SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • Liu Yuan and the Rebirth of an Empire

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    Juan

    From Hostage to Hero: The Making of Liu Yuan Centuries earlier, during the early Western Han dynasty, the Xiongnu nomads of the north frequently raided Chinese territory. Emperor Gaozu (Liu Bang) opted for a policy of heqin – marital alliances and diplomatic brotherhood – with Modu Chanyu, leader of the Xiongnu. This pact allowed…

  • Sun Wu

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    Ana

    Sun Wu, or Sun Tzu, (fl. late 6th century BCE), a renowned military strategist of the late Spring and Autumn period, is regarded as the founder of the Chinese “School of Military Thought” and revered by later generations as “Sunzi” (“Master Sun”). His courtesy name was Changqing, and he was a native of the…

  • The Twenty-Four Friends

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    Juan

    The Rise of Jia Mi and His Literary Coterie In the bloody coup that toppled Empress Jia Nanfeng, Jia Mi – her nephew and adopted heir to the powerful Jia Chong – was executed. Yet just months earlier, this man in his twenties had stood at the pinnacle of imperial favor. Backed by the…

  • The Princes’ Catastrophe

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    Juan

    The Doomed Heir: Rise and Fall of Crown Prince Sima Yu While still crown prince, Emperor Hui of Jin had a concubine named Xie Jiu, who became pregnant. Fearing the jealousy of Empress Jia Nanfeng, she fled the Eastern Palace. Soon after, in the inner quarters of the imperial harem, she gave birth to…

  • Zhuangzi

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    Ana

    Zhuangzi (c. 369–286 BCE) was a major philosopher of the Warring States period. His given name was Zhou, and he was a native of Meng in the state of Song—traditionally identified either as northeast of modern Shangqiu, Henan, or near Dingyuan, Anhui.

  • The Wren Ode

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    Ana

    – By Zhang Hua (Western Jin Dynasty) The wren is but a tiny bird –Born among weeds and wild grasses,Raised beneath garden hedges.It flutters and gathers within ordinary spaces,Yet its needs for life are fully met.