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In the autumn of 208 CE, as Cao Cao’s massive army marched southward to unify China under his rule, the fate of the realm hung in the balance.
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In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong invented many plot points, such as the noble sacrifice of Lady Mi, the killing of Liu Cong mentioned earlier, and Cai Mao, the protagonist of today’s article, who was also killed by Cao Cao, among others. There are quite a few similar examples.
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In Chapter 40 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Gui appears as a minor yet morally significant figure – a retainer in Liu Cong’s court following the death of Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province. When Cai Mao and his faction conspire to install the younger son Liu Cong as successor by forging…
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Liu Qi, as the eldest son of Liu Biao, was the legitimate heir to Jing Province. Why did not he join forces with Liu Bei to reclaim the governorship from Liu Cong amid the chaos?
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In July 208, Cao Cao personally led a massive army of 200,000 troops southward. At this critical moment, Liu Biao, the governor of Jing Province, died, and his younger son Liu Cong succeeded him. Fearing Cao Cao’s might, Liu Cong immediately dispatched envoys to surrender without informing Liu Bei, who was stationed in Fancheng.…
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In the summer of 208 CE, as death approached, Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, made a startling offer to Liu Bei: “After I die, you shall assume control of Jingzhou.” To an ambitious warlord who had wandered homeless for two decades, this was the opportunity of a lifetime – yet Liu Bei declined.
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Chapter 42 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms delivers a breathtaking sequence of heroism, tactical foresight, and strategic realignment. In the immediate aftermath of the disastrous retreat from Jingzhou, Liu Bei’s survival hinges on the loyalty of his sworn brothers and the quiet brilliance of Zhuge Liang. While Zhang Fei’s thunderous stand halts Cao…
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In the pivotal year of 208 CE, the balance of power in China shifted dramatically as Cao Cao’s lightning conquest of Jing Province triggered a chain reaction of flight, sacrifice, and strategic realignment.
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Chapter 39 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms marks the true debut of Zhuge Liang as a master strategist. Fresh from his thatched cottage in Longzhong, he is immediately thrust into two high-stakes crises: a deadly succession struggle within the Liu family of Jing Province, and a full-scale invasion by Cao Cao’s elite forces.…