CONTENTS
Diagrams and Tables .......................................................................... ix
Acknowledgements ............................................................................ xi
Chapter One Introduction: Interpretive Perspective ................. 1
Chapter Two Retired Emperorship: The Northern Wei
Innovation ....................................................................................... 23
Chapter Three The Northern Wei Case Concluded: The
Regency of the Empress Dowager Wenming, 476–490 ............ 61
Chapter Four The Collapse of the Northern Qi .......................... 93
Chapter Five The Northern Zhou Case ....................................... 127
Chapter Six The Xuanwu Men Incident of the Tang: Imperial
Retirement Enters the Mainstream ............................................. 167
Chapter Seven The Xuanwu Men Legacy: Taizong’s
Factionalization of the Position of Heir Apparent ..................... 195
Chapter Eight The Pervasive Factionalization of Taizong’s
Court ............................................................................................... 213
Chapter Nine Taizong—An Emperor on the Run ...................... 239
Chapter Ten Conclusion ................................................................ 253
Bibliography ........................................................................................ 261
Index .................................................................................................... 271
· · · · · · (收起)