Episode list

Counselors gather at the home of Minister of the Interior Wang Yun to celebrate his 60th birthday. The Minister of Military Standards Cao Cao decides to crash the party. But it isn't really Wang Yun's birthday. He's brought the counselors together to discuss that state of the Han Dynasty which has fallen into chaos. The Prime Minister Dong Zhuo is a tyrant & despised by all. Cao Cao is thrown out, but Wang Yun secretly meets with him afterwards. Cao Cao is close to Zhuo and offers to assassinate him if he can borrow the Seven Star Sword from Wang Yun as it will be able to cut through the armor Zhuo wears. Cao visits Zhuo at the palace and meets Zhuo adapted son Lü Bu who is considered the greatest warrior in the land. Cao's attempts the assassination while Zhuo is sleeping but Zhuo wakes up just before Cao can do the deed. Cao covers by pretending he was giving the sword to Zhuo as a gift and Zhuo accepts. Cao leaves and flees on horseback while Lü Bu returns & recognizes the sword as belonging to Wang Yun, Zhuo then realizes that Cao was trying to murder him & orders his capture.

After the failed assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo by Cao Cao, Dong returns to the court and orders Cao's arrest. He suspects Wang Yun is a co-conspirator of Cao Cao because of the Seven Star Sword used in the failed assassination attempt. Wang Yun returns home & contemplates suicide but is stopped by his adopted daughter Diao Chan. Zhuo 's top general Lü Bu arrives at Yun's home to search for Cao Cao. During the search Bu meets Diao Chan and is immediately attracted to her. Lü Bu notices a sword which is actually a fake Seven Star Sword and concludes that if the sword is still in Wang Yun's possession, then he is not affiliated with Cao Cao. Liu Bei, Guan Yu & Zhang Fei swear brotherhood in the peach tree garden. Cao Cao is caught and arrested entering Zhongmu County and brought before the magistrate Chen Gong. While in his jail cell, Cao Cao was visited by Chen Gong. Chen Gong so impressed with Cao Cao's loyalty to the emperor that he decided to free him & join him. Cao was who planning to return to his home in Chenliu to raise an army against Dong Zhuo. Along the way, they passed by the house of Lü Boshe, a sworn brother of Cao Cao's father. Boshe welcomed them to his home & planned a big meal to celebrate, then left to buy some wine for the feast. Cao Cao & Chen Gong overheard Boshe's servants sharpening a blade and thought they were getting ready to attack them to get the bounty on their heads. So Cao & Gong attacked the servants first, slaughtering them all, only realizing afterwards, the servants were getting ready to kill a pig not the fugitives.

After slaughtering Lü Boshe's servants & family over a misunderstanding, Chen Gong & Cao Cao flee, but find Lü Boshe as they are running. Lü Boshe greets Cao Cao, but Cao runs him through a sword. When Chen Gong asks why Cao killed him, he explains that once Lü Boshe finds his family murdered, he would send authorities after them, and that he "would rather betray the world, then the world betray me". Yuan Shao forms a coalition of 18 regional warlords and officials to remove Dong Zhuo from power. The "Three Brothers", Liu Bei, Guan Yu & Zhang Fei arrive & request to join, but are met with skepticism, especially Liu Bei's claim that he was a descendant of former Emperor Jing. Dong Zhou's 4th best general Hua Xiong arrives asking for Cao's Cao's head. Yu She offers to fight Hua Xiong, but is quickly defeated and slain.

