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The Siege of Xuyi and the Fall of a Tyrant [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]
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Introduction: This article recounts the heroic Siege of Xuyi. After Liu Song’s failed northern expedition, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei attacked the small fortress. Magistrate Shen Pu and General Zang Zhi defended it bravely, repelling the mighty Wei army. Humiliated, Taiwu returned north and was soon assassinated, ending his tyrannical reign.
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Cui Hao: The Historian’s Fate and the Peril of Truth [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]
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Brief: This article tells the tragic story of Cui Hao, Northern Wei’s top advisor. He helped unify northern China with brilliant strategies but was executed for writing an honest imperial history that angered Xianbei nobles. His fate shows the danger of speaking truth to power in ancient times.
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The Farmer of Shihu [Biographies of Noble Scholars]
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The Farmer of Shihu was a man whose origins are unknown. He was a friend of Shun. When Shun offered to yield the world to him, the Farmer of Shihu remarked: “How tirelessly laborious the Lord is! He is indeed a man who exhausts his strength [for the sake of others].”
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Rang Fu [Biographies of Noble Scholars]
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Rang Fu was a man from the time of Emperor Yao. During the reign of Emperor Yao, the world was in perfect harmony, and the common people had no troubles.
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Zi Zhou Zhi Fu [Biographies of Noble Scholars]
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Zi Zhou Zhi Fu was a man from the time of Emperor Yao. When Yao offered to yield the throne to Xu You, Xu You declined. Yao then offered it to Zi Zhou Zhi Fu.
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From Restorer to Usurper: Liu Yu and the Fall of the Eastern Jin [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]
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Introduction: This article traces Liu Yu’s rise from a common soldier to the founder of the Liu Song Dynasty. He suppressed Sun En’s rebellion, defeated Huan Xuan, restored Eastern Jin, then launched successful northern campaigns. Eventually, he usurped the throne, ending Jin’s rule and establishing a new era of reform and stability in the…