960: Zhao Kuangyin is defeated in his attempt to capture the throne of Northern China. As such, the cycle of successive 'universal' Chinese Imperial dynasties is broken. The Song Dynasty (ref [1])is never established, but instead eight strong and independent different kingdoms consolidate in geographic China by 1200 AD: 1. * Later Shu 后蜀 2. * Later Zhou 后周 3. * Liao 遼朝 4. * Northern Han 北汉 5. * Southern Han 南汉 6. * Southern Ping 荆南 7. * Southern Tang 南唐 8. * Wuyue 吴越