Hua Xiong, having lead Dong Zhuo's army to the coalition camp to arrest Cao Cao, has already slain Yu She in one round. Pan Feng challenges him next but lasts less then a round. Yuan Shao asks who will battle Hua Xiong, but all is quiet till Guan Yu volunteers. He offers that if he cannot defeat Hua Xiong that he should be killed instead. Liu Bei also offers his own life as well as his "brother" Zhang Fei if Guan Yu fails. Cao Cao offer Guan warm wine before he goes, but Guan refuses saying he will back shortly. A few minutes later Guan Yu returns with Hua Xiong's head and the wine is still warm. Liu Bei was promised money, horses & soldiers from Yuan Shao for this. When one of Liu Bei's solders went to Yuan Shu to ask for the supplies he was refused and slapped. In the meantime, Dong Zhuo executes all members of the Yuan clan in Luoyang. Cao Cao goes to Liu Bei's camp & offers food & wine after hearing Yuan's refusal and they discuss the coalition & Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo sends Li Jue south to suggest to Sun Jian that Dong daughter be married to Sun Jian's son Sun Quan. However Li Jue, does not realize that Sun Quan is only 9 years old and is embarrassed.

Yuan Shao is berating his brother Yuan Shu about withholding much needed supplies from the armies of Liu Bei & especially Sun Jian. Reports arrive that Sun Jian has suffered major loses in battle & that Dong Zhuo has left the capital & is now leading his army himself. Cao Cao arrives and suggests that Yuan Shao lies about Sun Jian's defeat & instead say that he has scored a major victory so that the army does not lose morale. Dong Zhuo leads his army to Hulao Pass with his top general Lü Bu, Lü Bu approaches the gate challenging the army by himself and especially Cao Cao whom Dong Zhuo wants more then anyone. Three of the 18 governors offer their generals to fight Lü Bu, but a report comes in that the three already went out to fight and were all killed. The governors start fighting among themselves. The 3 brothers decide to leave and battle Lü Bu themselves but cannot defeat him, but Lü Bu flees on his horse Red Hare. Dong Zhou returns to the capital city of Luoyang and proposes moving the capital west to Chang'an. He does so & burns & destroys everything Luoyang. Cao Cao brings his army to Sun Jian to suggest that one army to go the former capital Luoyang and the other pursue Dong Zhuo to Chang'an.

Cao Cao's army is chasing Dong Zhuo's army towards the new capital city Chang'an, while Sun Jian and his army are heading to the former capital Luoyang. Sun Jian arrives to find the city in ruins and mostly burned to the ground. While searching the Imperial Palace, he discovers the Imperial Seal. The alliance of the 18 governors crumbles due to non support and infighting as Cao Cao, Liu Bei & Sun Jian all withdraw their respective armies. Liu Biao receives at letter from Yuan Shao asking him to ambush Sun Jian on his way back to his home city. Yuan Shu sends a messenger to Sun Jian warning him of the possible ambush. Liu Biao does indeed bring his army to bear but lets Sun Jian pass without incident as they agree not to attack each other respective territories.

Wang Yun & Lü Bu are having food & wine at Wang Yun's residence & Diao Chan offers to dance as a thank to Lü Bu's gifts he brought for Diao Chan's birthday. Afterwards, Lü Bu and Diao Chan are alone & Diao Chan reveals how she came to be Wang Yun's adopted daughter. Lü Bu has been steadily falling for Diao Chan and now proposes marriage. Diao Chan agrees but says that they must inform her father first. Wang Yun accepts and suggests that Lü Bu do not tell his godfather Dong Zhuo about it just yet. Wang Yun reveals the 2nd part of the "Chain-Linked Strategy" to Diao Chan in hopes that they can restore the Han dynasty. He will offer her to the tyrant Dong Zhuo to make Lü Bu jealous in the hopes that he would turn against Dong Zhuo. Diao Chan reluctantly agrees. The next day after court, Wang Yun invites Dong Zhuo to his residence for wine & to view the plum blossoms. When Dong arrives & sees Diao Chan he immediately falls for her and tells Wang Yun that he will bring her to the palace & make her Imperial Concubine for the emperor, even though having her there would really be for Dong's benefit, not the emperor. Lü Bu hears about this & is furious at Wang Yun and confronts him. Yun explains that he could not refuse the Prime Minister. Lü Bu then asks Dong Zhuo for her but he refuses saying that it's too late.

