Romance of the Three Kingdoms (novel): Difference between revisions

* [[Kill'Em All]]: Redundant, but all the famous characters are dead by the end of the novel. It lasted a hundred years - should you be surprised?

* [[Laser-Guided Karma]]:

{{spoiler|He dies in an ambush ''in the next chapter'' from [[Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies|rocks crushing his head.]]}} }}

* [[Living Legend]]: The generals in general.

** For Cao Cao, it was when he had Ju Shou executed ("I just killed the one guy who ''isn't'' a backstabbing freak... even if his loyalty was for the other guy and he tried to run away!"), and when he had his leading admirals executed for treason early during the campaign against Sun Quan, only to realize right afterward that he'd been had.

** Earlier, when Cao Cao was on the run following a failed assassination attempt against Dong Zhuo, his father's sworn brother gives him shelter. Cao Cao and Chen Gong (a magistrate who'd freed Cao Cao) hide in a back room, overhear something about to getting out the knives killed, assumes its him, and jumps out and slaughters the entire household, including the wife and children of the person who promised to give him safety. Turns out that they were talking about killing a PIG as part of the feast they were having to honor Cao Cao. Cao Cao runs, meets the family friend outside, and then stabs him in the back because he didn't want the authorities knowing about him. This is however [[Subverted]] that shortly after, Cao Cao lets out his famous quote that excuses his actions and defines his character:

*** This is likely actually the author's misinterpretation of the original quote, "Is it that I wronged the world rather than the world wronged me?"

** It seems to run in the family, with two examples in Cao Pi's case: