factional strife

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 18.1

    Han Feizi warns rulers against using ministers to check each other, which fuels factions. He advocates strict law to curb power.

  • The Sweet Dew Incident: Emperor Wenzong’s Failed Coup [Sui & Tang]

    This article recounts the Sweet Dew Incident, a failed coup by Emperor Wenzong of Tang against powerful eunuchs. After a previous plot collapsed, the emperor plotted with Li Xun and Zheng Zhu, using a fake “sweet dew” omen to trap eunuchs. Eunuch leader Qiu Shiliang saw through the ruse, seized the emperor, and massacred…

  • Why did Xu You betray Yuan Shao? [Three Kingdoms]

    Cao Cao’s triumph over Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu was not solely due to superior tactics – it relied heavily on a series of irreplicable strokes of luck. For instance, Zhang Xiu had previously rejected Yuan Shao’s overtures and instead surrendered to Cao Cao for the second time after the Battle of…