SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Lu Bu

  • The Hidden Dragon in Xuchang [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In 196 CE, Xuzhou was both a blessing and a curse for Liu Bei. When the dying governor Tao Qian entrusted him with the province – declaring, “Only Liu Bei can bring peace to this land” (Sanguozhi) – Liu Bei finally escaped his years of dependence on others and entered the ranks of warlords.…

  • The rise of Liu Bei [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In the grand tapestry of the Three Kingdoms, where warlords vied for supremacy, Liu Bei’s rise stands out as one of the most legendary journeys. Unlike Cao Cao, who inherited a powerful bureaucratic and military network, or Sun Quan, who succeeded his father and brother’s established domain, Liu Bei climbed from the very bottom…

  • The Arrow at the Gate [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Yuan Shu wanted to seize Jingzhou, which was under Liu Bei’s control, but he was concerned that Lu Bu nearby might interfere. So he wrote to Lu Bu, proposing to join forces to attack Liu Bei.

  • The rise of Sun Ce [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    After Sun Jian drove Dong Zhuo from Luoyang, he turned south to attack Liu Biao in Jing Province – but was ambushed and killed by Huang Zu, one of Liu Biao’s generals. His eldest son, Sun Ce, buried his father and traveled alone to Shouchun to seek help from Yuan Shu.

  • Rise of Cao Cao [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In 195 CE, the fragile alliance among Dong Zhuo’s former generals – Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou – collapsed into violent infighting.

  • The fall and aftermath of a tyrant [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    After initial victories against the coalition forces, Dong Zhuo suffered a critical defeat at the hands of Sun Jian, forcing him to abandon Luoyang and retreat westward to Chang’an in 190 CE. There, he crowned himself Grand Tutor, placing himself above even the Three Excellencies.

  • Why we love Liu Bei: The everyman hero [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Liu Bei is not the most brilliant strategist, nor the fiercest warrior, nor the most cunning politician of the Three Kingdoms. Yet across centuries – through both historical records like Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) and the romanticized drama of Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms – he remains the…

  • Liu Bei’s art of strategic retreat [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    If one were to judge solely by the ability to escape defeat unscathed, Liu Bei stands alone in the annals of the Three Kingdoms. Throughout his tumultuous career, Liu Bei suffered numerous battlefield losses – but he was never captured. Historical records consistently show him voluntarily seeking refuge with new allies after defeat, never…

  • Why Wang Yun failed: The fatal flaws [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    The assassination of Dong Zhuo in 192 AD was a dramatic moment in Chinese history. Orchestrated by Wang Yun, the Minister of Works, and executed by the mighty warrior Lü Bu, it was hailed as a heroic act to restore the Han dynasty from tyranny.