During the decisive "Battle of Red Cliffs," Sun Quan allies with Liu Bei to keep Cao Cao’s armies from advancing across the Yangtze River. At the age of 18, after his older brother is assassinated, the red-bearded Sun Quan steps into power.
Meanwhile, the Sun clan controls most of southern China. He is also an accomplished poet whose works go on to have a significant impact on the Chinese poetic style.įor more on Cao Cao, read our blog “China’s Greatest Goats.” Here is an example of a dialogue between him and his loyal chef:Ĭao Cao: I need to borrow something of yours.Ĭao Cao: Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your family is taken care of.Ĭao Cao (pronounced tsao tsao) has an enormous army and the loyalty of much of the realm. In Three Kingdoms, the ambitious general Cao Cao is Liu Bei’s and conniving rival. Some of Three Kingdoms’ most fantastic stories, like “ Capturing Arrows With Boats of Straw,” owe to Zhuge’s exploits. Later, Liu Bei's influence increases rapidly after obtaining the help of Taoist sage and expert strategist Zhuge Liang. The bond between the three establishes a strong theme that wends throughout the tale. “We don’t ask to be born on the same day,” they vow, “but we ask that it be on the same year, same month, and same day that we together die.” The alliance of these heroes begins in one of Three Kingdoms’ best-known scenes: “Oath of the Peach Garden.” Liu Bei and the two warriors Zhang Fei and Guan Yu become sworn brothers: Together, they successfully establish their own state. But his lofty character acts like a magnet that attracts to his cause some of the novel’s most unforgettable heroes-mind-boggling strategists and nearly infallible warriors. He is high of mind and kind of heart, but lacks the resources and raw power of his rivals. Liu is portrayed as the most legitimate and deserving contender. His claim to the imperial throne is that he is a descendant of the Han’s rulers and can thus continue the heritage if not the dynasty. Warlord Liu Bei is the founder of Kingdom of Shu. With the help of the most brilliant minds and bravest hearts of the time, these three rise to power and engage in an epic contest for the future of China. They are each rulers of their own kingdoms-Shu, Wei, and Wu, respectively-and each aspire to unite the empire, bringing together “All Under Heaven,” as they call it. These are men of formidable character, prowess, and guile, each keen to see his ambition fulfilled. Their names are Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Quan. Shen Yun’s 2015 dance Capturing Arrows With Boats of Straw, tells of one of the brilliant stratagems employed in this mega-historical saga.Īs lords and generals gather to vie for supremacy, three great leaders soon emerge. Three Kingdoms is at the core of Chinese cultural identity and, especially, the concept of yi-the essential glue that binds a harmonious society.
Through its pages, readers meet dozens of iconic characters from history, and witness battles of every scale. Moreover, it is considered a guidebook to military strategy that has been likened to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
Its fourteenth century author, Luo Guanzhong, draws upon history and folklore to create a colorful tale that showcases the era’s political and social affairs. This is the backdrop for the literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the four great pillars of Chinese literature ( Journey to the West, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Dream of the Red Chamber are the others). The dynasty seems to have lost its “Mandate of Heaven”-what now? The people of China, longing for peace, wonder what will become of their lives as war rages across the land. Court eunuchs scheme, rulers fall, and great heroes are born in epic combat. Those who would cast themselves as China’s next rulers have brought the empire to the brink of war. It is early in the third century and the once-glorious Han Dynasty is in its twilight. opening lines of Romance of the Three Kingdoms “The empire, long divided, must unite long united, it must divide.
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