Although Xiahou Lian and Shen Jue have reunited, danger casts a shadow over their lives together. Xiahou Lian hasn't managed to stamp out Qiye Garden, and under a new leader, that sinister enclave of assassins has become more bold. Xiahou Lian and Shen Jue's allies have already begun to vanish, die, or turn against them. And making matters worse, the mysterious, debilitating "Paradise Fruit" has grown more and more entrenched in Great Qi.Staving off Qiye Garden and eliminating the Paradise...

Reeling from the devastating loss of someone close to him, young assassin Xiahou Lian sets off on a perilous journey to find his long-lost brother, who's hidden away on a remote and forbidding mountain. But what Xiahou Lian encounters at the summit isn't the reunion he imagined. Instead, he's thrust into a web of secrets and betrayals more harrowing than anything he's faced in Qiye Garden.Within the palace walls, Shen Jue moves like a shadow. Though he wears a mask of obedience while servi...

After converging in the capital, Xiahou Lian and Shen Jue soon learn that the imperial court is no safer than the roads that brought them there. Power is shifting perilously, secrets are tightening around them, and Xiahou Lian's attempts to protect himself through deception place him in unexpected danger.Shaken by the fallout, the two dare to rebuild the bond they once lost. As Xiahou Lian gains a foothold in the Eastern Depot, he and Shen Jue are swept into a storm of treachery and enemie...

Three decades after 1989, historical materials are now available for understanding the Tiananmen protests in a new light. In a play-by-play account of the elite politics that led to the military crackdown, Yang Su addresses the repression of the protest in the context of political leadership succession. He challenges conventional views that see the military intervention as a necessary measure against a revolutionary mobilization. Beneath the political drama, Deadly Decision in Beijing expl...

"Embrace a culinary adventure right in your kitchen with Su Yang's new eBook, '60 Healthy Salad Dressings Recipes'. Discover the joy of creating and tasting homemade salad dressings that are not just delightful but also beneficial for your health.As Su turned 60, she noticed a dip in her appetite and became increasingly aware of the undesired ingredients in store-bought dressings. This inspired her to research and compile a collection of unique, palate-pleasing, and health-boosting...

The violence of Mao's China is well known, but its extreme form is not. In 1967 and 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, collective killings were widespread in rural China in the form of public execution. Victims included women, children, and the elderly. This book is the first to systematically document and analyze these atrocities, drawing data from local archives, government documents, and interviews with survivors in two southern provinces. This book extracts from the Chinese case les...

“Spence draws upon his extensive knowledge of Chinese politics and culture to create an illuminating picture of Mao. . . . Superb.” (Chicago Tribune)From humble origins in the provinces, Mao Zedong rose to absolute power, unifying with an iron fist a vast country torn apart by years of weak leadership, colonialism, and war. This sharply drawn and insightful account brings to life this modern-day emperor and the tumultuous era that he did so much to shape.

The need to understand this global giant has never been more pressing: China is constantly in the news, yet conflicting impressions abound. Within one generation, China has transformed from an impoverished, repressive state into an economic and political powerhouse. In the fully revised and updated second edition of China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know, China expert Jeffrey Wasserstrom provides cogent answers to the most urgent questions regarding the newest supe...

China today is never out of the news: from international finance to human rights controversies, global coverage of its rising international presence, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. It seems to be a country of contradictions: a peasant society with some of the world's most futuristic cities, heir to an ancient civilization that is still trying to find a modern identity. This Very Short Introduction offers the reader an entry to understanding the world's most populous nation, g...

How could the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) not only survive but even thrive, regaining the support of many Chinese citizens after the Tiananmen Square crackdown of 1989? Why has popular sentiment turned toward anti-Western nationalism despite the anti-dictatorship democratic movements of the 1980s? And why has China been more assertive toward the United States and Japan in foreign policy but relatively conciliatory toward smaller countries in conflict?Offering an explanation for t...

How China's political model could prove to be a viable alternative to Western democracyWesterners tend to divide the political world into "good" democracies and “bad” authoritarian regimes. But the Chinese political model does not fit neatly in either category. Over the past three decades, China has evolved a political system that can best be described as “political meritocracy.” The China Model seeks to understand the ideals and the reality of this unique...

With the loosening of restrictions on the Chinese economy in the 1980s and 1990s and the rise of the middle class, many observers thought that Western-style democracy would soon follow. Instead, China has adopted its own version, with a market-driven economy where actions that might call into question the decisions of the governing party are strictly forbidden. In this fascinating account, Cormier chronicles numerous failed attempts to bring democracy to China in the last century, starting...