Chinese History & Mythology

There is a popular story that says Qin Shi Huang was actually a very handsome man. There is a book called Records of the Grand Historian. Some of you who are interested in Chinese history and culture have probably heard of it. In this book, in the section called The Basic Annals of Qin Shi Huang, there is a description of what Qin Shi Huang looked like.

Lü Buwei traveled a long way with Prince Yiren and finally made it back to Xianyang.
Lü Buwei had already found out something important. Lady Huayang was from Chu. So he told Yiren to put on Chu-style clothes before going to see his father and mother.
When Yiren met Lord Anguo and Lady Huayang, he cried and said,“Your unfilial son has been away for many years and has failed to serve his parents. I beg Father and Mother to forgive me.”

 For many people who are not familiar with Chinese culture, the first thing they may hear about Qingming is that it is a day for tomb sweeping and remembering the dead. But if we look deeper, we will discover that Qingming is actually a very rich cultural system. It contains elements of astronomy, agriculture, historical legend, ethics, and even everyday aesthetics of life.

After Su Qin and Zhang Yi said farewell to Guiguzi and left the mountain, their fates turned in completely different directions. Zhang Yi went to the state of Wei, while Su Qin returned to his hometown in Luoyang.

The Yue minister Wen Zhong returned from the state of Wu with troubling news. King Fuchai of Wu had agreed to make peace, but he demanded that King Goujian of Yue come to Wu at once and serve as a slave. The Grand Steward Bo Pi was already waiting by the river to escort him. Goujian heard this and burst into tears. Wen Zhong said calmly, “Crying will not help. Time is short. We must return to the capital and arrange everything at once.”

If you are invited to a formal Chinese family dinner for the first time, you will likely have many questions. Why does everyone sit around a round table? Why are dishes placed one by one in the middle, instead of each person having their own portion in front of them? Why do older people always pick up their chopsticks first? Why does someone keep putting food on your plate? Why do wine glasses keep being raised, with seemingly polite words being said?  

After Duke Jing of Qi returned from Pingqiu, he looked calm on the surface and formed an alliance with Jin, but in his heart he could see it clearly. Duke Zhao of Jin had no real vision. So Duke Jing began to think again. He wanted to push Qi one step higher and walk the old hegemon path of Duke Huan.
He asked Yan Ying, “Jin is trying to dominate the northwest. Can we not dominate the southeast?”

The Jin army had surrounded Biyang for twenty-four days. The city was small, but it was tough. They simply could not break it. Then heavy rain poured down. The water rose to three feet deep. Xun Yan and Shi Gai saw that morale was about to collapse. They hurried to the central command and quietly advised Zhi Mao:
“We thought a small city would fall quickly, but it has dragged on. Now the rivers are all connected to the Si River. If the rain keeps falling and the water rises, it will be even harder. Why not withdraw first and wait for a better chance?”

Every year around February, during the Chinese New Year season, city hotels are almost fully booked, wedding planners work until after midnight, ancestral halls in the countryside are decorated with lanterns and red banners, and social media fills with one red wedding invitation after another. Why do so many people choose to get married right before or after the Spring Festival? And why are Chinese weddings often so elaborate, with dozens of banquet tables, a complicated set of rituals, heavy gift money exchanges, and almost the entire extended family showing up?

Xun Linfu ordered Xi Yong to hunt down the bandits. But Yangshe Zhi made a bold prediction. He said Xi Yong would not die a natural death.
Xun Linfu asked him why.
Yangshe Zhi replied, “There is an old saying among the Zhou people. If you can see the fish clearly in deep water, it is not a good sign. If you can guess what others hide in secret, it will bring trouble. No matter how clever Xi Yong is, he cannot catch every thief by himself. If some escape, they will gather together and strike back. How could he survive that?”