The Book of Gong Jin's Flourishing Years: The Flames of Red Cliff

Zhou Yu, courtesy name Gongjin, was a renowned general of Eastern Wu in the early Three Kingdoms period. [The Flames of Wulin] tells of Zhou Yu's deeds during the latter part of the Battle of Red Cliffs, with a story structure entirely different from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Drawing on historical works such as Records of the Three Kingdoms, as well as modern archaeological findings and historical theories, it constructs a wholly new account of the Battle of Red Cliffs and reimagines historical figures such as Zhou Yu, Cao Cao, Sun Quan, and Liu Bei.

Poem: Young Man from Shucheng

A lone sail raises a solitary boat; with laughter and conversation, he destroys the enemy chief. A thousand years later, Jiangdong's deeds are still remembered: Wu hooks, and the flames at Wulin bring Cao Cao's troops despair.

The moon shines over the tower as a flute plays. The young man from Shucheng has yet to abandon his ambitions. Little Qiao plays the zither, her slender hands poised. Through the ages, history's long river remembers his grace.

Mr. Huang Weide's portrayal of Zhou Yu in New Three Kingdoms inspired me in a torrent. This book is grounded in historical records and offers a fresh interpretation of its characters, wholly different from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.