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Acknowledgments
In the preparation of book, I have incurred many debts. While it is impossible to acknowledge all the people who shared their time and expertise with me over the years, many deserve special mention here.
First and foremost, my greatest intellectual debt is to my mentor, Professor Richard L. Davis, who led me into the fascinating history of the Five Dynasties period and guided me through the writing of my dissertation at Brown. I am deeply moved by the countless hours he has spent reading the manuscript in draft form, translating key documents for me, and offering invaluable advice during lengthy discussions. His careful readings and insightful criticisms challenged and inspired me over the course of many revisions. No one but I can truly understand what they have meant to me during the writing of this book.
Many other teachers and friends at Brown also offered great help during my study. Professor Mark Swislocki, whose perspective was indispensable for readjusting my approaches, proposed many stimulating suggestions when I started to write. My Chinese teachers Weijia Huang, Meiqing Zhang, and Lingzhen Wang in the East Asian Studies