King Xuan of Qi asked, “Is there a proper way of developing good relations with the neighboring states?”
Mencius went to see King Hui of Liang, who said, “Venerable sir, you have traveled a thousand miles to see me – surely you must have some way to benefit my state?”
In the 41st chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Cao Cao attacked Jingzhou to the south, Liu Bei led civilians across the river to the gates of Xiangyang but was denied entry by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. Wei Yan, enraged by their surrender to Cao Cao, “led hundreds of men straight…
In the chaotic final years of the Eastern Han dynasty, the struggle for supremacy hinged not merely on military might, but on governance, leadership, and strategic vision.
In the core conflict of “Zhang Fei Wrathfully Flogs Du You” in the second chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the attitudes and actions of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei toward the government inspector Du You are totally different.
In the first chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the peasant rebel army advances toward Youzhou. The governor of Youzhou, Liu Yan, fearing that his forces are outnumbered, issues a notice recruiting volunteers for a righteous militia.
7.34 The Master said, “As to being a Divine Sage or even a benevolent man, far be it from me to make any such claim. As for unwearying effort to learn and unflagging patience in teaching others, those are merits that I do not hesitate to claim.”
7.30 The Master said, “Is benevolence indeed so far away? If we really wanted benevolence, we should find that it was at our very side.” 子曰：「仁遠乎哉？我欲仁，斯仁至矣。」 Notes This statement from the Analects by Confucius by no means denies the loftiness of benevolence, but rather emphasizes its attainability. Benevolence does not belong exclusively to sages…