Romance of the Three Kingdoms -- One of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature

Author: Luo Guanzhong, edited by Liu Shide and Zheng Ming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the pioneering work of the ancient Chinese long, serial narrative novel. The Three Kingdoms story was highly popular in ancient Chinese folklore. It was adapted for the stage during the Song and Yuan dynasties, with over 30 plays about the Three Kingdoms performed during the Jin and Yuan periods. In the Zhizhi era of the Yuan dynasty, Complete Illustrated Three Kingdoms was published by the Xuan family of Xin'an. During the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, Luo Guanzhong synthesized folk legends, operas, and storytelling, combining historical records from Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms and Pei Songzhi's annotations, along with his personal insights into society and life, to create Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The earliest surviving edition is from the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, commonly known as the "Jiajing edition," and this book has 24 volumes. In the Kangxi era of the Qing dynasty, Mao Run and Mao Zonggang father and son corrected historical inaccuracies, revised and edited the text, and transformed it into the 120-chapter version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms that is widely used today.
Luo Guanzhong lived between 1330 and 1400, with the name Ben and the sobriquet Huahai Sanren. He was a popular fiction writer of the Ming dynasty. His birthplace is said to be Taiyuan (now Shanxi) or Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), though it remains uncertain. According to legend, Luo Guanzhong served as a counselor to the peasant rebel Zhang Shicheng during the late Yuan dynasty. In addition to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he also wrote other popular novels like Chronicles of the Sui and Tang Dynasties and plays such as The Dragon and Tiger Meeting of Zhao Taizu.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms depicts nearly a century of historical turmoil from the late Eastern Han dynasty to the early Western Jin dynasty. The entire work reflects the political and military struggles of the Three Kingdoms era, the interplay and transformation of various social conflicts during that time, and the monumental historical changes of the period. It also creates a gallery of heroic figures who dominate the stage. In his handling of the Three Kingdoms history, the author shows a clear preference for the Eastern Han (Liu Bei's faction) and opposition to the Wei (Cao Cao's faction), centering the narrative on Liu Bei's group and praising its key figures while harshly condemning Cao Cao. Today, we should view the author's pro-Liu Bei, anti-Cao Cao bias dialectically. The preference for Liu Bei over Cao Cao was the mainstream of folk legends, reflecting the people's hope for the revival of the Han ethnicity during Luo Guanzhong's time.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms portrays nearly 200 characters, with the most successful being Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao, Guan Yu, and Liu Bei. Zhuge Liang is the embodiment of the author's ideal "virtuous minister," embodying the high moral integrity of "dedicating oneself to the cause until death" and the ambition to restore peace and prosperity. The author also grants him supernatural abilities, such as summoning wind and rain and making brilliant calculations. Cao Cao is a cunning and ruthless figure, adhering to the principle of "let me betray the world, but never let the world betray me." He is both a visionary and a ruthless politician, a master of intrigue—distingushed from the historical Cao Cao. Guan Yu is "fierce, resolute, and righteous," with a loyalty that is based on personal grievances rather than national or ethnic ideals. Liu Bei is portrayed as a benevolent and wise ruler who values his people, respects talent, and knows how to use his subordinates wisely.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms depicts numerous battles, from small skirmishes to large-scale conflicts, with grand designs and diverse techniques, allowing readers to vividly witness the bloody scenes of war. Battles like the Battle of Guandu and the Battle of Red Cliffs are described in thrilling, dynamic detail. The language of the book is neither overly profound nor overly vulgar—it is concise, clear, and full of vigor, bringing life and vitality to the narrative.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms sparked a wave of historical fiction writing in China, and its characters have become household names across the country. There are many editions of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, with the main ones being: the Ming Hongzhi edition of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which has rough text and simple content; and the Qing Mao Zonggang edition of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which was revised and annotated around the early Kangxi era and is the most widely circulated version. The People's Literature Publishing House has reprinted and published it multiple times.