SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Lü Huiqing

  • The Torment of Factionalism: A Dynasty Torn Apart

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    Juan

    The Regency of Empress Dowager Gao and the Yuanyou Restoration When Emperor Shenzong died at the age of thirty-eight, he was succeeded by his sixth son, Zhao Yong (or Zhao Chong, later renamed Zhao Xu), who was only eight years old. Known posthumously as Emperor Zhezong, the young emperor ruled under the regency of…

  • The Xining Reforms: Wang Anshi

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    Juan

    The Young Prince and the Visionary Scholar When Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne, his eldest son, Zhao Xu, was already a thoughtful teenager of fifteen or sixteen. Unlike his peers, Zhao Xu was deeply engrossed in statecraft, particularly favoring the legalist philosophies of Han Fei. Among the many memorials he read was a lengthy…