SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Cao Anmin

  • Chapter 16. Lü Bu’s Arrow and Cao Cao’s Desire [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    Chapter 16 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms presents two pivotal events that profoundly altered the balance of power during the late Eastern Han dynasty. One showcases military brilliance and political cunning, while the other reveals the peril of personal indulgence and strategic overreach.

  • Cao Cao’s second campaign against Zhang Xiu [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    The year 198 AD saw Cao Cao return to Nanyang Commandery for a second campaign against Zhang Xiu, a conflict defined not by a decisive siege, but by strategic maneuvering, near-disaster, and brilliant counterattacks.

  • The Battle of Wancheng [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    The year 197 AD marked a turning point in Cao Cao’s southern expansion—not through victory, but through a catastrophic defeat born of arrogance and personal folly. His campaign against Zhang Xiu in Nanyang Commandery began with a bloodless surrender but ended in humiliation, death, and strategic reversal. What should have been a swift annexation…

  • Zhang Xiu surrendered to Liu Biao [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In the turbulent final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, as warlords carved up the empire, a lesser-known figure emerged in the strategic heartland between the Central Plains and the Yangtze River. Zhang Xiu, a nephew of the fallen warlord Zhang Ji, found himself thrust into leadership after a fateful raid in 196 AD.…

  • Strategist Jia Xu [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    When discussing the greatest strategists of the Three Kingdoms, names like Zhuge Liang, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Sima Yi, and Jia Xu often rise to the top. While intellectual brilliance was common among them, Jia Xu stands out as the undisputed master of emotional intelligence (EQ)—a skill that allowed him not only to survive…