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Romance of the Three Kingdoms
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms | |
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RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms | |
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The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Traditional: 三國演義; Simplified: 三国演义; Pinyin: SÄ�nguó YÇŽnyì) is a 14th-century Chinese epic novel about the century of war, turmoil, and bloodshed known as the Three Kingdoms Period (188-280 AD), written by Luo Guanzhong. It is considered one of the "Four Great Classical Novels" of Chinese literature alongside Journey to the West, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber — and for good reason. This epic is renowned for its beautiful style, complex and heroic characters, and enduring motifs and themes that remain relevant even in modern society. It not only left its influence throughout the Chinese culture, language, and literature, but also that of other Sinosphere countries (i.e. Japan, Korea, and Vietnam), and has spawned many, many derivative works in various media (some more derivative than others) throughout the world.The tale begins in the last days of the corrupt Han Dynasty, showing how the government and Emperor lost the "Mandate of Heaven" (天命), and the land fell into anarchy, with various warlords carving out their own territories in a struggle for supremacy. Gradually, out of the chaos, three kingdoms take shape: the kingdom of Shu, led by the virtuous Liu Bei (a distant cousin of the Emperor) and his sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei; the kingdom of Wei, led by the scheming Cao Cao; and the kingdom of Wu, led by the ambitious Sun family. All seek to unify the nation for one reason or another, and claim the right to rule for their own. And so the three kingdoms contend with one another over the century, and heroes rise and fall in the strife, until the nation is finally reunified.And, as you'd expect from a pivotal work like this, it's managed to gather quite a collection of tropes. Interested tropers can find the full text of an older English translation, now in the public domain, here. The site has added some annotations to help readers keep track of events and characters. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_107edaa4 | type |
Comforting the Widow | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_107edaa4 | comment |
And there's Zhao Yun, who turned down an offer to marry a beautiful woman in favor of serving his lord. Of course, what complicated matters was: 1.) She was the widow of the brother of 2.) a recently conquered vassal who 3.) had recently sworn brotherhood with him. Though it is not depicted in the novel itself, that move paid off later when said recently conquered vassal fled from Liu Bei, and Zhao Yun avoided considerable trouble. | |
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Master Archer | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_10d386ea | comment |
Master Archer: Many people throughout the story get to show off their archery skills. Perhaps the most famous is Huang Zhong, whose skill is described as "equal to piercing a willow leaf at a hundred paces." | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_147996f2 | type |
Love Ruins the Realm | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_147996f2 | comment |
Love Ruins the Realm: Played with by the whole Diao Chan incident, where the realm was at a nadir anyway and getting rid of the tyrant was an attempt at making things better. Unfortunately, it inadvertently trades the tyranny of Dong Zhuo for the chaotic rivalries of the regional warlords, while his puppet emperor simply comes "under new management." Invoked in the buildup to the battle of Chi Bi, where Zhuge Liang provokes Zhou Yu (and the kingdom of Wu) into fighting by claiming that Cao Cao was lusting after the Qiao sisters, one being Zhou Yu's own wife and the other, his late best friend and sworn brother Sun Ce's widow. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_147996f2 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_153299b4 | type |
Boisterous Bruiser | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_153299b4 | comment |
Zhang Fei gets hit with a Historical Hero Downgrade, going from historically being the most strategically accomplished of Liu Bei's main generals to a blundering drunkard. While he's still smart enough to utilize some war strategies such as during the battle to take Cheng Du, he's portrayed as more of a Boisterous Bruiser Battle God in the novel. However it still applies with the real life Zhang Fei being nowhere near heroic. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_19769f50 | type |
Defeat Means Friendship | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_19769f50 | comment |
Defeat Means Friendship: Huang Zhong, Xu Chu, and Taishi Ci amongst others. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_19769f50 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_1bb2c500 | type |
The Horde | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_1bb2c500 | comment |
The Horde: The Yellow Scarves are a popular but disorganised uprising led by charismatic mystics, and the early chapters are all about the kingdom's attempt to put their insurrection down. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_1bb2c500 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_1c34e06b | type |
Only the Chosen May Ride | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_1c34e06b | comment |
Only the Chosen May Ride: Red Hare, a huge Cool Horse so named because "it can run fast as a hare and is colored red", only ever allowed Lu Bu and later - after Lu Bu's death - Guan Yu to ride him, as no one else could tame him. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_1c34e06b | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_22071825 | type |
I'm a Humanitarian | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_22071825 | comment |
I'm a Humanitarian: Liu Bei, on the run and starving, is given some meat by a local peasant. The source? The peasant's wife. Liu Bei is ignorant at the time, but grateful when he finds out... not to mention the fact that when he tells Cao Cao about it, Cao Cao rewards the peasant with a hundred ounces of silver. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_22071825 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_237404cc | type |
Ironic Echo | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_237404cc | comment |
Ironic Echo: "I trust you have been well since we last parted?" First spoken by Guan Yu, taunting Cao Cao about his escape back to his sworn brothers. Later Cao Cao says it upon being presented with Guan Yu's severed head. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_272abb98 | type |
Shoot the Shaggy Dog | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_272abb98 | comment |
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: The entire fate of Kingdom of Shu. Beginning with the execution of Guan Yu and the assassination of Zhang Fei, they more or less begin to face collapse. Not too long after declaring himself emperor, Liu Bei dies, his rule passing to his possibly mentally handicapped Puppet King of a son Liu Shan. After Zhuge Liang, who ruled the kingdom on the emperor's behalf dies, a group of eunuchs, including Huang Hao, ruin the war plans of the final protagonist Jiang Wei which eventually led to his murder and the kingdom being subsequently taken over by Wei. So in whole, the efforts of the romanticized main characters of the Three Kingdoms story to reunite China fail, with all their accomplishments resulting in nothing (although it would eventually be reunified by the Simas under the Jin Dynasty). With the context of why the novel was written, it may be downplayed, however. While the Shu Kingdom eventually fell first, they would more likely go down as a Tragic Hero and Doomed Moral Victor, those who struggled to restore the rightful dynasty (Han) to the throne but was denied the chance of success by fate, therefore hopefully leaving a greater legacy. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_272abb98 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_294f1400 | type |
Abnormal Limb Rotation Range | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_294f1400 | comment |
Abnormal Limb Rotation Range: Sima Yi could supposedly turn his head 180° to look behind him.note By the way, this ancedote was recorded in Sima Yi's biography in Book of Jin. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_294f1400 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_2bc8bdeb | type |
Speak of the Devil | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_2bc8bdeb | comment |
Speak of the Devil: Or, as the Chinese say, "Speak of Cao Cao and he appears." | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_2bc8bdeb | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_2dddd99d | type |
False Flag Operation | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_2dddd99d | comment |
False Flag Operation: Done several times by various sides. Cao Cao's raid at Wuchao is a particularly important one. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_2dddd99d | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_319e4a2f | type |
Even Evil Has Standards | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_319e4a2f | comment |
Huang Hao, an eunuch that manipulates the weak Liu Shan and made Jiang Wei's campaign a failure, dooming Shu. After escaping execution via bribery, Sima Zhao caught him and executed him on spot, disgusted at his actions. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_319e4a2f | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_325a15f1 | type |
Rags to Royalty | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_325a15f1 | comment |
Rags to Royalty: Liu Bei, despite being connected to the Han Dynasty lineage, starts off so poor that he weaves mats and sells shoes early in his life. It takes a long time, but he eventually becomes the Emperor of one of the Three Kingdoms. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_325a15f1 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_329a19a0 | type |
Hollywood Healing | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_329a19a0 | comment |
Hollywood Healing: Huang Gai, who had himself whipped as part of a plot against Cao Cao as a Fake Defector. He healed fast enough to participate in the battle... only to get wounded again! | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_329a19a0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_352def2a | type |
Burn the Witch! | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_352def2a | comment |
Burn the Witch!: Taoists. Sun Ce hates superstitions, and Cao Cao just hates people who speak against him. As seen later on, things don't turn out too well for either of them. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_352def2a | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_356e26da | type |
Good Hair, Evil Hair | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_356e26da | comment |
