Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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A Mysterious Dream in the Imperial Palace In the seventh year of his reign (64 CE), Emperor Ming of Han was plunged into grief: his beloved mother, Empress Dowager Yin Lihua, had passed away. Deeply affected, he struggled with insomnia and sorrow. One night, he dreamed of a golden figure with a luminous halo…
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Laying Down the Sword, Embracing Peace In the year the victorious armies returned from Shu, Emperor Guangwu was forty-three. He had risen in rebellion at twenty-eight, and for fifteen years had lived almost entirely amid war camps and battlefields. Now, with the empire unified, he was determined to let the land rest and recover.…