On the Truth and Fictionalization of Fictions from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of the classics of ancient Chinese literature. It is considered a masterpiece that truly reflects history and human nature. However, some parts of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms were fictional, such as Zhuge Liang's empty city strategy and the Battle of Red Cliff. Zhuge Liang's strategy in the Empty Fortress Stratagem in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was fictional. In history, Zhuge Liang did not make such a choice in the Empty Fortress Stratagem because the Empty Fortress Stratagem was a dramatic plot and not a historical event. The Battle of Red Cliff was also fictional. The Battle of Red Cliff was an important battle during the Three Kingdoms period, but such an event had never happened in history. The location of the Battle of Red Cliff was in today's Chibi City in Hubei Province, not the actual location of the Battle of Red Cliff in history. Although there are some fictional plots in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is still a classic in ancient Chinese literature, which has a profound impact on Chinese literature and culture. It was also regarded as a work that reflected human nature and history, which had a profound impact on people's thoughts and emotions.