Good Hair, Evil Hair: Guan Yu's beard was reputedly fabulous to the point where Cao Cao gave him a beard bag. Oh, and when confronted by bandits, his taking off the bag caused them to promptly surrender and their leaders to beg to join him — albeit this was probably also because they recognized him for the badass that he was. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_36c64123 | type |
Gentle Giant | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_36c64123 | comment |
Gentle Giant: Xu Chu. He was at least 6 foot 5, with a 52 inch belly, but he was known by names such as Sleeping Tiger, Tiger Fool, etc. because while in battle, Xu was like a tiger, while outside of battle he was known as being simple-minded and honest. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_36c64123 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_36e63b81 | type |
Rule of Cool | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_36e63b81 | comment |
Rule of Cool: Most of the liberties taken with history in the novel. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_373e2b9f | type |
Murder the Hypotenuse | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_373e2b9f | comment |
Murder the Hypotenuse: Lu Bu eventually kills his patron and adoptive father, Dong Zhuo, for the sake of Diao Chan. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38291355 | type |
Does Not Know His Own Strength | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38291355 | comment |
Does Not Know His Own Strength: Sun Ce crushed Yu Mi to death while trying to take him prisoner. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38805691 | type |
Catch and Return | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38805691 | comment |
Catch and Return: Jiang Wei (having accidentally spilled his quiver) catches an arrow fired at him by Guo Huai and then fires it back at the shooter, killing him. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38805691 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38d02d44 | type |
Batman Gambit | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38d02d44 | comment |
Batman Gambit: Zhuge Liang, who shows a near-psychic ability to predict people's actions based on their character. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_38d02d44 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3b0479f2 | type |
You Shall Not Pass! | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3b0479f2 | comment |
You Shall Not Pass!: Dian Wei holding off Zhang Xiu's forces. Zhang Fei at the Battle of Chang Ban, where he shouts a challenge for anyone in Wei's army to come and pass, and no one comes forward, allowing Liu Bei time to escape. Defied in case of the commanders of the five fortified passes that Guan Yu needs to pass through to reunite with Liu Bei, after Guan Yu spent some time in Cao Cao's service. Every one of them tries to prevent Guan from passing through their territories (some invoking the trope verbatim) and they all fail and lose their heads in process. Cao, however, admires Guan's loyalty and lets him leave in spite of losing several officers. (This sets the scene for a humorous scene where Xiahou Dun, Cao's chief general in the North, confronts Guan Yu after the latter had passed the five passes and slain their commanders. A succession of messengers arrive bearing Cao's command that Guan should be allowed to pass peacefully, with Xiahou asking each of them whether the command still applies after all the trouble Guan caused en route (killing the commanders of the passes and such), until the final messenger, Zhang Liao, confirms that, yes, it does.) | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3b0479f2 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3b5fcbb7 | type |
Artifact of Doom | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3b5fcbb7 | comment |
Artifact of Doom: The Imperial Seal comes off like that. Before the novel it was thrown into a lake as a sacrifice to stop a storm and held by at least two emperors who were rebelled against. During the novel, it's held by a woman who escapes the burning capital by jumping into a well. Then it is retrieved by Sun Jian, who died shortly after. It was then inherited by Sun Ce, who traded it to Yuan Shu for troops, dying young awhile later. Then Yuan Shu used it to establish himself as emperor, causing many of his supporters to turn on him. Despite its purported divine providence, the artifact seems to be bad luck for anyone who holds on to it for too long. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3b5fcbb7 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e01fd7 | type |
Arrow Catch | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e01fd7 | comment |
Arrow Catch: Jiang Wei. See below for more details. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e01fd7 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e8d9cd3 | type |
Historical Hero Upgrade | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e8d9cd3 | comment |
Historical Hero Upgrade: Guan Yu's sense of honor was more or less given a Flanderization while in history, his arrogance has more showing (although some of his sense of honor were still there, just not overblown). This is more of the fault of traditional opera and certain biased emperors. Most of the heroic deeds attributed to him in Romance were either performed by other people or completely fabricated, not to mention his apotheosis. But even then, it may be downplayed, because the novel still made it that it was his arrogance that turned out to be his downfall. This trope applies to Shu-Han as a whole. In the post-Three Kingdoms era, Liu Bei's faction had always been painted as an obstruction to the reunification of China. This perception only changed during the Song Dynasty, when after losing half of the empire to the Northern Jurchens, remnants of the Song government required a political justification to relocate and retain a dynasty in the south. For this purpose, they have chosen Shu-Han as precedent. Thus Liu Bei's negative aspects were diminished, and eventual heroic status cemented (also they want him to be a relatable hero for Confucian standards, so some of his traits that do not fit the standard, even if they're not generally bad, got replaced too). On the other hand, this meant applying a Historical Villain Upgrade for Cao Cao as seen below for usurping the throne from its rightful owner. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e8d9cd3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e8d9cd3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_3e8d9cd3 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4023b8c8 | type |
First-Name Basis | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4023b8c8 | comment |
First-Name Basis: It was common practice for men to take "style names": Guan Yu was Yunchang ("Long Cloud"), Zhao Yun was Zilong ("Young Dragon"), Zhuge Liang was Kongming, Zhang Liao was Wenyuan, and so on. Relationship titles may also be substituted for names. How one character addresses another one can indicate a great deal about their relationship. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4023b8c8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4023b8c8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4023b8c8 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4276401c | type |
Shoot the Messenger | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4276401c | comment |
Shoot the Messenger: If you were the bearer of bad news in the novel, expect your life to be nasty, brutish and short. When Cao Cao demands that Wu kingdom surrender, the following exchange ensues: On another occasion, an example of Please Shoot the Messenger ensues. Mi Heng is an Insufferable Genius who insults everyone he meets. However, since Cao Cao does not wish to kill a famous man of letters himself, he sends him as a messenger to Liu Biao, who, in turn, sends him to short-tempered Huang Zu, who finally has him executed after being publicly insulted. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4276401c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4276401c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4276401c | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_433e732f | type |
Only Smart People May Pass | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_433e732f | comment |
Only Smart People May Pass: Cao Cao was fond of word games, even going so far to give inconsequential instructions (the disposition of some cheese, his opinion on a door) in codes. Yang Xiu solved both those mentioned, but in a subversion his intelligence (along with his support of one of Cao's younger sons for succession) made Cao fear him and would eventually lead to Yang's downfall. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_433e732f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_433e732f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_433e732f | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_43f2f606 | type |
Annoying Arrows | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_43f2f606 | comment |
Annoying Arrows: Guan Yu and Xiahou Dun - but averted by the large number of characters who actually do get killed by arrows. And while even Guan Yu plays this trope straight most of the time, he does get knocked off his horse by an arrow, requiring extensive surgery to heal the wound. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_43f2f606 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_43f2f606 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_43f2f606 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_44fc28e8 | type |
Honor Before Reason | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_44fc28e8 | comment |
Honor Before Reason: Following the battle at Chi Bi, Guan Yu trapped Cao Cao in one of Zhuge Liang's ambushes. But because Cao Cao had treated him well previously when he was in service, Guan Yu lets him go. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_44fc28e8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_44fc28e8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_44fc28e8 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4604fd4d | type |
Worthy Opponent | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4604fd4d | comment |
Worthy Opponent: When Cao Cao and Liu Bei were both in the capital, they held a famously-depicted "talk of heroes" in Cao Cao's garden where Cao Cao discounted several "heroes" that Liu Bei suggested before declaring that "the only two heroes in the world under heaven are you and I!" It causes Liu Bei to have an Oh, Crap! moment as he realizes that Cao Cao just implicitly declared him the only real threat to his rule. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4604fd4d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4604fd4d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4604fd4d | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4655ec83 | type |
Important Haircut | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4655ec83 | comment |
