Podcasts about xuande

“Only Murders in the Building” star Selena Gomez talks about Season 3 of her hit Hulu series, as well as her recent Cannes best actress prize for “Emilia Perez.” Also, “The Sympathizer” star Hoa Xuande on landing his role opposite Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr., and the Roundtable dissects the Emmy limited, comedy and drama series categories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Philip Nguyen wraps up the podcast with a jam packed episode. We're taking it back to the beginning with Executive Producer Niv Fichman and author Viet Thanh Nguyen to talk about the origin story of bringing the book to the small screen. Then we have the three musketeers, Hoa Xuande, Duy Nguyen and Fred Nguyen Khan aka the Captain, Man, and Bon! We get to hear the behind the scenes of their real friendship and a deep dive into the broad spectrum of Vietnamese diasporic experiences. And then to wrap up our season, we have Hoa Xuande with Robert Downey Jr back to talk about how the final episode connects them - father and son. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Actor Hoa Xuande, star of the new espionage thriller "The Sympathizer," talks about his role as a double agent in the miniseries, how the show reexamines the Vietnam war through the Vietnamese perspective and how growing up in Australia led him on a path to "figure out who he really is." Conversation recorded on Thursday, May 23 2024.

Only six schools in Israel are not segregated among Arab and Jewish students. Educators at the handful of schools where Jewish and Arab students learn together are hoping to maintain peace and understanding amid the war in Gaza.This year, a record number of Americans are expected to retire, but a new study reveals that a majority of Americans turning 65 in the coming years are not financially prepared for retirement. CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger explains.At 29 years old, Jordyn Zimmerman is autistic and nonspeaking but she's making her voice heard on some of the most prestigious stages. Jamie Wax sat down with Zimmerman in her first broadcast television interview to discuss the struggles she faced growing up, the way that a communication app on an iPad changed her life and her ability to connect with others.As tensions escalate between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, a security guard was critically injured in a shooting outside Drake's Toronto residence. Police are investigating the incident which casts a shadow over the hip-hop community's ongoing disputes. Billboard's Carl Lamarre joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss the heated feud between hip-hop artists Drake and Kendrick Lamar.Peloton's head instructor and VP of Fitness Programming Robin Arzón joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about balancing motherhood with mental and physical strength.As part of AAPI month, "CBS Mornings" partnered with the organization Gold House to celebrate its A 100 list, which recognizes this year's most impactful Asian-Pacific leaders. One of the honorees is actor Hoa Xuande. You may recognize him for his lead role in the HBO show "The Sympathizer." He stars alongside Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr. Jo Ling Kent met the rising star, whose unlikely Hollywood journey shows no signs of stopping.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Philip Nguyen sits down with the embodiment of the four patriarchs - Robert Downey Jr. First they're in conversation with Hoa Xuande to talk about all the ways they worked together and the Captain's dynamics with Claude, The Professor, The Congressman and The Auteur. Then Robert Downey Jr. brings in renowned prosthetics designer Vincent Van Dyke to reveal the process how they made those different characters come to life. And we are again joined by author Viet Thanh Nguyen and co-showrunner Don McKellar to talk process. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Q&A on the Max series The Sympathizer with actors Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyen. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company. Near the end of the Vietnam War, a plant who was embedded in the South Vietnam army flees to the United States and takes up residence in a refugee community where he continues to secretly spy and report back to the Viet Cong.

Host Philip Nguyen gets into it with the Captain himself, Sympathizer star Hoa Xuande. They talk about leaning into opportunities, navigating multiple cultures as children of Vietnamese refugees and what it was like for Hoa to be in nearly every scene of the show. Philip also sits down with Executive Producer Amanda Burrell to talk about casting the show - and scouring the globe for talent such as Hoa. And, of course, we are joined by author of the novel The Sympathizer, friend of the pod Viet Thanh Nguyen about how the episode matches up and diverges from the novel. Stream The Sympathizer now, only on Max.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions in times of war? How can the arts convey complexity and foster understanding?Don McKellar is a highly accomplished writer, director, and actor. He has written films including Roadkill, Highway 61, Dance Me Outside, The Red Violin, and Blindness. He won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival for his directorial debut, Last Night, which he also wrote and starred in. He is an eight-time Genie Award nominee and a two-time winner.He wrote the book for the acclaimed musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he received a Tony Award. Most recently, Don served as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner on The Sympathizer, a television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The series was co-created with Park Chan-wook."Right from the beginning, in talking with Park Chan-wook, we wanted this sort of multiplicity of narrative voices and devices. In a way, it's about how the story, in this case of the Vietnam War, has been told, what the expected story is, at least, for American viewers, which they may mainly know through the movies and through visual representations. And it's how our lead character, The Captain, who is writing the story, who has divided loyalties. How can we capture the contradictions within that story? And we tried to make that complexity part of the actual fabric of the show."www.imdb.com/name/nm0001528/mediaviewer/rm2411273728/?ref_=nm_ov_phwww.imdb.com/title/tt14404618/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%20sympawww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org IG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastPhotos courtesy of HBOSusan Downey, Robert Downey Jr., Don McKellarRobert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer, photo by Beth Dubber/HBOHoa Xuande in The Sympathizer, photo by Hopper Stone/HBO

What are the stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions in times of war? How can the arts convey complexity and foster understanding?Don McKellar is a highly accomplished writer, director, and actor. He has written films including Roadkill, Highway 61, Dance Me Outside, The Red Violin, and Blindness. He won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival for his directorial debut, Last Night, which he also wrote and starred in. He is an eight-time Genie Award nominee and a two-time winner.He wrote the book for the acclaimed musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he received a Tony Award. Most recently, Don served as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner on The Sympathizer, a television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The series was co-created with Park Chan-wook."I think the reason for success of the novel The Sympathizer was the very unique voice in the book. It's told in first person with this kind of raconteur who's very intelligent. It's satiric. It tackles big issues, and it's very lively and fun at the same time. It's quite and it's also complicated where it's coming from. It's a confession. It's written in theory under duress. It's very hard to replicate because it's sort of very freewheeling, and we didn't want to weigh the show down with just a lot of voiceover, you know, that feeling of a literary adaptation you get where you just have a voiceover quoting the book all the time. So, the first thing we tried to do, well, the first thing we did was get Park Chan-wook involved because he has a very similar visual language. We tried to replicate that voice visually, and we've tried to come up with parallel visual narrative devices that would give that feeling that the book had."www.imdb.com/name/nm0001528/mediaviewer/rm2411273728/?ref_=nm_ov_phwww.imdb.com/title/tt14404618/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%20sympawww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org IG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastPhotos courtesy of HBOSusan Downey, Robert Downey Jr., Don McKellarRobert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer, photo by Beth Dubber/HBOHoa Xuande in The Sympathizer, photo by Hopper Stone/HBO

