A guide to the four great masterpieces of ancient China: Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Mondo Culture Updated on 2024-03-07

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the four great masterpieces of ancient China, which is based on the history of the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty, and tells the political and military struggle between the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu. The work vividly depicts many heroic and brave characters, such as Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Cao Cao, etc., each of whom has left a deep mark on the stage of history. The work not only shows the cruelty of war, but also reveals the brilliance and darkness of human nature, loyalty and betrayal. Through rich plots and vivid characters, the works reflect the morals, values and living conditions of the people at that time, and provide valuable information for us to understand that era. Despite the existence of fiction and exaggeration, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" has become a classic with its unique charm, which is worth savoring and learning repeatedly.

"Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is a treasure of ancient Chinese literature and one of the four great masterpieces of ancient China. This long story written by Luo Guanzhong, a master in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, is based on the historical situation from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty, and tells the story of the political and military struggle between the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the final unification of the Three Kingdoms by Sima Yan and the establishment of the Jin Dynasty.

The story begins with the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, depicting an era of heroes. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei formed a righteous alliance in Taoyuan and made a joint oath to seek well-being for the common people in the world. Subsequently, they participated in the battle to quell the Yellow Turban Uprising, and gradually rose to prominence in the troubled times. With his wisdom and courage, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao in the Battle of Guandu and established his hegemony in the north. Sun Quan inherited his father's and brother's foundation in Jiangdong and stabilized his position.

In the course of subsequent history, the struggle between the three kingdoms intensified. Liu Bei looked at the thatched house three times and invited Zhuge Liang, who was resourceful. After Zhuge Liang came out of the mountain, he assisted Liu Bei to unite with Sun Quan, seized Jingzhou and Yizhou, and established the Shu Han regime. Cao Cao continued to expand his sphere of influence, successively eliminating Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lü Bu and other separatist forces, and unifying the north. Sun Quan consolidated his rule in Jiangdong, forming a three-legged situation with Cao Wei and Shu Han.

In this era of heroes, many haunting characters have emerged. In addition to Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Cao Cao, Sun Quan and other major figures, there are also Zhao Yun who is wise and brave, Dian Wei, who is loyal and brave, Zhou Yu, who is strategic, and Zhuge Liang, who is witty and eloquent. Each of them has left a deep mark on the stage of history.

"Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is not only a history depicting war and political struggle**, but also a work full of wisdom and humanity. It shows the brilliance and darkness of human nature, loyalty and betrayal, wisdom and stupidity. In the story, we can see the brave and fearless warriors sacrificing for the good of the country, and we can also see the intrigues of the plotters for power.

Among them, the most talked about is Zhuge Liang's clever calculation and heroic fighting. He was not only distinguished not only in military affairs, but also in politics and culture. The "Longzhong Pair" proposed by him pointed out the future development direction for Liu Bei, and the wisdom of "empty city strategy" and "straw boat borrowing arrows" has become a classic praised by later generations.

In addition, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" also shows the social style and cultural heritage from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty through rich plots and vivid character creation. It reflects the morality, values and living conditions of the people at that time, and provides us with valuable information for understanding that era.

However, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", as a historical **, inevitably has some fictional and exaggerated elements. But it is these fictions and exaggerations that make the story more vivid and interesting, and the characters more vivid and three-dimensional. This is also an important reason why "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" can become one of the four great masterpieces of ancient China.

In short, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is a work full of wisdom and human brilliance, which vividly depicts the historical situation and heroic legends from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty. It is not only an important material for us to understand that era, but also a classic that is worth savoring and learning repeatedly.

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