usurpation

  • The Three Arrows of Vengeance: Li Cunxu [Sui & Tang]

    Brief: This article recounts the legendary story of Li Cunxu and the “Three Arrows of Vengeance”. It begins with the bitter feud between Li Keyong and Zhu Wen, covers the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of Later Liang. On his deathbed, Li Keyong gave three arrows to his son Li Cunxu,…

  • The Bloodstained Throne: The Collapse of the Liu Song Dynasty [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]

    Brief: This article reveals the bloody collapse of the Liu Song Dynasty. Plagued by parricide, fratricide, and tyrannical child emperors, the imperial family slaughtered each other for power. Cruelty and paranoia destroyed the realm, clearing the way for Xiao Daocheng to seize the throne and found the Southern Qi Dynasty.

  • From Restorer to Usurper: Liu Yu and the Fall of the Eastern Jin [Jin & Southern-Northern Dynasties]

    Introduction: This article traces Liu Yu’s rise from a common soldier to the founder of the Liu Song Dynasty. He suppressed Sun En’s rebellion, defeated Huan Xuan, restored Eastern Jin, then launched successful northern campaigns. Eventually, he usurped the throne, ending Jin’s rule and establishing a new era of reform and stability in the…

  • The Usurper’s Mask: Wang Mang [Western Han]

    Brief: This article reveals Wang Mang’s calculated rise to power. Playing the humble Confucian scholar, he gained public favor, eliminated rivals, and seized control of the Western Han court. Through purges, deception, and fake omens, he usurped the throne and founded the Xin Dynasty, ending 214 years of Han rule.

  • The Analects – Chapter 16.3

    Confucius said, “The stipends and authority have been removed from the ducal house for five generations; political power has rested with the high ministers for four generations. Therefore, the descendants of the Three Huan families are now in decline.”

  • The empty box and Xun Yu’s silent death [Three Kingdoms]

    In Chapter 61 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the death of Xun Yu – Cao Cao’s chief strategist and moral compass – is portrayed with tragic symbolism.

  • The Tyrant’s Ascent [Three Kingdoms]

    Brief: This article details the violent rise of Dong Zhuo, the tyrant who ignited the Three Kingdoms era. It recounts how the ambitious frontier general exploited the power vacuum in Luoyang following the death of Emperor Ling. Through a combination of military deception and brute force, Dong Zhuo intercepted the fleeing imperial party, deposed…

  • Why was Wang Yun called a loyalist? [Three Kingdoms]

    In the chaotic twilight of the Eastern Han Dynasty, two figures stand in stark contrast in the historical record: Dong Zhuo, the tyrant who seized the throne, and Wang Yun, the minister who orchestrated his assassination. One is universally condemned as a villain; the other, celebrated as a hero.

  • Was Emperor Xian really weak? [Three Kingdoms]

    Emperor Xian of Han (Liu Xie) has long been cast in the shadows of history and literature as a helpless puppet, a symbol of imperial decay and impotence. In both Romance of the Three Kingdoms and traditional historiography, he is often portrayed as a passive victim—first under Dong Zhuo, then Cao Cao, and finally…