What are the stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions in times of war? How can the arts convey complexity and foster understanding?Don McKellar is a highly accomplished writer, director, and actor. He has written films including Roadkill, Highway 61, Dance Me Outside, The Red Violin, and Blindness. He won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival for his directorial debut, Last Night, which he also wrote and starred in. He is an eight-time Genie Award nominee and a two-time winner.He wrote the book for the acclaimed musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he received a Tony Award. Most recently, Don served as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner on The Sympathizer, a television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The series was co-created with Park Chan-wook."Casting of The Captain (Hoa Xuande) was very hard because it's really all from his perspective. The whole thing is on his shoulders. He's in almost every scene. And when he isn't, it's from his point of view, so he's a spy, you know, so he's got to be able to have that poker face. He's got to be able...it can't be on the surface. He's got to have a certain amount of control. So we had to have someone who was very emotional, but at the same time had a lot of control, who was very agile in a way, like the narrative of the book is, who is able to quickly change modes and at the same time sort of evoke the protagonists of American 70s action films, except from a Vietnamese side.”On casting Robert Downey Jr. in 4 Roles:"That was Park Chan-wook's idea early on. In the book, there are these sorts of male-white figures of the American establishment. They're all differentiated in the book, but he had the idea. What if we have one actor playing all the parts kind of like Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove and immediately we thought that's a great idea. Robert Downey Jr.'s characters represent academia, intelligence in the military, entertainment, and politics. Even if they have opposing political ideas on the surface, there's something at the root that is working together. It's a kind of deep-state metaphor and - I don't want to give away the ending of the series - but it comes together in a way that feeds into The Captain's character, too."www.imdb.com/name/nm0001528/mediaviewer/rm2411273728/?ref_=nm_ov_phwww.imdb.com/title/tt14404618/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%20sympawww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org IG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastPhotos courtesy of HBOSusan Downey, Robert Downey Jr., Don McKellarRobert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer, photo by Beth Dubber/HBOHoa Xuande in The Sympathizer, photo by Hopper Stone/HBO

What are the stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions in times of war? How can the arts convey complexity and foster understanding?Don McKellar is a highly accomplished writer, director, and actor. He has written films including Roadkill, Highway 61, Dance Me Outside, The Red Violin, and Blindness. He won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival for his directorial debut, Last Night, which he also wrote and starred in. He is an eight-time Genie Award nominee and a two-time winner.He wrote the book for the acclaimed musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he received a Tony Award. Most recently, Don served as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner on The Sympathizer, a television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The series was co-created with Park Chan-wook.“Doubling is kind of a big theme, and maybe it always is in spy literature, but maybe I think that that's why Viet chose to write a spy novel in a way and play with those sort of tropes because it's central and I think it's central to the message of the show and of the book. This idea that there's another side to every question. I mean, that's the central quandary. There's this problem with the whole Vietnam War. It's saying to Americans, at least put yourself on the other side, the Vietnamese side, and then recognize that that side also has two sides and then within that, there are further divisions. And if you do that, I think what it's proposing is that you have to step back. It forces a sort of objectivity and humility, and it asks you to step back and allow the bigger human questions to resonate."www.imdb.com/name/nm0001528/mediaviewer/rm2411273728/?ref_=nm_ov_phwww.imdb.com/title/tt14404618/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%20sympawww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org IG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastPhotos courtesy of HBOSusan Downey, Robert Downey Jr., Don McKellarRobert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer, photo by Beth Dubber/HBOHoa Xuande in The Sympathizer, photo by Hopper Stone/HBO

What are the stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions in times of war? How can the arts convey complexity and foster understanding?Don McKellar is a highly accomplished writer, director, and actor. He has written films including Roadkill, Highway 61, Dance Me Outside, The Red Violin, and Blindness. He won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival for his directorial debut, Last Night, which he also wrote and starred in. He is an eight-time Genie Award nominee and a two-time winner.He wrote the book for the acclaimed musical The Drowsy Chaperone, for which he received a Tony Award. Most recently, Don served as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner on The Sympathizer, a television adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The series was co-created with Park Chan-wook."What saved me as a young person, I think, was how I connected with the arts. And I was exposed to this sort of world of possibility. What I hope for children is sort of courageous curiosity. I feel that they have to pursue their creative impulses, and I hope that art can inspire them to do that. That's what I always do. When I'm creating work, I always want it to be inspiring in a way. Not inspiring like a Hallmark movie, you know, like not happy, not necessarily, but provocative in a way that inspires thought, inspires creativity. So when I see young people, what I always try and encourage in them is sort of courage. Courage at facing the world, not being afraid of the world, and being. And I think that art can provide that, can bolster that courage."www.imdb.com/name/nm0001528/mediaviewer/rm2411273728/?ref_=nm_ov_phwww.imdb.com/title/tt14404618/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%20sympawww.creativeprocess.infowww.oneplanetpodcast.org IG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastPhotos courtesy of HBOSusan Downey, Robert Downey Jr., Don McKellarRobert Downey Jr. in The Sympathizer, photo by Beth Dubber/HBOHoa Xuande in The Sympathizer, photo by Hopper Stone/HBO

