🔎【Public Lecture｜Free Admission】Qian Mu's Former Residence, Su Shu Lou Lecture Hall – Historical Biographies and Life Series: "A New Emperor, A New Court: Biographies of Wei Qi and Wu An Hou, Part Two", Professor Jiang Yitai, December 20, 2015
🚪Registration website: AnyDoor (Welcome to register and reserve your seat / On-site and online registration are both available):
https://www.beclass.com/rid=305018a68f2f3e0877b4
On a spring night in Chang'an, the banquet at the residence of Marquis Wei Qi had just ended. As Dou Ying slowly drifted off to sleep, still slightly tipsy, he could not have imagined that the court official who had knelt and served him wine at the banquet would become his irreconcilable political enemy.
Marquis Dou Ying of Weiqi, once favored by Empress Xiaowen, gradually lost power during Emperor Jing's reign; Marquis Tian Fen of Wu'an, before gaining power, treated Dou Ying like a son, but after Empress Dowager Wang rose to power, he wielded immense influence. Guan Fu, renowned for his martial prowess and chivalry, refused to retire after losing power, his fate intertwined with that of the other two. However, the entanglements of these three men lack much heroic spirit, instead revealing the ugliness and tragedy of human nature amidst a struggle for power.
However, as historian Lu Yaodong stated, Sima Qian wrote this biography not to record the tedious power struggles and infighting in the game of power, but rather "to narrate, through the grudges and conflicts between Tian Fen and Dou Ying, the political struggles that occurred at the center of the power structure during the transition from the old to the new ruling system." During this special period from the reign of Emperor Jing to the early years of Emperor Wu, the military meritocracy, the power of the empress's relatives, and the emperor's power were facing a reorganization of the power structure. "A new emperor, a new court"—this dilemma of human nature and system behind the power reshuffling continues to this day. When individual character flaws meet systemic changes of the times, it often leads to a tragic struggle with no winners. In the not-too-distant future of the Western Han Dynasty, the drama of empress's relatives taking turns would continue, only this time the protagonists would be Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.
In the latest lecture series at Qian Mu's Former Residence, Professor Jiang Yitai will guide us through a close reading of this classic work, reminiscent of the "Officialdom Unmasked" of the Western Han Dynasty. Through the intertwined fates of Dou Ying, Tian Fen, and Guan Fu, we will revisit one of the eternal themes explored by Sima Qian from a perspective that is no longer passionate and impassioned but rather more starkly realistic: how individual character and circumstances propel us toward our respective destinies in the endless dialectic between the times, power, and human nature.
📆Lecture Time: December 20, 2025 (Saturday), 2:10 PM – 4:00 PM
🏡Lecture Location:
Room C508, 5F, Qinpu Building, Boai Campus, Taipei City University (No. 1, Aiguo West Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City)
"Qian Mu's Former Residence - Open Course Channel" (Live Online Broadcast)
https://www.youtube.com/@chienmu.house.classroom
👨🏫Lecture Speaker: Professor Jiang Yitai, PhD in Chinese Literature from National Taiwan University, currently teaches at the Department of Chinese Literature at National Taiwan University and the Department of Languages at Taipei Municipal University. He follows the strict rules of the Spring and Autumn Annals within the Faculty of Arts, yet also enjoys exploring the intersection of history and literature. While observing worldly affairs with the sharp eye of Sima Qian, he most admires the passion and romanticism of humanity for ideals. He transforms selected readings in Chinese literature into stories of human nature observation, always able to find familiar souls in the yellowed pages of modern texts.
🔔Lecture Fee: Free admission
🚀Online lecture information:
After the lecture begins, the live stream link will be announced on the "Qian Mu's Former Residence YouTube Channel" and the "Qian Mu's Former Residence Facebook Fan Page". Feel free to leave comments and participate in the discussion!
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# Records of the Grand Historian # Biography of Wei Qi and Wu An Hou
# Dou Ying # Tian Fen # Guan Fu
Emperor Wu of Han # The Politics of Empress Dowager's Relatives
# Power Transition # Rise and Fall in Officialdom
# Sima Qian # Historian's Writing Style
# Western Han Dynasty Politics # Chang'an Nobles
# Jiang Yitai # Su Shulou Lecture Hall
# Public Lectures # Free Lectures
# Online Courses # Online Lectures
# Humanity # History # Qian Mu's Former Residence
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🔎【Public Lecture｜Free Admission】Qian Mu's Former Residence, Su Shu Lou Lecture Hall – Historical Biographies and Life Series: "A New Emperor, A New Court: Biographies of Wei Qi and Wu An Hou, Part Two", Professor Jiang Yitai, December 20, 2015
