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The popular saying – “Liu Bei borrowed Jing Province and never returned” – is deeply entrenched in Chinese folklore, largely due to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Yet historical records tell a far more nuanced story. In fact, the very notion of “borrowing Jingzhou” is something of a misleading construct, if not a…
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Was Lü Meng’s capture of Jing Province in AD 219 a betrayal of an ally? Some people argue that the Sun–Liu alliance effectively collapsed after the Xiang River Partition (circa AD 215), when Liu Bei and Sun Quan divided Jing Province along the Xiang River. However, primary sources from the Records of the Three…
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The prolonged struggle between Sun Quan and Huang Zu – spanning nearly a decade – culminates in 208 CE with the decisive Third Jiangxia Campaign, a pivotal episode that blends historical record, strategic innovation, and personal drama.
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In the popular novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Su is portrayed as a gentle, even naive figure – kind-hearted but politically passive. This depiction stands in stark contrast to historical records. In reality, Lu Su was one of the most astute strategic minds of his era: a visionary statesman, a skilled diplomat,…
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Though Romance of the Three Kingdoms introduces Liao Hua in Chapter 27 as a former Yellow Turban bandit, historical records paint a starkly different—and far more distinguished—portrait.
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In 194 AD, Cao Cao launched a massive invasion of Xu Province (Xuzhou) to punish Tao Qian for the murder of his father, Cao Song. Overwhelmed by Cao Cao’s forces, Tao Qian was unable to resist. Liu Bei, then a minor warlord, personally led reinforcements to aid Xu Province, demonstrating his growing reputation for…
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In the first chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the peasant rebel army advances toward Youzhou. The governor of Youzhou, Liu Yan, fearing that his forces are outnumbered, issues a notice recruiting volunteers for a righteous militia.