Comprised of over 800,000 words, 1191 characters, and 120 chapters, it takes place when China was divided into many warring and focuses on three kingdoms Wei, Wu and Shu. Huang Gai sent his ships to Cao Cao's base, feigning surrender. Yan Yan had planned for Zhang Fei to enter from there. ranging from the outbreak of the war to key moments from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel. Zhuge Liang brandished two swords and danced in the center of the temple where Zhou Yu had invited him to summon the south-eastern wind. This frightened others. Daoist faith healer Zhang Jue is a key character at the beginning of the novel, when he is leading the Yellow Turban Rebellion against the Han emperor. Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Barnes & Noble Guan Yu was about to reach the third gate. Guan Yu, who was tasked to guard Jing Province by Zhuge Liang, grew ambitious and wanted to get the strategic Fancheng for himself. Gan Ning senses Ling Tong's intention so he also offers to perform with his pair of jis. Zhao Yun escorted Liu Bei to the nearest city, Baidi, and Liu Bei mourned the massive loss of life during the battle. Che Zhou tried to assassinate Liu Bei so Guan Yu slew him. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the four classic novels of Chinese literature, along with Journey to the West, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber. Zhang Fei dueled with Zhang Liao and Cao Cao fled on his own. Liu Biao was getting desperate. The hunter then killed his wife and disguised her arm in soup and gave it to Liu Bei who knew nothing about the wife's death to eat. In 240, Jiang Wei led the first expedition, but failed. Cao Cao's old friend advised Cao Cao to burn Yuan Shao's supply depot and take as much as he could. First, he killed the Empress Dowager Dong to increase his popularity. However, he realized that that would not look good on his record, so he left. Ma Su was executed by Zhuge Liang who needed to maintain army discipline. L Bu dashed forward and cut Wang Kuang's army down. Lastly, he told Zhao Yun to continue his support for the Han and that the times they spent together were priceless. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the four classic novels of Chinese literature, along with Journey to the West, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber. Xiahou Yuan was a veteran general at the same level as Guan Yu, but Zhuge Liang knew that they would win and let them go. She was very fit and agile, skilfully using her daggers to capture Zhang Yi and Ma Zhong. Sun Quan and Liu Bei started vying for control of southern Jing Province after their victory. Since Pang Tong died, Zhuge Liang, who was in Jing Province, had to come over to assist in using strategies to defeat Liu Zhang. The two armies led by Guo Huai and Chen Tai knew that the road to Yong Province was a rocky one, and that Jiang Wei did not have enough supplies, and the Qiang would not help them due to this weakness. Lu Su brought Guan Yu back to the ship and none of the soldiers dared to attack while Guan Yu held Lu Su hostage. Cao Cao asked why, and Guan Yu replied that the old cloak was a gift from Liu Bei, and he would put nobody above his brother. Guan Yu refused and asked death. They approached Cao Cao's camp and Cao Cao could not identify whether it was a trap, so he ordered his soldiers to shoot arrows at their boats. Finally, they had to ally with Sun Quan in the eastern Yangtze and crush Cao Cao. He humiliated Cao Cao again and Cao Cao's soldiers beat him up on Cao Cao's orders. Guan Yu was so offended that he wanted to kill Cao Cao but Liu Bei stopped him, saying the three would be executed for killing him. Ma Chao cut down Ma Ruan and Liang Xing while the other three fled. His subordinate Zhang Da believed it to be impossible so he was flogged 50 times by Zhang Fei. When Liu Bei had ensured all the citizens had evacuated, Zhao Yun and those archers burned Xinye down. Wang Ping disagreed and stated that they should follow Zhuge Liang's advice and camp on the road so that the water supply would not be cut. Cao Cao deeply mourned Dian Wei's death. However, the soil in the area was sandy and always fell down, so Cao Cao was in a dilemma. L Meng was unable to pursue Cao Cao, so he sent the signal to Gan Ning who was nearby. Lu Su then entered and asked Liu Bei to return Jing again. He studied it day and night and could summon winds and command the rain. Zhao Yun wanted to pick both of them up, but Lady Mi said that she was heavily