Chinese History & Mythology

Inside the prison, Tian Feng had already expected his death. He told the prison guards, “Yuan Shao appears broad-minded on the outside, but inwardly he is jealous and suspicious. If he had won, perhaps he might have spared me. But now that he has lost, his shame has turned into anger. He will surely kill me to vent his hatred.”

The hidden meaning behind President Donald Trump’s China visit: the Great Hall of the People, the Temple of Heaven, and Zhongnanhai.
In mid-May 2026, U.S. President Trump set foot on Chinese soil. As one of the most powerful figures in the world, the schedule of his visit to China carried a strong sense of careful design. During this three-day visit, Xi Jinping took him to three places: the Great Hall of the People, the Temple of Heaven, and Zhongnanhai. These three places represent three different layers of China: the way modern Chinese politics operates, the deepest cosmology of Chinese civilization, and a tradition of state governance that has continued for thousands of years. Behind these places, what kind of civilizational history is hidden, stretching across several millennia? Why would a foreign head of state, after arriving in Beijing, be arranged to enter three completely different places?

When Yuan Shao heard that Yan Liang had been killed, he flew into a rage and ordered Liu Bei executed. But Liu Bei calmly replied, “Since we were separated in Xuzhou, I have not known whether Yunchang was alive or dead. Based on one report alone, how can we be certain the man who killed Yan Liang was truly Guan Yu?” Yuan Shao was already hesitant by nature, and after hearing this, he felt the argument made sense, so he spared Liu Bei.

breaking point of the entire plan? In this episode, we continue the story.
Dong Cheng and the others asked Ma Teng, “Who is this person you mentioned?” Ma Teng replied, “Liu Bei, the governor of Yuzhou, is now in Xudu. Why not bring him in?” Dong Cheng hesitated. “Although Liu Bei is an imperial relative, he is now under Cao Cao. He may not be willing to take such a risk.”

In our main historical storyline, we are now in the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Romance of the Three Kingdoms can be called a “super-rich mine” of Chinese idioms. There are more than three hundred idioms and historical references connected to it alone. Even today, behind everyday Chinese conversation, you can still see the shadow of Three Kingdoms stories. So today, let’s talk about Chinese idioms. In Chinese, there is a very special language phenomenon: four characters, or even a shorter phrase, can hold a story, a judgment, a personality, a war, or even a whole set of life experience. When foreigners first start learning Chinese, they often find this very strange.

Yuan Shu’s chief clerk, Yang Dajiang, proposed a plan. He believed Liu Bei should be attacked first, but Lü Bu had to be stabilized. He said, “Liu Bei is in Xiaopei. The city is small and his troops are weak, easy to defeat. But Lü Bu holds Xu Province. If he comes to help Liu Bei, it will cause trouble. Better to send him the grain we promised before to keep him satisfied, then move troops against Liu Bei. Once Liu Bei is gone, we can deal with Lü Bu afterward. Xu Province will fall sooner or later.” Yuan Shu was delighted. He immediately sent Han Yin with two hundred thousand hu of grain to Lü Bu, along with a secret letter. Lü Bu received the grain and was very pleased, treating Han Yin generously.

Why do Chinese people avoid the number 4, green hats, mirrors facing the bed, or saying the word “death” too directly? In this episode, we explore 15 everyday Chinese cultural taboos and the history, beliefs, and social values behind them. From weddings and funerals to bedroom layout, speech habits, feng shui, and nighttime rules, these customs reveal how Chinese culture understands luck, respect, harmony, and the rhythm of life.

The man who offered the plan was Mi Zhu, courtesy name Zizhong, from Qu County in Donghai. His family had been merchants for generations and was one of the famous wealthy families in the region. Mi Zhu was kind and generous. Once, because he treated a mysterious woman with respect, he learned in advance that his home would suffer a fire, and he was able to save most of his family property. After that, he saw how unpredictable life could be and often used his wealth to help the poor and suffering. His reputation spread widely. When Tao Qian heard of his ability, he invited him to serve as an aide in Xu Province.

A room, a few windows, and curtains pulled tightly shut. The new mother is wearing long sleeves and long pants, with a towel wrapped around her head. There is a smell of traditional Chinese medicine in the room, and a thermos sits on the windowsill. Her mother or mother-in-law comes in every few minutes and asks, “Are you cold?” Then she quickly closes the door again, as if she is afraid that even a little wind might slip inside. Beside the bed is a bowl of brown sugar millet porridge, and next to it is a small booklet filled with detailed food restrictions.

Starting from the last episode, our historical storyline entered the Three Kingdoms period, from 220 to 280 AD. Through the story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, we’re exploring what actually happened during this period of history. In the last episode, we briefly introduced several important characters in the story: Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang,, and Dong Zhuo. We also talked about two incredibly powerful warriors, Guan Yu and Lü Bu. In today’s episode, we continue the story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.