Begun by 姚察 under the Chen and Sui and finished by his son 姚思廉 in 636. Unusually for its time it is written in plain prose rather than ornate parallel prose. It is one of the 二十四史.
culture
Idioms such as 叱咤风云 and 执迷不悟 come from its annals. There 梁武帝, Emperor Wu, is so devoted to Buddhism that he gives himself to a temple four times, and each time his court has to buy him back.
