SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Chanyu

  • The Hero’s Homecoming: Su Wu’s Return [Western Han]

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    Juan

    The Bare Staff of Loyalty Year after year, Su Wu tended his sheep on the desolate shores of Beihai (Lake Baikal). Nineteen winters had passed since his exile began. The once-proud imperial staff – the symbol of his mission as Han envoy – had long lost its silk tassels. Yet Su Wu clutched the…

  • Su Wu’s Nineteen-Year Vigil in the Frozen North [Western Han]

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    Juan

    A Fragile Peace, A Fateful Mission After their crushing defeats by Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, the Xiongnu retreated beyond the Gobi Desert. For years, they pretended to seek peace – sending envoys to Chang’an while secretly rebuilding their armies. Both sides routinely detained each other’s diplomats: over a dozen Han envoys had been…