Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Author: Zhang Yuan Wu Shuping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: "Records of the Three Kingdoms" consists of 65 volumes, including 30 volumes of "Book of Wei," 15 volumes of "Book of Shu," and 20 volumes of "Book of Wu." "Book of Wei" is composed of two parts: "Annals" and "Biographies." The Annals include four sections: "Annals of Emperor Wu," "Annals of Emperor Wen," "Annals of Emperor Ming," and "Annals of the Three Young Emperors." The Biographies are headed by "Biographies of Empresses and Consorts." "Book of Shu" and "Book of Wu" contain only Biographies without Annals. In terms of chronological order, the Biographies resemble an independent dynastic history, with the biographies of the rulers of the two states at the beginning, followed by the biographies of figures with hereditary connections to Shu and Wu. "Book of Shu" places the biographies of Liu Yan and Liu Zhang at the forefront, followed by "Biographies of the Founding Emperor" and "Biographies of the Later Emperor," and then "Biographies of the Empresses and Consorts of the Two Emperors." "Book of Wu" begins with the biographies of Sun Jian and Sun Ce, followed by "Biographies of the Wu Emperor," "Biographies of the Three Successive Emperors," and so on. Unlike "Book of Wei" and "Book of Shu," "Book of Wu" does not follow the biographies of the rulers with those of empresses and consorts. Instead, it includes a biography of a general figure before listing "Biographies of Empresses and Consorts." According to the general practice of dynastic histories, the biographies of empresses and consorts are usually placed after the biographies of emperors. If there are "Records" and "Tables," they are excluded and placed after the biographies of emperors. This arrangement reflects the hierarchical system and ethical norms of the feudal era. The placement of "Biographies of Empresses and Consorts" in "Book of Wu" is a unique exception.