Important Haircut: It should be noted that it was against the filial piety values of the time to cut one's hair. Played straight by Cao Cao, cutting his hair to show loss of face after he lost control of his horse, which trampling over some crops after he'd issued an edict that any soldier who trampled over crops would lose his head. Subverted by Zhou Fang, who cut off his hair to impress Cao Xiu with his trustworthiness. He was lying, and it really shows how far he's willing to go for his true lord, Sun Quan. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4655ec83 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4655ec83 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4655ec83 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_47b6a1e5 | type |
"Just Joking" Justification | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_47b6a1e5 | comment |
"Just Joking" Justification: The most common excuse for changing your mind about executing people/handing your concubine to your adoptive son/threatening to expose an assassination plot. Honestly, they need to work on their routine a little. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_47b6a1e5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_47b6a1e5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_47b6a1e5 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_49e50ba0 | type |
Dueling Messiahs | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_49e50ba0 | comment |
Dueling Messiahs: The three emperors. All three want to unify China, but their methods and motivations are incompatible with each other. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_49e50ba0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_49e50ba0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_49e50ba0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4cacfcc3 | type |
Honey Trap | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4cacfcc3 | comment |
Honey Trap: Diao Chan, with Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo, the latter eventually coming to his downfall because of her. Zhou Yu attempted one of these on Liu Bei with Lady Sun, but thanks to Zhuge Liang, it failed. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4cacfcc3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4cacfcc3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4cacfcc3 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4f84cdef | type |
Smug Snake | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4f84cdef | comment |
Smug Snake: Cao Cao never really gets a chance to shine in the novel, despite being the designated villain of the story. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4f84cdef | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4f84cdef | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_4f84cdef | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_50b05d30 | type |
Disproportionate Retribution | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_50b05d30 | comment |
Disproportionate Retribution: When his father is robbed and killed by one of Tao Qian's officers who went bandit, Cao Cao raises an army and ravages Tao Qian's territories. Tao Qian only managed to escape personal injury thanks to Cao Cao withdrawing his armies when his home territories came under attack by Lu Bu. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_50b05d30 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_50b05d30 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_50b05d30 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5313c266 | type |
Bookends | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5313c266 | comment |
Book Ends: At the opening of the novel: "The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide." At the end: "The empire, long united, must divide; long divided, must unite." | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5313c266 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5313c266 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5313c266 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_53f5119f | type |
The Dragon | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_53f5119f | comment |
The Dragon: Basically Lu Bu while in Dong Zhuo's service, as his defection eliminates the last check on Dong Zhuo's rise to power and he's recognized as the linchpin that holds the regime together even moreso than the army and other officers. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_53f5119f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_53f5119f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_53f5119f | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_543a0278 | type |
Villain Respect | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_543a0278 | comment |
Villain Respect: Cao Cao may be a bastard, but he honors those who can outsmart or outmaneuver him. Most notably Chen Gong, who stands up to Cao Cao's verbal abuse to his very death. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_543a0278 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_543a0278 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_543a0278 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_559b4bb3 | type |
Call to Agriculture | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_559b4bb3 | comment |
Call to Agriculture: Subverted, when Liu Bei had to share temporary lodging in the same city as Cao Cao, he deflected suspicion from himself by taking up gardening in his yard as a disguise. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_559b4bb3 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_559b4bb3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_559b4bb3 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5869bd44 | type |
Arrows on Fire | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5869bd44 | comment |
Arrows on Fire: A staple of any fire attack. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5869bd44 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5869bd44 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5869bd44 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_593d7cbe | type |
Designated Villain | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_593d7cbe | comment |
While it's hard to say if anyone was a true villain in history, Cao Cao and the kingdom of Wei end up being cast as the main villains, while the kingdom of Wu is relegated to a secondary position because they're fighting the Designated Villain half the time and the Designated Hero the rest of it. In the same time, Cao Cao also got a downgrade: He only committed a brutal massacre once when he learned that Tao Qian had a hand in killing his father, in history, he had a lot more massacres than that when certain people wronged him (and unfortunately, a lot of people wronged him). | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_593d7cbe | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_593d7cbe | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_593d7cbe | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5ab24dc5 | type |
Portent of Doom | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5ab24dc5 | comment |
Portent of Doom: In the first few chapters, the end of the Han dynasty is seen in some very bad portents (a horrible plague among one of those things), kicking of the chain of events that leads to decades of war. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5ab24dc5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5ab24dc5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5ab24dc5 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5b07519b | type |
Arrowgram | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5b07519b | comment |
Arrowgram: As Cao Cao besieged a flooded Xiapi, he had a number of messages shot over the wall, promising a reward for the capture of Lu Bu, though Lu Bu's officers were already disillusioned with him by then and were in collusion with Cao Cao to take the city. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5b07519b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5b07519b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5b07519b | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5c5d0032 | type |
Eyepatch of Power | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5c5d0032 | comment |
Eyepatch of Power: Xiahou Dun gets hit in the eye with an arrow - and eats it. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5c5d0032 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5c5d0032 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_5c5d0032 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_629fa757 | type |
Perfectly Arranged Marriage | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_629fa757 | comment |
Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Liu Bei and Lady Sun (at least as far as the novel is concerned), were perfectly content with their political marriage. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_629fa757 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_629fa757 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_629fa757 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6366f900 | type |
Old Soldier | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6366f900 | comment |
Old Soldier: Huang Zhong's first appearance in the novel is at the age of 60 - and tellingly, when his horse suddenly keels over in his fight against Guan Yu, his excuse is that "The horse is too old." He served Shu as a top general for 15 whole years after that. Unfortunately, in his attempt to prove that he can still kick ass with the next generation of generals, he gets lured into a Wu ambush and dies from his wounds. Later on, Zhao Yun at age 70 when he personally kills three generals and captures one, all of them brothers, in the same engagement and rendering an army of 80,000 Qiang tribesmen (working for Wei) frozen with fear, then kills their father in a second engagement and winning that skirmish too. The reason? "[T]he Prime Minister thought me too old and did not wish to employ me. I had to give him a proof." Zhang. He fought the Yellow Turban Uprising, which began in 184. During Zhuge Liang's fourth Northern Expedition in 231, he decides that Zhang He (fighting for the other side) is too dangerous and must die, and arranges for this to happen. Zhang He must have been close to seventy by then, if not even older. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6366f900 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6366f900 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6366f900 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6377d6e6 | type |
Grievous Harm with a Body | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6377d6e6 | comment |
Grievous Harm with a Body: Dian Wei's last stand had him using enemy soldiers as bludgeons. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6377d6e6 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6377d6e6 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6377d6e6 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6991bb9 | type |
Oracular Urchin | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6991bb9 | comment |
Oracular Urchin: Luo Guanzhong liked to put street children in just for the sake of singing ominous songs, usually hinting at subsequent events. However, there's at least one time where it's a character (who needs to steer his mark towards a certain course of action) merely claiming that such children exist and are singing such songs... Genre Savvy, perhaps? | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6991bb9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6991bb9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6991bb9 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_69aa26d1 | type |