injured and would only slow the group down, so she jumped into the well. Zhuge Liang showed his intelligence when he was able to collect 100 000 arrows in 3 days using straw people. When Liu Bei fled to Yuan Shao, he had abandoned his wives. Written during the 14th century, this piece of literature is based on the historical Three Kingdoms period, which lasted from the latter part of the 2nd century AD to the second half of the 3rd century AD. Cao Cao also gained the generals Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Li Dian and Yue Jin. Zhuge Liang defeated Guo Huai again, and Zhuge Liang's soldiers were able to collect a lot of supplies, with them being transported very quickly. Cao Cao defeated Liu Bei at Xu, and Liu Bei and Zhang Fei disappeared in the chaos. Hua Tuo had good means, but Cao Cao was suspicious because previously, his other doctor had tried to poison him after joining forces with Dong Cheng. Dong Zhuo sent L Bu to get Cao Cao a horse and Dong Zhuo slept in the meantime. However, Liu Bei, sick and tired of L Bu, reminded Cao Cao of how Dong Zhuo had been betrayed by L Bu. Sun Quan then sent his general Taishi Ci to attack He Fei, but Taishi Ci's ambush backfired against him and he was killed by Zhang Liao. Zhou Yu chuckled, thinking that Zhuge Liang had humiliated himself. As the novel was written in the Ming dynasty, more than 1,000 years after the era, these stories showed that Buddhism had long been a significant ingredient of the mainstream culture and may not be historically accurate. Liu Bei woke up to the flames and hurriedly put on his armour. Zhuge Liang gave Guan Yu a cloth bag and told him to go to the river. Wen Ping who was chasing Zhao Yun, saw Zhang Fei, so he stopped on the other end of the bridge. Three Kingdoms (also known as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, or Tale of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical novel, written by Lu Gunzhng in the 14th century CE, with a dramatic setting in the 3rd century CE. Zhang Fei was enraged and attacked, but suffered a defeat as the archers stood on the walls of the gates and pinned down the soldiers. Updates? The prisoners were all executed. An archer shot Cao Cao's horse down, so his son, Cao Ang, lent Cao Cao his horse to escape. The enemy would come for the wheat to lower our supplies. This enraged Guan Yu, so he cut Kong Xiu down in a flash. Cao Cao then lured Han Sui and Ma Chao over to his territory. While the army was disorganised, Zhang Fei broke the bridge and fled. Bleeding from many body parts, L Meng collapsed to the ground, possessed by Guan Yu's spirit. 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Romance-of-the-Three-Kingdoms, Kongmings Archives: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ChinaKnowledge.de - An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History, Literature and Art - Sanguo yanyi, Internet Archive - The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The army of Cao Cao suffered yet another failure and Cao Cao escaped barely. He was distraught when he received news that his father, Cao Song was murdered by the governor of Xu Province, Tao Qian. Sun Quan replaced his general L Meng with an underachiever named Lu Xun, who suggested attacking Jing Province while Guan Yu was still at Fancheng. Cao Cao then forced him out of the capital. Sadly, Xu Huang died in camp, aged fifty-nine. Wang Ping soon learnt that the tips of the oxen's tongue must be flapped for the oxen to move, and Sima Yi would not likely figure it out. Finally, the three brothers met and had a happy reunion. Zhang Fei had enraged L Bu so L Bu gave up chasing and turned to face Zhang Fei. Guan Yu, seeing the mighty Cao Cao and Zhang Liao was worn out and all the soldiers half dead, felt pity and tears sprung to his eyes. He forced the Emperor to issue imperial order, forcing Liu Bei to attack Yuan Shu, which he did so reluctantly. To reward Zhou Tai, Sun Quan invited him to a banquet, made him show all his wounds to everyone and tell them where he got each wound from. He brought the news to Sun Jian's son Sun Ce. Ma Chao suddenly came and blocked the road. We aspire to make this an interesting and educational . All Votes Add Books To This List. Enraged, Sun Jian attacked Liu Biao, and the general under Liu Biao Huang Zu was sent to fight. The latter had his whole family captured. However, he fell in the third bout. Cao Cao collected 30,000 Yellow Turban rebels and turned them into his soldiers. Zhuge Liang had sent a letter, telling