Taking the fifth year of Jian'an (AD 200) as the core timeline, it panoramically lays out the changes in the world in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, focusing on the confrontation of power, the battle of heroes and the support of the people before and after the decisive battle of Guandu, and writes the epic of the changes in the Han, Wei and Dynasties.
The book begins with the incident of the Clothes and Belt Edict. Dong Cheng conspired to kill Cao Cao but his family was exterminated.
In Longzhong, Jingzhou, Zhuge Liang was working hard and had an insight into the general trend of the world; in Yizhou, Western Shu, Liu Zhang was in constant civil strife, Zhang Lu was separatist in Hanzhong, and undercurrents of forces from all sides were surging. In the end, the confrontation between Yuan and Cao in Guandu became the climax of the book. Yuan Shao acted stubbornly and missed the opportunity. Cao Cao made a surprise attack on Wuchao and defeated the many with less, establishing his northern hegemony.
The work is based on historical facts and uses details as its soul. It connects machinations, wars, loyalty, and choices. It depicts the portraits of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan, Yuan Shao, Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang and other heroes. It restores the cruelty and magnificence of the struggle for hegemony in the troubled times of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, unveils the historical prelude to the revolution between Han and Wei, and explains the fate of heroes and the chess game in the world in troubled times.
Purpose: Based on the chess game during the troubled times of the Jian'an Five Years, it writes about the success or failure of people's hearts, how one's character determines one's will when choosing a leader, and how destiny is not up to people but integrity can be upheld, revealing the true meaning of history on the eve of the Han and Wei dynasties.