Safety and Peril

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.2

Word count: 1K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Chapter 106 of Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms: "Li Mu said: 'When two armies face each other, the safety of the state hangs on a single general. Even with the ruler's command, I dare not comply!'"

Editor's review

"Safety and Danger" is an excerpt from Chapter 106 of Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, centered on Li Mu's words as the two armies faced each other: "The safety of the state hangs on a single general; even with the ruler's command, I dare not comply." This brief line crystallizes the dilemma ancient commanders faced between royal orders and battlefield reality, and reflects the Chronicles' characteristic of advancing narrative through characters' words and deeds. This Bashu Publishing House edition offers readers a convenient way to encounter this classic passage. Its value lies not in length but in presenting themes of loyalty, courage, expediency, and responsibility in extremely concise language, making it suitable as material for reading and discussion of classical novel excerpts. Readers may combine it with the late Warring States historical background of the State of Zhao to understand the military judgment behind Li Mu's defiance, or use it as an entry point for analyzing ancient ruler-minister relations and commanders' ethics. Those interested in classical novels can extend from this chapter to read the entire Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts of classical novels and historical romances
Readers who want to learn the Eastern Zhou story through an excerpt
Readers at middle-school level and above interested in ancient commanders' ethics
Chinese-language teachers seeking classroom discussion material

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete full-length story
Young readers not yet comfortable with mixed classical and vernacular style
Readers seeking only modern historical commentary

Reading tips

First read the relevant chapters of Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms to understand Li Mu's historical situation.
Copy out the line "Even with the ruler's command, I dare not comply" and analyze the commander's choice in context.
Read alongside historical sources on the late Warring States State of Zhao to distinguish romance from historical fact.
After reading, consider: when battlefield judgment conflicts with royal command, how did ancient commanders act?

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
安危第二十五

FAQ

Can I understand the story from this excerpt alone?

You can grasp the core conflict of Li Mu defying orders to hold the line, but the excerpt is limited in length and does not fully establish character relationships or historical background. It is better to read several chapters around Chapter 106, or first learn about the late Warring States wars between Zhao and Qin, for a fuller understanding.

Is this a history book or a novel?

Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms is a historical romance novel, using historical facts as its framework with literary elaboration. The excerpt here comes from the novel's main text; Li Mu's words are character speech in the romance. Readers should compare it with historical works such as Records of the Grand Historian to distinguish literary depiction from recorded history.

Is it suitable for middle-school students?

Middle-school students with some ability to read classical and vernacular Chinese can read it; the excerpt is short with concentrated conflict, suitable for classroom discussion. However, teacher guidance or annotations are needed to understand the Warring States background and ancient ruler-minister concepts, and younger readers may find independent reading difficult.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.