Meng Da to launch a swift attack on Sima Yi lest he arrive quickly. One day, Pang Tong's horse started acting weirdly and Liu Bei volunteered to switch horses with him. To support Wu to surrender, Sima Zhao constantly treated Liu Shan well and gave him banquets. Cao Cao, who respected Guan Yu's bravery and virtue, did so. Then, he realised another major general, Xu Sheng, was not out of the chaos, so he ran back and saved him. However, Cao Cao got a lucky escape. Then, while his army clashed with Yuan Shao-s army, Cao Cao led a pincer attack to defeat Yuan Shao's army. Cao Cao was so scared he gripped Xu Chu's leg and hid behind him for protection. Ma Chao was confused and suspicious. Liu Bei's wife Lady Gan had died, and Liu Bei was in distress every day. For Guo Si, he was killed by his own subordinate while being constantly checked by Cao Cao. Sima Zhao moved Liu Shan to Changan and gave him a minor office. Around this time, Zhuge Liang invented the wooden ox, thought to be an early form of the wheelbarrow, to transport supplies. Cao Cao then broke through the thin line of defence and sent Yuan Shao running. They promise to be loyal to one another, support the Han, and die together. When Huang Gai's ships were surprisingly fast, Cao Cao became suspicious. Those areas had fertile soil and a mountainous terrain for defence. They saw Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang drinking wine on a hill, and immediately raced up. Using the speed if the Red Hare and his skill at fighting, Guan Yu killed Yan Liang in no time. Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi fought long and hard, and Sima Yi adopted a defensive position. Han Sui suggested ceding the conquered territory for peace, and Ma Chao agreed. He fell gravely ill and constantly had dreams about the brothers he could not avenge. Han Sui then decided to consult his generals, and they all agreed to surrender to Cao Cao, lest Ma Chao kill them. This move of bringing the Sima's to power was unpopular and Xiahou Yuan's descendant Xiahou Ba, a great general and strategist, defected to Shu. Water Mirror suggested him to find the "Sleeping Dragon" or the "Fledgling Phoenix" as Liu Bei lacked a good advisor. When he asked for volunteers to fight Hua Xiong, Guan Yu was the first to step forward. Sun Quan then sent a letter to Liu Zhang, saying that Liu Bei was bound to betray him. Cao Zhen fell gravely ill, and Sima Yi was once again sent to defend. When Liu Bei went to attack Yuan Shu, he left Zhang Fei behind to guard Xu Province. Characters Romance of the Three Kingdoms is an epic retelling of historical events in China from 184 to 280 ce. The writing style adopted by Romance of the Three Kingdoms was part of the emergence of written vernacular during the Ming period, as part of the so-called "Four Masterworks" (si da qishu).[27]. Knowing that Pang Tong had no hope in Wu, Lu Su recommended him to Liu Bei. Cao Cao sent Xu Huang to set up an ambush, but Ma Chao predicted it and won another battle. He died due to his eye injury and Sima Zhao took over. He became suspicious when he saw Zhuge Liang sitting at the top of a castle by himself playing a zither. By the time it was too late, for Cao Cao's army swept upon them and they were utterly crushed. The Imperial Inspector was dissatisfied and removed Liu Bei from his position. Yuan Shu perished, unable to swallow the coarse food his soldiers ate. Cao Cao then diverted the rivers near L Bu's territory, flooding it. Zhao Yun immediately stopped attacking and revealed that after Gongsun Zan's death, he had been searching for Liu Bei. This touched the whole court who silently wept. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei did not trust Zhuge Liang as a strategist. Meanwhile, Sun Quan plotted to take Jing Province after growing tired of Guan Yu's repeated refusals to hand over the province. Liu Bei guessed Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, Ma Teng, Han Sui, Zhang Lu and Zhang Xiu, but Cao Cao deemed them worthless. The plan worked, and Cao Rui, the new king, banished Sima Yi. Guan Yu and Pang De fought in a one-on-one battle. Senior Minister Wang Yun held a birthday party and invited many officials. Sun Quan was persuaded into becoming Emperor, and Zhuge Liang sent presents and rewards to Sun Quan. Cao Cao panicked and sent Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, and Li Dian to rescue He Fei. Five days later, Ma Chao launched a surprise attack and Pang De slew Zhong You's brother Zhong Jin. ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS | Facts and Details The rescue captains Gan Ning and L Meng were stopped by Li Dian and Sun Quan barely escaped with his life. Zhuge Liang said, "If you send a sick man to fight, he would surely lose. Ma Chao came again, but Cao Hong ran up and fought valiantly, protecting Cao Cao. Zhang He then fled. [7] Herbert A. Giles included an excerpt in his 1923 Gems of Chinese Literature,[37] Z. Q. Parker published a 1925 translation containing four episodes from the novel including the events of the Battle of Red Cliffs, while Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang published excerpts in 1981, including chapters 4350. On the third time, it was Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's brotherhood anniversary, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei did not want to visit but to celebrate. L Bu took this chance to lure Zhang Fei out of the city and take Xu Province. He had the alliance of the Qiang tribesmen. During those times of upheaval, Li Jue and Guo Si had always worked together, and the Emperor thought they were an unstoppable pair. He came across a wise man named Water Mirror who told him that he would need to fulfill a prophecy and to do it, he would need better men. Guan Yu helped Liu Bei escape from prison and the two brothers stopped Zhang Fei from continuing to assault the Imperial Inspector. Three Kingdoms (2010) - MyDramaList Meng Da ignored and built up his forces. Zhuge Liang knew it was Zhou Yu's scheme, but told Liu Bei to accept, even though the latter was way older than Lady Sun. Instinctively, Guan Xing grabbed his sword and cut off the head of the captor and took his father's weapon guandao as his own. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei defeated Zhang Jiao when he attacked his old master Lu Zhi. When Cao Cao presented the cloak to Guan Yu, Guan Yu thanked him profusely, but wore the new cloak under the old and worn-out cloak. However, they were blocked by rolling logs that fell. Cao Cao worked to extinguish the flames. Liu Bei had used counter magic learned from a general and defeated Zhang Bao. When Liu Bei closed his eyes, Zhuge Liang and Zhao Yun collapsed onto the floor, weeping. Zhang Liao and Li Dian were never on friendly terms. Trapped in the midst of soldiers, he was bound up, and brought to the city that was captured. They made a deal: if Wang Yun surrendered nicely, they would not lose any lives. If Cao Zhi could not compose a poem about brothers in seven paces, he would be executed. To counter the armour, Zhuge Liang lured Meng Huo's army into a narrow valley and attacked them with the armour's only weakness-fire. Liu Bei made his way into Wu and Zhao Yun opened the first bag. [15] None of the earlier editions contained this phrase. Attacked by two fronts, Liu Bei struggled and eventually broke through. Since, Wang Ping was given few soldiers, he was easily defeated and fled. When Cao Cao fell asleep in the forest, Chen Gong tried to kill Cao Cao. However, a few days later Zhao Yun took Hanzhong, and Ma Chao defeated all of Cao Cao's reinforcements. When Zhuge Liang was informed of the arrangement of the camps, he stared in shock and said, "All the dreams the king had will vanish due to this!" Liu Bei, along with Zhuge Liang, Mi Zhu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun and the whole population of Xinye marched away to Fancheng with Sun Qian. Just then, Li Kan, Cao Cao's general, attacked Ma Chao and fell back quickly. In the summer of 200, after months of preparations, the armies of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao clashed at the Battle of Guandu (near present-day Kaifeng). Jiang Wei disagreed, stating that the soldiers were exhausted. One of the eunuchs, Zhang Rang, was so influential that the Emperor even called him Father. When Kan Ze met Cao Cao, Cao Cao originally saw through the trick and put Kan Ze to death. Under Yuan Shao's leadership, 18 warlords formed a coalition army and launched a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo. Cao Cao was still unhappy, so he executed the two and sent an army to attack. Guan Yu, learning that Jing Province was being attacked, retreated from Fancheng, but was caught off guard by L Meng and had already lost Jing Province before he knew it. L Bu gave in to wine at his wife's advice, greatly upsetting Chen Gong, who urged him to do something. Zhang Da could not take it anymore and killed him in the night and fled. The Wei army led by Cao Zhen could barely pass through the narrow route, so Zhao Yun easily defended it. Which translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms should I read? