The Man who Reversed 1,000 Years of History | The Life & Times of Wang Mang

Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring - Head to keeps.com/jack... to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment
Hey, hidey ho there, how ya doin, welcome to part three of this here Han dynasty trilogy. If you haven’t seen the first two I highly recommend it, if not don’t worry about it, all you need to know: This guy is Han Wudi, he ruled China for 5 decades at the peak of one of its golden ages, made it bigger and better, then got super paranoid and killed his favorite son. Along the way he threw his newborn great-grandson into prison but guess what he grew up in prison, a kindly warden got him out, he grew up some more as a commoner and then someone came to his house one day and said “Hey surprise congratulations you’re the emperor!” and he was a really nice guy who did nice things for the commoners and only mass-murdered like one family, practically a saint.
Today, and by today I mean like 1 BCE, the emperor is dead, succession is getting complicated again and China is effectively ruled by this man: the quiet and humble regent Wang Mang… who’s leading a cult of personality from the shadows in order to resurrect a 1000-year-old kingdom and become the most powerful man in the known world.
Music (in order of appearance):
Derek & Brandon Fiechter - Wu Zetian
2WEI - Blackburn
Kevin Macleod - Hidden Past
Peritune - Wuxia 2 Guzheng
Pokemon evolution sting
Guan Xia - Overture No. 1
Derek & Brandon Fiechter - The Five Guardians
Elite Backing Tracks - Bossa Nova in D Major
Qing Bei Le - The Joy of Drinking Up the Wine
Kevin Macleod - Peppy Pepe (you didn't think I could make a video and only use Macleod's music for the intro did you?)
Aphrow - Lion Dance

[@JackRackam]

Head to keeps.com/jackrackam to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment! Pleased to report we've got another word slipped in from a Patreon supporter in here somewhere, points to whoever figures it out first. Incidentally, let me know what you think of this style of sponsor integration! There's only a select group of youtubers whose ad spots I regularly watch just for entertainment so I figured I'd try to have a little fun with it

[@cheapsmuck4209]

Still 3am here

[@JamieAllen1977]

bce? I think you mean B.C. Lord, God, help these illiterates learn how things are.

[@JamieAllen1977]

well Jesus rose from the Dead, proving himself to be God, that's why billions follow him; mohamad set up a death cult that murders you for most reasons, trapping billions inside it; that's why people follow him.

[@JamieAllen1977]

now did they really kick his around? as good as that report is, you should be clearer about facts.

[@brendenmenardprincestrong3528]

He was good guy, but not a good guy.

[@legateelizabeth]

The fact that all of this is happening contemporary to Rome's Caesar/Augustus shenanigans is absolutely amazing to me. Rome/China is the greatest crossover we never got.

[@zephyrfield7322]

Well, they are practically a world apart, but that would have made some pretty great history trivia

[@DarkAdonisVyers]

I mean, there are games for that.

[@reillycurran8508]

Probably for the best, Rome saw China the way early Americans saw the west coast, that is they felt it was their divine right and destiny to eventually brutally conquer and subjugate it

[@doodlebug4360]

There kinda was. There were several trade relations between the two and they even set up embassies (China in 27 BC and Rome in 166 AD). Unfortunately for both in the middle of the two was the Parthians and later the Sassanid who did there best to ruin relations between the two so that they wouldn't have two superpowers united against them

[@DarkAdonisVyers]

@@reillycurran8508 No, I'd say that Roman imperialism is a lot lighter than Chinese imperialism (what was that line about the Mongols? laissez-faire tyranny?). The thing is that China didn't know about the world at large... At the time. Now, they do. From what I can see, Roman emperors weren't nearly as obsessed about wiping out all traces of the dynasty that preceded them as Chinese emperors did.

[@zhongjiang7083]

Funny story about Wang Mang. According to the Book of Jin, Wang Mang was actually bald, which led to him being kind of insecure and developing a fully head-covering hat as part of the official dress for government officials, called a "Jieze"(介帻)-hat. It basically looked liked a like a pillbox hat, which you could add elements on top of to denominate status (such as a square arch-shaped "crown" to form a civil official/scholar's hat called a Jinxianguan 进贤冠, the descendant of which was still used until Ming Dynasty) This was one reform that actually stuck and indirectly led to the development of many of the fancy hats of Chinese history, such as the hat you see Zhuge Liang wearing in Three Kingdoms history.