「 项脊轩志 」作者 | 归有光翻译 | 刘士聪项脊轩，旧南阁子也。室仅方丈，可容一人居。百年老屋，尘泥渗漉，雨泽下注，每移案，顾视无可置者。又北向，不能得日，日过午已昏。My study Xiangjixuan used to be called South Chamber. It was only ten feet by ten, large enough for one person to live in. As it was nearly one hundred years old, dust and flakes of plaster fell, and the roof let in rain. When I moved my desk, I could find no place to keep it off the rain. It faced the north and the sun could not get inside. Soon after noon it turned dusky. 余稍为修葺，使不上漏。前辟四窗，垣墙周庭，以当南日，日影反照，室始洞然。又杂植兰桂竹木于庭，旧时栏楯亦遂增胜。积书满架，偃仰啸歌，冥然兀坐，万籁有声。I did some repairs to the roof to stop it leaking, opened four windows in front and built a wall around. When the sun was reflected from the wall, the room brightened up. I planted orchids, laurels, bamboos and trees about and, therefore, the old railings looked brighter with colors. The bookshelf was filled with books on loan. I read and chanted aloud, beating time by swaying back forth. Sitting in it I could hear various sounds emanating from outside.而庭阶寂寂，小鸟时来啄食，人至不去。三五之夜，明月半墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱。It was so quiet round the steps that small birds often came looking for food there, not scared of men's presence. On the fifteenth night of the lunar month the bright moon flooded half of the wall. When a gentle breeze arose, laurel leaves shimmered flecks of moonlight on the wall and it was pleasing to see the shadows dancing and hear the leaves rustling in the wind. 然余居于此，多可喜，亦多可悲。先是，庭中通南北为一。迨诸父异爨，内外多置小门，墙往往而是。东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴，鸡栖于厅。庭中始为篱，已为墙，凡再变矣。I lived in this room, happy in some ways and sad in others. Previously the courtyard was all the way through from south to north. When my uncles began to live separately, they put up low walls here and there with small doors in them. Dogs in the east barked toward the west. Guests had to go through the kitchen to wine and dine. Sometimes chickens roosted in the hall. The courtyard was first partitioned by fences and later by walls. Such changes had taken place several times.家有老妪，尝居于此。妪，先大母婢也，乳二世，先妣抚之甚厚。室西连于中闺，先妣尝一至。妪每谓余曰：“某所，而母立于兹。”妪又曰：“汝姊在吾怀，呱呱而泣；娘以指叩门扉曰：‘儿寒乎？欲食乎？'吾从板外相为应答。”语未毕，余泣，妪亦泣。We had an old maid who once lived in this room. She was the maid of my late grandma. She had nursed two generations of my family. My late mother had been very kind to her. The room related to my mother's bedroom on the west and she once came over. "That's where your mum stood when she came," she would tell me. "I was holding your elder sister in my arms when she cried. Your mum tapped on the door with her fingers, asking: 'Is the child cold or is she hungry? "I answered her from this side…" Before she was finished, I wept and so did she.余自束发读书轩中，一日，大母过余曰：“吾儿，久不见若影，何竟日默默在此，大类女郎也？”比去，以手阖门，自语曰：“吾家读书久不效，儿之成，则可待乎？”顷之，持一象笏至，曰：“此吾祖太常公宣德间执此以朝，他日汝当用之。”Since I was fifteen, I had been reading in this study. One day Grandma came and said: “I haven't seen you for ages, my child. Why do you shut yourself up in here like a girl?" When she left, she closed the door behind her, mumbling to herself: “Since long none of my family have got anywhere with their studies. Hopefully, this child will be of some promise. " In a few moments she returned with an ivory tablet in her hand, saying: “This is the tablet with which my grandfather Duke Taichang attended court sessions during the years of Xuande. You may have use for it someday." 瞻顾遗迹，如在昨日，令人长号不自禁。Looking at it today I felt as if it had occurred just the day before. I couldn't help bursting into tears.轩东，故尝为厨，人往，从轩前过。余扃牖而居，久之，能以足音辨人。轩凡四遭火，得不焚，殆有神护者。On the east of my study there used to be the kitchen. To get to the kitchen one had to pass my study. Though I lived in it with the windows closed, gradually I learned to tell by the tread who was passing by. The room got fired for several times, but it didn't break down. Maybe it had been protected by gods.项脊生曰：蜀清守丹穴，利甲天下，其后秦皇帝筑女怀清台。刘玄德与曹操争天下，诸葛孔明起陇中。方二人之昧昧于一隅也，世何足以知之？The occupant of Xiangjixuan comments: Widow Qing of Sichuan made so many profits from her mining of cinnabar that she topped the whole country and the Emperor of the Qin Dynasty built a terrace in her honor. When Liu Bei and Caocao were fighting each other for the rule of China, Zhuge Liang emerged from Longzhong. When Widow Qing and Zhuge Liang lived in obscurity in far-off corners, how did they become known to the outside world?余区区处败屋中，方扬眉瞬目，谓有奇景。人知之者，其谓与坎井之蛙何异！This humble man is now living in this shabby room, but when I raised my brows and look up, I claim to see magnificent prospects in it. People who get to know about it will think I am no more than a frog at the bottom of the well.余既为此志，后五年，吾妻来归，时至轩中，从余问古事，或凭几学书。Five years after I wrote the above article, I got married. My wife often came to my study, asking about things of old or learning calligraphy at my desk. 吾妻归宁，述诸小妹语曰：“闻姊家有阁子，且何谓阁子也？”其后六年，吾妻死，室坏不修。其后二年，余久卧病无聊，乃使人复葺南阁子，其制稍异于前。然自后余多在外，不常居。When she returned from her visit to her parents, she told me what her sisters had asked: “We hear there is a chamber in your home, but what is a chamber really?" Six years later my wife died. The condition of the room worsened, and I left it as it was. Another two years later I fell ill and was laid up in bed for a long time. Feeling bored, I had South Chamber renovated and it looked a bit different from before. Since then, I had been away from home most of the time and seldom lived in it.庭有枇杷树，吾妻死之年所手植也，今已亭亭如盖矣。In the courtyard there was the loquat my wife planted the year she died. It stood there with graceful poise, its top spread out with exuberant foliage.

