Preface

In 2004, on the title page of my book On the Twelve Emperors of the Qing Dynasty, I penned the following words, “History is a mirror, and it is also an art. It serves as a reference, but more importantly, it offers appreciation”. Recently, my friend Mr. Yan Zhongyi remarked, “As all fields of science reach their highest levels of development, they inevitably transition into philosophy and art”. Philosophy delves into regularity, while art pursues truth, goodness, and beauty. Consequently, scientific research not only unravels regularities but also seeks the essence of truth, goodness, and beauty, aspiring to achieve the pinnacle of scientific perfection. In light of this insight, I shall commence my book with a discussion of the profound connection between the imperial kilns and myself.