[@qct101]

If only Keeps delivered to ancient China.

[@JonatasAdoM]

I always wondered about the fancy hats.

[@speedypichu6833]

That just makes the advertisement so perfect, especially since it’s one of my favorite advertisements for connecting to the video and comedy

[@Tetsulot]

The dude is like the real twist villain in a JRPG game, holy shit.

[@rorywilson3252]

I mean seriously, how many actual historical figures have suddenly revealed themselves the head of a plot to restore an esoteric and primordial empire to power through proclaiming themselves a reincarnation of a man who would be deified into a God of Dreams. Because apparently there's at least one.

[@RealLotus002]

@@rorywilson3252 to be fair that also happened with Tamerlane ironically enough

[@Tetsulot]

@@rorywilson3252 he also the kind and humble official that help the young Emperor, wth

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

That or Shang Tsung

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@Tetsulot Helped the young emperor into his grave, you mean.

[@weirdofromhalo]

You didn't talk about the funniest part of his regency/rule. He renamed the dynasty to the Xin Dynasty - literally, the "New Dynasty." He was so uncreative he couldn't think of a good name for his dynasty.

[@erikeriks]

A lot of dynasties and kingdoms get their names from simple words. My country of the Netherlands quite literally translates to the low lands, and you can't really call the United States of America a creative name, either.

[@louthegiantcookie]

I guess the moral of the story is to never trust someone who has to make a big song and dance about how "moral" they are - because they're usually hiding much darker aspects of their personality. Or maybe the moral is that you shouldn't devalue your own currency for literally no reason.

[@internetxxx_pl0r3r_xxx77]

Local grill dad gets too into history, starts complaining about how things were better in "the good old days", ruins everything.

[@Vesperitis]

sounds depressingly, Europeanly, even Americanly familiar

[@JunkPhuJP]

@@Vesperitis Recent American history you mean?

[@TheDarkjoker99]

More like "Born in the wrong generation"

[@NucleaRaptor]

@@TheDarkjoker99 >LE BORN IN THE WRONG DYNASTY

[@veiga1000]

Typical boomer

[@linlawson1530]

When are you going to talk about the most based Chinese Emperor; Ming Guangzong, who died 28 days into his reign after having sex with 8 girls simultaneously for the said 28 days.

[@linlawson1530]

@@bigfootguru86 He rewarded the border garrisons by giving money directly from his personal treasury, released officials unjustly imprisoned by his father, abolished the widely hated mining taxed. He would have been a wise and kind ruler, but Eight Simultaneous Ming Dynasty Pussy had him acting up.

[@Thecognoscenti_1]

I thought he died after eating a red pill that was supposed to cure his STDs

[@linlawson1530]

@@Thecognoscenti_1 nope that was an aphrodisiac to keep him going

[@Thecognoscenti_1]

@@linlawson1530 lmao that reminds me of his grandfather, 明穆宗, who similarly over-exhausted himself in bed.

[@polasamierwahsh421]

Truly a good ruler and an example to all

[@exudeku]

I wish he will cover the Tang An Shan Shenanigans, Qin Shi Huang's Book Burning galore, The femboy-looking Prince of Lan-Ling, etc.

[@justrandomotaku]

Ooo the Prince of lanling! He was so beautiful that he had to wear a mask into battle so the enemies would take him seriously

[@johnquach8821]

@@justrandomotaku So Vega from Street Fighter, but actually happened?

[@alketsadedinaj3011]

Fgo player?

[@bkr1895]

I’d like to see him talk about the Wu Tang Clan myself

[@exudeku]

@@alketsadedinaj3011 and a fellow Gacha Salt miner

[@admech590]

Incredible, this man warranted a rebellion through blind devotion to a way of life that he barely understood (because it's literally from centuries ago) and sheer incompetence. He didn't need to oppress anyone...that...that's impressive.

