The times make heroes, and heroes shape the times.
When the realm is well governed, military campaigns are launched by the Son of Heaven. When it is not, they are launched by the feudal lords.
One after another, the Five Hegemons take the stage. Duke Huan of Qi, Duke Wen of Jin, and King Zhuang of Chu each briefly hold the title of hegemon, as heroes and champions from across the realm make their entrance. The rigid principles upheld by Duke Xiang of Song, Duke Mu of Qin's helpless sighs before Jin, which looms like a mountain, and the all-out struggle between Wu and Yue, whose lands are consumed by flames of war, leave the world amazed.
Yet each generation gives way to the next. Ying Zheng, Liu Che, Li Shimin, Cao Cao, and others all take the stage. Can the hegemons of the realm hold on to their positions as talents emerge from every corner? Can the advantages of being ahead of one's time withstand the onslaught of history's great figures?
The tide of history surges ever onward, and Zhang Jiao cries out: “The azure heaven is dead; the yellow heaven shall rise!” Heaven and earth are shaken, and the great figures of the age bow before him. He brings down a dynasty through his own efforts and unites the many schools of thought to challenge heaven and earth. All who join the uprising bow before him, whether they come under false pretenses to trade on his name or are sincerely drawn to the charisma of the Great Worthy Teacher.
Lovely faces, slender waists, and souls of beauty; ministers devoted to the realm, its mountains, rivers, and seas.
Though the many beauties shine, their fates are often cruel; heroes and wise rulers alike live lives of passion.
The fairest women are most often doomed to die young; few heroes of the realm leave their names behind.
Songs of sorrow tell of tragic affairs; power and profit come and go, and all that remains is a life of passion.
