tragic hero

  • The betrayal of Chen Gong [Three Kingdoms]

    Chen Gong played a crucial role in Cao Cao’s early rise to power. When Liu Dai, the Inspector of Yan Province(Yanzhou), was killed in battle against the Yellow Turban rebels in 192 AD, a power vacuum emerged. Chen Gong, a native scholar-official of Yan Province and a man of high moral standing, took decisive…

  • The rise and fall of Gongsun Zan [Three Kingdoms]

    When people think of Gongsun Zan in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, many immediately associate him with Liu Bei, as the two were classmates under the famed scholar Lu Zhi. Though their relationship was that of schoolmates, Gongsun Zan never achieved the same legendary status as Liu Bei—largely because Luo Guanzhong, the author…

  • Zhu Jun’s futility of loyalty [Three Kingdoms]

    In 189 AD, Dong Zhuo marched into Luoyang, seized control of the imperial court, deposed Emperor Shao, and installed Emperor Xian, marking the beginning of his tyrannical rule. His usurpation sparked outrage among the regional governors and warlords across eastern China.