Everything you need to know about Romance of the Three Kingdoms
“Romance of the Three Kingdoms” is a classic Chinese historical novel written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century. It is based on the turbulent period of the Three Kingdoms (c. 184–280 AD) in Chinese history. The novel is a fictionalized account of the events that took place during this period, and it blends historical facts with myths and legends, purported to be 70% fact and 30% fiction. Its influence cannot be understated, affecting pop culture, politics, and even the Chinese language itself in the form of Chinese idioms (成语).
It’s important to note that while the novel is inspired by historical events, the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” includes many fictional elements, and its historical accuracy is often debated by historians. That being said, the characters and events described in this legendary novel have had massive staying power both within China and even in Japan and Korea. If you’re interested in this piece of Chinese literary history, why not check out our Three Kingdoms series!
The Story
In 168 A.D, the imperial court of the Han dynasty was dominated by corrupt eunuchs, which kept the emperor from exerting real power. This brought an unprecedented famine until 184 A.D, when a daoist cult led by three brothers, Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, had claimed that the house of Han lost their right to rule (known as the Mandate of Heaven, 天命).
They later staged an uprising which famously became known as the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The imperial armies sent to quell the rebellion were soon brought to their knees, so the court was forced to seek the aid of local warlords.
Despite their ultimate failure, the Yellow Turbans highlighted a major flaw in the government: as warlords were growing stronger, central power was becoming weaker. In 189 A.D, the emperor died and left only two child heirs. Factions were created in support of each of the heirs and thus internal turmoil sparked at the palace, with many losing their heads or being forced into exile. At the end, in the capital Luoyang, a cruel warlord named Dong Zhuo (董卓), aided by the strongest warrior, Lü Bu (吕布), managed to take hold of power and placed the puppet emperor Liu Xie (刘协), later named Emperor Xian (宪皇帝), on the throne.
In the rest of China, the other warlords deeply resented Dong Zhuo, so they decided to form a coalition to overthrow him and to save the puppet emperor from being…puppeted (Roberts, 2001). Among them we find the protagonists of this story, which will eventually lead to the creation of the Three Kingdoms, such as Cao Cao (曹操), Liu Bei (刘备), and Sun Jian (孙坚). The coalition shook the power of Dong Zhuo, but didn’t manage to restore cohesion to the empire and this started a period going from 190 A.D. to 220 A.D in which hundreds of warlords fought and betrayed each other for power and land. Here we have records of huge battles involving thousands and thousands of soldiers, epic duels between heroes, Game of Thrones-like intrigues and even some love stories.
In 220 A.D., Cao Cao was the most prominent and powerful warlord. Soon after his death the same year, Cao Cao’s son, Cao Pi (曹丕), declared himself Emperor of Wei (魏), putting an end to the 400 years-long Han dynasty. As a reaction to this, Sun Jian’s son, Sun Quan (孙权), takes the title of Emperor of Wu (吴), and Liu Bei, being a distant relative of the imperial house of Han, declares himself the emperor of the restorationist Shu-Han (蜀汉) dynasty, thus kickstarting the Three Kingdoms period (Roberts, 2001). The creation of the Three Kingdoms goes alongside a generational shift: the main heroes and villains slowly begin to die in battle or because of old age, making way for their heirs. After a substantial term of balance, all three kingdoms begin suffering the same illness which doomed the Han dynasty: incompetence and corruption.
Timeline
From the decline of the Han Dynasty to the rise of the Three Kingdoms and the chaos and conflict between, here is a timeline that highlights the key events from the novel:
- Yellow Turban Rebellion (184-205 AD):
- Zhang Jiao, leader of the Yellow Turbans, stages a rebellion against the Han Dynasty.
- This rebellion marks the fall of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the novel.
- Dong Zhuo’s Tyranny (189-192 AD):
- Dong Zhuo seizes control of the imperial capital, Luoyang, and takes control of the government.
- Various warlords unite to oppose Dong Zhuo’s tyranny.
- The Coalition against Dong Zhuo (190-192 AD):
- Warlords like Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, and Cao Cao form a coalition to oppose Dong Zhuo.
- Lu Bu, Dong Zhuo’s adopted son and a formidable warrior, plays a significant role in this conflict.
- Dong Zhuo’s Assassination (192 AD):
- Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his own foster son, Lu Bu, with the help of Wang Yun. Our adaptation combines the coalition and assassination into one story, Three Kingdoms 1: The Beauty Trap.
- Liu Bei’s Oath of the Peach Garden (c. 192 AD):
- Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei swear an oath of brotherhood in a peach garden. In our adaptation, this is the prologue of our series, which you can read here!
- Liu Bei’s Ambitions (c. 200 AD):
- Liu Bei starts building his power base and alliances as he seeks to establish his own kingdom, the Shu Han.
- Battle of Guandu (200 AD):
- Cao Cao defeats Yuan Shao, solidifying his control over northern China and founding the kingdom of Cao Wei.
- Battle of Red Cliffs (208-209 AD):
- One of the most famous battles in the novel.
- Sun Quan, ruler of the Eastern Wu, allies with Liu Bei to defeat Cao Cao’s much larger army through strategic brilliance and fire attack.
- To read our retelling of this legendary battle, be sure to read our recently released Battle of Red Cliffs lesson series.
- Death of Guan Yu (219 AD):
- Guan Yu is captured and executed by Sun Quan’s forces after the Battle of Fancheng.
- Death of Zhang Fei (221 AD):
- Zhang Fei is assassinated by his subordinates.
- Death of Liu Bei (223 AD):
- Liu Bei dies, and his son Liu Chan inherits his position.
- Zhuge Liang’s Northern Expeditions (c. 227-234 AD):
- Zhuge Liang leads a series of military campaigns against Wei in an attempt to fulfill Liu Bei’s vision of a unified China.
- Wei’s Conquest of Shu (263 AD):
- After a long period of conflict, Wei forces led by Sima Zhao conquer Shu.
- Sima Yan’s Conquest of Wei (265 AD):
- Sima Yan, son of Sima Zhao, usurps the throne of Wei, marking the end of the Three Kingdoms period.
- End of the Three Kingdoms Period (280 AD):
- Sima Yan establishes the Jin Dynasty, marking the official end of the Three Kingdoms era.