Poison Is Corrosive | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_69aa26d1 | comment |
Poison Is Corrosive: Cao Cao spills a poison meant for him, and "the bricks upon which it fell were split asunder". | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_69aa26d1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_69aa26d1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_69aa26d1 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6a0f3c49 | type |
Beardness Protection Program | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6a0f3c49 | comment |
Beardness Protection Program: Cao Cao loses his cape and beard in quick succession after Ma Chao's men start looking for "that guy in the red cape" and (soon after) "that guy with the long beard". And then they start looking for "that guy with the shaved beard"... whereupon he decides to give up on the disguises and just run. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6a0f3c49 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6a0f3c49 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6a0f3c49 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6d332aea | type |
Driven to Suicide | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6d332aea | comment |
Driven to Suicide: Xun Yu opposed Cao Cao's ascension to the rank of Duke. When Xun Yu pled illness to get out of being sent on an expedition, Cao Cao sent him a box like those that normally hold presents. Opening the box to find it empty, Xun Yu took the hint and committed suicide. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6d332aea | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6d332aea | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_6d332aea | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_723be11b | type |
Villain Has a Point | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_723be11b | comment |
Villain Has a Point: Despite the fact that he is a murderous tyrant, Dong Zhuo has a point about deposing Emperor Shao in favor of the Prince of Chenliu. During their flight from the capital, Shao was almost entirely incapable, where as the Prince was strong willed, charismatic, and kept them both safe. Chenliu definitely demonstrated more leadership skill than the young emperor. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_723be11b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_723be11b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_723be11b | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_73641290 | type |
The Strategist | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_73641290 | comment |
The Strategist: Everyone's got at least one, but Zhuge Liang is the King of Strategists in the novel, routinely outshining all his peers. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_73641290 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_73641290 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_73641290 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_746704c9 | type |
Divided for Publication | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_746704c9 | comment |
Divided for Publication: Most publishers break the novel up into multiple parts, thanks to its length: at 800,000 words and 120 chapters, it's a Doorstopper. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_746704c9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_746704c9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_746704c9 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_77a495f1 | type |
Historical Badass Upgrade | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_77a495f1 | comment |
Historical Badass Upgrade Zhuge Liang was historically considered the top political and domestic administrator, not the supreme tactician and strategist he is in the novel... on top of his political and administrative prowess. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's sons Guan Xing and Zhang Bao are portrayed in the novel to be some of the greatest warriors of Shu in their later years. In reality, Guan Xing never entered a battlefield, and Zhang Bao died young without proving himself - he got outlived by his father. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_77a495f1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_77a495f1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_77a495f1 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7c862b8a | type |
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7c862b8a | comment |
A famous example was Guan Yu's and Liu Bei's intercession on Zhang Liao's behalf after the fall of Xiapi Castle, ironically just after Liu Bei had thrown Lu Bu under the bus (though Lu Bu probably had it coming). Zhang Liao would end up being the envoy who would convince Guan Yu to surrender to Cao Cao. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7c862b8a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7c862b8a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7c862b8a | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7d44b017 | type |
Balance of Power | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7d44b017 | comment |
Balance of Power: The kingdoms of Wei and Shu develop a rivalry, while Wu functions as the Wild Card, allying with one or other of the realms as is convenient to keep either of them from getting powerful enough to overwhelm Wu. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7d44b017 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7d44b017 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7d44b017 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7e6c0522 | type |
Off with His Head! | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7e6c0522 | comment |
Off with His Head!: Many characters, notably Guan Yu, both committing (with the most named victims!) and falling victim to this trope. His ghost is admonished: "[W]ho will also return the heads of your several victims—Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and the commanders of the five passes?" He takes the hint. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7e6c0522 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7e6c0522 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_7e6c0522 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80360df0 | type |
Dark Horse Victory | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80360df0 | comment |
Dark Horse Victory: The eventual unifier of the Three Kingdoms? None of them. It's the Jin Dynasty, founded by the descendants of Sima Yi - Cao Cao's strategist. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80360df0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80360df0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80360df0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80621707 | type |
Arranged Marriage | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80621707 | comment |
Arranged Marriage: A staple of the times, not uncommonly forced, but Liu Bei's marriage to Sun Quan's sister is a hilarious subversion of the trope: Zhou Yu convinces Sun Quan to organise it as a pretext to capture Liu Bei, only for Zhuge Liang to turn the entire situation around into a Humiliation Conga for Zhou Yu instead. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80621707 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80621707 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_80621707 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82bdf1f8 | type |
Fear of Thunder | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82bdf1f8 | comment |
Fear of Thunder: Inverted: Liu Bei uses it as an excuse to cover up his shock when Cao Cao predicts that the two of them are the only true heroes of the age. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82bdf1f8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82bdf1f8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82bdf1f8 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82f05a5d | type |
ConservationOfNinjitsu | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82f05a5d | comment |
Conservation of Ninjutsu : Woe betide any soldier not identified by name. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82f05a5d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82f05a5d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_82f05a5d | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_83ede4e3 | type |
Automatic Crossbows | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_83ede4e3 | comment |
Automatic Crossbows: Zhuge Liang is credited in-novel with inventing these. Historically, the Zhuge crossbow was useful only if the projectile is covered with poison or when used for close range combat, as it did not have much penetrative power on its own. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_83ede4e3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_83ede4e3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_83ede4e3 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_84fa1d7d | type |
Disposable Woman | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_84fa1d7d | comment |
Disposable Woman: Thanks to a colossal helping of Values Dissonance, female characters tend to end up as collateral damage, examples to discourage others, or, in one case, emergency rations.invoked | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_84fa1d7d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_84fa1d7d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_84fa1d7d | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_88799cf4 | type |
Badass Cape | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_88799cf4 | comment |
Badass Cape: The "battle gown" worn with the armor of the time, wide enough to cover the arms. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_88799cf4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_88799cf4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_88799cf4 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_890d4ef2 | type |
Humiliation Conga | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_890d4ef2 | comment |
Humiliation Conga: Meng Huo's seven defeats and Cao Cao's retreat from Chi Bi, among others. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_890d4ef2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_890d4ef2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_890d4ef2 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_901dbf9a | type |
Cliff Hanger | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_901dbf9a | comment |
Cliffhanger: Every single chapter ending, which fits with the oral tradition similarly to the Arabian Nights - so that the storyteller could keep the audience hooked and coming back for more. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_901dbf9a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_901dbf9a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_901dbf9a | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_903e9dc9 | type |
