The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Huarong Road

The novel uses Huarong Road in Wuchang as the geographical anchor, and uses classical chapter-style writing to turn the escape journey after the defeat of Chibi into a tragic song of loyalty and an epic of human nature in troubled times, allowing readers to re-see the multi-faceted souls of the heroes of the Three Kingdoms amidst the light of swords, wind, snow, hunger and cold. The best thing about the novel is that it breaks away from the labeled narratives of "treacherous hero" and "righteous man". Cao Cao is no longer a mere power strategist. He enforces military law by beheading soldiers who violate discipline, but builds monuments for old soldiers who freeze to death. He unwraps Xu Chu's wounds in mink fur, and swears to protect food for the people. The iron blood and warmth he shows in desperate situations make the image of a "hero" three-dimensional. As a postman, Zhao Sanlang abides by his father's instructions to protect the grain depot and never retreats from the powerful. His insistence on "protecting the people rather than helping the war" is the glimmer of grassroots morality in troubled times. Scenarios such as an old soldier freezing to death in Tuogu and Xu Chu being wounded and killed in battle further create a strong echo between the cruelty of war and the warmth of human nature. The whole book uses "food" as the core clue to connect the multiple games of military law, loyalty, and people's livelihood. The Wusi Lake grain and grass depot is not only the hope of survival, but also a touchstone of morality - Cao Cao's transformation from "taking grain to survive" to "swearing to protect the people" coincides with the underlying theme of "those who win the hearts of the people win the world". The rhythm of the chapter and the semi-literary and semi-white language, supplemented by the description of the regional features of Huarong Road in Wuchang, make the historical scenes vivid and tangible. It not only retains the historical weight of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", but also adds a delicate depiction of people's livelihood in troubled times.