So it was the Chinese empire, the Mughal empire, the Persian empire, and the Roman empire, the Mayan empire.

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The new Chinese empire of the title has, according to Mr Terrill, more in common than it would care to admit with the past, all the way back to the first emperor of all, Qin Shihuang.

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With four wives and 17 children, choosing a successor to take over the sprawling empire and considerable wealth of Chinese billionaire Stanley Ho Hung Sun was always gong to be a dicey proposition.

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In the meantime, Lynn, who is based in Riyadh, set about expanding the family empire beyond the flagship Gulf Royal Chinese chain to include fine-dining outlets that served fusion cuisine.

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The story of his quest to discover Gannibal's identity in places as far-flung as Novoselenginsk on the Chinese border, and Pskov at the other end of the Russian empire, is engagingly told.

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