SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Zhang Shicheng

  • The Capable Ministers and Clean Officials: Zhou Chen and Kuang Zhong [Ming]

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    This article profiles two outstanding Ming officials: Zhou Chen and Kuang Zhong. Zhou Chen reformed the unfair tax system in Jiangnan, easing farmers’ burdens and boosting revenue. Kuang Zhong cracked down on corruption in Suzhou and won people’s respect as “Justice Kuang”. It also mentions Emperor Xuanzong’s cricket hobby, ending the golden Ren-Xuan era.

  • The Rise of Ming and the Flight of the Yuan [Song & Yuan]

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    This article traces the fall of the Yuan Dynasty and the rise of the Ming. Plagued by court infighting, moral decay, and massive peasant uprisings, the Yuan collapsed amid chaos. Zhu Yuanzhang, a former peasant and monk, rose through strategic patience, unified southern China, and defeated rival rebels. In 1368, he founded the Ming…

  • The Last Reform: Toghon Temür and the Rise and Fall of Toghto [Song & Yuan]

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    This article covers the final reform of the Yuan Dynasty. Emperor Toghon Temür and Prime Minister Toghto overthrew tyranny, revived exams, and fixed the Yellow River. But court intrigue and a seduction plot turned the emperor corrupt. Toghto was framed and killed; the army collapsed. The last hope for Yuan was gone.