Han Feizi tells Duke Yu’s story: greed for horses and jade blinded him, leading to his state’s fall. Greed brings bitter regret.
Han Fei uses Zhi Bo’s fall to warn: endless greed leads to ruin. Insatiability is the greatest misfortune for rulers.
Han Fei warns that beauty, fame, or wealth make one a target. Coveted goods and power bring ruin to rulers and states.
This article tells the story of Emperor Wu of Liang, a devout Buddhist ruler who repeatedly became a monk and required huge ransoms to return to the throne. He built hundreds of temples but neglected national defense. His extreme piety drained the treasury and left the realm vulnerable, leading to his tragic death in…
Zhuangzi (c. 369–286 BCE) was a major philosopher of the Warring States period. His given name was Zhou, and he was a native of Meng in the state of Song—traditionally identified either as northeast of modern Shangqiu, Henan, or near Dingyuan, Anhui.
Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) was a renowned calligrapher, painter, and scholar-official of the Yuan Dynasty. As a descendant of the Song imperial family, he played a pivotal role in reviving classical styles of Chinese art and calligraphy. His work Dao De Jing (The Tao Te Ching), handwritten in small regular script (xiaokaishu), is one of…