Three Kingdoms Discourse: Recent Episodes
Three Kingdoms Discourse
Can also be found on Samsung, Deezer and TuneIn.
A podcast on the three kingdoms civil war in Ancient China 184-280 CE. Each episode going through a chapter of the famed novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, talking about the themes of that chapter but also exploring the history of the era the novel is based on. We will also do deep dives into subjects of history, focusing solely on the historical records.
Aiming for a transcript for each episode.
Artwork by Zhaolie Theme Music: Sao Meo Orchestral Mix - Doug Maxwell & Zac Zinger
Steve, Jude, Gongjin and Drew unite to discuss what had gone wrong with the Han. As the novel descends into the civil war, we look at what had gone wrong in the longer term for the Han that had led to the kind of revolts that opens the novel. Finances, foreign policy, instability at court, decisions made in the last years of peace, while Gongjin talks of the impact of a changing climate adding strain upon the Han.
Jude's first time as editing so any feedback on how he can improve is welcome. Transcript
Timings:
Problems at Court:01:37
Climate Change: 28:53
Foreign Affairs: 43:29
Last Years of Peace: 56:48
Goodbye: 67:37
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/three-kingdoms-disc/message
On Friday will be the closing episode of season 2, discussing the Han's decline with Steve, Jude, Gongjin and Drew reunited. Clips from eunuch discussions, military expenses and inconsistency, climate change, late reform while we discuss much more in the episode itself. So come join us for Friday's discussion.
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/three-kingdoms-disc/message
Steve and Jude joined are by Benjamin, known as Archlich on tumblr and also his three kingdom wordpress articles in The Classical Amateur. The episode is to discuss chapter 4 of the novel as the Han is now firmly in dangerous hands: Dong Zhuo’s use of power now he has the Empire in his grasp, treatment of the royal family including the formidable Dowager He and a poem from the once Emperor (from Yang Zhengyuan’s translations in Last Emperor) and how Cao Cao’s plots really put him off Steve’s guest list.
Transcript
Timings:
02:51 Dong Zhuo in control
20:41: What to do with an Emperor
31:05 Cao Cao Intervenes
51:33 End Phase
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/three-kingdoms-disc/message
Chapter 4: Not Ideal Party Guest coming on Friday with Steve, Jude and Benjamin (Archlich of tumblr), discussing Dong Zhuo’s now cemented control of the capital, Dowager He’s formidability, why Steve will not be inviting Cao Cao to his next party and a sad poem.
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/three-kingdoms-disc/message
Steve and Jude are joined by Cat from the sosz and tumblr community to discuss chapter 3 of the novel: He Jin’s clash with the eunuchs, flight of princes and the arrival of the corrupt general Dong Zhuo, finding a vacuum of power amidst the fire and chaos. We say hello to one of the great warriors in Lu Bu, great of strength but perhaps not in filial loyalty.
We worked on the sound so we are hoping for a more even pitch. Let us know if that worked for you.
Transcript
Timings:
He Jin vs Eunuchs: 02:33
Dong Zhuo: 27:15
Han Princes: 37:36
Ding Yuan vs Lu Bu: 44:39
End phase: 59:30
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
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Trailer for episode 3 Blood and Fire, the start of a new season. Clips on Yuan Shao's motives, Dong Zhuo's background and the appropriate reaction to such a thoughtful gift. On Friday, Steve, Jude and a new guest will be discussing chapter three of the novel and the history of the time amidst chaos and violence at court.
Artwork by ZhaolieMusic is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
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With his second book three kingdoms Heroes of Chaos book launched this week, Steve and Jude interview Baptiste Pinson Wu (at the time, was not our editor) about his first book Yellow Sky Revolt, the main character Liao Hua, the Yellow Turbans, Cao Cao and the three kingdoms generally. A friendly chat, we decided to let this run the full length. This interview is going to relax our no spoiler about the era rule so avoid if you wish to avoid hearing about what happens beyond the Yellow Turbans.
Baptiste Pinson Wu various media can be found here including his website, his youtube channel Back in Fiction and twitter while his books can be found on likes of Amazon and Good Reads.
Steve on Tumblr and Jude on tumblr have both reviewed the first book. If looking for non-spoilery reviews, we suggest looking at ToriTalks: she is someone who's coming to Yellow Sky Revolt unfamiliar with the era, that will give you a good idea how accessible it is for you
This is the end of our first season, The Rise of the Yellow Sky, with season 2 going to be following on the chaos at the Han court, chapters 3 and 4 of the novel and another deep dive, a season with both new and existing guests. Will be a delay till season two but we hope to see you again soon.
Chapter timings
00:00 Intro
02:15 Book Writing
19:15 Three Kingdoms
42:55 Yellow Turbans
52:50 Cao Cao
01:11:29 Book Two Heroes of Chaos and Newsletter
Transcript
Artwork with permission from Baptiste
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
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Steve, Jude (hosting this time) and Gongjin return to discuss the Yellow Turbans. Topics of conversation are the history of the Turbans, their beliefs, what we know of them, who they were and why things went so badly for them.
Our first deep dive, focused solely on the history of the subject (in this case, the Turbans) rather then a novel chapter and it's themes. Will be doing these at appropriate junctures where a character has died or a major event worth exploring has passed.
Date of Taiping Jing
Chapter timings:
00:00 Intro
01:03 What We Know
15:05 Context in which they rose
21:42 Turban plot
29:40 The War
48:43 Aftermath
56:58 Goodbye
Transcript can be found
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
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Trailer for our first deep dive episode, on the now defeated Yellow Turbans of 184. Steve, Jude, Gongjin on teachings, ant armies, what-if, Han commanders, Han treatment of commanders. The episode will have so much more on the Turbans and the camapign
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
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Steve is joined by translators Drew and Gongjin to discuss the second episode of the novel. Turban use of magic and their final stance, the arrival of the brave Sun Jian and stories of his merchant family, the violence in the time of peace including the treatment of two of our heroes and chaos at the court are delved into.
Chapter timings
03:38: Turbans
10:18: Sun Jian
19:47: Post Rebellion
32:28: He Jin vs eunuchs
44:45: Ending
Transcript
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/three-kingdoms-disc/message
Trailer for episode 2 with Steve joined by two new guests. Clips from discussions on background, who beats the inspector, bribery, state of the Han with the episode to have so much more.
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
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Steve and Jude are joined by Aaron (Yue Fei) to discuss the first chapter of the novel. The Han decline, the Yellow Turban revolt that spread across the land, the introduction of major figures for the future in Liu Bei’s brotherhood and the wily Cao Cao. Aaron going deep into the memorable weaponry made for the brotherhood and where the ideas for such weapons came from.
Chapter timings
0:43 Han Decline
11:24: Turbans
19:42: Liu Bei
41:59 Cao Cao
40:56 Dong Zhuo and ending
Transcript here
Artwork by Zhaolie
Music is Sao Meo Orchestral Mix by Doug Maxwell/Zac Zinger
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A few short clips from the first episode and of what we will be discussing. Oaths, decline of a dynasty, the Turbans and what is appropriate to do at home.
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Steve (Sun Fin) the host and regular panellist Jude (DongZhou) briefly discuss what the podcast does. For those seeking out the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (we will be using the Moss Roberts translation), we have a list (including podcasts and free versions) on our tumblr and we can be found on Scholars of Shen Zhou
Transcript of episode
Artwork by Zhaolie
Theme music Sao Meo Orchestral Mix - Doug Maxwell & Zac Zinger
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/three-kingdoms-disc/message