[1] During the 18th century, Qing dynasty scholars found many complete quotes of the book in Yongle Da Dian.
Zhu Wen's brutality led many to want to exclude that dynasty from the Mandate of Heaven due to the requirement that the leader work with benevolence.
While each of these five dynasties held more territory than any of the other Chinese polities of the era, none of them had a realistic chance of conquering the southern kingdoms and uniting the entire realm.
Xue's work provides valuable historical information regarding the Five Dynasties that ruled most of northern China from 907 to 960, relied on by historians today for much of what is known about this period of Chinese history.
However, another legacy of the book is the use of official histories to strengthen claims to the Mandate of Heaven, including the bending of historical fact to suit the needs of the patron dynasty.