History
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Madame Huarui (?—976AD) , originally named Xu (or Fei), was a consort of Meng Chang, the ruler of the Later Shu Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. She was beautiful and talented, especially known for her poetry. Meng Chang was an incompetent ruler who indulged in pleasure and ignored Madame Huarui’s advice to…
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During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, there was a renowned physician revered as the ‘Father of Medicine’ named Bian Que. On one occasion, King Wen of Wei asked Bian Que, ‘You and your two brothers are all skilled in the art of medicine. Which of you is the best?’ Bian Que replied,…
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Wang Ceng (978–1038AD) was a renowned prime minister and poet of the Northern Song dynasty. As prime minister, Wang Ceng never made a public show of either promoting or dismissing officials, to the extent that people were unaware of which individuals had been appointed or dismissed at his behest. The statesman Fan Zhongyan once said…
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In the history book “Zuo Zhuan”, under “Duke Xiang, Year 25” , there is the phrase “崔杼弑其君” (Cui Zhu murdered his sovereign), referring to an event in the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period, in which a minister murdered his ruler. To faithfully document this event, three official historians paid with their…
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During the Spring and Autumn period, a severe famine struck the State of Qi. A wealthy man named Qian Ao placed some food by the roadside to give to the starving people. One day, a famished man came shuffling along, covering his face with his sleeve and dragging his feet. Seeing this, Qian Ao held…
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The words 高山流水 (High Mountains and Flowing Water) and 知音 (Kindred Spirit) derive from this anecdote. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Yu Boya, a high-ranking official of the State of Jin, was on a diplomatic mission to the State of Chu when, whilst travelling by boat, he passed the mouth of the Han River…