[@deiansalazar140]

They hated him not because he was a jerk, in fact he was a pretty nice guy despite the court shenanigans. He just FUCKING ABOLISHED EVERYTHING!

[@JunkPhuJP]

Imagine being so bad at your job, you start a rebellion where literally everyone kicks you out of your position.

[@tedhubertcrusio372]

Reminds me of communism...

[@alejandronieto4212]

@@tedhubertcrusio372 but communism does oppress

[@wintersking4290]

This is honestly really weird but also fascinating. Reminds me of all the insane research the Nazis attempted to find out what their "ancient superior Germans" were like. They also attempted some batshit crazy stuff to try and create their idealized version of an ancient culture.

[@petergray7576]

That was mostly a project of archeology geek Heinrich Himmler. Even Adolf Hitler thought he was a bit daft on this occasion.

[@ProjectEkerTest33]

Yeah Himmler and his weird neo-paganism. Hitler was suprisingly less into it though and openly said to his allies that it was dumb

[@samreddig8819]

@@ProjectEkerTest33 because he was more into Rome and Greece.

[@adrianaslund8605]

They bred cows specifically to resemble aurochs. So that they could wrestle them.

[@DDlambchop43]

@@petergray7576 yeah, but Sparky Mustache also believed in the "world ice theory" which is just the most insanely stupid idea ever.

[@febriandi_lushan]

Not so fun fact : Wang Mang head was kept in Imperial Library as prize and as a lesson not to usurp the throne. But somehow got lost during the burning of Imperial Library during Jin Dynasty (Somwhere around 287-300AD)

[@PragmaticAntithesis]

Knowing how long the Jin lasted, it's clear they didn't learn that lesson

[@CatholicDragoon]

This entire dynasty has been an absolute riot from beginning to end. To think that this story only gets crazier from here, that being the Yellow Turbans and the lead up to the three kingdoms.

[@admech590]

It gets worse?

[@CatholicDragoon]

@@admech590 So much worse that Japan made video games out of it.

[@ddwkc]

@@CatholicDragoon not just videogames ;)

[@thecandlemaker1329]

The Three Kingdoms era is too depressing for me, hundreds of thousands of people were killed in fights over which illegitimate usurper was more benevolent.

[@admech590]

@@CatholicDragoon that's what dynasty warriors was about?

[@ZephLodwick]

This is a classic example of ideology getting in the way of pragmatism. The best rulers were rarely the ones who stuck to their principles but the ones who compromised them in the name of getting things done.

[@submarineinthesky8946]

I could add in a "people who's principles aren't stupid"

[@ahkilleuskosmos6836]

Bruh the First Emperor would probably qualify as a gymnast with the amount of turning, twisting, backflipping he did in his grave when Wang Mang was emperor, given he tried to undo pretty much all of his accomplishments and reforms.

[@ciangibbons6643]

My respect for Jack just keeps improving, being nice enough to give us a progress bar for ads but then making such entertaining sponsor spots that I stick through a diatribe for a product I'm years too young for that doesn't even ship to the country I live in. Never mind that segue, take a bow man, take a bloody bow.

[@jakesgenuineanarchy5955]

You’re never too young to go bald. There are people that go bald at like 17. Also, there’s a way to get things to your country without going straight through.

[@ciangibbons6643]

@@jakesgenuineanarchy5955 It would actually be a crime for me to import it, it's a non approved medical product.

[@jakesgenuineanarchy5955]

@@ciangibbons6643 now that’s some government overreach if I’ve ever heard it. That sucks man. Let’s hope you don’t go bald.

[@JonatasAdoM]

@@jakesgenuineanarchy5955 I mean, it is approved by the FDA. Can you order things not approved or blocked by the FDA? It's similar to laws that forbid you from bringing animals or certain foods for biological risk.

[@cgt3704]

Interesting side note: when Wang became emperor, he demanded his aunt, the Dowager Empress, to give him the Heirloom seal of the realm (an artefact that gave someone the divine right to become ruler of China). The former empress, who was already angered by his actions, threw the artifact on the floor so hard, it chipped away one of its corbers. Later Wang repaired it by making a new golden corner. So if you ever find a seal similar to that artefact, make sure it had that gold bling Btw. Jack, will you do Vlad the Impaler and Stephen the great ?

