Taishi Gongshu, formerly known as Taishi Gongshu or Taishi Gongshu Gong Ji, is a biographical history book written by Sima Qian, a historian of the Western Han Dynasty. It is the first biographical general history in the history of China, recording the history of four years and more than 3,000 years from the legendary Huangdi era to Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty. Historical Records has a huge scale and a complete system, which has a far-reaching impact on the biographical history books of later generations. The official history of past dynasties was written in this genre.

2. Hanshu

Also known as "The Book before Han Dynasty", it is the first biographical chronology of China. It was compiled by Ban Gu, a historian of the Han Dynasty and the Eastern Han Dynasty, and lasted for more than 20 years. It was basically completed at the initial stage of its establishment, which was interpreted by Yan Shigu in the later Tang Dynasty. The book Hanshu mainly describes the history of 230 years from the first year of Emperor Gaozu (206 BC) to the fourth year of Emperor Wangmang of the New Dynasty (23 AD).

3. The Book of Later Han Dynasty

Historical and literary works compiled by Ye Fan, a historian of the Southern Dynasties and the Song Dynasty, mainly describe the historical events from the first year of Jianwu (AD 25) of Guangwu Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the 25th year of Jian 'an of Emperor Xiandi of the Han Dynasty (AD 220) 195. The books of the later Han Dynasty are well-structured and orderly arranged. For example, biographies of eighty biographies are generally arranged in chronological order. The first three volumes are the man of the hour in the Han Dynasty, and the last nine volumes are the royal princes and important generals in the Guangwu era.

4. History of the Three Kingdoms

Written by Chen Shou, a historian in the Western Jin Dynasty, it recorded the biographical history of Cao Wei, Shu Han and Wu Dong in the Three Kingdoms period. It was originally published in three independent books: Shu Wei Shu and Wu Shu, which completely described the historical panorama of China from division to unification in the last hundred years from the end of Han Dynasty to the beginning of Jin Dynasty.

The History of the Three Kingdoms is also the most special one in the twenty-four histories, because it is too brief, and it does not record the lineage of princes and princes, nor does it record the "records" of economy, geography, official positions, rites and music, laws, calendars, etc., which does not conform to the norms of general official history established by Historical Records and Hanshu.