SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

famine

  • The Yellow Turban Rebellion and the Fall of the Han [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    This article tells how the Yellow Turban Rebellion toppled the Eastern Han. Triggered by court corruption, famine, and sold official posts, Zhang Jiao’s Taiping Dao uprising swept China in 184 CE. Though crushed, it destroyed central authority, spawned warlords, and paved the way for the Three Kingdoms era.

  • The Seizure of Two Capitals: Chang’an and Luoyang [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    This article recounts the fall of the Gengshi regime and the rise of Emperor Guangwu. The Red Eyebrows rebels seized Chang’an and installed a puppet emperor. Meanwhile, Guangwu captured Luoyang and established the Eastern Han. His generals Deng Yu and Feng Yi defeated the rebels, unifying the two capitals and laying the foundation for…

  • Bean Porridge and Barley Rice: The Hardship That Forged an Emperor [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    This article recounts Liu Xiu’s desperate flight from the false emperor Wang Lang. Starving and homeless, he survived on bean porridge and barley rice, relying on loyal followers like Deng Yu and Feng Yi. Through courage and wit, he escaped danger and found a base at Xindu, laying the groundwork for Eastern Han’s rise.

  • The Red Eyebrows Rise [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    This article tells the rise of the Red Eyebrows rebellion. Triggered by injustice and famine, Lü Mother first revolted; after her death, Fanchong united the rebels, marking their eyebrows red. They defeated Wang Mang’s armies, won popular support, and shook the Xin Dynasty, paving the way for the Eastern Han restoration.

  • Mencius – Chapter 1.4 Killing by Policy

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    Ana

    King Hui of Liang, weary from years of military defeats and dwindling influence, sat in his palace with an unusual humility. After hearing Mencius speak of benevolent governance and the futility of comparing himself to neighboring rulers – “fifty paces laughing at a hundred” – the king finally lowered his royal pride.

  • Yuan Shu’s invasion of Chen State [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In the year 197 AD, Yuan Shu, having declared himself Emperor of the short-lived Zhong dynasty, found his ambitions crumbling under a cascade of military defeats, diplomatic failures, and internal decay. Once a powerful warlord controlling the fertile lands of Huai River region, Yuan Shu’s realm rapidly contracted due to betrayals, strategic miscalculations, and…

  • Liu Bei’s darkest hour: the campaign against Yuan Shu [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    In the annals of the Three Kingdoms, few figures embody the resilience of the human spirit more than Liu Bei. Though destined to become one of the Three Sovereigns, his path was paved with defeat, betrayal, and near annihilation.

  • Cao Cao’s ordeal against Lü Bu [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In the summer of 194 AD, while Cao Cao was deep in Xuzhou, devastating Tao Qian’s forces and advancing toward Tan County, disaster struck at home. News reached him: Chen Gong and Zhang Miao had rebelled, opening the gates of Yanzhou to Lü Bu, the famed warrior fleeing from Dong Zhuo’s downfall.