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In 338 BCE, Duke Xiao of Qin fell gravely ill and died. His son ascended the throne as King Huiwen of Qin.
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In the sixth year of Duke Huan of Qi’s reign (known as Huan Gong Wu, or Duke Huan of Wu, ruler of the state of Qi during the Warring States period), a renowned physician returned to his homeland.
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After slipping through Zhaoguan Pass amid the chaos of Huangfu Ne’s arrest, Wu Zixu fled eastward with Gongzi Sheng, the young son of the slain Crown Prince Jian. Exhausted and pursued, they reached a wide river with no bridge in sight. Dust clouds rose behind them – cavalry in hot pursuit.
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After a series of military defeats by Qin and the deaths of several senior ministers, Zhao Dun – son of the revered Zhao Cui – rose as chief minister of Jin. In 620 BCE, Duke Xiang of Jin died, leaving his seven-year-old son to ascend the throne as Duke Ling of Jin.
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The assassination of Sun Ce, the “Little Conqueror” of Jiangdong, is often attributed to a simple act of vengeance: his killing of Xu Gong, the former Administrator of Wu Commandery, led to retaliation by Xu’s loyal retainers.
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Compared to Records of the Three Kingdoms, the vivid and dramatic episodes in Romance of the Three Kingdoms are often more story-driven, legendary, and may even carry a touch of myth.
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In the turbulent spring of 200 AD, as Cao Cao and Yuan Shao locked horns at Guandu, a bold plan was unfolding in the southeast. Sun Ce, the “Little Conqueror” who had unified the six commanderies of Jiangdong in just a few years, saw an opportunity: with Cao Cao’s rear defenses weakened, he aimed…