SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • Man in the Fur Coat – Pi Qiu Gong [Biographies of Noble Scholars]

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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 [Biographies of Noble Scholars]

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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 Yellow Robe at Chenqiao: The Birth of the Song Dynasty [Sui & Tang]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article narrates the founding of the Song Dynasty through the Chenqiao Mutiny. After Emperor Chai Rong of Later Zhou died young, leaving a child ruler, Zhao Kuangyin seized the chance. His soldiers placed a yellow robe on him, declaring him emperor. He took the capital peacefully, ascended the throne as Emperor Taizu,…

  • The Reformer of the Five Dynasties: Chai Rong [Sui & Tang]

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    Juan

    Introduction: This article profiles Chai Rong, Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, a key reformer amid the Five Dynasties chaos. After succeeding his adoptive father Guo Wei, he stabilized the realm, won the Battle of Gaoping, and reformed the military. He regulated Buddhism, revived culture, and expanded Later Zhou’s territory by conquering southern states and…

  • 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 Son-Emperor and the Salted Corpse: The Rise of Liao and the Fall of Jin [Sui & Tang]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article tells the turbulent rise and fall of the Later Jin and the expansion of the Liao. It covers Shi Jingtang’s betrayal by becoming Liao’s “Son-Emperor” and ceding the Sixteen Prefectures. It also records Emperor Yelu Deguang’s invasion of the Central Plains, his rapid retreat due to popular resistance, and his bizarre…