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THE BASIC ANNALS OF EMPEROR WUDI After ages of endless war and strife, the Han Dynasty took rest under the administrations of Han Wendi and Han Jingdi. Such solace soon disappeared after Liu Che, sixth sucessor of the Western Han Dynasty, ascended the throne at age 15. This boy became Emperor Wudi, the Martial Emperor. As fierce and as bold as the warrior Hsiang Yu, Wudi dedicated his reign to the suppression of the Huns. The Emperor unleashed three waves of attack on the tribe, driving them far north at Gobi. To hold the enemy at bay, Wudi ordered the construction of a new Great Wall, much more imposing than that of the Qin Dynasty. And the former barrier was renovated still. Before the victory, Han Wudi sent out his trusted general Zhang Qian to propose an allegiance with the Yuezhi Tribe against the Huns. After a thirteen year odyssey of capture and escape, exploration and discovery, Zhang Qian finally returned. The trail that he blazed would become known as the Silk Road, a path which led to a Chinese cultural and economic flourishment. Emperor Wudi established the teachings of Confucius as law, and simultaneously banished all opposing literature. As a ruler, cunning strategies fulfilled his grand ambitions. Upon dying in 86 B.C., he was renamed Emperor Shizong. The Han Dynasty would fall less than 100 years later. THE BIOGRAPHY OF LI LING Li Ling lived noblely as a General to Emperor Wudi and as a son to his parents. He was as fearless a warrior and as trustworthy a friend as the fabled Li Kuang. The Sixth Emperor ordered Li Ling to lead an assault on the Huns. The General pleaded with his majesty to reconsider his strategy, for the enemy would greatly outnumber them. But Wudi refused to make concessions. Li Ling bowed and prepared for sacrafice. The General gathered 5,000 troops and set out for Northern China. When initial news of the battle returned, the Emperor’s men rejoiced. All Lords and Ministers praised Li Ling for his heroic plunge into the enemy’s forces. The General had driven his troops to the lion’s den and called out the beast. The Huns could not match such bold and fearless will. However, the struggle would last for 10 days, and the tides of fortune are always turning.
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