted realities that truly existed within the historical process and reveal its profound complexity.
北宋中后期，外则强敌环伺，内则深陷党争，忧患频仍。本书围绕天书封祀、庆历增币、元祐更化等历史事件，以及宋神宗、王安石、司马光、高太后等数位历史人物，讲述了一系列彼此勾连的"故事"，对于北宋中后期政治史的多个重要问题进行了新的阐释。就分析方法而言，本书特别重视政治过程的详细分析，强调从当事人的认识出发，去探索历史中的可能性、偶然性和不确定性，力图寻求历史进程中曾真实存在的种种面向，揭示历史的复杂性。