SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • Wenyuan Yinghua

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    Ana

    Wenyuan Yinghua (Finest Blossoms in the Garden of Literature) is one of the Four Great Books of Song, a monumental literary anthology commissioned by Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song dynasty and compiled between 982 and 986 CE. Led by the chief editor Li Fang, along with scholars such as Song Bai and Xu…

  • Taiping Guangji

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    Ana

    Taiping Guangji (Extensive Records of the Taiping Era) is a massive Chinese encyclopedic collection of classical tales and anecdotes, compiled under imperial order during the early Northern Song dynasty. Commissioned by Emperor Taizong, it was edited by a team of scholars led by Li Fang, along with 13 other officials, and completed rapidly between…

  • Taiping Yulan

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    Ana

    Taiping Yulan (Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era) is a monumental Chinese encyclopedia compiled during the early Northern Song dynasty. Commissioned by Emperor Taizong of Song, it was edited by a team of scholars led by Li Fang, along with Li Mu, Xu Xuan, and others. Work began in 977 CE (the second year…

  • The Covenant of the Golden Casket and the Shadow of the Axe [Song & Yuan]

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    Juan

    This article explores the mysterious succession of Emperor Taizong after Emperor Taizu’s sudden death in the Song Dynasty. It covers the controversial “Candlelight and Axe Sounds” legend, the legitimacy debate over the Golden Casket Covenant, and the tragic fates of Taizu’s sons and younger brother. It also notes Taizong’s cultural achievements and completion of…

  • Yu Meiren – When Will Spring Flowers and Autumn Moons End?

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    Ana

    When will spring flowers and autumn moons cease?How many past joys can I bear to recall?Last night, again, the east wind blew through my small tower – And I dared not look back toward my lost land.

  • The Anxiety of the Adjacent Bed: Zhao Kuangyin’s Campaign for Unification [Song & Yuan]

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    Juan

    This article recounts Emperor Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin)’s unification wars of the early Song Dynasty. After centralizing power, he adopted the “First South, Then North” strategy proposed by Zhao Pu. Song forces successively conquered Jingnan, Hunan, Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang, defeating rulers like Meng Chang and Li Yu. The campaign laid the…