During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, "hundreds of schools were ousted and Confucianism was the only one". Five classics, namely, poetry, calligraphy, ceremony, change, spring and autumn. After the Han Dynasty, The Analects of Confucius and The Book of Filial Piety were added, which are collectively called the Seven Classics.
In the Tang Dynasty, there appeared three biographies of Li (,,) and three biographies (Zuo Zhuan, Yang Gongzhuan and Gu Liangzhuan), which were called "Nine Biographies" together with poems, books and Yi. During the Tang Wenzong period, in addition to the Nine Classics, The Analects of Confucius and The Classic of Filial Piety included in the Han Dynasty were supplemented by Erya, forming the Twelve Classics. In Song Dynasty, Mencius was added, and thirteen classics with special status in feudal society were formed.