SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Wang Mang

  • The Fall of the Golden Throne [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article depicts the fall of Wang Mang’s Xin Dynasty. Rebels stormed Chang’an, set fire to Weiyang Palace, and killed Wang Mang at Gradual Terrace. Amid chaos, Liu Xuan became a puppet emperor, while Liu Xiu, aided by loyal Feng Yi, quietly built his strength to restore the Han Dynasty.

  • The Battle of Kunyang [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article records the legendary Battle of Kunyang. Liu Xiu led 9,000 defenders against Wang Mang’s 420,000‑strong army. A sudden storm turned the tide; the Xin army was destroyed. Though Liu Xiu won glory, his brother was executed by the Gengshi Emperor. He hid his grief and bided his time to restore the…

  • The Rise of Liu Brothers [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article traces the rise of the Liu brothers – Liu Yan and Liu Xiu – who rebelled against Wang Mang’s Xin Dynasty. They allied with Lulin peasant armies, won key battles, and helped enthrone Liu Xuan as the Gengshi Emperor. Though sidelined, the brothers laid the groundwork for the Eastern Han restoration.

  • The Red Eyebrows Rise [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article tells the rise of the Red Eyebrows rebellion. Triggered by injustice and famine, Lü Mother first revolted; after her death, Fanchong united the rebels, marking their eyebrows red. They defeated Wang Mang’s armies, won popular support, and shook the Xin Dynasty, paving the way for the Eastern Han restoration.

  • The Rise of the Lulin Heroes [Eastern Han]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article tells the rise of the Lulin Heroes. Famine and Wang Mang’s harsh rule sparked a peasant rebellion led by Wang Kuang and Wang Feng. They won battles, allied with other rebels, and gained Han royal Liu Xuan as a leader. Their movement became the vanguard that toppled the Xin Dynasty and…

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

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    Juan

    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.

  • Mencius – Chapter 7.6 Elite consensus as the catalyst for universal moral transformation

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    Ana

    Mencius said: “Governing the state is not difficult – the key is not to alienate the great families (influential aristocratic clans).What these great families admire, the whole state will admire;what the whole state admires, all under heaven will admire.Thus, moral education will spread abundantly and overflow throughout the Four Seas.”

  • Zhuge Liang’s defense of the “Gentleman Confucian” [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In Chapter 43 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as Zhuge Liang arrives in Chaisang to persuade Sun Quan to form an alliance against Cao Cao, he is confronted not by soldiers, but by scholars.

  • The top warrior among the Eighteen Warlords [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Romance of the Three Kingdoms often diverges from the history. For instance, in the episode where Guan Yu kills Hua Xiong while warming wine, historical records state that Guan Yu followed Liu Bei, who was then under Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zan was busy fighting the Wuhuan in the north and did not participate in…