SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

deception

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 31.11

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    This is Explanation Three from Han Feizi: Inner Congested Sayings, Part II. It compiles cases of political assassination: ministers exploit the ruler’s suspicion to eliminate rivals. These domestic power‑struggle cases use frame‑ups and false appearances to trigger the ruler’s wrath against political foes.

  • Mencius – Chapter 9.2 Shun’s Unannounced Marriage and the Plausibility of Deception

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    Mencius explains Shun wed secretly to preserve the essential marital bond, for his hostile parents would forbid it. Though aware of his brother’s murder plots, Shun sincerely trusted his feigned care; gentlemen fall for plausible pretense but not absurd falsehoods.

  • Art of War Chapter – 9.3

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    This segment covers comprehensive enemy observation tactics. It interprets signals from terrain, wildlife, dust, envoys, soldiers’ behaviors and camp conditions to judge foes’ motives, morale, supplies and command flaws for accurate battlefield judgment.

  • Art of War Chapter – 7.3

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    This segment states war relies on deception, gains, and flexible troop shifts. It lays out six army modes with metaphors: wind, forest, fire, mountain, shadow, thunder. Troops must weigh risks before acting, and mastering indirect tactics wins military contention.

  • Tian Ji and the Horse Race

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    This story tells how strategist Sun Bin helped General Tian Ji beat King Wei in horse races. By rearranging horse tiers to sacrifice one round for two wins, it illustrates strategic trade-offs and instrumental rationality echoing Sun Tzu’s deceptive warfare thought.

  • Duke Wu of Zheng Attacks the State of Hu [Han Feizi]

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    by Han Fei Long ago, Duke Wu of Zheng wanted to attack the State of Hu.

  • Congratulations to the Groom – On Reading History [Mao’s Poems]

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    –Mao Zedong, Spring 1964 Apes and men once bowed and took their leave;A few stones ground, our infancy weave.Furnaces flared with copper and steel’s bright sheen –When dawned that age? No guess is keen,But a thousand winters and summers green.

  • Bean Porridge and Barley Rice: The Hardship That Forged an Emperor [Eastern Han]

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    This article recounts Liu Xiu’s desperate flight from the false emperor Wang Lang. Starving and homeless, he survived on bean porridge and barley rice, relying on loyal followers like Deng Yu and Feng Yi. Through courage and wit, he escaped danger and found a base at Xindu, laying the groundwork for Eastern Han’s rise.

  • The Line at Honggou – Chu-Han territorial division [Western Han]

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    This article recounts the Chu‑Han stalemate at Honggou. After years of war, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang split the realm at the Honggou Canal. Xiang Yu returned Liu Bang’s family and withdrew east – but Liu broke the truce at his advisors’ urging. He rewarded allied generals, uniting forces to destroy Chu at Gaixia.