Complex sentence: Nonetheless, the association between the two is old enough that by the mid- 19th century, Zhao Canyi, a general in the failed Taiping Rebellion, was a master of both styles.
Split into simpler sentences: Nonetheless, the association between the two is very old. By the mid- 19th century, Zhao Canyi, a general in the failed Taiping Rebellion, was a master of both styles.