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Mount Lu Viewed from Xunyang at Dusk [Tang Poems]
–Meng Haoran For miles and miles I sail and float; High famed mountains are hard to seek. By riverside I moor my boat, Then I perceive the Censer Peak. Knowing the Monk Yuan’s life and way, I love his solitary dell. His hermitage not far away, I hear at sunset but the bell.
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A Spring Morning [Tang Poems]
— Meng Haoran This spring morning in bed I’m lying, Not to awake till birds are crying. After one night of wind and showers, How many are the fallen flowers! Note: This quatrain reveals the poet’s love of spring and his regret of her departure. 春晓 –[唐]孟浩然 春眠不觉晓， 处处闻啼鸟。 夜来风雨声， 花落知多少。
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A Painting [Tang Poems]
From afar, the mountains show their hue;Up close, the stream no sound does brew.Spring departs, yet flowers still stay;Men approach, but birds won’t stray.
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Quenching Thirst with Illusory Plums [Three Kingdoms]
The story of “quenching thirst by looking for plums,” mentioned by Cao Cao in Chapter 21 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is a classic example of psychological mastery in the novel. It illustrates how a leader can use mental stimulation to overcome physical limitations during crises.
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Reasons for Lü Bu’s Downfall [Three Kingdoms]
Lü Bu is a much-discussed figure from the late Han and Three Kingdoms period. Renowned for his martial prowess but criticized for his fickleness and lack of loyalty, he first betrayed and killed Ding Yuan, and later did the same to Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu ultimately met his end at the hands of Cao…