SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • The Fall of the Dou Clan: How a Teenage Emperor Toppled an Empress’ Tyranny [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    The Rise of the Dou Family When Empress Dowager Dou – great-granddaughter of the famed general Dou Rong – assumed regency for her ten-year-old stepson, Emperor He of Han, real power fell to her brother, Dou Xian. As the de facto ruler, Dou Xian’s first major act was to repeal the state monopolies on…

  • Throwing Down the Brush for the Sword: Ban Chao [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    A Scholar’s Son, a Warrior’s Heart After leaving the warlord Wei Xiao, historian Ban Biao joined Dou Rong in Hexi. Later summoned by Emperor Guangwu, he began compiling the Sequel to Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji Houzhuan) – but died before completing it. He left behind two gifted sons: Ban Gu, the elder,…

  • Qu Yuan

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    Juan

    Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BCE) was a statesman and poet of the Warring States period, hailing from the state of Chu. His given name was Ping, and his courtesy name was Yuan. Born into the Chu aristocracy, he initially enjoyed the deep trust of King Huai of Chu and held key offices such as…

  • Sima Guang

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    Juan

    Sima Guang (1019–1086 CE) was a prominent statesman and historian of the Northern Song dynasty. His courtesy name was Junshi, and he styled himself Yusou (“Old Recluse”). Born in Sishui Village, Xia County, Shanzhou (in present-day Shanxi Province), he was widely known as “Master Suishui.”

  • The Dream That Brought Buddhism to China [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    A Mysterious Dream in the Imperial Palace In the seventh year of his reign (64 CE), Emperor Ming of Han was plunged into grief: his beloved mother, Empress Dowager Yin Lihua, had passed away. Deeply affected, he struggled with insomnia and sorrow. One night, he dreamed of a golden figure with a luminous halo…

  • Unbending Justice and the Virtues of Restraint: The Legacy of Emperor Guangwu [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Laying Down the Sword, Embracing Peace In the year the victorious armies returned from Shu, Emperor Guangwu was forty-three. He had risen in rebellion at twenty-eight, and for fifteen years had lived almost entirely amid war camps and battlefields. Now, with the empire unified, he was determined to let the land rest and recover.…