SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Yu Qian

  • Hulatang

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    In the heart of China’s Central Plains, morning begins not with the crow of a rooster, but with the sizzle of a ladle dipping into a giant cauldron of bubbling, aromatic soup. For millions of people across Henan Province – and increasingly, across the world – the day doesn’t truly start until they’ve had…

  • The Restoration of the Southern Palace [Ming]

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    This article tells the Southern Palace Restoration: deposed Emperor Yingzong was restored to the throne in a 1457 coup. His allies framed and executed national hero Yu Qian on false treason charges. The coup leaders later turned on each other and were destroyed. Yingzong regretted Yu’s death, but the Ming Dynasty’s golden age was…

  • The Defense of Beijing: Yu Qian and the Crisis of 1449 [Ming]

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    This article recounts the 1449 Tumu Crisis: Emperor Yingzong was captured by Oirat forces after bad advice from eunuch Wang Zhen. Minister Yu Qian took charge, enthroned a new emperor, and led the heroic Defense of Beijing, repelling the invaders. He saved the Ming Dynasty but later faced political conflict between the two emperors.