Diao Chan is being escorted to Dong Zhuo's residence even though she is supposed to be going to the palace to be the emperor's Imperial Concubine. She shuns Dong Zhuo's advances towards her reminding him that she's supposed to be with the emperor, not him. Lü Bu is sitting on the steps of the palace and Wang Yun approaches asking why he is at he palace so early & Lü Bu says he wants to be closer to Diao Chan. Wang Yun informs him that Diao Chan is not in the palace & instead at the Prime Minister's residence with Dong Zhuo & Yun is concerned that Diao Chan may be forced to sleep with Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu goes to Dong Zhuo's residence to ask Diao Chan to leave with him but she tearfully refuses. As Lü Bu leaves he talks to Li Ru about the situation. Li Ru then speaks to Dong Zhuo about giving Diao Chan to Lü Bu as Zhuo needs Lü Bu's warrior prowess. Zhuo eventually agrees & informs Diao Chan. She realizes if that happens it would ruin her father's plan to turn Lü Bu against Dong Zhuo and pleads not to do it. At court, ministers ask the Prime Minister Dong Zhuo to give food supplies (of which they have ample supplies of) to the Central Plains area as they have suffered a drought and many are starving. Dong refuses, saying that he does not have any to spare & to confirm with Lü Bu. But Lü Bu is at Dong Zhuo's residence to see Diao Chan. Dong Zhuo returns home and sees the two together & throws Lü Bu's halberd at him which Lü Bu dropped earlier. Lü Bu flees the pavilion.

In Cao Cao's base camp, Cao Ren arrives & reads a letter from Liu Bei asking to declare a truce with Tao Qian. Xun Yu then arrives & reports that as he had feared, Lü Bu has attacked Cao Cao's city of Yan Zhou. Cao Cao orders the army to withdraw to Yan Zhou and drafts a letter to Liu Bei that he withdraw his troops from Xu Zhou. Tao Qian celebrates Cao Cao's withdrawal & again asks Lei Bei to take over as governor of Xu Zhou. Lei Bei again refuses, but does accept a post at nearby Xiao Pei. Soon after, Lei Bei is summoned Tao Qian's bedchamber and Tao is very ill. He's received a report that Cao Cao's army defeated Lü Bu in half a day and could return to attack Xu Zhou again soon. Tao Qian again offers Lei Bei the governorship of Xu Zhou and he finally accepts. Tao Qian dies. As the officers are mourning Tao Qian's death, a soldier arrives telling Liu Bei that Lü Bu and his army have arrived & are seeking sanctuary. Guan Yu & Zhang Fei are against the idea, but Liu Bei accepts Lü Bu into the city. Back in Cao Cao's camp, he wants to attack Xu Zhou city, but Xun Yu advises against it as Xu Zhou has a strong defence and Lü Bu & Liu Bei together would be tough to defeat. Xun Yu advised that Liu Bei & Lü Bu will not be able to co-exist for long and to wait for the proper moment to strike. Lü Bu and his army leave for Xia Pei so they are away from Xu Zhou, but close in case of attack from Cao Cao. Cao Cao receives a secret edict from the emperor.

Cao Cao, Cao Ren & Xun Yu are discussing the news that Li Jue & Guo Ci were holding Emperor Xian hostage in Chang'an, but Dong Cheng has helped the emperor & is moving east to Luoyang. Cao Cao plans to intercept them & get Emperor Xian under his control so he can control the other governors in the emperor's name. meanwhile in Yuan Shao's city of Ji Zhou, Yuan is considering rescuing the emperor himself. Xu You was for it and Tian Feng was against. Yuan Shao decides against helping the emperor. Emperor Xian & his ministers arrive at the burned out former capital Luoyang, but there is no food or water. Cao Cao & his group arrive & provide food & water for the emperor & ministers. Because Luoyang is still in ruins, Cao Cao asks Emperor Xian to move the capital to Xu Chang, which also happens to be Cao Cao's home base. The emperor agrees. At court, Cao Cao asks the emperor to promote Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Liu Biao & Gongson Zan but does not ask for one himself as he only wants to serve the emperor. Cao Cao & Xun Yu discuss how Cao can get Liu Bei's city of Xu Zhou. They come up with the idea issue orders from the emperor to have Liu Bei & Yuan Shu fight one another, so they could get rid off one or both of Cao Cao's potential rivals.