Regent for Life | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_903e9dc9 | comment |
Regent for Life: Between the eunuchs, Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao, emperors had absolutely no power and even less luck. - heck, Dong Zhuo overtly has one emperor deposed and then forced to drink poison, while the empress dowager is literally thrown out the window. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_903e9dc9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_903e9dc9 | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_903e9dc9 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_90e31482 | type |
Laser-Guided Karma | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_90e31482 | comment |
Laser-Guided Karma: It doesn't take long for Sun Jian to reap the consequences of lying about the Imperial Seal. He dies in the very next chapter. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_90e31482 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_90e31482 | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_90e31482 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_921cdca8 | type |
Nothing Personal | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_921cdca8 | comment |
Nothing Personal: Chen Lin, one of Yuan Shao's retainers who wrote the deeply insulting manifesto as a declaration of war to Cao Cao, simply said this to the latter when he was finally captured. Cao Cao took the hint and gave him a desk job in his administration, perhaps out of pity. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_921cdca8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_921cdca8 | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_921cdca8 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_97d97c28 | type |
Revenge Before Reason | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_97d97c28 | comment |
Revenge Before Reason: Liu Bei marches on Sun Quan to seek revenge for the death of Guan Yu. Everyone besides Guan Yu's immediate relatives and Zhang Fei tries to convince him to focus on Wei, but Liu Bei insists on invading Wu. Even after Sun Quan makes a large number of concessions, he refuses to back off and focus on Wei. The result is a massive defeat for Shu. Cao Cao attacks Tao Qian when he had other, more serious enemies (such as Lu Bu and Yuan Shao) to deal with, because Cao Cao's father died while in his territory. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_97d97c28 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_97d97c28 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_99298c71 | type |
Better to Die than Be Killed | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_99298c71 | comment |
Better to Die than Be Killed: Several examples. Notably, Guan Yu's subordinates Zhou Cang and Wang Fu after Guan's capture and execution. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_99298c71 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_99298c71 | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_99298c71 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_997d5872 | type |
"Ass" in Ambassador | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_997d5872 | comment |
"Ass" in Ambassador: Mi Heng, a talented but rude scholar, came out swinging in his only appearance and manages to insult the courts of Cao Cao, Liu Biao and Huang Zu, all in a single chapter. So how did anyone think he'd be a good ambassador? Afraid of directly executing a popular figure, Cao Cao hoped that Liu Biao would execute Mi Heng for him; Liu Biao saw through Cao Cao's trick and sent him to Huang Zu with the same intent. Zhang Song is one of these to Cao Cao (see Armor-Piercing Response ), but is much more cordial to Liu Bei. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_997d5872 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_997d5872 | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_997d5872 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c1f758a | type |
Kill It with Fire | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c1f758a | comment |
Kill It with Fire: Fire attacks are a common staple of combat strategy. Two of the biggest and most successful fire attacks occured at the Battle of Chibi and the Battle of Yiling. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c1f758a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c1f758a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c1f758a | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c6ba43a | type |
Values Dissonance | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c6ba43a | comment |
Values Dissonance: Oh yeah. Misogyny, child abuse, treating soldiers and servants like toys- not to mention backstabbing and betrayal galore. While none of that is rare for the times- or any age of war- what's unique is the heroes get into it as much as the villains. Whether you are supposed to applaud, excuse, or abhor these acts relies on a deep understanding of stringent Confucian morality. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c6ba43a | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9c6ba43a | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d17b859 | type |
Made of Iron | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d17b859 | comment |
Made of Iron: Several characters, including Zhou Tai (who takes twelve wounds defending Sun Quan from bandits when Quan was a child) and Dian Wei. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d17b859 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d17b859 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d49c512 | type |
Please Shoot the Messenger | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d49c512 | comment |
On another occasion, an example of Please Shoot the Messenger ensues. Mi Heng is an Insufferable Genius who insults everyone he meets. However, since Cao Cao does not wish to kill a famous man of letters himself, he sends him as a messenger to Liu Biao, who, in turn, sends him to short-tempered Huang Zu, who finally has him executed after being publicly insulted. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d49c512 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9d49c512 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9e943076 | type |
One-Man Army | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9e943076 | comment |
One-Man Army: The battle of Chang Ban gives two for the price of one, with Zhao Yun crushing his way through Cao Cao's forces to rescue Liu Bei's son and attempt to save his wives and reach safety (Chinese retellings often have him diving into enemy ranks seven times to try and ensure the safety of the son and wives, though this is not explicitly stated by the actual text), while Zhang Fei covers his retreat and scares off the whole army at the bridge. The latter is also possible Truth in Television, since most fights tended to be decided by duels between the generals. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9e943076 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9e943076 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9f81bd21 | type |
Stealth Parody | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9f81bd21 | comment |
Stealth Parody: Despite having been written to satisfy the Imperial guidelines, Luo Guanzhong managed to sneak in a few subversions on the nature of loyalty. Blink and you'll miss them, though. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9f81bd21 | featureApplicability |
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1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9f81bd21 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9fe35833 | type |
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9fe35833 | comment |
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Dong Zhuo. That's pretty much his only positive trait. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9fe35833 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9fe35833 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_9fe35833 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1841170 | type |
Generational Saga | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1841170 | comment |
Generational Saga: To some extent. While a good half of the novel focuses on the first generation and their heroics, as a whole, the novel can be viewed as the story of the three kingdoms - how the first generation of each kingdom establishes the ideals on which their kingdom should be built, how the second generation try to build on the first's ideals but ultimately starts to stagnate and how in later generations, the stagnation has grown too far to be stopped, ultimately resulting in the kingdom's collapse and fall. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1841170 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1841170 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1b141f4 | type |
My God, What Have I Done? | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1b141f4 | comment |
My God, What Have I Done?: Cao Cao had several: When Cao Cao was on the run following a failed assassination attempt against Dong Zhuo, his father's sworn brother gives him shelter. Due to a series of misheard statements, Cao Cao mistakenly assumes that his hosts plan to kill him and slaughters the entire household. This is however subverted that shortly after, Cao Cao lets out his famous quote that excuses his actions and defines his character: He had one when he had Ju Shou executed ("I just killed the one guy who isn't a backstabbing freak... even if his loyalty was for the other guy and he tried to run away!") He had another when his leading admirals were executed for treason during the campaign against Sun Quan, only to realize right afterward that he'd been had. It seems to run in the family, with two examples in Cao Pi's case: Trying to execute his poetic intellectual brother Cao Zhi (who at worst was merely a layabout with his drinking buddies), but gives him a chance by challenging him to compose a poem, then another, without using certain words. Both poems reminds him what a Jerkass he's being, and having been called to account, he lessens Zhi's punishment to exile. When taking his son Cao Rui to a hunt, he kills a deer's mother and tells Rui to kill the child, but Rui asks why he should kill the son when the mother is already killed. This led to Cao Pi possibly remembering about that he'd ordered Rui's mother (Lady Zhen) to commit suicide, and he eventually named Rui his successor. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1b141f4 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
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1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a1b141f4 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a2b38d3b | type |
Eye Scream | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a2b38d3b | comment |
Eye Scream: Xiahou Dun. See the above. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a2b38d3b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a2b38d3b | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a2b38d3b | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a588c1cf | type |
Cool Horse | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a588c1cf | comment |
