SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Pan Mei

  • The Tragic Fall of General Yang Ye

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    Juan

    The Ill-Fated Northern Expedition Following the conquest of Northern Han, the Song army was jubilant, and Emperor Taizong, intoxicated by victory, proposed an immediate campaign against the Liao Dynasty. Since Shi Jingtang of the Later Jin had ceded the strategic Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun to the Liao, recovering these lost territories had…

  • The Covenant of the Golden Casket and the Shadow of the Axe

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    Juan

    The Sudden End and the Succession Puzzle By 976, the Song Dynasty’s strategy of “First South, Then North” was nearly complete. The southern kingdoms of Jingnan, Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang had fallen, leaving only Wuyue. The Northern Han remained the stubborn enemy in the north. However, before the northern campaign could…

  • The Anxiety of the Adjacent Bed: Zhao Kuangyin’s Campaign for Unification

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    Juan

    Centralizing Power and Formulating Strategy After consolidating control over the military and curbing the power of the Prime Minister – mandating that chancellors could only offer advice while final decisions rested solely with the emperor – Song Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin) secured his internal authority. Unlike his harsh treatment of potential military rivals, he adopted…