Chen Gong is upset with Lü Bu for lounging around listening to Diao Chan play music & sing while Yuan Shu's general Ji Ling is heading to attack Liu Bei's Xia Pi. Lü Bu invites Liu Bei & Ji Ling to his camp for wine & food. He proposes that if he can use a bow & arrow to shoot off the tassel of his halberd which was planted in the ground over 120 steps away that they must stop the fighting & retreat. He is able to do so to the shock of all present. Ji Ling returns to Yuan Shu and Shu is upset & immediately wants to attack Lü Bu but an advisor recommends against it. Sun Ce arrives & informs Yuan Shu that he has taken the city of Lu Jiang from Lu Kang. It was one year ago that Sun Ce's father Sun Jian was killed, so he goes to pay respects at his grave. While there his sworn brother Zhou Yu arrives and the two are reunited after not seeing one another for 10 years. As they are having a meal, Zhou Yu urges Sun Ce to leave Yuan Shu. Sun Ce offers Yuan Shu the Imperial Hereditary Seal if he will let him take 4 of his father Sun Jian's generals (Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, Han Ding & Zu Mao) with him. Yuan Shu agrees. With the Imperial Seal, Shu's officers urge him to declare himself emperor, except for one civil officer who urges against it. Yuan Shu does declare himself emperor anyway. Yuan Shao receives a letter asking him become Yuan Shu's subordinate.

Cao Cao is laughing at the report that Yuan Shu has crowned himself emperor. Cao's advisers Guo Jia & Xun Yu him to send letters to the governors on behalf of Emperor Xian urging them to eliminate Yuan Shu, since Cao Cao did not have the means to do it by himself. As Cao Cao leads his army to fight Yuan Shu, Xun Yu tries to ease some of Cao Cao's worries about the battle & leaving his home city mostly empty. As they are traveling along a road, a bird scares some of the horses leading the carriage Cao Cao is riding in & they bolt. The driver manages to stop but Cao Cao orders to read back some of the rules he made to his solders before leaving home. One of which was that because it is harvest time, they are not to disturb the farmers fields and if violated, they would be put to death. Cao Cao insists that the clerk now behead him since he broke the rule. However Xun Yu convinces Cao Cao to spare himself, since if he were to die, then there would be no one left to fight the rebels. Cao agrees and instead cuts off his hair. Yuan Shu has sent a eunuch to Lü Bu to propose marriage of Yuan Shu's son, the crown prince & Lü Bu's daughter. Lü Bu agrees, but the eunuch is stopped from leaving the city with Lü Bu's daughter by Chen Gong. At Cao Cao's camp, none of the other governors have sent troops to help Cao Cao against Yuan Shu. None except Liu Bei, who is not a governor. Cao Cao asks some of his advisers if he should accept Liu Bei's help or kill him. Xun Yu's suggests to kill him now as he will be a bigger problem in the future. Guo Jia suggests using him as killing him will only bring trouble and cause others to distrust Cao Cao. And Cheng Yu suggests to use him now & kill him later. Cao Cao does decide to use Liu Bei & the army attacks Yuan Shu in the city of Shouchun. As the war rages on, Cao Cao's soldiers are running low on food and only have enough for a few days and additional food will not arrive for 10 days. Cao Cao does manage to take the city but Yuan Shu is able to escape to the south. Liu Bei and his army return to Xiapei.

