SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Sixteen Prefectures

  • The Reformer of the Five Dynasties: Chai Rong

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    Juan

    From Chaos to a New Order Following the withdrawal of the Khitan (Liao) army, the city of Bian (Kaifeng) saw the arrival of Liu Zhiyuan, the Prince of Beiping. A Shatuo leader like his predecessors, Liu had initially opposed Shi Jingtang’s cession of the Sixteen Prefectures but later supported his rise. By balancing appeasement…

  • The Yellow Robe at Chenqiao: The Birth of the Song Dynasty

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    Juan

    The Premature End of a Great Campaign In the spring of 959 AD, Emperor Chai Rong of the Later Zhou launched a northern campaign to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures lost to the Khitan Liao dynasty. Prior to the expedition, he ordered General Han Tong to dredge waterways, creating over thirty inlets to facilitate naval…

  • The Son-Emperor and the Salted Corpse: The Rise of Liao and the Fall of Jin

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    Juan

    The Tragedy of the Actor-Emperor Li Cunxu, the founding emperor of the Later Tang, was a military genius but a flawed ruler. Bored with governance, he indulged in acting, adopting the stage name “Li Tianxia” (Li the World-Ruler). In one infamous incident, while shouting his stage name twice on stage, he was slapped by…