Xin Wudai shi

The Xin Wudai shi, or "New History of the Five Dynasties," is a historical work by Ouyang Xiu, a prominent statesman, poet, and historian of the Song dynasty in China. Written during his banishment in the 1030s, it chronicles the tumultuous period of the Five Dynasties (907–960 CE), a time of political fragmentation following the collapse of the Tang dynasty.12

Ouyang Xiu's approach was innovative for its time. He dedicated separate sections to political outcasts like martyrs, rebels, and traitors, departing from the conventions of previous dynastic histories. This reflected his strong sense of fairness and his desire to present a more comprehensive and morally nuanced account of the era. The period itself saw five short-lived regimes in northern China and ten kingdoms in the south, collectively known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.123