The forbidden romance
The Story:
Historic:
Liu Bei and Sun Shang
Xiang had the most heartbreaking relationship of all the people in the era of
the three kingdoms. The strategist Zhou Yu, sworn brother of Sun Ce, devised a
plot to steal Jingzhou from the kingdom
of Shu. Sun Quan, the current Marquis of Wu, set the p
lan into action by offering his sister,
Sun Shang Xiang (Lady Sun) as a bride to
Liu Bei. Zhou Yu planned to lure Liu Bei into the
kingdom of Wu. There he planned to hold him against his will and force him to
give up Jingzhou as a ransoming price. Liu Bei accepted and ultimately upon
Zhou Yu's wishes, agreed to travel to Wu for the
marriage. However, Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei's brilliant strategist, managed to see
through the dangerous trap.
Quickly, with Sun Shang Xiang
by his side, Liu Bei fled back into Shu. Although the marriage had been a
failure, an officer of Wu, Zhang Zhao conspired to steal away Jingzhou once more. He made up a story that Sun Shang Xiang's
mother was seriously ill and wished to see her, and Liu Bei's son before her
death. He planned to keep the two as hostages and ask for Jingzhou in return
of their freedom. Fortunately, Zhao Yun, a general under Liu Bei, rescued Liu Bei's son before Sun Shang Xiang
began the pilgrimage back home. Sun Shang Xiang stayed in Wu after this, and never saw her
beloved Liu Bei again; however, when he perished later in Yi Ling she threw
herself into a river and died.