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In 279 BCE, after the State of Qin defeated the State of Zhao in battle, the King of Qin sought to concentrate his forces on attacking the State of Chu. He therefore sent an envoy to inform King of Zhao that he wished to cease hostilities, restore friendly relations, and proposed a meeting at Mianchi…
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Lin Xiangru was a senior official and diplomat of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. He is associated with three famous historical events: “Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao,” the “Mianchi Meeting”**, and “Carrying a Cane to Beg Forgiveness”*. Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao The State of Zhao possessed a priceless…
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During the Warring States period, the State of Zhao had two renowned ministers: Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. Lian Po was a brave and skilled general who had achieved many military victories. Lin Xiangru was originally just an ordinary official, but because he successfully brought the He Shi Bi back to Zhao intact (the ‘Return…
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The Dream of the Yellow Millet is a famous Chinese fable from the novel “The Story of the Pillow’ by the Tang Dynasty writer Shen Jiji. A poor scholar surnamed Lu chanced upon an old Taoist priest surnamed Lü at an inn in Handan, whilst on his way to sit the imperial examinations. Lu lamented…
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Tian Heng (250BC–202BC) was a member of the former royal house of Qi during the late Qin dynasty. After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rose in revolt against the Qin, heroes from all quarters responded in succession. The Tian Heng family was also among the anti-Qin forces, and later Tian Heng declared himself King of…
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The “Thousand Character Classic” is one of the most widely circulated and most influential early educational texts in pre-modern era China. Together with the “Three Character Classic,” the “Hundred Family Surnames,” and the “Poems of a Thousand Masters” it is collectively known as the “Three, Hundred, Thousand, Thousand” (三百千千). Using one thousand different, non-repeating Chinese…