SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

military deception

  • The Two-Faced Strategist: Gao Huan [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]

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    Juan

    This article profiles Gao Huan, the crafty warlord who rose amid Northern Wei’s collapse. Orphaned and ambitious, he deceived the Erzhu clan, united multiethnic forces, and seized power. His dual rhetoric and cunning tactics made him master of the north, laying the groundwork for Eastern Wei and the division of the realm.

  • The Founding of Eastern Jin and Tragedy of Northern Heroes [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]

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    Juan

    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 disappointed,…

  • Oath on the River: Zu Ti’s Northern Expedition [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]

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    Juan

    This article narrates Zu Ti’s legendary Northern Expedition. After Western Jin fell, he led volunteers across the Yangtze, swearing an oath to reclaim the Central Plains. With clever tactics and benevolent rule, he liberated lands south of the Yellow River. Though unsupported by the court, his courage made him an icon of patriotism.

  • The Deception of Chencang [Western Han]

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    Juan

    This article tells the classic stratagem “Deceive by repairing the gallery roads, strike secretly at Chencang.” Han Xin fooled Zhang Han into fixing roads while leading Liu Bang’s main army through a hidden path. He swiftly conquered the Three Qins, seized Guanzhong, and secured a strong base for Liu Bang to fight Xiang Yu.

  • The Massacre at Changping [Warring States]

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    Rob

    This article recounts the Battle of Changping, a decisive and bloody conflict during the Warring States period. It details how King Xiaocheng of Zhao replaced the defensive general Lian Po with the inexperienced theorist Zhao Kuo, following a successful deception campaign by Qin’s Fan Ju. The narrative describes the catastrophic trap set by Qin’s…

  • Feasting the enemy to save a nation [Spring & Autumn]

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    Rob

    This article tells the remarkable story of Xian Gao, a humble cattle merchant who single-handedly saved the State of Zheng from invasion in 627 BCE. When he discovered the Qin army marching to attack his unprepared nation, Xian Gao impersonated an envoy and presented the Qin general, Meng Mingshi, with twelve oxen to feign…

  • The Stone Pavilion Trap [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    This article tells the Battle of Shiting. Zhou Fang of Eastern Wu feigned defection to lure Cao Xiu’s Wei army into a trap. At Shiting, Lu Xun’s three‑pronged ambush crushed Wei’s forces. Cao Xiu escaped but died of humiliation. The victory secured Wu’s southern defense for years.

  • The Battle of Tong Pass [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In 211 AD, following Cao Cao’s consolidation of power in central China, he ordered Zhong Yao, Inspector of Sili, and Xiahou Yuan, General Who Protects the West, to assemble troops for a campaign ostensibly aimed at Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. However, the warlords of Guanzhong (the Guanzhong Plain) – notably Ma Chao and Han…

  • Chapter 52. Liu Bei’s southern expansion [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    Chapter 52 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms marks a critical turning point in the post-Red Cliffs era, as the Sun-Liu alliance begins to fray under the weight of competing ambitions.