Guo Jia informs Cao Cao that Chen Gui & his son Chen Deng are willing to help Cao Cao get control of Lü Bu's city of Xu Zhou from the inside. Meanwhile at Xu Zhou, Chen Gui & Chen Deng are praising Lü Bu for his deeds. Chen Gong arrives & wants to speak to Lü Bu alone. He warns Lü Bu that Chen Gui & Chen Deng are untrustworthy but Lü Bu will hear none of it. In his own home later, Chen Gong considers leaving Lü Bu and offering his services elsewhere. A secret letter is intercepted that Liu Bei will help Cao Cao invade Lü Bu's Xu Zhou city. So Lü Bu sets out to attack Liu Bei's city of Xia Pei instead & leaves Chen Gui & Chen Deng in charge of Xu Zhou. But Chen Gong convinces Lü Bu to split up the pair & leave Chen Gui to guard the city & take Chen Deng with them to Xia Pei. Cao Cao's army is heading to attack Xu Zhou. Chen Gui has sent a messenger ahead to Cao Cao letting him know that Lü Bu has left to attack Xia Pei & Xu Zhou is ripe for the taking. Lü Bu's is struggling to take Xia Pei and word reaches them that Cao Cao's army is on it's way. Lü Bu retreats for Xu Zhou, but Chen Gui refuses him entry and Chen Deng has already left the army. Lü Bu and his army head to Xia Pi and Cao Cao takes over Xu Zhou.

Cao Cao arrives at Lü Bu's city of Xiapi to discuss peace & try to recruit Lü Bu into his army by flattering him heavily, but Chen Gong hears this and fires an arrow at Cao Cao and forces him to leave. Back at Cao Cao's base camp Guo Jia has a plot to take the city using the weather. Chen Gong suggests to Lü Bu that he take a portion of the army outside the city & Chen Gong remains behind with the rest of the army to defend Xiapi. If Cao Cao attacks either place they can attack Cao Cao from front & back. Lü Bu agrees with this but Diaochan has fallen ill & Lü Bu will not leave the city while she is ill. It was the rainy season & Cao Cao's army uses the Yi & Si rivers to flood Xiapi. Chen Gong advises that Lü Bu has only 2 options. Die in the flood, or surrender. Lü Bu refuses to surrender & is later tied up by some of his subordinates while he is sleeping & brought before Cao Cao. Lü Bu pleads for mercy but is sentenced to death. Chen Gong is given the option to serve or die and chooses death. Lü Bu is executed by a volley or arrows, and Chen Gong is led outside the city & executed.

Liu Bei arrives to Emperor Xian's home as requested & is asked by Consort Dong to see the emperor in the bathroom. Seems odd, but Liu Bei complies. The emperor informs Liu Bei that the bathroom is the only place that Cao Caos' men will not be listening. After Liu Bei leaves, Emperor Xian's writes a secret edict in his own blood to assassinate Cao Cao that he gets Consort Dong to sew into a jade belt. The emperor gives the belt to Dong Cheng (Consort Dong's father) during a ceremony honoring the ancestors when only Emperor Xian & Dong Cheng are present. Dong Cheng presents the edict to Liu Bei who swears he will kill the rebel Cao. Lei Bei is summoned to the Prime Minister's residence & Cao Cao & Liu Bei have some wine. Cao Cao asks Liu Biu who he thinks the country heroes are. Liu Bei suggests Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, Sun Ce, Ma Teng, Zhang Xiu, Han Sui, but Cao Cao says none of them are heroes. The only true heroes are Cao Cao & Liu Bei he says. Xun Yu reports that Yuan Shao has destroyed Gonsong Zan and taken over his territories. At court the next day, a report comes in that Yuan Shu is heading north to join up with Yuan Shao. To do so. he'll have to pass though Xu Zhou. Lei Bei sees this as an opportunity to leave Xu Chang & get away from Cao Cao and volunteers to lead his army to Xu Zhou to intercept Yuan Shu and the emperor happily grants his wish. After Liu Bei & his army leave in hurry, Cao Cao orders Zhang Liao & Xu Chu to pursue him & return him to the court.

