In 1566, the world’s first successful capitalist revolution took place in The Netherlands.

In 1566, Süleyman the Magnificent died, and the Ottoman Empire began its slow decline.

And in that same 1566, the Ming Emperor Jiajing was still in power. The Emperor had not been seen at court for 27 years, yet no revolts against him had occurred. But later that year, he also died, leading the greatest empire in East Asia to its own turning point.

Great Ming Empire 1566 is a tale of historical intrigues and power struggles during uncertain times.

What makes Great Ming Empire 1566 a must-read?

First, there’s the author. Liu Heping is as much a historian as he is a novelist — and a playwright, too. He excels at evoking the high drama of society and politics in those times, drawing on real events, and real political leaders.

Yongzheng’s Empire (playwright), 13 wins & 1 nomination

All Quiet in Peking (playwright), 25 wins & 19 nominations

The television show adaptation was praised as #1 drama of historical and political intrigues — a true game of thrones, watched and re-watched by many.

On Douban.com, the largest social cataloging website in China, Great Ming Empire 1566 occupies the very top position for Chinese historical fiction, was entered into the Douban fiction top 100, and has remained in print since its publication in 2007.

Masses of reviewers have rated the novel a 9/10 or higher, making it second to none in its genre.

The Battle for Power: A Game for the Clever

On first reading, the central conflict of the novel seems to be that of the high official Yan Song, and his son, Yan Shifan. The full story is about how Hai Rui and his loose network of scholar-officials worked to fight corruption. But as the story deepens, you discover that it is not so easy to say who is corrupt, and who is clean. Even the most corrupt official in the land is little more than a spokesperson for Emperor Jiajing himself.

Jiajing was a consummately clever man, one who also knew well how to manipulate others. His intelligence was manifest in comprehensive mastery of Taoist theory, and his seeming to practice the art of governing without governing. He knew well the ways of dirty political tricks, but he kept the balance of power, not by being pro-active, but by assent and dissent of this or that high official, balancing conflicting interests and so achieving stable authority for himself.

Officials have their ulterior motives, clean and corrupt alike. Sometimes they acted in self-interest, and sometimes they act in the interest of others.

One wants to eliminate an annoyance to the emperor, and protect his own reputation for loyalty, satisfying the desires of empire and self at once.

Another wants to live up to the emperor, but live up to the common people, as well as live up to his own conscience.

Still another wants to make a name for himself as a great and upright official — but his true goal is to amass political power.

Impressive, Relatable Characters and Finely Detailed Description Render a Fully-Developed Historical World

Just as in life, roles characters abound in this novel, but no protagonist dominates the whole. The narration begins with the incident of the order to convert farmland into mulberry fields, with each character involved corresponding to the actual social environment of the Ming court.

Take Shen Yishi, a merchant of Zhejiang, for example. He made his living producing silk and other textiles for the imperial palace, and so had a complicated relationship with Zhejiang official circles. When the policy to increase silk production on rice paddies reached Zhejiang, Shen Yishi knew the game was up for him, but as a merchant, with few political connections, there was little he could change.

The Surprising Power and Influence of Women in this Feudal Society

Great Ming Empire 1566 draws striking portraits of female characters, giving us a different view of the social status of women in traditional patriarchal feudal societies. Princess Li, for example, is involved in so many crucial turning points, we are forced to conclude that Prince of Yu (Crown Prince Zhu Zaiji), her husband, would never have been able to govern the country without her — not even with his three viziers. Or consider the courtesan Yun Niang, so crucial to the collisions, and collusions, of the political and commercial worlds. A major force pushing the plot forward, she began life as a drifter who is used as a political pawn, but in the end, her will wins out over fate, and comes to know of true love at last.