The Three Kingdoms period (roughly 200CE) is a much-romanticized time in Chinese history. The author of this lecture offers some suggestions on why, but also delves into the history itself to offer a different interpretation of events which overturn much of the long-held beliefs about the “good” and “bad” guys during this tumultuous period. In particular, he discusses why Cao Cao (usually seen as the enemy of Confuscian values and an overzealous tyrant) had done more than any of his contemporaries to restore order and why his failings were actually insurmountable obstacles which only existed because of the much-lauded (irresponsible) actions of his predecessors.

Warning: contains many spelling mistakes.