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Chapter 50 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms – titled “Guan Yu Releases Cao Cao at Huarong Trail” – concludes the epic Battle of Red Cliffs not with a final blow, but with an act of moral complexity that reshapes history.
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In the autumn of 208 CE, as Cao Cao’s massive army marched southward to unify China under his rule, the fate of the realm hung in the balance.
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In the popular imagination shaped by Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Pang Tong – the “Young Phoenix” – is forever linked to one of the most iconic ruses in Chinese military history: the Chain Stratagem.
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Kan Ze (courtesy name De Run) was born in Shanyin, Kuaiji Commandery – modern-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang – into a family of modest means. Unlike many elite officials of his time, he had no inherited privilege. To pursue learning, he copied borrowed books by hand, demonstrating extraordinary diligence. This early discipline laid the foundation for…