Han Feizi notes eels and silkworms look frightening like snakes and caterpillars, yet people handle them boldly for profit. Gain drives ordinary folks as brave as famed warriors Meng Ben and Zhuan Zhu.
This article recounts the tragic story of Meng Ben, a mighty warrior of the State of Qin during the Warring States period. It details his rivalry with King Wu of Qin, a monarch obsessed with martial prowess. In 307 BC, Meng Ben incited the king to lift the Dragon-Patterned Red Cauldron, a symbol of…
The Battle of Guandu (200 CE) – the decisive confrontation between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao – did not unfold in isolation. Even as the two warlords marshaled their forces along the Yellow River, a cascade of events across the empire shaped the conflict’s trajectory.