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Yuan Shao's messenger told him about Cao Cao's situation. Shortly after, Zhang Jiao died and the rebellion was stopped. The arrows got stuck onto the straw people. She was furious and chased Wei Yan into the forest, where she was ambushed by Zhao Yun. Nobody was willing to fight Zhang Fei in a one-on-one battle and Cao Cao suspected trickery. However, Wang Zhi had planned to burn the city down during the night. The plot is based on Luo Guanzhong's classical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms, and other related stories. The two boys returned to Luoyang. They met at a bridge, and Ma Dai scolded Dongcha Na, saying he had no regret for the kindness Zhuge Liang gave him even after being captured. Martin Palmer has translated the Chinese classic, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, during the interview, Pang Tong spoke rudely and disrespectfully of the late commander, enraging Sun Quan such that he remained unemployed. At the capital, Ma Teng's plot was accidentally slipped by his friend Huang Kui, and Cao Cao immediately sent Cao Hong, Xu Huang and Xu Chu to attack. But by then, Liu Bei had wandered off. Enraged, he killed L Gong, but could not find Sun Jian's body. He was treated by advanced physician Hua Tuo. However, the latter had to deal with an uprising of Yellow Turban rebels and left with Liu Bei to deal with the issue. Dong Zhuo sent a messenger to stop the fighting between the two. United by a common cause, they went to an inn to drink and met another like-minded soul in Guan Yu. Liu Bei declined, and the poison arrow acted again. The soldiers under Wei Yan rescued Ma Su and Wei Yan held the enemy off for as long as he could before fleeing. Cao Cao's own generals looked down on him for letting Guan Yu go so easily. L Bu accepted the treasure and forced Liu Bei to go to war. It's also best used if one's enemy is an over-thinker. Sun Ce took refuge in Yuan Shu's territory to slowly gain power. Liu Bei was worried but Zhuge Liang suspected trickery and ordered more wine be sent to Zhang Fei. Liu Bei was delighted to accept Huang Zhong and Wei Yan, but Zhuge Liang did not like Wei Yan who was narrow minded and rebellious. Cao Cao laughed and rewarded each general with pieces of rare silk, while the officials composed poems crediting Cao Cao's services to the Han. Ma Chao endured and killed Li Kan. Ma Chao then caught up with Ma Dai and Pang De. Howbeit, L Bu thrust his spear through Dong Zhuo's chest, ending his rule of tyranny. Zhang Liao rescued Cao Cao and the two sailed to the forest to meet Xu Huang, Xu Chu, and the reinforcements. He then sent Li Jue and Guo Si to massacre the whole Yuan family. In 2014, Tuttle published a new, three-volume translation of the novel, translated by Yu Sumei and edited by Ronald C. Iverson (, Hsia, Chih-tsing,"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," in. Cao Cao then spread false rumours that he had surrounded Yuan Shao's base, so Yuan Shao panicked and defended his camp evenly. Just then, Cao Xiu shot an arrow at Ling Tong, causing him to fall, and just as Yue Jin was about to kill him, an arrow hit Yue Jin in the face, allowing Ling Tong to retreat. Adventure Survivors: The Quest Rating: 3.8/5 Stars ( 70 reviews) Favourite Games Add to your games Game Info Reviews Game Guide Answers Add Me Updates Add Videos and Hints Survivors: The Quest Answers The novel romance of the three kingdoms begins? At night, Zhang Fei's soldiers came into the forest which led to the entrance, when they met up with a resistance force led by Yan Yan. He used attrition to wear out Ma Teng's army, and 4 months later, out of supplies, they retreated. After a few rounds, Guan Yu was winning, so Pang De turned around and ran while Guan Yu pursued. Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Luo Guanzhong - Google Books Because of the flooding, people had miserable lives. When all the lords came, L Bu challenged again. Then, he added that Liu Bei knew so yet he never gave up and surrendered. Sun Quan was traumatised, and decided to give Guan Yu's head to Cao Cao. The story part historical and part fictional romanticises and dramatises the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it. The novel, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is based on real-life historical figures and events. General Pang De suggested feigning a retreat, which Ma Chao did. Edit Translation English Espaol Portugus (Brasil) Native Title: Also Known As: San Guo , Romance of the Three Kingdoms Novel and History - Kongming [25], Plaks states the novel deals with the "cyclical theories of dynastic decline," and relates the "breakdown of order" at the end of the Han dynasty to "the improper exercise of imperial authority, the destabilisation influence of special-interest groups (eunuchs, imperial clansmen), the problem of factional and individual idealism carried to the point of civil strife-all of which eventually surface in the body of the narrative." The two fought for a good hundred bouts, and Xu Chu seemed to be worsted. As Liu Bei led a large army to avenge Guan Yu and retake Jing Province, Sun Quan attempted to appease him by offering to return him the territories in southern Jing Province. Cao Cao was keen not to execute him. Eventually, he surrendered to them. He gained L Bu after L Bu was defeated by Cao Cao. Fortunately, they landed safely, and Ma Chao was impressed by Xu Chu's bravery and strength. Liu Bei sent him to attack the old general Yan Yan. Zhuge Liang first discussed with Zhang Zhao who really wanted to surrender. Liu Bei was instantly reminded of the Longzhong plan and rejected the third proposal. Suddenly, Zhao Yun jumped out of the hole and swiped at Zhang He, who dodged in the nick of time. The three arrived late, and one of the cities was already taken down, crushing their morale. Cao Cao remarked that Ma Chao was as good as L Bu. Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel - amazon.com Thus, the three men stood outside for hours before Zhuge Liang awoke. Romance of the Three Kingdoms (English Edition) - amazon.com Zhang Lu was easily defeated and was executed. Later, Cao Cao sent two armies led by Cao Ren and Xu Chu to attack Xinye. He found Diao Chan at a lotus pool, staring at a mirror while sobbing quietly. The enemy is ready while our soldiers are new. Later, Zhang Bao died, and Zhuge Liang was so shocked by this that he fell ill, and his army had to retreat. Cao Cao and the loyal Zhang Liao came into the forest. Gongsun Zan was joined by Liu Bei, who became friends with Zhao Yun. Pang De went in pursuit, but was halted by Cao Ren. Despite their grounding in Chinese history, however, these characters are subject to the demands of the novels plot, which means that their actions are sometimes embellished, invented, or otherwise altered from real lifeor, at least, life as described by historians. Yan Yan was touched as well and knowing his lord Liu Zhang was weak, defected to Zhang Fei. 95), The Jurchen chief and Khan Nurhaci read the Chinese novels Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin learning all he knew about Chinese military and political strategies from them. Thus, he invited Guan Yu over. Eastern Wu arranges a false marriage that turns into a real one. He becomes emperor of the Shu-Han dynasty and attempts to keep the Han alive after Cao Caos son Cao Pi is ceded the throne and founds the brief Wei dynasty. Classical Chinese Novels 101: Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Arcadia At this, Zhang Liao sniggered and accused Guan Yu of breaking the oath of the peach garden, the trust between brothers by leaving Liu Bei's wives alone, and his own reputation if he died. Sun Quan gave Guan Yu's head to Cao Cao, who wanted to transfer the blame for Guan Yu's death to Cao Cao and appease Liu Bei. Sun Jian decided to keep it and wait for an opportunity to use it. Dong Cheng secretly contacted Liu Bei and others and they planned to assassinate Cao Cao. Cao Pi arranged a funeral for Cao Cao, but his brother Cao Zhi was busy drinking wine and sleeping and refused to come. At a banquet, L Meng suddenly attacked Sun Quan, screaming that he was in fact Guan Yu and he was going to eat Sun Quan alive. Romance of the Three Kingdoms also describes the tyranny of Dong Zhuo; the formation of the three rival kingdoms Wei, Shu, and Wu; and, finally, the reunification of China that began with the emergence of the Jin dynasty in 265 ce and concluded with the fall of the Wu kingdom in 280 ce, when the novel ends. Zhuge Liang, knowing that Zhou Yu would likely fail, asked him to capture Jing Province first. Hence, Liu Bei was the one to succeed Tao Qian after he died. Cao Cao then feigned a headache, and Ji Ping fell for it. The eunuchs, knowing they would be destroyed, held the Emperor and the Empress hostage. Cao Ang was killed while Zhang Xiu pursued.
