Nearly two decades have passed since the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the death of the usurper Dong Zhuo. War has engulfed all of China, and the fallen empire has splintered into competing regions in the possession of rival warlords and generals, each vying for territorial control.Among these figures is Cao Cao, a military genius and leader of the Wei armies, who has assumed effective rule over all of northern China. He travels south, across the Yangtze, to continue his campaign to reunify the country under his command.Standing in his path, however, are Liu Bei of the Shu, and Sun Quan of the Wu, who forge an alliance to turn back the Wei at the Battle of Chi Bi. Their partnership is short-lived, however, as the two soon turn against each other for possession of Jing province.