SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Liu Bang

  • Breaking Pots and Sinking Boats: Xiang Yu’s Gamble at Julu [Western Han]

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    Juan

    This article narrates Xiang Yu’s legendary battle at Julu. Frustrated by Song Yi’s inaction, he seized command, led his troops across the Zhang River, smashed pots and sank boats to show no retreat. His army won nine straight battles, crushed the Qin main force, and became the supreme leader of the rebel alliance.

  • Liu Bang

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    Ana

    Liu Bang (256 or 247 BCE – 195 BCE), posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu of Han, was the founder of the Western Han dynasty and reigned from 202 to 195 BCE. His courtesy name was Ji, and he was from Pei County (in present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He initially served as a minor local official…

  • Zhang Liang

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    Ana

    Zhang Liang (?–189 BCE) was a prominent statesman in the early Western Han dynasty. His courtesy name was Zifang, and he was from Chengfu, Yingchuan (in present-day southwestern Xiangcheng, Henan). His ancestors were nobles of the former state of Han, with five generations serving as Han ministers. Seeking revenge for the Qin conquest of…

  • 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…

  • The Spark That Lit the Empire Ablaze [Western Han]

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    Juan

    This article records the Dazexiang Uprising, China’s first peasant rebellion. Trapped by rain and facing death for tardiness, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang led 900 conscripts to revolt against Qin’s tyranny. Though their regime fell quickly, they ignited a nationwide flame that paved the way for Liu Bang and Xiang Yu to topple the…

  • Why did Xun Yu choose Cao Cao? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    The most renowned strategists of the Three Kingdoms period include core figures such as Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Guo Jia, Xun Yu, and Jia Xu. They were celebrated for their outstanding strategic planning, military tactics, and political acumen, playing a decisive role in shaping the geopolitical landscape of the Three Kingdoms.

  • The guerrilla tactics of Peng Yue [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Li Jue was originally a general under Dong Zhuo. After Dong Zhuo was killed by Wang Yun and Lü Bu, he declared independence and, following the strategy of his advisor Jia Xu, attacked the capital city of Chang’an. Today, let’s discuss how Li Jue defeated Lü Bu and successfully captured Chang’an.

  • Relocating the capital: The mandate of heaven or a desperate retreat? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In the year 190 AD, Dong Zhuo deposed Emperor Shao and installed Emperor Xian, seizing absolute control of the imperial court. This act ignited outrage across the land. A coalition of eighteen warlords from the Guandong region(the region east of Hangu Pass), led by Yuan Shao as their nominal leader, formed a united army…

  • Two Serpents: One White, One Green[Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    The first chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms skillfully juxtaposes two stories about “emperors and serpents”: one is the legend of the founding emperor, Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty, slaying a white serpent to rise in rebellion, and the other is the omen of the last emperor, Emperor Ling of Han, fainting…