Zhuge Liang, also known as Kongming, was the chief strategist and advisor to the kingdom of Shu who lived the era of Three Kingdoms. His surname, Kongming, translates to sleeping dragon, and it was given to him because his talents were hidden from the world until the leader of the Kingdom of Shu requested his aid. Zhuge Liang mastered both domestic and foreign policies in addition to his unique technique of blending his knowledge of weather and astronomy using nature to defeat the enemy with armies of fewer men. He was also a great inventor who attributed inventions such as the repeating crossbow and the flying lantern. Furthermore, he is also considered to be a true confusion follower and a tragic hero because of the destiny that fate brought upon him. Due to his accomplishments, historians regard him as a versatile man, an inventor, a feared strategist, a true Confucian follower, and to some extent a tragic hero.
Zhuge Liang’s talent was hidden for many years in a rural area of the Hubei Province, where lived a modest life as a farmer. It was not until he agreed to help Liu Bei achieve his goal of unifying China that his talents were brought to light. His unconditional successes impressed Liu Bei and “was later appointed as ChengXing (minister) of political affairs” (China Travel Agency). In fact, some historians believe that it was because of him that Liu Bei’s army came to be feared and was able to defeat armies of larger ratios. His intervention in the war created allies and new technological advances such as the invention of new weapons and wear. Zhuge Liang’s master died at age sixty and “Liang was entrusted with Liu Bei’s son and kingdom” (China Travel Agency).Liu Bei’s confidence in Liang’s ability to govern and achieve...
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Chapter 1: The Wan-Li Emperor, begins by explaining the major premise of the work: The concept of looking at a single year in the history of the leadership of China and evaluating the implications for understanding other aspects of history, including the decline of the Ming Dynasty. In this initial chapter, Huang provides an anecdotal history of some of the events that occurred, and includes within it a discussion of the set up of the leadership, the repercussions that occurred in the event of certain actions, including the prospects of an audience with the emperor. Huang reviews these issues as he considers that actions taken by the Wan-li emperor, who was only twenty-four in 1587 and who had been a veteran of ceremonial proceedings, and considers his history as an element of understanding the progression of leadership.
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