Cool Horse: Red Hare, said to be faster and stronger than the horses of its day (the Chinese term is "thousand-li horse"), and whose body and hair are entirely "glowing-sun red." May or may not go three times as fast as a regular horse. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a588c1cf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a588c1cf | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a588c1cf | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a6c69bd | type |
MacGuffin | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a6c69bd | comment |
MacGuffin: The Imperial Seal is supposed to signify the Mandate of Heaven and the right to rule the land. People fights for it, Sun Jian dies on account of it. Sun Ce trades it off for an army which he uses to found the kingdom of Wu, although Yuan Shu (who had made that trade with Sun Ce) ended up using it as the basis for founding his stillborn dynasty. The seal eventually passes to the kingdom of Wei, and while it's still used to claim the right to rule, nobody really cares at that point. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a6c69bd | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a6c69bd | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a9eb984b | type |
Warrior Poet | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a9eb984b | comment |
Warrior Poet: Cao Cao and his sons were renowned poets, and founded one of the major styles of poetry of the time. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a9eb984b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_a9eb984b | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ab1c1cca | type |
Characters Dropping Like Flies | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ab1c1cca | comment |
Characters Dropping Like Flies: Due to the hundred years that the story spans across, it's not much of an exaggeration to say that two characters are introduced and two die every chapter. Characters die in their sleep, characters die in battle, some get full poems dedicated to their passing and even some are introduced and then killed off seemingly in the same breath, with little fanfare. By the time the story finishes, no character that was alive at the start is still alive at the end.note With the possible sole exception of Zuo Ci, the mystical Taoist hermit who taunted Cao Cao and then vanished on a white crane in Chapter 68 but even he plays no more part in the story by the end. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ab1c1cca | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ab1c1cca | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac09dc0f | type |
Alas, Poor Villain | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac09dc0f | comment |
Alas, Poor Villain: Cao Cao receives one of the longest poems in the book upon his death, almost entirely complimentary. The final lines run: | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac09dc0f | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac09dc0f | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac928039 | type |
Four-Star Badass | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac928039 | comment |
Four-Star Badass: Too many to count — generals routinely lead their troops from the front and meet on the battlefield. Probably the best example is Lu Bu, whose knowledge of military tactics and strategy, and in fact any talent he may have as a military leader, is dwarfed by his personal combat ability. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac928039 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ac928039 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_aca32000 | type |
Armor-Piercing Response | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_aca32000 | comment |
Zhang Song is one of these to Cao Cao (see Armor-Piercing Response ), but is much more cordial to Liu Bei. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_aca32000 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_aca32000 | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_aca32000 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b060856d | type |
Big Book of War | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b060856d | comment |
Big Book of War: The Art of War and various contemporary texts. Oddly enough, it's treated somewhat sceptically — while a worthwhile strategist will study the texts, he should also be able to improvise. Meanwhile, characters who rely exclusively on theories and ideas they derive from ancient texts are more likely than not to be General Failure. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b060856d | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b060856d | featureConfidence |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b060856d | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b11ac9f5 | type |
Abusive Parents | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b11ac9f5 | comment |
Abusive Parents: Liu Bei's infant son, Liu Shan, was lost at Chang Ban, so Zhao Yun made a selfless charge into enemy lines to bring the kid back. So what does Liu Bei do? He throws his kid to the ground, pissed that he nearly lost a great general. The kid later grows up and loses the kingdom, and is considered by most readers to be completely useless. Probably because he was dropped on his head as a kid. In a major example of Values Dissonance, no one in the story calls Liu Bei out on this. Then again, he's the one who quoted lore as saying that "Brothers are as hands and feet; wives and children are as clothing. You may mend your torn dress, but who can reattach a lost limb?"invoked | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b11ac9f5 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b11ac9f5 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b4c406a6 | type |
Death by Despair | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b4c406a6 | comment |
Death by Despair: Zhuge Liang managed to irritate Zhou Yu to death. He managed to Hannibal Lecture two other Wei officials into a fatal fit later on as well. Happens to others as well. Zhuge Liang himself is victim to this at the very end, after the freak rainstorm at Mount Qi that saved Sima Yi's butt from a trap that quite literally took ten years for him to set up. This wound up being the thing that finally pushes Zhuge Liang's already fragile health at the time over the edge. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b4c406a6 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b4c406a6 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b7042372 | type |
Cycle of Revenge | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b7042372 | comment |
Cycle of Revenge: Guan Yu gets executed by the kingdom of Wu. Liu Bei, enraged, renews hostilities with Sun Quan leading to a disastrous military campaign and his eventual death after the failure. In the meantime, Guan Yu's ghost comes back to kill Lu Meng, the general who planned the trap. And Liu Bei's wife - who is also Sun Quan's sister - drowns herself on hearing the news. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b7042372 | featureApplicability |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | hasFeature |
Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b7042372 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b707726f | type |
Hypocritical Humor | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b707726f | comment |
Hypocritical Humor: Perhaps unintended. But for some reason every time one of the characters plots a conspiracy or a civil war, or other such things, it is "for the good of the State". | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b707726f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b707726f | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b7d41084 | type |
You Rebel Scum! | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b7d41084 | comment |
You Rebel Scum! : Everyone calls everyone else this. It makes sense in an odd way. If you claim to be rightful emperor, your opponents are rebels by extension. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b7d41084 | |
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Treacherous Advisor | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b8ab7dc4 | comment |
Treacherous Advisor: Chen Deng advised Lu Bu very poorly, as he was plotting to sell him out anyway. Sima Yi and his descendants against Wei after Cao Rui's death. One of his descendants even had the reigning Wei emperor murdered in broad daylight. A rare heroic example: Xu Shu (for Cao Cao) was one by neglect, keeping quiet upon discovering that Pang Tong was involved in the Liu Bei-Sun Quan alliance's plot leading up to the Battle of Chi Bi. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_b8ab7dc4 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bbb6c059 | type |
I Shall Taunt You | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bbb6c059 | comment |
I Shall Taunt You: Zhou Yu, Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi were all fond of doing this... and usually with each other. Zhuge Liang, however, kills people via taunting. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bbb6c059 | |
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Eunuchs Are Evil | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bbd25056 | comment |
Eunuchs Are Evil: When you find a eunuch, they're never going to be portrayed as decent: In the very first chapter, the Ten Regular Attendants abuse their power, leading to the uprising of the Yellow Scarves. Huang Hao is regarded as the one who brought downfall to Shu by influencing Liu Shan, Liu Bei's Sucksessor. Cen Hun was stated to be the 'Huang Hao' for Wu's last emperor Sun Hao, although this is novel-exclusive. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bbd25056 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bc103f8b | type |
Subverted | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bc103f8b | comment |
Subverted by Zhuge Liang who claimed to summon the east wind at the battle of Chi Bi, but really just did the whole ritual to waste time since he'd predicted the change in weather previously. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bc103f8b | |
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Bambification | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bc437105 | comment |
When taking his son Cao Rui to a hunt, he kills a deer's mother and tells Rui to kill the child, but Rui asks why he should kill the son when the mother is already killed. This led to Cao Pi possibly remembering about that he'd ordered Rui's mother (Lady Zhen) to commit suicide, and he eventually named Rui his successor. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bc437105 | |
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Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bd2812b5 | comment |
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Following Guan Yu's death, he gets promoted to minor deity by a later emperor, but not before scaring Sun Quan by possessing and killing Lu Meng, who "fell over dead with blood gushing from the seven orifices of his body." To this day, you can still find altars to Guan Yu in many Chinese-speaking areas. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_bd2812b5 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c209fc7 | type |