[@张昊-h5n]

that heirloom represents the mandate of heaven. we have a saying “有眼不识金镶玉” roughly translates "you had eyes yet you don't recognize the jade repaired with gold" to call someone who failed to tell the real deal.

[@Ttegegg]

@@张昊-h5n why so rude to your neighbors China?

[@张昊-h5n]

@@Ttegegg 1. I'm not rude to my neighbors. personal wise or country wise. 2. If you're talking about Chinese government which neighbor explicitly? and I might explain in my POV.

[@cgt3704]

​@@张昊-h5nhmm interesting. Thanks for the info.

[@nickenchicken6593]

Man to religious to govern a dynasty when his religious book directly involves a section on how to govern people

[@skyworm8006]

@@editedforprivacy207 ehh it's not good to get caught up on words like this. You probably only object because you have negative associations with religion. Stoicism absolutely involves spirituality and questions of the divine, and was highly influential academically as well as among laymen (including on Christianity).

[@Raleyg]

@@skyworm8006 No he's right. Confucianism isn't about what gods you should worship or how the universe was created, but specifically how society and governments should be governed. Obviously philosophy and religion can be difficult to separate at times, but saying confucianism is a religion is like saying modern day conservatism or liberalism are religions. Heck, considering a big part of Confucianism is about how you should obey your elders and things were better in the good old days, confucianism basically is ancient Chinese conservatism

[@yourmum69_420]

@@Raleyg modern day "liberalism" basically is a religion though

[@Raleyg]

@@yourmum69_420 Oh give me a break

[@onetwothree9]

@@editedforprivacy207 his point still stands

[@okamiwithacamera6077]

Give us all the dynasties goddammit, we dont care how long it takes

[@JasynSuin]

Hoping that this Han dynasty theme continues for a while and we eventually get a video on Cao Cao.

[@sinoroman]

and he named his dynasty Xin Dynasty (which just meant New Dynasty, real creative)

[@seraphik]

the first part of this was so clearly Wang Mang playing the long game.

[@shinsenshogun900]

Ahhh, the good old blind playthrough of getting your hands deep into administration without any knowledge and guidance to re-enact ancient societal reforms, just to devolve your nation into anarchy. Also, cool use of the identical character arts for this series! (Said killers in the end are loosely allied to themselves, hence the extra-purging of whoever got Wang's head which resulted in even more dead Han leaders, who are mostly figureheads of their respective forces aiming to "restore" rightful authorities such as the Red Eyebrow rebels, or the regional kingdoms)

[@admech590]

I'm scared to ask how many times this has happened before across the world.

[@KingOskar4]

9:01 I laughed so hard, because these animations are just AMAZING... and fun to look at. It's like part chalk board, part photoshopped foto animations. But GRILLING steaks late Barbecue party Wang Mang is just soooo funny.

[@legateelizabeth]

"He was going to upend a thousand years of history in order to implement his mythologised idea of a nearly pre-historic kingdom" As a Romeaboo, I have never been more proud of a single man's ambitions in my entire life. We all want to return to the mythologised idea of an ancient and glorious empire, right?

[@Elenrai]

As a european I wanna agree but whenever I think about it, I suppose the Legionary system actually would be an improvement as it allows soldiers a tiny amount of influence and ensures theres always an adult available, something armed forces across the world seem to constantly lack, the stories I could tell...ah! Maybe I should do that sometime! Edit; my original point: I dont think we are gonna get men to wear skirts in north europe tho 😅

[@legateelizabeth]

@@Elenrai Hey, mythologised Rome can enjoy trousers AS WELL as their skirts! We know Romans in Britannia went native and adopted the barbarian practise of trousers, they weren't above it when the choice was between civility and frozen nuts. It's cold as hell up here, man.