Having learned that Liu Bei is alive & staying with Yuan Shao, Guan Yu plans to leave Cao Cao & return to Liu Bei. He goes to Cao Cao's residence but is refused entry & told the prime minister is busy & is not to be disturbed. Next he tries to visit his friend Zhang Liao, but is told that he is sick & cannot accept visitors. So Guan returns to his home prepares a letter to leave for Cao Cao & orders Sun Qian to help Liu Bei's 2 wives to prepare for the journey to reunite with Liu Bei, and to leave all the gold, silver, jade & other valuables that were gifts from Cao Cao. When Cao Cao hears that Guan Yu has left, Cheng Yu suggests that he send some strong generals after him to bring him back, but Cao refuses. At the city of Gucheng, Zhang Fei has forcefully taken over the city. He has sent out scouts searching for news of Lir Bei or Guan Yu but has heard nothing till reports come in that Guan Yu has joined Cao Cao. Zhang does not believe the reports & orders the messengers beaten, but after more reports confirm it, Zhang destroys a flowery grove in anger and swears to kill Guan Yu. Guan Yu arrives at Dongling Pass but is stopped by Kong Xiu as he does not have a permit from Cao Cao allowing him passage. Kong attacks Guan but is quickly killed. Next he arrives at Luoyang. The governor Han Fu sends his general Meng Tan to stop Guan Yu but is quickly killed. Next up is Sishui Pass where the guardian Bian Xi, lets the party through without incident, but since it is getting close to nighttime, he suggests they rest at a nearby temple. There is a monk named Puyang at the temple & he is from the same hometown as Guan Yu. Puyang is able to tip off Guan Yu that there is danger waiting for him. Bian Xi has set up an ambush but Guan Yu defeats all the attackers. Then they reach the Yellow River to cross on the ferry into Yuan Shao's territory, but one of Cao Cao's top generals Xiahou Dun is waiting. They duel for a bit to a stalemate till Zhang Liao arrives & informs that he has the proper pass for Guan Yu from Cao Cao. Back on the road Guan Yu & his party are stopped by a group of bandits lead by Zhang Jiao. Then out of nowhere, another man leaps out & kills the bandit leader in one blow.

Yuan Shao is preparing his army to march against Cao Cao. Tian Feng, who was imprisoned for demoralizing the army with his repeated stance against attack hears the drums & horns & quickly pens a letter to Yuan Shao. Yuan Tan suggests that his father execute Tian Feng as an morale booster to the army, but Xu You suggests otherwise. At Cao Cao's camp, he is meeting with his advisers & generals with he should fight or try for peace. All the advisers want peace except Xun Yu who suggests to fight as do all the generals. Cao Cao accepts the suggestion to fight, even though Yuan has many more troops. Cao Cao sets up a small table on the battlefield for tea & Yuan Shao accepts the invitation. Cao Cao feigns talk of surrender, but he is really just stalling for time, so Yuan's troops will be facing the bright sun, making it difficult to see. When the time is right, Cao laughs at Yuan Shao saying he will never surrender. Both sides start to attack. Cao Cao starts with arrows from his archers & Shao's troops cannot defend against the arrows as they cannot see them coming because if the sun in their eyes.

Xu You has left Yuan Shao & joins Cao Cao. Cao Cao is delighted to have his old friend join him. Xu You asks Cao Cao how much food he has left for his army. At first Cao lies to Xu You but Xu You sees right through it, and tells Cao Cao that he knows he has barely any food left. Xu suggests that Cao's army attack Yuan Shao supply depot at Wuchao and steal their supplies & burn the rest as it is weakly guarded. When Yuan Shao receives word that Cao Cao has attacked Wuchao, he decides to attack Cao Cao's main camp since he thinks it will be mostly empty. But Cao Cao has set an ambush & the Yuan Shao army suffers great loses. Sun Qian reports to Liu Bei about Yuan Shao's loss, so Liu Bei plans to seek refuge with Liu Biao who is also a royal family descendant and has a large army. Liu Biao accepts him with welcome arms.