SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Fancheng

  • Wisdom from The Art of War Reflected in the Battle of Xiangfan

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    Rob

    This article analyzes the Battle of Xiangfan through Sun Tzu’s strategies. Sima Yi urged Cao Cao to ally with Wu, luring Sun Quan with territory to attack Guan Yu’s rear. Arrogant Guan Yu ignored hidden threats, lost Jingzhou, embodying the cost of ignoring diplomatic and deceptive warfare principles.

  • The Fall of Jingzhou: A Masterclass in Strategic Deception

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    Rob

    This article takes Jingzhou’s fall as a deception case for Sun Tzu’s rule. Eastern Wu used Lü Meng’s feigned illness and Lu Xun’s flattering letters to lull arrogant Guan Yu, bribed his discontented subordinates, and seized Jingzhou stealthily, costing Guan Yu his life.

  • The Fall of the Song at Yamen [Song & Yuan]

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    Juan

    This article tells the final fall of the Southern Song at the Battle of Yamen. After Lin’an surrendered, loyalists Zhang Shijie, Wen Tianxiang, and Lu Xiufu fought on. In 1279, the Yuan navy defeated the Song fleet. Lu Xiufu drowned with the child emperor, ending the 319‑year Song Dynasty.

  • The Corrupt Court: Jia Sidao and the Fall of the Southern Song [Song & Yuan]

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    Juan

    This article reveals how Jia Sidao’s corruption doomed the Southern Song. He lied about a Mongol victory, imprisoned envoys, purged generals, and neglected state affairs for cricket fighting. His misrule led to the fall of Xiangyang, fatally weakening the Song and clearing the way for the Yuan conquest.

  • Lü Meng’s stealth campaign crossing the Yangtze River [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    This article narrates Lü Meng’s stealthy conquest of Jingzhou. He feigned illness to lull Guan Yu, then used the “White‑Robed Crossing” to seize Guan’s rear bases. Lü Meng won local hearts, collapsing Guan Yu’s army. Trapped and defeated, Guan Yu was captured and killed, shattering the Sun‑Liu alliance.

  • Did Liu Bei betray Liu Biao? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    After being defeated by Cao Cao, Liu Bei fled south to Jingzhou (Jing Province) and sought refuge with the governor of Jingzhou, Liu Biao. Liu Biao not only sheltered Liu Bei and his remaining forces but also generously granted him a city to recuperate. Moreover, Liu Biao actively involved Liu Bei in the administration…

  • The tragic end of Sun Jian [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    Among the warlords who formed the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition in 190 AD, Cao Cao is often remembered as the most aggressive challenger to the tyrant. Yet, historical records from Records of the Three Kingdoms and Luo Guanzhong’s dramatized Romance of the Three Kingdoms, reveal a different truth: Sun Jian, the “Tiger of Jiangdong,” was…

  • The Recruitment Notice: A Fateful Encounter [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In the first chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the peasant rebel army advances toward Youzhou. The governor of Youzhou, Liu Yan, fearing that his forces are outnumbered, issues a notice recruiting volunteers for a righteous militia.