-
Tao Yuanming’s retreat was Not romanticism – It was survival
Tao Yuanming is remembered as the serene poet who “picked chrysanthemums beneath the eastern fence.” But his famous resignation was far more than a gesture of moral integrity. In an age when Ji Kang was executed at forty, Ruan Ji was broken by forced collaboration, and Lu Ji’s entire clan was wiped out, official…
-
Han Feizi – Chapter 31.14
This is Explanation Six from Han Feizi: Inner Congested Sayings, Part II. Han Fei reveals a political law: a foe’s deadliest attack is not military invasion, but espionage and stratagems to manipulate a ruler’s official appointments. Enemies seek to muddle the ruler’s judgment and steer his decisions astray.
-
Han Feizi – Chapter 31.13
This is Explanation Five from Han Feizi: Inner Congested Sayings, Part II. It assembles cases on how royal favour distorts succession and brings usurpation and regicide. Unlike prior sections focusing on ministers’ frauds, it highlights a root structural issue: uncertain inheritance fuels all palace intrigues.
-
Han Feizi – Chapter 31.12
This is Explanation Four from Han Feizi: Inner Congested Sayings, Part II. It collects cases where ministers fabricate anomalies for frame‑ups and private gains. These subtler cases create implausible oddities within official duties, prompting the ruler’s investigation to expose culprits or frame the innocent.
-
Han Feizi – Chapter 31.11
This is Explanation Three from Han Feizi: Inner Congested Sayings, Part II. It compiles cases of political assassination: ministers exploit the ruler’s suspicion to eliminate rivals. These domestic power‑struggle cases use frame‑ups and false appearances to trigger the ruler’s wrath against political foes.