At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, a child emperor ascended the throne. The unchecked power of the imperial relatives and the corrupt rule of the eunuchs together brought about the collapse of rites and order, plunging the realm into chaos. The common people rose in rebellion, and warlords carved up the land. Over the long years that followed, three heroes gradually emerged: Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan. Yet fate grants a man eight feet, but never the extra foot he longs for. Heaven allowed the three to rise above the rest in the struggle for supremacy, only to leave them able to defend their own domains but unable to expand after establishing their power. All three dreamed of ruling the realm, yet could only lament their helplessness before fate. The truth of history may never be known. Perhaps, from the fragments and details left behind by those who came before us, we can glimpse that bewildering, turbulent age.
