SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Du Chongwei

  • The Reformer of the Five Dynasties: Chai Rong

    •

    Juan

    From Chaos to a New Order Following the withdrawal of the Khitan (Liao) army, the city of Bian (Kaifeng) saw the arrival of Liu Zhiyuan, the Prince of Beiping. A Shatuo leader like his predecessors, Liu had initially opposed Shi Jingtang’s cession of the Sixteen Prefectures but later supported his rise. By balancing appeasement…

  • The Son-Emperor and the Salted Corpse: The Rise of Liao and the Fall of Jin

    •

    Juan

    The Tragedy of the Actor-Emperor Li Cunxu, the founding emperor of the Later Tang, was a military genius but a flawed ruler. Bored with governance, he indulged in acting, adopting the stage name “Li Tianxia” (Li the World-Ruler). In one infamous incident, while shouting his stage name twice on stage, he was slapped by…