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In Chapter 57 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a clandestine conspiracy unfolds in the heart of Cao Cao’s capital. Huang Kui, an imperial secretary, secretly allies with the veteran general Ma Teng to assassinate the powerful warlord Cao Cao, whom they view as a usurper threatening the Han dynasty.
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The seizure of Ji Province (Jizhou) by Yuan Shao in 191 AD is one of the most pivotal yet morally ambiguous events in the collapse of the Eastern Han dynasty.
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In 189 AD, over the issue of dethroning the emperor, Yuan Shao severed ties with Dong Zhuo. Realizing he couldn’t match Dong Zhuo’s power, Yuan Shao fled to Ji Province (Jizhou).
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In the chaos of war, when survival hangs by a thread, morality often yields to necessity. One of the most chilling and revealing moments in Romance of the Three Kingdoms captures this truth in the story of Cao Cao’s execution of Wang Hou, the grain administrator (granary officer). Far from a mere act of…
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In the third chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dong Zhuo, perceiving Emperor Shao Liu Bian as weak and incompetent, proposed deposing him and replacing him with Liu Xie (the Prince of Chenliu), who was described as intelligent, studious, eloquent, and dignified.
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Why did Dong Zhuo replace Emperor Shao with the Prince of Chenliu? Let us first examine how Dong Zhuo himself proposed this change of emperor.
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In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Ten Regular Attendants (led by Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong) are portrayed as a treacherous eunuch clique that harmed the nation and its people. Yet, Emperor Ling of Han (Liu Hong) obeyed them unconditionally and relied on them extensively. Why did such a political situation arise? This…