During the Western Han Dynasty, after the period of prosperity known as the Rule of Wen and Jing, agriculture developed unprecedentedly, and the country was stable and unified.

After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he abolished the doctrines of various schools of thought, promoting Confucianism as the sole official ideology. He extensively recruited talented individuals and established universities.

However, he was also excessively ambitious, fond of grand projects, and often overlooked the hardships of his people.

Ban Gu, in his work 'Book of Han,' commented: 'If Emperor Wu, with his exceptional talent and grand strategy, had not deviated from the humility and frugality of Emperors Wen and Jing, he would have greatly benefited his people.'