Chaste Hero | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c209fc7 | comment |
Chaste Hero: Multiple characters either directly or by proxy in ensuring that their charges aren't violated. The most fortunate to do so may have been civil official Mi Zhu (who served Tao Qian and Liu Bei)... since the woman revealed herself to be the Goddess of Fire and that she had a command to burn his house down that night. Thanks to her early warning, he kept his life, health, and his valuables. And there's Zhao Yun, who turned down an offer to marry a beautiful woman in favor of serving his lord. Of course, what complicated matters was: 1.) She was the widow of the brother of 2.) a recently conquered vassal who 3.) had recently sworn brotherhood with him. Though it is not depicted in the novel itself, that move paid off later when said recently conquered vassal fled from Liu Bei, and Zhao Yun avoided considerable trouble. And Liao Hua, who refused to take Liu Bei's captured wives for himself, killed his partner (who did want to take them) and then promptly turned himself and his partner's head over to Guan Yu. An excellent career choice, as he outlives most of the other characters — an accomplishment for one who turns up that early in the novel. Another famous example is Guan Yu refusing to sleep with Liu Bei's wives while in Cao Cao's custody, as one of his three conditions for surrendering to Cao Cao was the protection of Liu Bei's wives. Then again, the incident — and all of his privileges — were attempts to sway his loyalty to Liu Bei, and Guan Yu was probably aware of this. (Later, when presented with ten maids, Guan Yu turned them over to his sisters-in-law.) | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c209fc7 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c36cba70 | type |
Mooks | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c36cba70 | comment |
Mooks: Galore, of course, with special mention going to the poor messengers. Those poor, poor, messengers... | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c36cba70 | |
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Horrible Judge of Character | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c5385ad9 | comment |
Horrible Judge of Character: Chen Gong, who believes that first magnificent bastard Cao Cao and then Lü Bu are righteous heroes worthy of ruling the land. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c5385ad9 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c63e7d67 | type |
Invoked | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c63e7d67 | comment |
Invoked in the buildup to the battle of Chi Bi, where Zhuge Liang provokes Zhou Yu (and the kingdom of Wu) into fighting by claiming that Cao Cao was lusting after the Qiao sisters, one being Zhou Yu's own wife and the other, his late best friend and sworn brother Sun Ce's widow. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c63e7d67 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c82e751f | type |
Unspoken Plan Guarantee | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c82e751f | comment |
Unspoken Plan Guarantee: Done several times. Might be the reason for Zhuge Liang's habit of handing his plans to his subordinates in brocade sacks, to be revealed only at the very last minute. The most famous example in the novel would be Zhuge Liang's three instructions to Zhao Yun regarding the Lady Sun affair. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c82e751f | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c885a824 | type |
Sucksessor | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c885a824 | comment |
Huang Hao is regarded as the one who brought downfall to Shu by influencing Liu Shan, Liu Bei's Sucksessor. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_c885a824 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ca7ec334 | type |
Two Lines, No Waiting | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ca7ec334 | comment |
China-produced 2016 series God of War Zhao Zilong puts the focus instead of Zhao Yun, leading to a Two Lines, No Waiting approach as the main Romance storyline starts long before Zhao Yun should be in it. The new backstory of Zhao Yun immediately takes the form of the typical idol drama, albeit with tenuous connections to the main story like his father Zhao An being a former royal guard to the very emperor Dong Zhuo has killed. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ca7ec334 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_cab5085a | type |
Rain of Arrows | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_cab5085a | comment |
Rain of Arrows: Exploited when Zhuge Liang "borrowed" Cao Cao's arrows by sailing out dummy ships laden with straw. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_cab5085a | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_cfb3edb2 | type |
Weather Saves the Day | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_cfb3edb2 | comment |
Weather Saves the Day: The deciding battle between Sun Chuan and Cao Cao's forces is decided by the weather at the Battle of Red Cliffs. Cao Cao's navy attacks Sun Chuan's in a line formation with the wind in his sails. This is so that if Cao Cao's flagship catches on fire, the wind will blow the fire away from his other ships (also, Sun Chuan's navy is downwind). Liu Bei, however, has a friend who can predict the weather, and his choice whether to intervene between the two warlords now or to wait means everything. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_cfb3edb2 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d0309fad | type |
Religion is Magic | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d0309fad | comment |
Religion is Magic: As Cao Cao and Sun Ce learnt, do not under any circumstances screw around with Taoist mystics - even if you kill them, they inevitably come back to haunt you, and usually to death. Subverted by Zhuge Liang who claimed to summon the east wind at the battle of Chi Bi, but really just did the whole ritual to waste time since he'd predicted the change in weather previously. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d0309fad | |
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Please Spare Him, My Liege! | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d1fc4a16 | comment |
Please Spare Him, My Liege!: Intercession for close friends and relatives was common in the novel, but there were exceptional examples where generals and commanders would appeal on behalf of captured Worthy Opponents. A famous example was Guan Yu's and Liu Bei's intercession on Zhang Liao's behalf after the fall of Xiapi Castle, ironically just after Liu Bei had thrown Lu Bu under the bus (though Lu Bu probably had it coming). Zhang Liao would end up being the envoy who would convince Guan Yu to surrender to Cao Cao. Inverted when Zhuge Liang ordered Guan Yu's execution for sparing Cao Cao in Huarong Valley — at which point Zhuge Liang's own lord Liu Bei begged for his sworn brother's life. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d1fc4a16 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d323d090 | type |
Incendiary Exponent | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d323d090 | comment |
Incendiary Exponent: Most famously, the Fire Ship attack at the battle of Chi Bi. Legendary and effective. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d323d090 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d5dfb30a | type |
Professional Butt-Kisser | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d5dfb30a | comment |
Professional Butt-Kisser: When Cao Cao is debating whether or not to declare war on Yuan Shao, Guo Jia lays out ten ways in which Cao Cao is better. However, Guo Jia was also a gifted strategist (smart enough to set off a My Death Is Just the Beginning plot) and not above questioning his boss from time to time (when he let Liu Bei go to take on Yuan Shu, for instance). | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d5dfb30a | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d6181478 | type |
Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d6181478 | comment |
Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts: Mi Zhu picked up a woman in his carriage who was actually a spirit of fire, sent to burn his house down. His kindness towards her caused her to warn him of this, however, early enough that he was able to hurry home and save his valuables and his family's lives. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_d6181478 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_dae5c997 | type |
Action Girl | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_dae5c997 | comment |
Action Girl: Zhurong, Meng Huo's wife, goes into battle against Shu and manages to capture a couple of Shu generals before getting captured herself - which is a pretty good record for the Nanman. Lady Sun (whom you might know better as Sun Shangxiang in most opera adaptations and Dynasty Warriors), Sun Quan and Sun Ce's sister, practiced swordplay, has an entourage of a hundred maids decked out in armor and weapons, scared Liu Bei half to death on his wedding night, and scolds her brother's generals into submission when she eventually elopes with her husband. Historically, she raised havoc on a regular basis and had to be monitored by Zhao Yun. Lady Wang Yi note While the novel left out her name, it was recorded down in history., Zhao Ang's wife, was the only woman to be recorded as actually fighting in that period when she took up arms and attempted to murder Ma Chao after he slaughtered her husband. | |
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| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_db71d717 | type |
Thanatos Gambit | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_db71d717 | comment |
Thanatos Gambit: As an old Chinese saying goes, a dead Zhuge Liang scared a live Sima Yi in the battle of Wuzhang Plains. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_db71d717 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_dc7c48c6 | type |
Historical Downgrade | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_dc7c48c6 | comment |
Historical Downgrade: Zhang Fei gets hit with a Historical Hero Downgrade, going from historically being the most strategically accomplished of Liu Bei's main generals to a blundering drunkard. While he's still smart enough to utilize some war strategies such as during the battle to take Cheng Du, he's portrayed as more of a Boisterous Bruiser Battle God in the novel. However it still applies with the real life Zhang Fei being nowhere near heroic. Liu Bei himself was actually a competent commander and not the weeping wreck we most often see, and some of the strategies in the novel attributed to Zhuge Liang were actually his own. In the official Chinese histories, Cao Cao and his successors are generally considered the bearers of dynastic legitimacy. In the novel, they are portrayed as the main villains even if a family of Magnificent Bastards. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_dc7c48c6 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_de9047ac | type |
