SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

Zhong Yao

  • Memorial Recommending Ji Zhi [Chinese calligraphy]

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    Juan

    Zhong Yao (151–230 CE) was a statesman and calligrapher of the late Eastern Han and early Three Kingdoms period, traditionally regarded as the “Father of Regular Script” (kaishu) in Chinese calligraphy. His work Jian Jizhi Biao (Memorial Recommending Ji Zhi) is one of his most famous surviving pieces, originally written as a court memorial…

  • The Battle of Tong Pass [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In 211 AD, following Cao Cao’s consolidation of power in central China, he ordered Zhong Yao, Inspector of Sili, and Xiahou Yuan, General Who Protects the West, to assemble troops for a campaign ostensibly aimed at Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. However, the warlords of Guanzhong (the Guanzhong Plain) – notably Ma Chao and Han…

  • Sowing Discord [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    The Guanxi (Guanzhong and Liangzhou) region had long been under the control of two powerful warlords: Ma Teng and Han Sui. Ma Teng, a descendant of the famed Eastern Han general Ma Yuan, commanded deep loyalty among the frontier troops.

  • The Road to Guandu: How Cao Cao secured his flanks before the decisive clash with Yuan Shao [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    In the winter of 199 AD, Yuan Shao stood at the zenith of his power. Having annihilated Gongsun Zan at Yi County and crushed the Heishan bandits who came to his aid, Yuan Shao now controlled four northern provinces: Jizhou, Qingzhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou. With this vast territory and immense manpower, he was poised…

  • Why did Xun Yu choose Cao Cao? [Three Kingdoms]

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    Rob

    The most renowned strategists of the Three Kingdoms period include core figures such as Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Guo Jia, Xun Yu, and Jia Xu. They were celebrated for their outstanding strategic planning, military tactics, and political acumen, playing a decisive role in shaping the geopolitical landscape of the Three Kingdoms.

  • From Yuan Shao to Cao Cao: The defection of Dong Zhao [Three Kingdoms]

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    Juan

    When Cao Cao escorted Emperor Xian of Han to Xuchang in 196 AD and established a new imperial court under his control, he achieved more than a military victory—he secured a decisive moral and political advantage. By acting in the name of the Son of Heaven, Cao Cao positioned himself as the defender of…