The novel deals with the plots, personal and military battles, intrigues, and struggles of these states to achieve dominance for almost 100 years. While the novel follows hundreds of characters, the focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han dynasty, and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu.
The story – part historical, part legend, and part mythical – romanticises and dramatises the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it.
The novel is based primarily on the Records of the Three Kingdoms ( 三國志), written by Chen Shou. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 169 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 by Western Jin. Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( traditional Chinese: 三國演義 simplified Chinese: 三国演义 pinyin: Sānguó Yǎnyì) is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
