|
The Three Kingdoms
Wu|Wei|Shu Main Page |
| The earliest attempt to combine these stories into a written work was San Guo Zhi Ping Hua, published sometime between 1321 and 1323. This version combined themes of magic, myth, and morality to appeal to the peasant class. Elements of reincarnation and karma were woven into this version of the story. The decline of the Han Dynasty was thus traced to the sins of its founding emperor, Han Gao Zu, who unjustly executed his three able generals Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Ying Bu. Han Gao Zu was later reborn as the last Han emperor, Emperor Xian, while the three generals were reincarnated as rulers of the three kingdoms: Han Xin became Cao Cao(Wei); Peng Yue became Liu Bei(Shu); and Ying Bu became Sun Quan(Wu). This time the emperor was to suffer at the hands of Cao Cao. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms as we know it today is attributed to Luo Guanzhong, written between 1330 and 1400 (late Yuan to early Ming period). It was written in plain Chinese and was considered the standard text for 300 years. Luo made use of available historical records, including the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms compiled by Chen Shou, which covered events from the Yellow Turban Rebellion in AD 184 up to the unification of the three kingdoms under the Jin Dynasty in AD 280. Luo combined this historical knowledge with a gift for storytelling to create a rich tapestry of personalities. |