Choosing to side with him would be tantamount to surrender, and the struggles he had taken to get where he was would be for naught. He knew very well the twisted way in which Cao Cao talked, and could easily see the meaning behind his words. Zhou Yu sat down near a window, feeling the carvings on his chair. Would you agree to an alliance for the good of the livelihood of our kingdoms? Together, it will be easy work to take care of him, and fewer men will be killed at the end of it. The plot is this: Your kingdom (Wu) will ally with ours (Wei) against Liu Bei. I have prepared for you 80,000 good troops with which I am to arrive at your kingdom in around a month’s time. “Zhou Yu, I propose a plan that will benefit the both of us. A letter had arrived from the powerful Wei kingdom, and it had offered quite the veiled ultimatum. Zhou Yu threw the pages onto the table, frustrated. He was Zhuge Liang, one of the most skillful strategists in the Shu kingdom, sent to make a deal with an emperor. Sentinels atop the walls began calling out, and soon the great gates were opened to allow the man entrance. Atop rode a bright figure, with a flowing yellow robe that caught the light of the sun. Each tries to outsmart the other in a battle of wits through talking, and actual goals and understanding are for one to achieve and another to hide.Ī lone horse was seen galloping up to the main gate of the kingdom, a cloud of dust slowly rising behind it. Chinese people (I’m Chinese, I can say this) talk in circles, and here, their true intentions are kept hidden under layers of words. And of course, every kingdom needs its strategist! This role is played by Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, the first an absolutely amazing strategist for the Wei, and the latter is a sort of rival- the strategist of the Wu kingdom.įinally, it is important to keep in mind that pride is important to these characters. He doesn’t appear in this story though, so I won’t elaborate. Liu Bei has the least land and is an equally cunning and devious man- in a very different way. Each kingdom is led by Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan respectively (the names are not like first and last names in the U.S., you say the entire thing when referring to the person.) Cao Cao has the largest kingdom, overwhelmingly powerful, said to be cunning and devious.

Anyways, there are three kingdoms that have formed at this point in the story, the Wei, Shu, and Wu. I thought I didn’t need to write that there were three kingdoms, but he apparently had not made the connection between the title and the plot. Some context is needed before reading this excerpt, as I found when conversing with my friend about this story. I try my best to do the tale justice, but ultimately if you are interested, try and get a hold of the book at the library or elsewhere. The second, and arguably the more important goal, is to satisfy my selfish desire to try and capture this story the way I heard it. The first goal of this “article” is to inform people of its existence and how awesome it is. Another “professional” translation will be talked about after the excerpt. The beginning lines you just read are all my own invention except for the very first, which is my version of the translation. It is a classic story that most people in China have knowledge about, and I have rewritten this section of the book based on my knowledge of the plot and nothing else- so if you want a better written and more in-depth read, buy or check out the book at the library. Such begins the Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, an epic tale following multiple legends across China after the fall of the Han dynasty. This is the tale of the Three Kingdoms, and of these men who would attempt to etch their names into the stones of time. At their word, kingdoms will follow, rise, and fall. The great men in times long past have shaped history to their will. As such, kingdoms shift, borders align, and promises are broken. Throughout all of history, it has stood true that an empire long divided must unite, and one united must divide.

The romance of the three kingdoms