SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Li Si

  • The Shadow of Envy: When Talent Threatens Power

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    Rob

    In the long river of history, it is not an isolated incident for wise and talented individuals to fall victim to jealousy. The stories of Ziyu and Confucius, and Li Si and Han Fei, serve as two poignant examples of this tragic dynamic.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 2.8

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    Juan

    Li Si warns Han’s king: Zhao will attack Han first. Qin and Han share risks. Submit to Qin, or face invasion and ruin.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 2.6-7

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    Juan

    Li Si pressures Han’s king, citing Han’s past betrayal of Qin. Fickle diplomacy and corrupt ministers ruined Han; only submission to Qin can save it.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 2.5

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    Juan

    Li Si slanders Han Fei’s rhetoric as deceptive. He proposes detaining Han’s king, military intimidation, and gradual annexation to weaken rivals and unify China.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 2.4

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    Juan

    Han Fei is accused of cunningly serving Han while advising Qin. He uses rhetoric to hide motives, prioritize Han’s interests, and advance his own status.

  • Han Feizi – Chapter 2.3

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    Juan

    Li Si refutes Han Fei, arguing Han is a hidden threat to Qin. Its submission is fake; attack it first, or it may ally with rivals and endanger Qin.

  • Han Feizi

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    Ana

    Han Feizi is the title of a foundational philosophical text and the culminating work of pre-Qin Legalist thought. Although attributed to Han Fei (c. 280–233 BCE), a prince of the state of Han during the Warring States period, the book was compiled posthumously by later scholars who collected his surviving writings and supplemented them…

  • The Rising Tide: How rebellions united and fractured? [Western Han]

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    Juan

    This article traces the anti‑Qin uprising after Chen Sheng. Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu rallied the “Eight Thousand Sons of Wu.” Liu Bang emerged as a rebel leader, joined by Zhang Liang. They restored King Huai II of Chu to unify forces. Though Xiang Liang fell, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang rose to lead…

  • Learning to Defeat Ten Thousand [Western Han]

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    Juan

    This article introduces Xiang Yu’s early ambition to “defeat ten thousand men” and his bold remark to replace Qin Shi Huang. It covers Qin’s frontier projects, the emperor’s death, and the secret coup by Zhao Gao, Li Si, and Huhai. Their tyranny soon ignited rebellions that ended the Qin Dynasty.