「 项脊轩志 」作者 | 归有光翻译 | 刘士聪项脊轩，旧南阁子也。室仅方丈，可容一人居。百年老屋，尘泥渗漉，雨泽下注，每移案，顾视无可置者。又北向，不能得日，日过午已昏。My study Xiangjixuan used to be called South Chamber. It was only ten feet by ten, large enough for one person to live in. As it was nearly one hundred years old, dust and flakes of plaster fell, and the roof let in rain. When I moved my desk, I could find no place to keep it off the rain. It faced the north and the sun could not get inside. Soon after noon it turned dusky. 余稍为修葺，使不上漏。前辟四窗，垣墙周庭，以当南日，日影反照，室始洞然。又杂植兰桂竹木于庭，旧时栏楯亦遂增胜。积书满架，偃仰啸歌，冥然兀坐，万籁有声。I did some repairs to the roof to stop it leaking, opened four windows in front and built a wall around. When the sun was reflected from the wall, the room brightened up. I planted orchids, laurels, bamboos and trees about and, therefore, the old railings looked brighter with colors. The bookshelf was filled with books on loan. I read and chanted aloud, beating time by swaying back forth. Sitting in it I could hear various sounds emanating from outside.而庭阶寂寂，小鸟时来啄食，人至不去。三五之夜，明月半墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱。It was so quiet round the steps that small birds often came looking for food there, not scared of men's presence. On the fifteenth night of the lunar month the bright moon flooded half of the wall. When a gentle breeze arose, laurel leaves shimmered flecks of moonlight on the wall and it was pleasing to see the shadows dancing and hear the leaves rustling in the wind. 然余居于此，多可喜，亦多可悲。先是，庭中通南北为一。迨诸父异爨，内外多置小门，墙往往而是。东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴，鸡栖于厅。庭中始为篱，已为墙，凡再变矣。I lived in this room, happy in some ways and sad in others. Previously the courtyard was all the way through from south to north. When my uncles began to live separately, they put up low walls here and there with small doors in them. Dogs in the east barked toward the west. Guests had to go through the kitchen to wine and dine. Sometimes chickens roosted in the hall. The courtyard was first partitioned by fences and later by walls. Such changes had taken place several times.家有老妪，尝居于此。妪，先大母婢也，乳二世，先妣抚之甚厚。室西连于中闺，先妣尝一至。妪每谓余曰：“某所，而母立于兹。”妪又曰：“汝姊在吾怀，呱呱而泣；娘以指叩门扉曰：‘儿寒乎？欲食乎？'吾从板外相为应答。”语未毕，余泣，妪亦泣。We had an old maid who once lived in this room. She was the maid of my late grandma. She had nursed two generations of my family. My late mother had been very kind to her. The room related to my mother's bedroom on the west and she once came over. "That's where your mum stood when she came," she would tell me. "I was holding your elder sister in my arms when she cried. Your mum tapped on the door with her fingers, asking: 'Is the child cold or is she hungry? "I answered her from this side…" Before she was finished, I wept and so did she.余自束发读书轩中，一日，大母过余曰：“吾儿，久不见若影，何竟日默默在此，大类女郎也？”比去，以手阖门，自语曰：“吾家读书久不效，儿之成，则可待乎？”顷之，持一象笏至，曰：“此吾祖太常公宣德间执此以朝，他日汝当用之。”Since I was fifteen, I had been reading in this study. One day Grandma came and said: “I haven't seen you for ages, my child. Why do you shut yourself up in here like a girl?" When she left, she closed the door behind her, mumbling to herself: “Since long none of my family have got anywhere with their studies. Hopefully, this child will be of some promise. " In a few moments she returned with an ivory tablet in her hand, saying: “This is the tablet with which my grandfather Duke Taichang attended court sessions during the years of Xuande. You may have use for it someday." 瞻顾遗迹，如在昨日，令人长号不自禁。Looking at it today I felt as if it had occurred just the day before. I couldn't help bursting into tears.轩东，故尝为厨，人往，从轩前过。余扃牖而居，久之，能以足音辨人。轩凡四遭火，得不焚，殆有神护者。On the east of my study there used to be the kitchen. To get to the kitchen one had to pass my study. Though I lived in it with the windows closed, gradually I learned to tell by the tread who was passing by. The room got fired for several times, but it didn't break down. Maybe it had been protected by gods.项脊生曰：蜀清守丹穴，利甲天下，其后秦皇帝筑女怀清台。刘玄德与曹操争天下，诸葛孔明起陇中。方二人之昧昧于一隅也，世何足以知之？The occupant of Xiangjixuan comments: Widow Qing of Sichuan made so many profits from her mining of cinnabar that she topped the whole country and the Emperor of the Qin Dynasty built a terrace in her honor. When Liu Bei and Caocao were fighting each other for the rule of China, Zhuge Liang emerged from Longzhong. When Widow Qing and Zhuge Liang lived in obscurity in far-off corners, how did they become known to the outside world?余区区处败屋中，方扬眉瞬目，谓有奇景。人知之者，其谓与坎井之蛙何异！This humble man is now living in this shabby room, but when I raised my brows and look up, I claim to see magnificent prospects in it. People who get to know about it will think I am no more than a frog at the bottom of the well.余既为此志，后五年，吾妻来归，时至轩中，从余问古事，或凭几学书。Five years after I wrote the above article, I got married. My wife often came to my study, asking about things of old or learning calligraphy at my desk. 吾妻归宁，述诸小妹语曰：“闻姊家有阁子，且何谓阁子也？”其后六年，吾妻死，室坏不修。其后二年，余久卧病无聊，乃使人复葺南阁子，其制稍异于前。然自后余多在外，不常居。When she returned from her visit to her parents, she told me what her sisters had asked: “We hear there is a chamber in your home, but what is a chamber really?" Six years later my wife died. The condition of the room worsened, and I left it as it was. Another two years later I fell ill and was laid up in bed for a long time. Feeling bored, I had South Chamber renovated and it looked a bit different from before. Since then, I had been away from home most of the time and seldom lived in it.庭有枇杷树，吾妻死之年所手植也，今已亭亭如盖矣。In the courtyard there was the loquat my wife planted the year she died. It stood there with graceful poise, its top spread out with exuberant foliage.

