Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Refined Version)

Author: Anonymous (Qing Dynasty), annotated by Tan Xinbiao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-12-01
Features: This book is actually a combined edition of three separate works: The Prequel to the Story of Tang (commonly known as The Story of Tang), The Sequel to the Story of Tang (which includes Luo Tong's Northern Expedition and Xue Ren Gui's Eastern Expedition), and The Three Legends of the Tang Dynasty (commonly known as Xue Ding Shan's Western Expedition). The Prequel to the Story of Tang centers on the gathering of heroes from the Wazhang (Wazhang Fortress) and narrates the story from the time Qin Yi entrusts his son, accompanying Emperor Wen of Sui to pacify Chen, to when Li Yuan suppressed the rebellious lords and Li Shimin ascended the throne as Emperor Taizong. It vividly portrays legendary figures such as Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, Shan Xiongxin, Luo Cheng, and Yuchi Gong. Many of its plotlines are highly engaging, such as Qin Qiong selling his horse and Cheng Yaojin robbing the royal treasury, stories that are widely known even among ordinary people. While the character portrayals are rough and sketchy, they are still vivid and lifelike. As a result, this book has been widely circulated and has had a significant influence among the people. Although these three works were not written by the same author and have largely independent content, their storylines and character relationships are still interconnected. Most readers who enjoy this genre are primarily interested in the stories for entertainment and leisure, hoping for a complete and coherent account of the plot developments and character fates. To meet this reading preference, we have combined these three books into one, titled The Complete Story of Tang. In simple terms—"The story is now complete!"