SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

sacrifice

  • Mencius – Chapter 6.3 To serve, But not to solicit

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    Zhou Xiao asked: “Did the gentlemen of ancient times take office?”

  • The Orphan of Zhao [Spring & Autumn]

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    This article recounts the legendary tragedy of The Orphan of Zhao in 597 BCE. It details the political purge by the corrupt minister Tu’an Gu, who exterminated the powerful Zhao clan. The narrative focuses on the heroic sacrifice of two loyal retainers, Gongsun Chujiu and Cheng Ying. To save the infant heir Zhao Wu,…

  • Predestined fortune managed by netherworld accountant

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    “The Treasury Official” is a concise yet profound short story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai (Liaozhai Zhiyi). Through the mysterious figure of a “Treasury Official of the Netherworld,” it showcases Pu Songling’s philosophical reflections on fate, wealth, and the vicissitudes of life.

  • The Willow Scholar’s bargain

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    “The Willow Scholar” is a symbolic short story from Strange Tales from Liaozhai. Blending myth, fable, and social concern, it explores the relationship between humans, nature, and spirits through the resolution of a locust plague.

  • The power of pure devotion in “Ah Bao”

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    Strange Tales from Liaozhai – Ah Bao is a tale of transcendent romance. It follows impoverished scholar Sun Zichu’s obsessive love for the wealthy beauty Ah Bao, weaving fantasy and social conflict to explore love’s transformative power while critiquing human vanity and materialism.

  • The boat-owner’s bright idea

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    Once I saw a man travelling on foot at Lvliang. He saw a boat, and offered the boat-owner fifty coins to take him to Pengmen.

  • The Zhen and the Snake

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    The Zhen bird (a mythical poisonous bird)) met a venomous snake on the road and advanced to peck at it.

  • The holy fish prank

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    At Stone Pavilion Dam in Kuaiji there stands a great maple tree.

  • Journey to the West – Episode 78 – Picture story

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    Wukong comforted the two elders and said: “There’s no need to be sad. Gladly would I trade my life for that of your son. This will allow your family name to endure for generations and generations. I am willing to be offered to that Great King you have spoken of.”