SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Zhang Lu

  • The Reckoning of Fan Ju [Warring States]

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    Rob

    Brief: This article details the revenge of Fan Ju, the Chancellor of Qin, against the state of Wei. After surviving torture and betrayal, Fan Ju adopted the alias “Zhang Lu” to rise to power in Qin. When Wei sent the envoy Xu Gu to negotiate peace, Fan Ju orchestrated a dramatic psychological reckoning. He…

  • Fan Ju’s rise [Warring States]

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    Rob

    Brief: This article details the dramatic rise of Fan Ju, a brilliant strategist who survived betrayal and torture to become Chancellor of Qin. After being falsely accused by his former master Xu Gu, Fan Ju endured a near-fatal beating and was left for dead in a latrine. He faked his death, changed his name…

  • Chapter 60. Zhang Song offers the map [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    Chapter 60 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms marks a decisive turning point in the novel’s geopolitical arc. With Cao Cao dominant in the north and Sun Quan entrenched in the east, the vast, fertile province of Yizhou (modern Sichuan) becomes the final prize for aspiring hegemonies.

  • The Map Unbestowed [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article tells how Cao Cao lost Yizhou by rejecting Zhang Song. Insulted by Cao Cao’s arrogance and contempt, Zhang Song abandoned his plan to offer Yizhou’s secret maps. He instead persuaded Liu Zhang to invite Liu Bei, who later seized Yizhou and founded Shu Han.

  • The Battle for Hanzhong [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article recounts the pivotal Battle of Hanzhong during China’s Three Kingdoms period. It details how Cao Cao initially conquered the region from Zhang Lu but failed to invade Yizhou. Subsequently, Liu Bei launched a campaign to seize the strategic corridor. The narrative highlights the decisive clash at Mount Dingjun, where the veteran…

  • How Liu Bei seized Yizhou? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Introduction: This article details Liu Bei’s strategic conquest of Yizhou (Sichuan) in 211 CE, a critical turning point in the Three Kingdoms era. It recounts how Liu Bei, aided by the strategist Pang Tong and a conspiracy led by Zhang Song, deceived Governor Liu Zhang to gain entry. The narrative highlights the shift from…

  • Sowing Discord [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Brief: This article analyzes Cao Cao’s masterful psychological warfare during the Battle of Tong Pass in the Three Kingdoms era. It details how Cao Cao exploited the alliance between warlords Ma Chao and Han Sui through a series of calculated deceptions. By orchestrating a fake friendship, a staged meeting, and a forged letter filled…

  • Why Sun Ce should not kill Yu Ji? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    Sun Ce’s execution of the revered Daoist healer Yu Ji is often remembered in Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a tale of supernatural retribution—but historically, it was a grave political miscalculation rooted in impulsiveness, insecurity, and a failure to understand soft power. Far from eliminating a threat, Sun Ce’s public killing of Yu…

  • Driving the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf Stratagem [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    To eliminate the threat posed by Liu Bei and Lü Bu’s control of Xuzhou, Cao Cao adopted a step-by-step strategy proposed by Xun Yu. First, he used the “Feeding Two Tigers to Fight” stratagem, petitioning the court to appoint Liu Bei as Governor of Xuzhou while secretly ordering him to execute Lü Bu. This…