The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 62

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 62:

The Taking Of River Fu Pass, Yang Huai and Gao Pei Perish;

The Siege Of Luocheng, Huang Zhong and Wei Yan are Rivals. 

Listen:

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WARNING: WHO GOT THE SPOILERS? WE GOT THE SPOILERS! WHO GOT THE SPOILERS? WE GOT THE MUTHATRUCKIN' SPOILERS! BEEYATCH!

So here we are at Chapter 62. And I'm getting pretty tired of writing long, drawn out commentaries for these. Sitting here staring at my computer screen until my eyes glaze over isn't quite all that it's cracked up to be, I guess. But I suppose, it's a labor of love. Or it's a labor of something, at any rate. So, time to get the tedious commentary-writing over with...for this chapter anyways.  This is the Chapter, by the way, where the battle for Yizhou and the greater Ba-Shu region begins to heat up. For that matter, it's also the chapter where Wei Yan and Huang Zhong's fledgling rivalry begins to heat up.

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The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 60

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 60:

Zhang Song Turns The Table On Yang Xiu;

Pang Tong Proposes The Occupation Of Shu. 

Listen:

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WARNING: BEWARE THE IDES OF SPOILERS. BEWARE. BEWARE, I SAY.

Annnd, you've waited a long time for this. Thank you for your patience. Your patience is about to be rewarded, because this is the first of several chapters I'm posting to the feed today for your listening enjoyment. Know what else it is, though?  It's Chapter 60, also known as, the "Oh my freaking lord, after four years of making these we are FINALLY at the halfway point of the story" Chapter. Phew. I don't know if it's been as tiring for you guys to listen to these, but it's certainly been quite tiring for me to make 'em. Not that I'm going to stop or anything. When you get 60 chapters through a 120 chapter book, it's sort of pointless to turn back, isn't it?

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The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 59

The Sanguo Yanyi - Chapter 59:

Xu Chu Strips For A Fight With Ma Chao;

Cao Cao Writes A Letter To Han Sui.

Listen:

WARNING: READING AND UNDERSTANDING CLASSICAL LITERATURE CAN CAUSE INTENSE INTELLECTUAL GROWTH, CRITICAL THINKING, SOCIAL DISCONTENT, VOTE-BOYCOTTING, MARIJUANA USAGE, REVOLUTIONARY TENDENCIES, SPOILERS, AND IN SOME CASES, DEATH.

Chapter 59 of the Sanguo Yanyi is a chapter which has much to do with human psychology, and how it can affect the actions of men and armies alike. For in this Chapter, Cao Cao uses his mind, and the minds of his top advisers, far more than he uses swords and axes. 

A maxim to remember in the execution of any war, is the maxim that says "Where main force may fail, guile may succeed." If I were the leader of an army, I would probably value my soldiers. To not do so would be a huge blow to morale.  But probably even above the soldiers, I would prize a talented, charismatic, and convincing group of spies and diplomats even more, because with a mere word, a good talker might neutralize an entire enemy army, and not even a nuke can do that.

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