SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • Man in the Fur Coat – Pi Qiu Gong

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    Ana

    Pi Qiu Gong (The Man in the Fur Coat) was a native of the state of Wu. When Yanling Jizi was traveling, he saw a piece of lost gold lying in the road. He looked at the Man in the Fur Coat and said, “Pick up that gold.”

  • Pu Yi Zi

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    Ana

    Pu Yi Zi was a worthy man from the time of Emperor Shun. When he was only eight years old, Shun took him as his teacher.

  • The Reformer of the Five Dynasties: Chai Rong

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    Juan

    From Chaos to a New Order Following the withdrawal of the Khitan (Liao) army, the city of Bian (Kaifeng) saw the arrival of Liu Zhiyuan, the Prince of Beiping. A Shatuo leader like his predecessors, Liu had initially opposed Shi Jingtang’s cession of the Sixteen Prefectures but later supported his rise. By balancing appeasement…

  • Zhao Kuangyin

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    Ana

    Zhao Kuangyin (927–976 CE), posthumously honored as Emperor Taizu of Song, was the founding emperor of China’s Song dynasty, reigning from 960 to 976. Born in Zhuo Commandery (modern Zhuozhou, Hebei), he rose through the military ranks during the Later Zhou dynasty, eventually becoming Grand Commander of the Palace Army, the highest officer in…

  • The Yellow Robe at Chenqiao: The Birth of the Song Dynasty

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    Juan

    The Premature End of a Great Campaign In the spring of 959 AD, Emperor Chai Rong of the Later Zhou launched a northern campaign to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures lost to the Khitan Liao dynasty. Prior to the expedition, he ordered General Han Tong to dredge waterways, creating over thirty inlets to facilitate naval…

  • The Son-Emperor and the Salted Corpse: The Rise of Liao and the Fall of Jin

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    Juan

    The Tragedy of the Actor-Emperor Li Cunxu, the founding emperor of the Later Tang, was a military genius but a flawed ruler. Bored with governance, he indulged in acting, adopting the stage name “Li Tianxia” (Li the World-Ruler). In one infamous incident, while shouting his stage name twice on stage, he was slapped by…