SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Warring States

  • Mencius’ Mother’s Three Relocations [Warring States]

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    Juan

    In ancient China, during the turbulent Warring States period (5th–3rd century BCE), a young boy named Meng Ke – later known to history as Mencius, the great Confucian philosopher – grew up under the devoted care of his widowed mother, Lady Zhang. With no father and little money, their life was humble. But what…

  • The fatal strength of Meng Ben [Warring States]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article recounts the tragic story of Meng Ben, a mighty warrior of the State of Qin during the Warring States period. It details his rivalry with King Wu of Qin, a monarch obsessed with martial prowess. In 307 BC, Meng Ben incited the king to lift the Dragon-Patterned Red Cauldron, a symbol…

  • The chicken-crowers and dog-thieves: Lord Mengchang [Warring States]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article examines the controversial life of Lord Mengchang (Tian Wen), one of the “Four Lords” of the Warring States period. It contrasts his self-serving opportunism against the loyalty of his peers, detailing his betrayals of both Qin and his native Qi. The narrative highlights his famous escape from Qin—aided by retainers skilled…

  • The peril of the ancestral temple in Xue [Warring States]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article recounts the diplomatic rescue of Lord Mengchang’s fiefdom of Xue during the Warring States period. When the State of Chu invaded Xue, the renowned diplomat Chunyu Kun was tasked with saving it. Instead of pleading for help, Chunyu Kun used a brilliant rhetorical strategy: he convinced King Min of Qi that…

  • Ru Er’s web of deception [Warring States]

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    Rob

    Brief: This article recounts the ingenious stratagem of Ru Er, a scholar of the Warring States period, who single-handedly saved the small kingdom of Wey from annihilation by Wei in 311 BCE. Facing a superior army, Ru Er employed a masterful three-stage psychological operation. He first convinced the warmongering minister, Chengling Jun, that mercy…

  • Qin’s final conquest and the Unification [Warring States]

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    Rob

    Brief: This article details the final military campaigns that led to the Qin unification of China in 221 BCE. It chronicles the systematic destruction of the rival states—starting with the punitive campaign against Yan and the strategic flooding of Wei’s capital. The narrative highlights the pivotal clash with Chu, where veteran general Wang Jian…

  • The Dagger in the Map: Jing Ke [Warring States]

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    Rob

    Brief: This article narrates the legendary assassination attempt on King Zheng of Qin (later Qin Shi Huang) by Jing Ke in 227 BCE. It details the background of the Warring States period, where Crown Prince Dan of Yan, desperate to stop Qin’s conquest, recruited Jing Ke to infiltrate Xianyang. The narrative highlights the dramatic…

  • Stealing the Tiger Tally [Warring States]

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    Rob

    Brief: This article recounts the legendary stratagem of Lord Xinling during the Warring States period, who saved the State of Zhao from the tyrannical Qin army. Facing a paralyzed Wei king, Xinling was forced to steal the Tiger Tally (the imperial command token) from his brother’s favorite concubine to seize military control. The narrative…

  • Mao Sui recommending himself [Warring States]

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    Rob

    Brief: This article recounts the famous Warring States story of Mao Sui, a retainer who “recommended himself” to join Lord Pingyuan’s diplomatic mission to Chu. Faced with Qin’s siege of Handan, Lord Pingyuan struggled to find twenty capable men, mocking Mao Sui’s three years of obscurity. Mao Sui retorted that a needle thrusts through…