The Romance of the Three Kingdoms tells of the struggle between the Wei, Shu, and Wu kingdoms from the end of the Han dynasty in 220 until 280, the closing of the Three Kingdoms era.

A sworn brotherhood of heroes, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, tries valiantly, but fails, to overcome the ruthless warlord, Cao Cao.

Around ninety plays have evolved from the Three Kingdoms stories, including The Gathering of Heroes (Qunying hui), The Ruse of the Empty City (Kongcheng ji), and The City of Baidi (Baidi cheng).