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The fall of He Jin and its lesson [Three Kingdoms]
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, maternal relatives and eunuchs alternated in holding power. He Jin, the Grand General and brother of Empress He, monopolized military and political authority, wielding immense influence. The eunuch group, the Ten Regular Attendants, plotted to assassinate He Jin to seize power. He Jin ignored advice, acted arbitrarily, and…
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Why Grand Generals Dou Wu and He Jin failed to stop the eunuchs? [Three Kingdoms]
In the narrative of the late Eastern Han Dynasty in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dou Wu (mentioned in the first chapter) and He Jin (a core figure in the second chapter), both serving as “Grand General”, aimed to exterminate the eunuchs but were ultimately killed by them.
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Why did Emperor Ling heavily rely on the Ten Regular Attendants? [Three Kingdoms]
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Ten Regular Attendants (led by Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong) are portrayed as a treacherous eunuch clique that harmed the nation and its people. Yet, Emperor Ling of Han (Liu Hong) obeyed them unconditionally and relied on them extensively. Why did such a political situation arise? This…
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The surrender debate in the siege of Wancheng [Three Kingdoms]
In the second chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhu Jun led troops to besiege Wancheng from all sides, cutting off the city’s food supply. Han Zhong, the leader of the Yellow Scarves army, offered to surrender. But Zhu Jun refused his offer. Liu Bei tried to persuade Zhu Jun into accepting the…
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How Liu Bei lifted the siege of Qingzhou? [Three Kingdoms]
In the first chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Yellow Turban Army intended to attack Qingzhou City. Governor Gong Jing sought help from Liu Yan, the governor of Zhuojun. Liu Yan ordered Zou Jing to lead 5,000 troops, along with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei’s forces, to break the siege…
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Three reactions to corruption [Three Kingdoms]
In the core conflict of “Zhang Fei Wrathfully Flogs Du You” in the second chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the attitudes and actions of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei toward the government inspector Du You are totally different.