Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
This article tells Eastern Han’s tragic tale of integrity amid decline. It features Ban Chao’s frontier service, Cai Lun’s paper invention, and Yang Zhen’s famous “Heaven knows, earth knows” stand against bribery. After Empress Deng’s death, corrupt eunuchs and clans seized power, executing upright officials and dooming the dynasty.
Shipantuo, Xuanzang’s first disciple, helped him secretly cross the river and traverse the Yumen Pass.