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The reconciliation of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru [Warring States]
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In 279 BCE, following the tense but successful Mianchi Summit – where Lin Xiangru had defended Zhao’s honor against King Zhaoxiang of Qin through sheer courage and wit – King Huiwen of Zhao returned safely after exactly thirty days, as planned.
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The Unbroken Jade: Lin Xiangru [Warring States]
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In 283 BCE, the mighty state of Qin, under King Zhaoxiang, repeatedly attacked Zhao – only to be repelled by the formidable general Lian Po. Frustrated, Qin shifted tactics: instead of war, it would use deception and diplomacy.
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The Fire-Bull Charge: Tian Dan’s miraculous defense [Warring States]
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During the Warring States period, King Min of Qi (r. 323–284 BCE) presided over a state at the height of its power – thanks to the legacies of his grandfather King Wei and father King Xuan. Confident in Qi’s strength, he even entered into an agreement with King Zhaoxiang of Qin to divide the…
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Drumming on a Basin: Mourning turned to music [Warring States]
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Among the Hundred Schools of Thought in pre-Qin China, Zhuangzi (Zhuang Zhou) stood apart – not merely as a philosopher, but as a poetic visionary whose ideas shimmered with paradox, humor, and profound detachment. His worldview, rooted in Daoism, rejected rigid rituals, social ambition, and even conventional grief. To Zhuangzi, the cosmos was a…