[@DarkLordOfSweden]

Let me introduce you to this funny man named Mussolini

[@shanedoesyoutube8001]

Some "return to monke" shit but in terms of civilization

[@taan1424]

As a distant discendant of the people Romans conquered, enslaved and scattered throught the known world... Nah, I am good.

[@sonofagun1037]

If i had a nickle for every time a Chinese dictator ruines his farming industry by not understanding farming id have two nickles, which isn't a lot but its weird it has happened twice

[@fuckyoutubeusernamechange]

Did you count Mao's nickle?

[@erwintatp]

also there’s the Wang An’shi reform in Song dynasty. Stopped only after one of Wang’s former student draw the emperor the thousands of homeless in hunger just outside THE CAPITAL, which the emperor had NO idea about FOR YEARS

[@liamjm9278]

No it isn't. And it happened more than twice.

[@Vesperitis]

As a Chinese person, I get to make this joke without seeming racist. *In Chicano accent:* Hehe, 'Wang, mang'.

[@DarkAdonisVyers]

As a Chinese person, I know for a fact that our history has full of hilarious names. Ever seen the He Man Yellow Turban memes?

[@arami187]

As a Hispanic Man in the USA, I do admit the history of Chinese Emperors give Spanish Soap Operas a run for their money! 😆

[@liubei3058]

@@DarkAdonisVyers He Man. Master of The Universe.

[@Elenrai]

Aww my gay comment got autodeleted :( (Am gay and well...wang...mang...)

[@deiansalazar140]

@@DarkAdonisVyers Is it racist to use the funny words? I.e. Dong, Bei, Qin, Wei, Shu, Wu, Shu, Man, He, She, Wang, Long, etc.

[@shurik121]

My favorite part of Wang Mang's glorious reign is how in the end his head was used as a football.

[@manicabawse2867]

The best segway into an ad in recorded history

[@Junbug92]

After the soccer match, Wang Mang’s head was kept as a trophy for 200 years at the imperial palace until the Jin Dynasty when it was destroyed in a fire during the War of the Eight Princes

[@Kingfisher-]

An Everybody Loves Raymond reference was unexpected and (chef's kiss) magnificent!

[@Emily-the_funny_guys]

"he only killed one family, he's practically a Saint" 😇🤣👌😂

[@c-money9623]

Production quality is amazing unrecognizable from a few years back

[@eazy8579]

When do we get a video about Wang Man, the Stripperella Villian we never got?

[@DarkAdonisVyers]

You'll have to settle for He Man and Dong Tuna. Also, Man Chong, whose style name is Boning.

[@notusneo]

That ad transition is just 👌👌

[@arami187]

Me- Roman Emperors are full of Drama! *Qin Shi Huang staring at me, pale and sweating.

[@ismailaldienrazi1236]

1:28 it's funny advertisement since Muhammad has a famous anecdote about him shaving his head bald to get his people to listen to him again after the treaty of hudaybiyyah left some of them feeling a bit sour about the whole deal

[@moredac2881]

This was the best transition I’ve ever seen. I don’t mind the ad now. I won’t skip it this time. I’ll watch the whole ad. Comedic gold

[@CulturalOrigins]

Why do I feel like 00:48 is going to be the basis of the next World of Warcraft expansion >.< really though this reminds me a little bit of Simon de Montfort. Things never seem to go well for people who try to replace a previous royal family with nothing but a radical plan for the future. Couldn't say why.

[@Nara.Shikamaru]

Anybody else notice that Jack has been uploading more regularly since 2022 started?

[@fite-4-ever876]

15:16 didn't know supply limit from EU4 would be an actual factor in history

[@JackRackam]

Yup! A mechanic that initially confused me, but firmly rooted in reality

[@Significantpower]

That ad was brilliant, nearly choked on my beer.

[@neond6740]

That may just be the greatest KZbin sponsorship segment I have ever seen.

[@mathieuleader8601]

the great-grandson reminds me of a Shakespeare play

[@SamiDC]

6:01 - The Passion of the Cut Sleeve = no homo. 😂

[@user-J.M.A.I]

Please give us more Chinese Emperor schemes!

