John Zhu

Chinese Lore Podcast

Arts EN ↓ 475 episodes

Classic Chinese novels and stories, retold in English and in a way that makes them more accessible for non-Chinese audiences.

Author

John Zhu

Episodes

3 Kingdoms 022: Strange Bedfellows 24.11.2014 30:43

Cao Cao decides that he hates Lü Bu more than he hates Liu Bei, so “Liu Bei and I are like brothers.”

3 Kingdoms 021: Arrow of Diplomacy 17.11.2014 29:46

Sun Ce lifts off, Lü Bu shows off, and Yuan Shu gets ticked off.

3 Kingdoms 020: How the South Was Won 03.11.2014 28:22

Priceless imperial heirloom as collateral? Check. An old pal as your strategist? Check. Ability to kill by the mere sound of your voice? Check, check, and check.

3 Kingdoms 019: When Tigers and Wolves Share a Den 27.10.2014 30:28

Cao Cao deploys animal-themed schemes to sow discord between Liu Bei and Lü Bu.

3 Kingdoms 018: Cao Cao’s Big Break 13.10.2014 31:33

The Han court hits rock bottom, at which point Cao Cao is all too happy to ride in and … umm … defend the honor and dignity of the throne. Yeah, that’s it.

3 Kingdoms 017: Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Not Scorned 06.10.2014 30:20

Someone’s wife gets the wrong impression that her husband is cheating on her, and the next thing you know, we’re poisoning household pets, ingesting waste, burning palaces, and abducting everybody who’s anybody.

3 Kingdoms 016: Respite, Restoration, Recap 23.09.2014 26:25

After spending his down time picking off some ragtag rebels, Cao Cao moves to reclaim his territory, which brings us to a good point to look back at what we have covered so far.

3 Kingdoms 015: Battle of Brain and Brawn 15.09.2014 28:40

Cao Cao and Lü Bu face off for control of Yan Province in a back-and-forth attempt to out-trick and outfight each other. And then the locusts came ….

3 Kingdoms 014: Much Ado About Nothing 08.09.2014 29:11

Everyone gears up for a fight with Cao Cao over Xu Province, and then all of a sudden it’s the province nobody wants.

3 Kingdoms 013: How to Get A Job with Cao Cao Inc. 18.08.2014 28:59

Our old friend Cao Cao is expanding his operation. Want to join? You just need to either be a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of someone who already works there, or be a man-beast who kills dozens of coworkers with your bare hands over a disagreement.

3 Kingdoms 012: But You Said They Were GOOD Omens 11.08.2014 30:19

Dong Zhuo learns that broken chariots, wild horses, and melancholy songs are, in fact, not auspicious signs.

3 Kingdoms 011: The Face That Launched A Thousand Halberds 28.07.2014 30:58

Expertly manipulated by Diao Chan, Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo come to blows over who gets to go to bed with a 16-year-old.

3 Kingdoms 010: Thanks A Lot, Dad! 21.07.2014 31:47

Sun Jian leaves his son in charge, while Dong Zhuo leaves his son out in the cold for a pretty face.

3 Kingdoms 009: Everywhere is War 05.07.2014 28:37

Now that they are not fighting Dong Zhuo anymore, the former coalition leaders have to do something to occupy their time. What better way is there to avoid idleness than waging war against each other?

3 Kingdoms 008: So That’s Where I Put That Seal 25.06.2014 29:53

Dong Zhuo moves the capital and turns the journey into a traveling horror show as only Dong Zhuo can, while the coalition becomes distracted when it discovers the one thing of value that Dong Zhuo left behind.

3 Kingdoms 007: A Brawl for the Ages 13.06.2014 31:29

The coalition forces are marching for the capital, but first, they will have to get past Dong Zhuo’s top generals. The result is two of the most famous battlefield encounters in Chinese lore.

3 Kingdoms 006: Ethics Lessons from Cao Cao 05.06.2014 31:32

It’s a busy episode for Cao Cao. He gets out of a sticky situation, screws himself out of a delicious pork dinner, drops some life wisdom on his traveling companion, and then stirs up a whole lot of trouble for Dong Zhuo.

3 Kingdoms 005: Dude, Check Out This Cool Knife I Got You 26.05.2014 30:20

As Dong Zhuo rises to power, he bestows endless kindness on all mankind. He’s doing such a great job, in fact, that someone decides to give him a beautiful, bejeweled knife with a razor-sharp edge while he was lying down with his back turned.

3 Kingdoms Supplemental Episode 001: Yi Yin, Chef and Kingmaker 19.05.2014 10:10

“Only with Yi Yin’s talent can you act like Yi Yin.” So who is this Yi Yin? We dive into the story behind one line of dialogue from episode 4.

3 Kingdoms 004: Enter the Fat Man; AKA the Novel Really Starts 12.05.2014 29:38

We’ve had rebellions, palace intrigue, a deadly power struggle, and a bloodbath at the imperial residence. But all of that was just the warm-up act. We are finally getting into the meat of the story, starting with ascension of Dong Zhuo, who’s like Santa Claus, just less jolly and more stabby.

3 Kingdoms 003: Oh C’mon! Kill Them Already! 05.05.2014 25:40

He Jin makes his officers bang their heads against walls with his pathological inability to dispose of the eunuchs. Meanwhile, a bit character from episode 1, Dong Zhuo, drops by the capital with 200,000 of his best friends, just to say hi and see what’s up.

3 Kingdoms 002: Trials and Tribulations of Chinese Officialdom 21.04.2014 37:28

Liu Bei discovers that landing a government job in the Han court takes connections, patience, and a lot of dead rebels. And that’s BEFORE the leeches start ransoming you for a bribe. Fortunately, Zhang Fei resolves the matter diplomatically.

3 Kingdoms 001: Bromance of the Three Warriors 11.04.2014 40:31

The first episode finds the empire in turmoil and three men of valor vowing to do something about it.

3 Kingdoms 000: Who Are You? What Are You Doing Here? 09.04.2014 6:32

A quick overview of what I’ll attempt to do with this podcast. You can also read this explanation instead.

Introduction: Chinese Lore Podcast 08.04.2014 2:31

A quick introduction on what this show is all about.