SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Emperor Cheng of Han

  • Anqiu Wangzhi [Biographies of Noble Scholars]

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    Daoist hermit Anqiu Wangzhi mastered Laozi’s works and rejected Emperor Cheng’s audience request. He humbly worked as a folk healer, wrote a commentary on Dao De Jing and founded the Anqiu School. Many disciples studied under him while he stayed out of officialdom all his life.

  • Chenggong [Biographies of Noble Scholars]

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    Anonymous Han sage Chenggong shunned fame and wealth. Confronted by Emperor Cheng’s threats of rank, fortune and death, he calmly argued his spiritual independence. The emperor yielded and sent officials to learn his twelve chapters on state governance.

  • The Usurper’s Mask: Wang Mang [Western Han]

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    This article reveals Wang Mang’s calculated rise to power. Playing the humble Confucian scholar, he gained public favor, eliminated rivals, and seized control of the Western Han court. Through purges, deception, and fake omens, he usurped the throne and founded the Xin Dynasty, ending 214 years of Han rule.