•
Among the Four Lords of the Warring States Period – Pingyuan, Xinling, Chunshen, and Mengchang – Tian Wen, Lord Mengchang, stood apart. The others served their homelands with unwavering loyalty: Lord Pingyuan defended Zhao, Lord Xinling stole the tally to save Zhao, and Lord Chunshen died in service to Chu. But Lord Mengchang drifted…
•
During the Warring States period, Wei, once the strongest among the “Three Jins” (Wei, Zhao, Han), watched with alarm as Qin surged ahead under Shang Yang’s reforms. Determined not to be left behind, King Hui of Wei followed Duke Xiao of Qin’s example: he offered lavish rewards to attract brilliant minds from across the…
•
In the autumn of 211 CE, the windswept plains of Guanzhong became the stage for one of the most psychologically sophisticated campaigns of the Three Kingdoms era. Following his setback at the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao turned his attention westward.
•
In Chapter 57 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a clandestine conspiracy unfolds in the heart of Cao Cao’s capital. Huang Kui, an imperial secretary, secretly allies with the veteran general Ma Teng to assassinate the powerful warlord Cao Cao, whom they view as a usurper threatening the Han dynasty.
•
Was Lü Meng’s capture of Jing Province in AD 219 a betrayal of an ally? Some people argue that the Sun–Liu alliance effectively collapsed after the Xiang River Partition (circa AD 215), when Liu Bei and Sun Quan divided Jing Province along the Xiang River. However, primary sources from the Records of the Three…
•
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…
•
The real reasons behind Lü Bu’s betrayal of Dong Zhuo, beyond the legend of Diao Chan.