[@BTScriviner]

Your videos are excellent. Your enthusiasm for your topics is catching, and your erudition is inspiring. 👍

[@albertgreene313]

If ya can keep this going to the three kingdoms, I’d be elated

[@shawnbrdlik6213]

Would love to see something about Alexander Nevsky from you. Get the feeling you would really knock that out of the park

[@camdencarver4176]

can we talk about Jack's acting skills? Man its good

[@prettypic444]

i need a chinese imperial court dramedy like yesterday

[@jannestiemes4328]

That add was way too smooth 😂

[@Californianbychoice]

Comes to show you, an ideologue is a thousand times more dangerous than a criminal.

[@neroclaudius7284]

Ah no better way to start a day than a Jack Rackam video.

[@silenceisgolden6097]

honestly emperor Ai and Dong Xian could be their own video.

[@tsubaki-42]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mX2tZISsq7J6atE He did made a short video about them! It's really interesting.

[@LoudRevised]

Oppenheimer: And we’ll do it again.

[@harukrentz435]

Wang Mang is like the activist who thinks managing country is an easy peasy job.

[@Warmaker01]

History does get crazy.

[@linshitaolst4936]

Wang Mang was a very advanced reformer, but he lost to the times because his reform was not scientific in the feudal social environment at that time. First, he nationalized farmers' land, prohibited private sales, and was uniformly managed and distributed by the central government. Second, reform the tax system, change all wine, salt and iron into government operation, send tax officials to supervise prices in the market, restrict businessmen from hoarding goods and raise prices. Third, after Wang Mang came to power, he issued new money, mastered the power of making money, weakened the power of the old ethnic groups in the Han Dynasty, and prevented them from plundering the wealth of the people. Fourth, implement forced labor. The government formulates punishment measures for all unemployed vagrants, and each person pays one piece of cloth and silk every year. If they are unable to pay, the government forces them to perform labor service and provides food during labor service. Fifth, establish a loan system. People can borrow money from the government for funeral or sacrifice needs. They only need to repay the principal without interest. If you borrow money from the government for agricultural and commercial production, the government will charge one tenth of the net profit as interest.

[@davidjacobs8558]

Han Feizi clearly stated that, reforms must be implemented gradually. No matter how great the reform maybe, if it is implemented to quickly, it is worse than not doing the reform at all. And he predates Wang Mang by hundreds of years.

[@lukestover2207]

That and command economies are woefully insufficient. There is a reason why all Communist and Socialist states revert back to some governmental control of capitalism or have outrageously massive underground black markets where people could actually acquire their wants and needs.

[@hridgreximp6194]

Oh Lawd, The memes just keep coming!

[@vegancannibal1839]

6:01 why am I about to cry

[@nicholasbarber3644]

the no homo was perfect

[@warlordofbritannia]

For some reason, that ad felt like something out of Yugioh

[@ayubali2]

Thank you for always being respectful towards different groups such as you not putting a picture for our prophet s.a.w

[@Elenrai]

Does that respect not apply to people that do drawings? Charlie Hebdo and Kurt Vestergaard disagrees. Go show them some fucking respect to those groups before asking it from artists that do SATIRE!

[@ayubali2]

@@Elenrai I literally just said thanks for not using a specific drawing idk what u so mad about

[@ayubali2]

@@Elenrai i wasn’t endorsing no terrorism such as what happened at Charlie Hebdo and those people aren’t muslims you cant be muslim and kill innocents

[@dukaduka506]

Wang Mang, thank you, maam.

[@Nadodan]

Jack Rackam you sneaky so and so, I couldn't even be mad at that ad you snuck in

[@SimpleReally]

I paused the video when Guo Jia appeared, did you think we wouldn't notice?

[@connorhennessey1316]

2:40 I believe its pronounced Mar-Keys.

[@blacktemplarbrotherlucius1935]

Holy shit Chinese history is insane, I'm gonna take inspiration for this for dnd.

[@juancarlonavarra8397]

What are the chances of us getting videos on Cao Cao, Sun Quan, and Liu Bei?

[@liubei3058]

I agree.

[@timtsai9285]

The honestly impressive but really weird history of China never ceases to amaze me.

