SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Jing Province

  • A treacherous stroke in White Robes [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Was Lü Meng’s capture of Jing Province in AD 219 a betrayal of an ally? Some people argue that the Sun–Liu alliance effectively collapsed after the Xiang River Partition (circa AD 215), when Liu Bei and Sun Quan divided Jing Province along the Xiang River. However, primary sources from the Records of the Three…

  • 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.

  • How Liu Bei seized Yizhou? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    This article details Liu Bei’s strategic conquest of Yizhou (Sichuan) in 211 CE, a critical turning point in the Three Kingdoms era. It recounts how Liu Bei, aided by the strategist Pang Tong and a conspiracy led by Zhang Song, deceived Governor Liu Zhang to gain entry. The narrative highlights the shift from political…

  • The alliance that saved the south [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    This article narrates the critical events leading to the Sun-Liu Alliance against Cao Cao in 208 CE. It details Liu Bei’s desperate flight from Jingzhou following the Battle of Changban, where he lost his family but gained a vital ally. The narrative shifts to Lu Su of Eastern Wu, who recognized the threat of…

  • Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    This article recounts the legendary “Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage,” a defining moment in the Three Kingdoms era. It details how the aging warlord Liu Bei, desperate to restore the Han Dynasty, humbled himself to visit the reclusive genius Zhuge Liang three times. The narrative highlights Liu Bei’s patience and virtue in contrast…

  • Cai Mao in History and Fiction [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong invented many plot points, such as the noble sacrifice of Lady Mi, the killing of Liu Cong mentioned earlier, and Cai Mao, the protagonist of today’s article, who was also killed by Cao Cao, among others. There are quite a few similar examples.

  • Cao Cao’s release of Han Song [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In Chapter 42 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, following Liu Cong’s swift and bloodless surrender of Jing Province to Cao Cao, an unexpected act of clemency unfolds: Cao Cao orders the immediate release of a prisoner in Xiangyang city and promptly promotes him to office. That man is Han Song.

  • The fictional martyr of loyalty: Li Gui [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In Chapter 40 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Gui appears as a minor yet morally significant figure – a retainer in Liu Cong’s court following the death of Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province. When Cai Mao and his faction conspire to install the younger son Liu Cong as successor by forging…

  • Why didn’t Liu Bei and Liu Qi seize Jingzhou amid the chaos? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Liu Qi, as the eldest son of Liu Biao, was the legitimate heir to Jing Province. Why did not he join forces with Liu Bei to reclaim the governorship from Liu Cong amid the chaos?