BacktothetimeoftheThreeKingdoms(AD220–280),therewasatripartitedivisionbetweenthestatesofWei,Shu,andWu.Tofurtherdistinguishthethreestatesfromothersduringthesameperiod,historianshaveaddedarelevantChinesecharactertotheirnames:WeiisalsoknownasCaoWei,ShuisalsoknownasShuHan,andWuisalsoknownasDong(orEastern)Wu.Eachstatewasultimatelyheadednotbyaking,butbyanemperorwhoclaimedtobethelegitimatesuccessortotheHandynasty.RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms,writtenbyLuoGuanzhonginthe14thcentury,isacclaimedasoneoftheFourGreatClassicalNovelsofChineseliterature.Withagrandtotalof800,000wordsand120chapters,thenovelhasdepictedtheeventsintheturbulentyearsofthatperiod.