[@byzantineboi8345]

Jack really getting into that lucrative Chinese Market

[@Intranetusa]

Wouldn't he need to use audio in Chinese languages and/or Chinese-writing subtitles for that to happen?

[@Tyleya]

Ok can we discuss how smooth the sponsor snuck into the story? 😂😂

[@Koopastomper]

Will we eventually see an episode on Qin Shi Huang?

[@aleksandarvil5718]

Way BETTER than ENTIRE Season 08 of *Game of Thrones*

[@Dunno1999]

Can you do James Brooke? He was an English man who ruled a portion of Borneo as an independent Kingdom of Sarawak

[@prikrylproductions6495]

Sounds like that guy is a little too into Confucius

[@liubei3058]

Ah, The Han Dynasty. The Good Ol' Days.

[@APoleYouKnow]

"Spray some pigs blood on his door or something. That sounds like a bad omen!" *Tide commercial plays*

[@TVs_Wil_Herren]

Keeps whoeing it this Valentines season. Like third creator video I’ve seen they have sponsored this week.

[@aokhoinguyenang3992]

This guy must have loved the Investiture of the Gods novel. if it was publish in his lifetime

[@Junbug92]

No the book is like 1500 years away from him

[@aokhoinguyenang3992]

@@Junbug92 Yes, that's why I said: "if it was published in his lifetime "

[@moonflower1759]

That was the best ad segway I've ever seen

[@jamiemartin1434]

I never knew Guo Jia was the employ of the previous live.Also how long until the Three Kingdoms happen?

[@harukrentz435]

Wait for another 200 years after this 😂

[@user-eb7pe9bp2q]

Around 200~ years until then

[@scottgrey3337]

How was this man smart enough to become emperor but not to actually run his country?

[@blenderbanana]

Mugabe, Mao, Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler. . .

[@maarekstele2998]

Clever enough to get it but not clever enough to hold it, reminds me of Barry Lyndon

[@bohemianwriter1]

So this emperor Han Wudi was a big anti-hairloss promoter and became famous for that? Quite impressive! Since the Chinese are famous for having strong hair roots

[@Enward834]

*IMAGE NOT FOUND*

[@UlyssesJonah]

Laughed so hard at the restaurant currency scene

[@jesperohlrich7090]

seems like he was the Wong Man for the job ;)

[@trainszelda3076]

I want a wang mang comity now this guy was hilarious

[@urielantoniobarcelosavenda780]

Just so if your wondering, from what I have heard, yes, this not only happend to emperors, no son in China dare defay it's grandma

[@shanedoesyoutube8001]

I've heard cool history bros said something about empress dowager dou (Han Wu Di's grandma) "If you think old white men are good at clinging onto power, then you have never heard of Asian amas (grandmas). They are forces of nature I tell you"

[@urielantoniobarcelosavenda780]

@@shanedoesyoutube8001 yes! I also like that channel

[@Lopez_the_heavy]

16:49 instant friendly fire💀

[@frinzerevan5655]

Horus and lorgar confirms the baldness theory

[@sierrajohnson717]

Another “no they were best friends” case huh?

[@JackRackam]

Yup, Emperor Ai and his totally platonic bro friend whom he spent all day with, promoted to the commander of the armed forces within 2 years of meeting him as a household attendant, and occasionally slept with. So y'know, *best* friends

[@teal_m_101]

Why are Imperial Grandmothers in Chinese dynasties more psycho than the Emperors?

[@henryng914]

Fun fact Wang Mang 王莽 can be a time traveler , a modern Chinese of the 80s who time traveled back in time , attempt to apply socialism with chinese characterisitc and trying to build modern stuff like planes and stuff , but only failed spectacularly, at least this is a popular theory in china

[@alfonsomures732]

That was the best add commercial i have ever seen

[@jeromefitzroy]

Finally, most shows are so euro-centric

[@boulderbash19700209]

The advertisement is embedded nicely.

[@michaelsinger4638]

I thing he might have forgotten that that ancient dynasty fell for a reason. Oops.

[@KolaNutKing]

It’s mar-key