The networks, long divided, must unite. If Netflix is willing to drop eight figures to distribute the new Dynasty Warriors…

Do you need a little tranquility and peace in your life? Join Matthew McLendon as he looks at a beautiful bronze in The Fralin Museum of Art’s collection depicting Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. Though only 11 inches tall, this work from Ming Dynasty China is exquisitely detailed with a psychological force well beyond its size.Chinese Artist Shakyamuni Xuande Period 1426 - 1435 Gilt bronze 11 x 7 1/4 x 5 in. (27.9 x 18.4 x 12.7 cm) Bequest of Frank Haden Vines 1976.31.6

And so the kingdom, long divided, unites. No more Wu and Wei, nor Shu or Han. The Jin Dynasty rises…

This isn’t the end of the Kingdom of Shu, but we can see it from here. Wei’s forces have kicked…

After this episode, two weeks remain until the end, and yet… there are still three kingdoms. The podcast, long united,…

Deng Ai, my guy! Another Wei genius tactician arrives to foil the extremely fallible Jiang Wei. He has his work…

It is Sima’s time, though Yi will not live to see it. Jiang Wei is a Jiang Waste of space,…

KONGMING IS DEAD! And yet, his shadow looms eternal over this book. No sorry I’m not being metaphorical, people are…

It seems like Kongming is on his way out, but the man’s never done anything quietly, so why would he…

It’s Two Networks time, but we’ve swapped out one of the networks! Six and Jen from Scanline Media are joined…

This week, Shu and Wei are at each other’s throats nonstop. Sun Quan declares himself emperor, then watches the other…

We’ve been DECEIVED! Sima Yi IS actually a big deal! And with his ascent, Wei finally has a champion again!…

The Kongming show continues, regrettably. We’re introduced to a new Wei hero in Jiang Wei, but he is immediately traded…

Mask off, baby. It’s time for colonialism. You might be thinking, “Six, it’s BEEN time for colonialism.” I mean yes,…

Xuande is dead! Well, ok. Xuande’s been dead for a long time. But now Emperor BEI is ALSO dead! The…

Remember Xuande? I can’t say I was ever a fan, but the guy was ok. There’s nothing left of him…

Break out the jade seals, we’ve got two new emperors! Xuande finally ascends, while Cao Pi quickly grabs control. Zhang…

The heroes of the last generation, long united with their lives, must be divided from them. This week, titans fall…

Who’s time? Shu’s time! A new crop of Southlands officers is upon us, perhaps signalling the beginning of a new…

