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Brief: This article recounts the diplomatic masterpiece of Zhu Zhiwu in 630 BCE, who single-handedly saved the State of Zheng from a joint siege by Qin and Jin. Facing the Qin army, the elderly minister was lowered by rope over the city walls to meet Duke Mu of Qin. Through masterful rhetoric, he argued…
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Brief: This article chronicles the epic journey of Duke Wen of Jin (Ji Chong’er), one of China’s Five Hegemons. It details his nineteen years of exile, marked by humiliation – such as begging for food at Wulu – and the fierce loyalty of his retainers. The narrative highlights his diplomatic promise to “retreat three…