A historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong covering the end of the Han dynasty in China (about 220 ce). Its principal characters are Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, who swear brotherhood in a peach garden and agree to protect the Han dynasty from its enemies. Zhuge Liang emerges from his hermitage to provide tactical guidance. Extremely well known as isolated stories and anecdotes, it is an epic story of loyalty and betrayal, conquest and loss.