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Zu Chongzhi
Zu Chongzhi (429–500 CE) was a preeminent scientist of the Southern Dynasties during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. His courtesy name was Wenyuan, and his ancestral home was Qiu County, Fanyang Commandery (in present-day Laishui, Hebei).
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Zhinü
Zhinü (“Weaver Girl”) is an ancient Chinese star name, also known as Tiansun (“Granddaughter of Heaven”). It refers to an asterism of three stars arranged in a triangular formation, located on the western side of the Milky Way, directly opposite the Niulang (Cowherd) stars on the eastern bank.
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Niulang
Niulang (“Cowherd”) is an ancient Chinese star name, also known as Qian Niu (“Heavenly Cowherd”). It refers to an asterism composed of three stars located on the eastern side of the Milky Way, directly opposite the star Zhinü (“Weaver Girl”) – identified with Vega in Western astronomy – on the western bank.
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The Siege of Xuyi and the Fall of a Tyrant [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]
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]
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]
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].”