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Brief: This article tells Shi Le’s inspiring rise from a Jie slave to founding emperor of Later Zhao. Guided by strategist Zhang Bin, he unified northern China, governed with wisdom and mercy, and valued history despite being illiterate. His legacy proves courage and integrity can lift even the lowest‑born to greatness.
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Introduction: This article recounts the fall of Western Jin and the founding of Eastern Jin. After Emperors Huai and Min were captured and killed, Sima Rui established Eastern Jin in Jiankang with Wang Dao’s support. The era’s famous saying “Wang and Ma rule together” emerged. Meanwhile, northern heroes Liu Kun and Zu Ti died…
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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.
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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.
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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…
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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?
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In 208, when Cao Cao launched his southern campaign against Jingzhou, his army swept through Xinye with overwhelming momentum. Behind him marched hundreds of thousands of northern troops; at the vanguard were elite generals like Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun.