SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Ding Fei

  • The art of sowing discord in the pacification of Guanzhong [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    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.

  • The Battle of Tong Pass [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In 211 AD, following Cao Cao’s consolidation of power in central China, he ordered Zhong Yao, Inspector of Sili, and Xiahou Yuan, General Who Protects the West, to assemble troops for a campaign ostensibly aimed at Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. However, the warlords of Guanzhong (the Guanzhong Plain) – notably Ma Chao and Han…

  • Sowing Discord [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    This article analyzes Cao Cao’s masterful psychological warfare during the Battle of Tong Pass in the Three Kingdoms era. It details how Cao Cao exploited the alliance between warlords Ma Chao and Han Sui through a series of calculated deceptions. By orchestrating a fake friendship, a staged meeting, and a forged letter filled with…