Official History
A Chinese history book based on the biography of emperors. It was first seen in Ruan Xiaoxu of Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. "Books of the Sui Dynasty" lists "Historical Records", "Hanshu", etc.
The biographical history books based on the biographies of emperors are listed as official history, ranking first among the historical books. "History of the Ming Dynasty·Yiwenzhi" is also composed of biographies and chronicles, and is also called the official history. The "Sikuquanshu" published during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty determined that 24 orthodox biographical history books from "Historical Records" to "History of the Ming Dynasty" were official histories (see Twenty-Four Histories), and determined that none could be included without the emperor's approval. In 1921, the Beiyang warlord government added "History of the New Yuan Dynasty", collectively known as the Twenty-Five Histories.
Unofficial History
Privately written history books. Compared with the official history books, the styles are different. The earliest known unofficial history book was the 10-volume "Unofficial History of Taihe" written by Sha Zhongmu during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty in China. There were many authors after that, with the Song and Ming dynasties being the most important. Its content is mostly about anecdotes, customs in alleys, and the secret affairs of rulers.