This article re-evaluates Feng Dao, a Five Dynasties prime minister serving nine emperors, long condemned for disloyalty. It records his benevolent deeds aiding civilians amid chaos and cites his poems revealing his pragmatic creed: focus on good deeds rather than personal fame.
Han Feizi tells Hui Zi warned Chen Zhen: building trust is hard, but rivals can easily ruin you.
Han Fei warns against dual top ministers. Jiu Liu cites historical disasters: cliques form, allies foreign, endangering the state.
The assassination of Dong Zhuo in 192 AD was meant to restore the Han dynasty. Masterminded by Wang Yun and executed with the sword of Lü Bu, it was celebrated as a heroic act that liberated Emperor Xian from tyranny.
The assassination of Dong Zhuo in 192 AD was hailed as a heroic act that liberated the Han court from tyranny. Wang Yun, the mastermind behind the plot, emerged as the new guardian of the dynasty, standing alongside Lü Bu as the saviors of the realm.
The death of Dong Zhuo in 192 AD triggered widespread celebration across the capital, as the tyrant who had terrorized the Han court was finally overthrown. Yet amidst the jubilation, one man—Cai Yong, a renowned scholar, historian, and musician—publicly sighed at the news. Worse still, he did so within earshot of Wang Yun, the…
In the turbulent twilight of the Eastern Han dynasty, power was not won by virtue, but by cunning, force, and betrayal. Chapter 8 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms unveils one of the most iconic political intrigues in Chinese history: Wang Yun’s Chain Strategy—a meticulously crafted plot that exploited the volatile relationship between the…