“Heaven has abandoned China owing to its haughtiness and extravagant luxury. But I, living in the northern wilderness, have not inordinate passions. I hate luxury and exercise moderation. I have only one coat and one food. I eat the same food and am dressed in the same tatters as my humble herdsmen. I consider the people my children, and take an interest in talented men as if they were my brothers. We always agree in our principles, and we are always united by mutual affection. At military exercises I am always in the front, and in time of battle am never behind. In the space of seven years I have succeeded in accomplishing a great work, and uniting the whole world in one empire. I have not myself distinguished qualities.”       So opens a letter from Chinggis Khan in 1219. Though he did not write it himself, as no evidence suggests he ever learned to read or write, he may have dictated much of what was written down. Emphasizing his nomadic background and lifestyle, his military qualities and extreme humility, it’s easy to imagine this as part of the many ultimatums the Mongols sent to rulers across the world, demanding their submission by the will of Eternal Blue Heaven. However, this was not sent to any monarch, but a Taoist sage, and the letter goes on to describe the graces of one Qiu Chuji, begging him to come and provide his wisdom- and the secret to eternal life- to Chinggis Khan. The elderly Qiu Chuji agreed, and made the difficult journey from northern China, through Mongolia and Central Asia to finally meet Chinggis Khan in what is now modern Afghanistan. In this episode, we’ll relay to you one of the lesser known, but most intriguing episodes in the life of history’s greatest conqueror. Not a military campaign, but a religious discussion, one which illuminates some of the personality of Chinggis Khan. I’m your host David…       As always, context is key! In thirteenth century China, the three most noteworthy belief systems were Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Their history, and how they intertwined and affected one another, is fascinating but far beyond the scope of this episode. Each strongly influenced daily life and government in China, had done so for centuries and still does today. They were not monolithic belief systems, nor singular ecceleisatical entities like the Roman Catholic Church, and various sects and trends impacted each of  these systems over their combined millenia of adherence. What interests us in this episode is a sect of Taoism which combined elements of Buddhist and Confucian thought that emerged in the mid 12th century, the Quanzhen sect, meaning ‘complete realization’ or ‘complete perfection.’ Founded by Wang Zhe, a man who historical commentators have defined more for his eccentricity than sanctity, the Quanzhen quickly became associated with prolonging life, perhaps indefinitely, through controlling one's internal alchemy, which includes among other things, total celibacy. Thus the Quanzhen leadership, among them Qiu Chuji, were invited to the Jurchen Jin capital of Zhongdu in 1188 to share their knowledge with the ailing emperor, Shizong of Jin. The fact that Jin Shizong died the next year, and that Wang Zhe had died in 1170 at age 57, did little to dispel the association.        Qiu Chuji was among Wang Zhe’s earliest disciples, and after the master’s death, became one of the sects leading figures, eventually earning the title of Master Changchun. After Shizong of Jin’s death, Qiu Chuji was largely confined to his home region in north China’s Shandong peninsula, and along with other Quanzhen leaders, cultivated the sect’s popularity until it became one of the most popular of north China and the Jin Empire. As we know, the thirteenth century was not a good time for the Jurchen Jin state, and Mongol forces invaded in 1211, quickly grinding down the empire. In this time, Qiu Chuji received invitations from both the Jin court and Chinese Song Dynasty to the south, inviting him to come and share his knowledge. Both were declined. The sage may have been rather surprised when a messenger arrived from the Great Khan of the Mongols in 1219.        How did Chinggis Khan learn of Qiu Chuji?  That takes us to some interesting characters. One was Liu Zhonglu, personal name Liu Wen, a Jin defector, Chinggis Khan’s personal Chinese physician, a herbalist also skilled in the making of whistling arrows. The Mongols prized men of useful skills, as well as archery, so Liu Wen was a snug fit in the Khan’s expanding entourage. It was he who heard of the Taoist sage and brought him to Chinggis’ attention, having heard rumours Qiu Chuji was over 300 years old. He told the Khan that the Taoist would be able to share these secrets and prolong his life.       The meeting was encouraged by another figure of growing influence, a Khitan scholar named Yelu Chucai. Chucai is worth a digression as he is among the most famous of the non-Mongolian administrators of the empire, though his importance would not come until the reign of Ogedai. The Khitans, you may recall, were a people related to the Mongols who had once ruled northern China during the Liao Dynasty, from the 10th century to 1100s, before being conquered by the Jurchen ruled Jin Dynasty. Yelu Chucai was a distant relation of the Liao ruling clan, and his own father had been a personal attendant to Emperor Shizong of Jin.  He would have followed in his footsteps as a highly educated, sinicized servant of the Jin, if it wasn’t for the Mongol invasion. Stationed inside Zhongdu, the city of his birth, during the terrible final siege in 1215, Chucai was deeply traumatized by the intense suffering and horrors he witnessed. Had it not been for the three years of intensive Buddhist training he underwent following the siege, it seems unlikely he would ever have reared his head for posterity. But finding peace and purpose within the teachings of the Buddha, Yelu Chucai developed a steely resolve and determination to do his greatest to reduce further sufferings.  In 1218 he was summoned to Mongolia, gathered in a Mongol search to find ministers to govern their new empire- as a Khitan, educated in Chinese government but of kin to the Mongols, he was highly prized. In April of that year, he met Chinggis Khan in person, who was immediately impressed by the tall, deep voiced and long bearded Yelu Chucai- the Mongols would call him Urtu Saqal, ‘long beard.’       On meeting him, Chinggis Khan stated “Liao and Jin have been enemies for generations; I have taken revenge for you.”     To which Chucai responded: “My father and grandfather both served Jin respectfully. How can I, as a subject and a son, be so insincere at heart as to consider my sovereign and my father as enemies?”         Loyalty to one’s lord was something Chinggis Khan valued above almost all else, and would honour the Khitan for this. So Yelu Chucai entered his service, acting in a variety of roles, such as astrologer, adviser and court scribe. Hearing Liu Zhonglu’s notification of Qiu Chuji, Chucai encouraged the meeting, hoping the Taoist would be able to help pacify the Khan’s more violent tendencies. It is likely Chucai drafted the letters to Qiu Chuji, though he would in time come to regret this.       Was Chinggis genuinely enticed by the idea of eternal life? As always, the personal thoughts of the man are unknown to us. Rarely did Chinggis Khan ever find a single use for anything- while Qiu Chuji could bring the secrets to immortality, he was also a highly influential religious leader within territory the Mongols wished to conquer. To have him on their side would prove valuable in both the spiritual realm- for his prayers could entice Heaven’s continued support for the Mongols- and in the physical realm, as to bring the many Quanzhen followers into accepting and supporting Mongol rule would ease and consolidate the conquest. If a religious leader was unwilling to accept Mongol rule, then he must be destroyed.       The implicit threat behind this would have been clear to Qiu Chuji when Liu Zhonglu arrived with Chinggi Khan’s message and 20 armed Mongols in late 1219. Declining was not really an option for Qiu Chuji, though he may have been eager to attach his name to the growing hegemon of northern China; such an attachment would only strengthen the place of Quanzhen, and save them from Mongolian retribution.        Qiu Chuji and several disciples, protected by Liu Zhonglu and his men, set out in early 1220, traveling through the war torn  north China. We are rather fortunate to have one of Qiu Chuji’s disciples record the journey for us- it has been translated into English twice, by Emil Bretschneider and Arthur Waley. Both are available to read for free online: look up Bretschneider’s Mediæval Researches From Eastern Asiatic Sources, or Waley’s Travels of an Alchemist, if you wish to read the full, fascinating itinerary. In April they reached the Mongol occupied ruins of Zhongdu, now renamed Yen, where Qiu Chuji was received by escatic crowds. There the party received unfortunate news, as Chinggis had set out on the great Khwarezmian campaign- they were reaching Yen while Chinggis was resting his horses near the fallen capital of Muhamamd Khwarezm-shah, Samarkand. Qiu Chuji  understandably did not want to make the long journey to Central Asia, but Liu Zhonglu would not have it, and forced him on. Qiu Chuji’s next stalling tactic was directed at the large group of young girls Liu Zhonglu was collecting to present to the Khan. For reasons relating to purity and celibacy, Qiu Chuji refused to travel in their company, and a perhaps flustered Liu Zhonglu sent a messenger to Chinggis to inform him. They spent most of the rest of 1220 near Yen, awaiting the Khan’s reply, when in winter messengers arrived from Chinggis’ youngest, and perhaps only, surviving full brother, Temuge [te-moo-guh], who wished to hear his words.   In February 1221 they set out again, having received the Great Khan’s replies- one of which was a reminder for Liu Zhonglu to take the utmost care of the master. Before they departed, Qiu Chuji is said to have told his adherents in Yen he would return in three years time. Traveling north, they passed through the fortifications which the Mongols had broken through in 1211. Crossing the Yehuling, the site of the bloody battle of the Badger’s Mouth Pass, they saw the ground still littered with bleached human bones, 10 years after the engagement.  Around April or May, the party reached Temuge’s encampment in northeastern Mongolia. There, Temuge inquired about the secrets to prolonging life, to which Qiu Chuji told him it was improper for the prince to learn these secrets before the emperor. Getting the hint, Temuge supplied the travellers with oxen and carts to help them on their journey and hurry them onto his older brother.       The voyage is of great interest to scholars, as it provides a fascinating view of early imperial Mongolia, visiting the Orkhon Valley and encampment cities like Chinqai Balasghun, where they met the eponymous Chinqai, a senior minister of the empire ordered to help expedite the journey.  