SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

moral diplomacy

  • Yan Zi’s Mission to Chu [Spring & Autumn]

    •

    Rob

    Brief: This article recounts the legendary diplomatic mission of Yan Zi, the brilliant minister of Qi, to the court of King Ling of Chu. It details the king’s attempts to humiliate Yan Zi—forcing him through a “dog hole” and mocking his stature—only to be deftly rebuked by Yan Zi’s wit. The narrative highlights the…

  • A treacherous stroke in White Robes [Three Kingdoms]

    •

    Juan

    Was Lü Meng’s capture of Jing Province in AD 219 a betrayal of an ally? Some people argue that the Sun–Liu alliance effectively collapsed after the Xiang River Partition (circa AD 215), when Liu Bei and Sun Quan divided Jing Province along the Xiang River. However, primary sources from the Records of the Three…