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Chapter 25. The Oath on Hill: Guan Yu’s loyalty tested [Three Kingdoms]
In Chapter 25 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the most iconic episodes in Chinese literary history unfolds: Guan Yu’s conditional surrender. This moment—steeped in themes of loyalty, honor, and political pragmatism—not only defines Guan Yu’s character but also reveals Cao Cao’s complex blend of admiration, strategy, and ambition. While the Romance…
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Chapter 24. The fall of the imperial consort and the scattering of heroes [Three Kingdoms]
Following the brutal purge of Dong Cheng and his co-conspirators in the “Girdle Edict” plot, Cao Cao’s grip on the Han court tightened with terrifying finality. As depicted in Chapter 24 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms—and corroborated in spirit, if not in full detail, by historical sources like the Book of the Later…
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The fall of the dragon-slayer: Cao Cao vs Ji Ping [Three Kingdoms]
In Chapter 23 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a haunting scene unfolds: Imperial Physician Ji Ping, determined to rid the Han court of its greatest threat, attempts to poison Cao Cao. But Cao Cao, ever vigilant, has already uncovered the plot. He feigns ignorance, lures Ji Ping into action—and catches him red-handed.
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The Road to Guandu: How Cao Cao secured his flanks before the decisive clash with Yuan Shao [Three Kingdoms]
In the winter of 199 AD, Yuan Shao stood at the zenith of his power. Having annihilated Gongsun Zan at Yi County and crushed the Heishan bandits who came to his aid, Yuan Shao now controlled four northern provinces: Jizhou, Qingzhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou. With this vast territory and immense manpower, he was poised…
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Commuting [Poems]
— anonymous Bicycles bid farewell to the setting sun, Subways seek for the spring breeze. Ten thousand miles over three years, Yet never stepping out of Beijing.
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Was Cao Cao’s war against Tao Qian really about revenge? [Three Kingdoms]
Popular memory—shaped heavily by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms—portrays Cao Cao’s invasion of Xu Province in 193 AD as a brutal act of filial vengeance: his father, Cao Song, was murdered in Tao Qian’s territory, so Cao Cao launched a merciless campaign to avenge him.