Jurchen and Tangut princesses that Chinggis had taken as wives came out to greet Qiu Chuji, as did various Chinese who had been transplanted west to serve the Mongol war machine. Sadly, we don’t have time to share all the details of the lengthy and difficult journey westwards, following roads cut by Mongol armies en route to Khwarezm, or at times, forced to tie ropes around carts and animals to lift or lower them through passes in the mountains. Details of cities they passed by or through, like Beshbaliq, Almaliq, Urumqi and the former Qara-Khitai capital of Balasagun are provided, In December 1221, they finally reached Samarkand, Qiu Chuji wintering in the palace of the late Khwarezm-shah. Likely at this time, he met Yelu Chucai and spent time discussing religion and philosophy.        Judging from the writings of Qiu Chuji’s disciple, the master found great pleasure in Samarkand, particularly in its gardens, describing them as finer than those in China. There he noted that Samarkand had a quarter of its former population, but had been repopulated somewhat by Chinese, Khitans, Turks and Tanguts who had travelled with the Mongol army. The party stayed in Samarkand in comfort until April 1222, when a Tangut messenger from Chinggis arrived.     “Sainted man, thou hast arrived from the country where the sun rises; thou hast met great difficulties in crossing mountains and valleys; indeed, thou hast taken great pains. I am now about to return, but I wait impatiently for thine explanation to me of the doctrine of the Tao. Do not delay meeting me.”  ...read the Khan’s letter to Qiu Chuji. At that time, Chinggis was making his steady way north after his victory over the Khwarezmian prince Jalal al-Din Mingburnu in November 1221 on the borders of India. Qiu Chuji met Chinggis Khan somewhere south of the Amu Darya River in what is now Afghanistan, on the 22nd of May 1222, where the Khan was joyed that this old man had made such an arduous voyage to meet him. After allowing him a meal, the Khan asked rather bluntly:       “Sainted man, you have come from a great distance. Have you a medicine of immortality?”       To which Qiu Chuji replied, equally bluntly:   “There are means for preserving life, but no medicines for immortality.”   Counter to what  you might have expected, at least publicly, Chinggis Khan lauded Qiu Chuji for his honesty. For a man to travel such a distance and  hardship at his age, only to tell the World Conqueror, “no,” required quite some courage, and the Khan always respected that. The Khan was not yet finished with him though, and ordered him to have a tent pitched next to his own. They were to together travel higher into the valleys of the Hindu Kush to rest and wait out the summer heat, though uprisings took Chinggis Khan away before he could speak with the master again. Qiu Chuji requested to return to Samarkand in the Khan’s absence, which Chinggis reluctantly agreed to, providing him a 1,000 man escort.   As Chinggis spent the next months putting down local rebellions, Qiu Chuji again in the palace of Shah Muhammad, enjoying melons and bathing. By the end of August, Chinggis Khan was ready for him, and sent for Qiu Chuji. A particularly erie detail mentioned is that while traveling south to rejoin Chinggis, Qiu Chuji passed the ruins of the once great city of Balkh: only dogs could be heard  barking within.    Chinggis once more showed the master great respect and patience. Presented to Chinggis by the minister Chinqai, Qiu Chuji was not required to bow or kneel before the Khan. When the Khan offered him airag, the traditional fermented mares’ milk so beloved by the Mongols, Qiu Chuji refused to drink it. Everyday he invited Qiu Chuji to join him for dinner, and everyday he declined, saying he preferred seclusion. The master told Chinggis to keep his soldiers distant, for the noise annoyed him, and when the army moved north in the autumn of 1222 and wintered near Samarkand, Qiu Chuji was given leave to take up in Shah Muhammad’s palace once more.    Over the course of this period, Chinggis Khan and Qiu Chuji had several meetings, Chinqai and Liu Zhonglu present, the Khitan governor of Samarkand Yelu Ahai acting as translator between the Mongolian and the Chinese. Together they discussed the concepts of the Tao, Chinggis supposedly being quite interested. Qiu Chuji’s disciple failed to provide specific details of these discussions, though we know he urged Chinggis to show mercy on the Chinese, establish a buffer state in north China and lift taxes for three years. In January 1223 their journey back east resumed, though the Taoist showed himself displeased with the progress of the army.  By March he was asking to set out on his own, hoping to return to his native Shandong before the end of the year. Chinggis urged him to stay, saying his sons would soon arrive and would like to hear of the doctrine and that he himself needed more information. Qiu Chuji cooly replied that he had told the Khan everything he knew.       Later that month while hunting wild boar, Chinggis Khan was thrown from his horse: the boar failed to charge and gore the Khan, avoiding the fate of Game of Thrones’ Robert of House Baratheon. When he learned of this, Qiu Chuji called it a warning from heaven, a sign that the Khan should give up hunting in his old age. Reluctantly, Chinggis gave up this favourite activity… for two months. Qiu Chuji’s advice on abstaining from sexual intercourse to prolong his life was likewise ignored. Continuing to badger Chinggis to allow him to leave, the Khan finally acquiesced and in April 1223 they seperated. The master declined the gifts Chinggis Khan offered, except for a major one: an edict declaring Taoists exempt from taxation and corvee labour        Qiu Chuji returned to Yen, modern Beijing, in the first months of 1224, within 3 years as he had foretold. He spent the remainder of his life in that city, dying in August 1227, the same month as Chinggis Khan.  We just mentioned the edict proclaiming Taoists exempt from taxation. Well, part of the original edict was that no more Taoists would be ordained. This was followed up with a proclamation a few months later making Qiu Chuji the head of all the Taoists and Buddhist of China. The consequences of this were many. It’s not sure what exact role Qiu Chuji had in what followed, as he fell ill not long after he returned to Yen and the Khan’s edicts may have been taken advantage of by ambitious disciples. Almost immediately this turned into thousands flocking into Quanzhen temples to escape taxation and forced labour for the Mongols. Likely, thousands of lives were saved through this, and Quanzhen Taoism quickly became the most influential religious sect of North China.  One scholar, Yuan Hao-wen, estimated that by the late 13th century, some 20% of northern Chinese were adherents. Even today, it remains one of the most popular forms of Taoism in China. Less positively, was that the Khan’s elevation of Qiu Chuji’s status over Buddhists turned into free license to confiscate Buddhist temples, destroy Buddhist artifacts and texts and force the conversion of Buddhist monks and nuns.    When the Buddhist Yelu Chucai returned to Yen in 1228, he was infuriated by what he found there, and how the Quanzhen had taken advantage of the privileges granted to them, compounding Chucai’s existing dislike of Qiu Chuji. Initially they had been friendly, but Yelu Chucai soon found Qiu Chuji to be totally ignorant of Buddhism, and came to see him as a fraudster taking advantage of the Khan’s generosity and power. In 1229, Yelu Chucai wrote a lengthy work criticizing Qiu Chuji and his positions, while blaming himself for having encouraged the meeting. He further accused Qiu Chuji of being fully complicit in the seizure and desecration of Buddhist temples, and it is in Chucai’s account we are told that Qiu Chuji died on the toilet, but his followers covered this up and said he died while at prayer. Yelu Chucai’s work provides a fascinating counterbalance to the more hagiographic account of the journey provided by Qiu Chuji’s disciple, though Chucai’s writing remains difficult to access, leaving Qiu Chuji’s reputation intact as a ‘saviour’ of the Chinese. The influence of Quanzhen Taoism, and it's armed conflict with Buddhists continued until the reign of Chinggis’ grandson Kublai, when their privileges were drastically reduced and forced to return Buddhist temples.        What did Chinggis Khan think of Qiu Chuji? He seems to have enjoyed his company, and would certainly have had respect for an old man who made the long journey to his court. If he was disappointed in the failure of Qiu Chuji to provide an elixir of immortality, he did not show it publicly. Since the main account of these meetings was from a follower of Qiu Chuji, we must note he had a vested interest to make the relationship between the two look as good as possible, securing Quanzhen privileges as they were granted at the Khan’s behest.       On the internet, their relationship is famous for the following letter, sent from Chinggis to Qiu Chuji not long after their final meeting in 1223:   “You left me and set out on your travels in the Spring and were still on the road during the great heats of the summer. I hope you suffered no inconvenience and were well supplied with post-horses. I hope that you were always provided with plenty to eat and drink and were never stinted. I hope the officials at Hsuan-te [Xuande] and elsewhere treated you properly.  Hope that the common people came to hear you. Are you well and in good spirits? Here I am always thinking about you, O Holy immortal. I have never forgotten you. Do not forget me.”       It is… a little unbecoming for the world conqueror, making him appear rather desperate for Taoist’s affection, like a high school student trying to win back his crush. There are two things to keep in mind:   The most obvious is that this letter was sent in very basic and repetitive simple  Chinese. Form wise, it is totally alien to the literary flourishes, metaphors and references from writing of scribes like Yelu Chucai. Arthur Waley suggested that because the Chinese is so basic, that perhaps this was Chinggis Khan himself dictating it in Chinese. He had Chinese speakers in his entourage for well over a decade, meaning he had plenty of time to learn to make simple sentences in the language. So the letter may have come across particularly love-lorn because the Khan couldn’t do much better than that. Chinggis Khan knew Qiu Chuji was a very popular figure in northern China. Getting Qiu Chuji to encourage his many followers across China to accept Mongol rule and pray for them may have been the Khan’s ulterior motive throughout. Note how Chinggis hopes the common people came to hear him- to hear him spread the word of accepting Mongol rule, and to pray for them. Then, the final line “I have never forgotten you. Do not forget me.” While it can be read as a rather sappy declaration, we might wonder if there was a threat  hidden between the lines. Should Qiu Chuji choose to forget about the Khan and proclaim for the Jin Dynasty, Chinggis and his men would not forget about him, and their arrows never missed their mark…       Shortly after the departure of Qiu Chuji, Chinggis Khan learned of the death of his general Mukhali in China, how Tangut forces had abandoned him and were now in peace talks with the Jurchen Jin. The aging Chinggis Khan was about to partake on the final campaign of his long life, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals podcast and to continue helping us bring you more outstanding content, please visit our patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. Thank you for listening, I am your host David and we will catch you on the next one!

