The State of Qi (齊) under the reign of Xiang Gong (襄公 697-686 B.C.) was chaotic, depraved, immoral, degenerate and ineffectual. Some of the heirs of its aristocrats were forced to take refuge in other states. In 686 B.C., Qi Xiang Gong was slain by his own cousin Wu Zhi (無知), a trusted court official …
Shen Nong (神農) is a legendary figure in ancient China. Literally, shen is deity or god (神) nong agriculture (農), Shen Nong, therefore, means god of agriculture. In ancient times, people lacked food and suffered from hunger. It is said that during the time of Shen Nong, people started to gather seeds and fruits for …
Zhou Chu (周處) of the kingdom of Wu (吳) had lost his father at a young age during the Three Kingdoms Period (222-280 AD). By the time he turned 20, he was already a man of great strength that no ordinary person could match. But he had never cared to learn good manners and right …
Born during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 AD), Shi Seng Fu (釋僧富) did not let poverty be a barrier to education. He would read books even at night, using the light from burning firewood. By the age of 20, he could comprehend Chinese classic texts and historical annals. Shi Seng Fu decided to become a …
In this issue, we have two stories of honesty and cleanliness in two high-ranking officials during the Han Dynasty (221 BC-220 AD). Both of them are surnamed Wang (王). The first is Wang Jie (王吉) of first century BC. When he was still young, he lived in Chang’an (長安), the capital then, to study. The …
In April 313 A.D., Liu Cong (劉聰), emperor of Han Zhao of the Sixteen Kingdoms, installed his highest concubine Liu E (劉娥) as queen and decided to build a palace for her. After learning about this, Chen Yuanda (陳元達), military officer of the court, declared that the construction would not only drain the treasury but …
One day in February of 444 A.D., during the Northern Wei (北魏) Dynasty, Minister Gu Bi (古弼) went to pay respects to the emperor and suggest to him that part of the garden park in Shang Gu (上谷) be distributed to the landless peasants. At the time, the emperor was playing weiqi (圍棋) or Go …
Filial piety is a time-honored tradition in Chinese culture. Chinese history abounds with stories of selfless sacrifice by offspring for their parents. In 399 to 402 A.D., during the Eastern Jin (東晉) Dynasty, Sun En (孫恩) led a rebellion. Pan Zong (韓綜) and his father Pan Piao (潘驃) left their county Wu Xing (吳興) to …
In 265 B.C., during the Warring States Period, Xiao Cheng Wang (孝成王) ascended the throne in the state of Zhao (趙). But it was his mother, Zhao Tai Hou (趙太后) or the Empress Dowager, who was the real power behind the throne. Qin (秦), the strongest state then, took advantage of the situation and dispatched …
During the reign of Emperor Han Ai Di (漢哀帝 6-2 B.C.), He Bing (何并) was appointed as governor of Ying Chuan (颖川) prefecture. At the time, Zhong Yuan (鍾元), a native from Ying Chuan, concurrently held the positions of minister and military officer of the imperial court. He wielded great power and influence in the …
