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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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Li Hongzhang (1823-1901AD) was a renowned statesman of the late Qing dynasty. On one occasion, a distant relative of his sat the imperial examinations. This man was completely uneducated; upon receiving the examination paper, he found himself unable to answer a single question. At that moment, a sudden thought struck him: he remembered he was…
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It is said that Chinese think long term. This allegory captures this mentality well. Once upon a time, there was an old man called Yu Gong (愚公 Foolish Old Man), who was nearly ninety years old. In front of his house stood two huge mountains, the Taihang Mountain and the Wangwu Mountain, spanning three hundred…
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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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Su Dongpo (1037-1101AD) was a renowned writer, calligrapher, and painter of the Northern Song Dynasty, he also served as Minister of War among other official positions. Whilst serving in Guazhou, north of the Yangtze River, Su Dongpo formed a deep friendship with the eminent monk, Zen master Fo Yin of Jinshan Temple, situated on the…
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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…