One. Tome. DOWN. Our translation of Three Kingdoms is split into two books, and the first (and longer) of the…

With our sister network’s host indisposed, Six and Jen take the opportunity to talk about some Three Kingdoms video games!…

This ain’t no parlor trick, jack. Cao Cao’s hubris has come home to roost in the form of a Taoist…

It is OFFICIAL. There are THREE KINGDOMS at play, y’all! Xuande has Shu. Cao Cao has Wei. Sun Quan has…

The Young Phoenix falls. Xuande and Cao Cao become harder and harder to tell apart, as Xuande rages and Cao…

We are finally at the halfway point, and our three kingdoms have emerged for sure. You could argue they already…

We are OFFICIALLY over Kongming and Xuande. We sadly have to say goodbye to Zhou Yu, and even more sadly…

Kongming has excuses, and the three brothers have cities to conquer. The Southlands show a startling lack of competence as…

We’re finally here… the Battle of Red Cliff. Kongming calls for wind, Zhou Yu calls for fire, and Cao Cao…

I know I set myself up, but I am rather disappointed by Kongming’s arrow scheme. That’s not nearly as cool…

Can Kongming win the south over? Is the pope CATHOLIC, my friend. Our favorite hermit matches wits with all of…

Liu Biao has fallen, and his lands are in disarray. How preventable was this, you may ask? SO PREVENTABLE. Xuande’s…

Kongming is every bit the scholar Shan Fu claimed he was… while Shan Fu is every bit the fool we…

Though he sought refuge with him just last week, Xuande already chaffs at the limitations put upon him in service…

Ahem. Rip rip rip rip bye Yuans see ya wouldn’t wanna BE ya! Finally the worst family in China has…

One brother, two brothers, three brothers, four! Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are going to war! Shao’s ambition done in…

Behold, Lord Guan’s incredible journey. Checkpoints and middle managers, monks and paperwork, nothing stops his great journey to return to…

Cao Cao. Xuande. Yuan Shao. And quietly in the south, biding his time, Sun Ce. Four major players remain in…

Jen ducks out to a con just in time to miss a big character death. Goddamn! Well, thank god Em…

Ah, Lu Bu, the great peacemaker. Some would have the greatest hero in all of China use his talents for…

On this week’s Two Networks, we’re missing Em more than ever as Six scrambles to maintain the thread of a…

An able statesman in times of peace, a treacherous villain in times of war. Cao Cao truly is On One…

The kingdom was long united, now it’s definitely divided. The tyrant Dong Zhuo rules over the land with an iron…

The tyrant Dong Zhuo now rules over China with a knife-catching fist. Lu Bu, hero among heroes, acts like a…

Here begins our pod. The two networks, working alone, must unite; working united, must divide. Jennifer Unkle and Six Dettmar…

In today's episode we look at Ming Dynasty China from the reigns of Xuande to Jiajing. This period in Chinese history was witnessing momentous changes. The dynasty suffers a terrible debacle in 1449. Portugal was becoming a regular visitor and sets up down in Macao. This was also a time when evil self-serving eunuchs spread continue reading >> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, we look at Ming Dynasty China from the reigns of Xuande to Jiajing. This period in Chinese history was witnessing momentous changes. The dynasty suffers a terrible debacle in 1449. Portugal was becoming a regular visitor and sets up down in Macao. This was also a time when evil self-serving eunuchs spread