Gambit Pileup | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_de9047ac | comment |
Gambit Pileup: With that many factions opposing each other, this is unavoidable - for each strategist that's shown developing a plan, odds are that the next scene will be another strategist developing a countermeasure to it. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_de9047ac | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e16217f8 | type |
Historical Villain Upgrade | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e16217f8 | comment |
Historical Villain Upgrade: While it's hard to say if anyone was a true villain in history, Cao Cao and the kingdom of Wei end up being cast as the main villains, while the kingdom of Wu is relegated to a secondary position because they're fighting the Designated Villain half the time and the Designated Hero the rest of it. In the same time, Cao Cao also got a downgrade: He only committed a brutal massacre once when he learned that Tao Qian had a hand in killing his father, in history, he had a lot more massacres than that when certain people wronged him (and unfortunately, a lot of people wronged him). Han Xuan gets turned into a loud, rude and cruel person, while he historically was known to be quiet and kind... and he gave up instead of getting slain. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e16217f8 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e1fa333c | type |
Hannibal Lecture | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e1fa333c | comment |
Zhuge Liang managed to irritate Zhou Yu to death. He managed to Hannibal Lecture two other Wei officials into a fatal fit later on as well. Happens to others as well. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e1fa333c | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e4b69188 | type |
Very Loosely Based on a True Story | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e4b69188 | comment |
Very Loosely Based on a True Story: One early editor referred to it as 70% fact and 30% fiction. Luo Guanzhong's sources included not only historical records, but period Chinese operas, poetry and folktales as well. Some of the scenes in the book never really happened, or did not happen as described; That Other Wiki has a list. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e4b69188 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5dfe115 | type |
Sworn Brothers | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5dfe115 | comment |
Sworn Brothers: The Oath at the Peach Garden between Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu is one of the most famous incidents in the novel. Note though that they're not the only such brotherhood (Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are as well), just the most famous and celebrated. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5dfe115 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5e6640b | type |
Flanderization | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5e6640b | comment |
Flanderization: EVERYBODY. It says a lot that the highly stylized and idealized Dynasty Warriors has a claim to being just as historically accurate as this novel. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5e6640b | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5fd8bc2 | type |
Hate Sink | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5fd8bc2 | comment |
Hate Sink: In between many-many characters, three of them stand out as the kind of characters meant to be hated: Dong Zhuo, the repulsive, hedonistic warlord who took over Luoyang and started a reign of tyranny for his own pleasure. Huang Hao, an eunuch that manipulates the weak Liu Shan and made Jiang Wei's campaign a failure, dooming Shu. After escaping execution via bribery, Sima Zhao caught him and executed him on spot, disgusted at his actions. Sun Hao, the last Emperor of Wu, who began as a promising ruler, but suddenly turned into an extreme tyrant that is either on par or worse than Dong Zhuo, that Jin's invasion under Sima Yan is seen as a salvation and the people of Wu turned him over to Jin. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e5fd8bc2 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e7cb46d3 | type |
Satellite Character | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e7cb46d3 | comment |
Satellite Character: Whilst even the most minor officers often get their own motives and little details fleshing them out, this is the default personality template for female characters. Female agency wasn't much of a thing in literature back then. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e7cb46d3 | featureApplicability |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e7cb46d3 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e993a60f | type |
Defensive Feint Trap | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e993a60f | comment |
Defensive Feint Trap: If you think you're winning against Zhuge Liang, that means it's time for the ambush to come out. Other characters use this as well. | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e993a60f | featureApplicability |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_e993a60f | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ea85d6ea | type |
All Just a Dream | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ea85d6ea | comment |
All Just a Dream: Dong Cheng summons his servants, gathers his co-conspirators, marches on the Prime Minister's palace, and runs Cao Cao through with his jeweled sword... | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ea85d6ea | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_eb52ff9b | type |
Adult Adoptee | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_eb52ff9b | comment |
Adult Adoptee: Lu Bu is adopted by Dong Zhuo as an adult. Likewise, Guan Yu adopts the adult Guan Ping as his son. Historically, Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu were merely described as "being as close as father and son" rather than there being an actual adoption, and Guan Ping was actually Guan Yu's biological son. | |
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Jerkass | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_eb8ec7c8 | comment |
Trying to execute his poetic intellectual brother Cao Zhi (who at worst was merely a layabout with his drinking buddies), but gives him a chance by challenging him to compose a poem, then another, without using certain words. Both poems reminds him what a Jerkass he's being, and having been called to account, he lessens Zhi's punishment to exile. | |
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Tender Tears | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ece948d8 | comment |
Tender Tears: Characters will cry out of sorrow, happiness or despair at least once per chapter - even the most battle-hardened of generals. If Liu Bei is in a chapter, the odds of someone crying out of gratitude become even higher. | |
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One-Steve Limit | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_ee7a60e9 | comment |
One-Steve Limit: Averted, sort of. There are a lot of characters with similar sounding names, most of which have distinct characters which have the same romanisation. Plus, many character names sound just like place names. Much of the novel is filled with lines like "Zhang Fei fought at Chang Ban". It's easy to get confused after a while. | |
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Combat by Champion | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_f0864fd9 | comment |
Combat by Champion: Far too many examples to count. Needless to say, if there's a battle, there most likely will be one of these. Notable examples include the three brothers (Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei) vs Lu Bu at Hulao Pass note so famous it's a near guarantee in any adaptation, Zhang Fei vs Ma Chao at Jiameng Pass note that lasted a full day and night and involved flying maces and arrow shots, Sun Ce vs Taishi Ci at Qu'e County note that eventually bogged down into just plain wrestling after both combatants lost their weapons and steeds and much much more. These do eventually start dying down after the famous heroes such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei start dying off but the early 60 or so chapters are practically littered with these. | |
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Not My Driver | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_f3f1a9e2 | comment |
Not My Driver: Meng Huo, fleeing from Shu forces, jumps on what appears to be a Nanman boat. Since he was up against Zhuge Liang, the boat was predictably manned by Shu troops. | |
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Villainous Glutton | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_f4fe270 | comment |
Villainous Glutton: Dong Zhuo. An official lit a wick in his corpse, and it burnt for days. | |
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Sarcastic Clapping | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_f6e05922 | comment |
Sarcastic Clapping: Cao Cao does this at Wang Yun's "birthday party" once he and the guests weep at the decline of the Han dynasty, saying that crying isn't going to kill Dong Zhuo. | |
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Faking the Dead | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_f9876f7e | comment |
Faking the Dead: Played straight by Cao Cao against Lu Bu, and by Sun Ce against Liu Yao. Invoked and subverted by Zhuge Liang: he really was dead, but manages to convince Sima Yi that he was only Faking the Dead to cause him to retreat. | |
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You Killed My Father | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_fb6b207f | comment |
You Killed My Father: Subverted by Ling Tong, who intended to kill Gan Ning for killing his father Ling Cao (before Gan Ning's surrender to Sun Quan). Sun Quan interceded during Ling Tong's attempt and forbade any further attempts, and the two eventually became friendly rivals. After Ma Teng is executed for his involvement in an assassination plot against Cao Cao, his son Ma Chao declares war for this very reason. After Cao Cao's father (and many other relatives) are killed by a subordinate of Tao Qian who turned bandit, Cao wages a brutal war of vengeance against Tao, only to be stopped by Lu Bu's attack on his own territory. A variant in case of Xu Shu. One of Cao Cao's advisors was a childhood friend of Xu and, knowing him to be devoted to his mother, fakes a letter from his mother asking him to come to the capital, where Cao Cao rules behind the emperor. Xu's mother is ashamed and kills herself. Xu considers Cao to be the murderer of his mother and never performs useful service for him (see above under Treacherous Advisor.) | |
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The Magnificent | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms / int_fdb6b8ad | comment |
The Magnificent: Sun Ce became known as the "Little Conqueror", after scaring one enemy officer to death and crushing another one between his arm and torso. | |
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms |
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