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Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast

John Zhu

187 episodes

A retelling of the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms in a way that’s more accessible to a Western audience. See 3kingdomspodcast.com for more.

Episodes page 2 of 4

  1. 3 Kingdoms 122: If You Know that I Know that You Know that I'm Bluffing ...

    · 30 min · Episode 43

    When his campaign takes a drastic turn for the worse, Zhuge Liang is forced to resort to a desperate gamble.

  2. 3 Kingdoms 121: The Worst-Kept Secret

    · 29 min · Episode 42

    Meng Da totally misses the point of a SECRET rebellion. Can Zhuge Liang's advice help him pull it off anyway?

  3. 3 Kingdoms 120: The Enemy Within

    · 29 min

    While the Wei forces have their hands full with Zhuge Liang along the border, a new threat lurks deep inside their territory

  4. 3 Kingdoms 119: Gluttons for Punishment

    · 29 min

    Wei forces sent to stop Zhuge Liang first try to out-talk him, and then try again to outsmart him.

  5. 3 Kingdoms 118: Yes, Let's Try to Outsmart Zhuge Liang

    · 28 min

    Matching wits with Zhuge Liang sounds like a horrible idea, but that won't stop multiple Wei officers from trying.

  6. 3 Kingdoms 117: Go North, Old Man

    · 29 min

    Zhuge Liang sends a 70-something general and a tax collector to lead the way for his Northern expedition.

  7. 3 Kingdoms Supplemental 011: Zhang Fei, Fact and Fiction

    · 8:59

    We dive into the differences between the fictional and real-life Zhang Fei and ask, "Who really whipped that corrupt bribe-seeking government official?"

  8. 3 Kingdoms 116: Haute Cuisine with Zhuge Liang

    · 29 min

    How do you appease the angry souls of the damned? Feed them buns that look like human heads and tell them death is no escape from imperial subjugation, apparently.

  9. 3 Kingdoms 115: Stop ... Being ... So ... Nice!

    · 29 min

    After a couple more displays of over-the-top kindness, imperial subjugation is starting to look kind of decent after all for Meng Huo.

  10. 3 Kingdoms 114: Homewreckers

    · 29 min

    Zhuge Liang strolls into Meng Huo's house and makes himself at home.

  11. 3 Kingdoms 113: So What Doesn't Kill You Around Here?

    · 29 min

    Zhuge Liang's army marches deeper into the heart of darkness and forgets to read the part in the travel guide about bringing bottled water.

  12. 3 Kingdoms 112: Gift-Wrapped Victories

    · 28 min

    Zhuge Liang catches Meng Huo twice more with hardly any effort.

  13. 3 Kingdoms 111: Catch and Release

    · 30 min

    Zhuge Liang continues his campaign to win not only battles, but also barbarian hearts and minds.

  14. 3 Kingdoms 110: That Was Easy

    · 28 min

    Zhuge Liang barely breaks a sweat while cruising through level 1 of his Southwestern quest.

  15. 3 Kingdoms 109: Troublesome Neighbors

    · 31 min

    While Shu and Wu become best buds again, trouble pops up from the North and the Southwest.

  16. 3 Kingdoms 108: Battle of the Nerds

    · 31 min

    An episode that starts with five armies bearing down on Shu somehow ends with nothing more than a showdown between pedants at a banquet.

  17. 3 Kingdoms Supplemental 010: Cao Cao, Fact and Fiction

    · 44 min

    A huge episode where we bid farewell to our favorite villain by delving into his real-life counterpart's life, career, and legacy.

  18. 3 Kingdoms 107: Doleful, Doh-ful, and Du Fu

    · 32 min

    Liu Bei gets sad, Cao Pi botches an invasion, and we read a poem by one of China's greatest poets.

  19. 3 Kingdoms 106: Do I Smell Smoke?

    · 32 min

    The tide of battle -- and history -- turns in the span of one night.

  20. 3 Kingdoms 105: Can't Get No Respect

    · 32 min

    In his most desperate hour, Sun Quan puts his faith in Lu Xun, but will his officers obey orders from a man they see as a pedant and a coward?

  21. 3 Kingdoms 104: Out with the Old, In with the New

    · 24 min

    Liu Bei's team of old warhorses takes another hit, but two young stallions are waiting in the wings. This episode is brought to you by special guest Kaiser Kuo, host of the Sinica Podcast.

  22. 3 Kingdoms 103: See, What Happened Was ...

    · 31 min

    With Liu Bei bearing down on them, the Southlands try to tell him that they didn't really mean to kill Guan Yu; it was all a simple misunderstanding. We swear!

  23. 3 Kingdoms 102: Oh Great, Who Died Now?

    · 29 min

    No, not him, too!! Another major character bites the dust.

  24. 3 Kingdoms 101: The Most Boring Episode

    · 30 min

    You would think the end of a 400-year dynasty would have more action than this, but it's all just decrees, counter-decrees, speeches, humble brags, and an unusually strong gust of wind.

  25. 3 Kingdoms 100: Cao Zhi and the Beanstalk

    · 31 min

    Cao Cao's third son finds out what passes for brotherly love in his family.

  26. 3 Kingdoms 099: Tears for a Villain

    · 31 min

    Cao Cao grapples with mortality and legacy.

  27. 3 Kingdoms Supplemental 009: Guan Yu, Fact and Fiction

    · 17 min

    We bid farewell to the Lord of the Beautiful Beard and talk about that time when Cao Cao stole the woman Guan Yu was going to steal from someone else.

  28. 3 Kingdoms 098: Back from the Dead

    · 31 min

    Guan Yu's ghost finds inner peace ... and then starts killing and spooking people.

  29. 3 Kingdoms 097: War of Attrition

    · 29 min

    Defeated and leaking troops by the minute, Guan Yu makes a desperate dash for safety.

  30. 3 Kingdoms 096: Sneak Attacks

    · 27 min

    While Guan Yu is busy fighting Cao Cao's forces, Lü Meng and Dongwu try to catch him unawares.

  31. 3 Kingdoms 095: Anesthesia Is for Wusses

    · 29 min

    After an arrow causes a festering wound, Guan Yu signs up for a bleeding-edge surgical operation.

  32. 3 Kingdoms 094: Bringing a Coffin to a Knife Fight

    · 29 min

    With Guan Yu bearing down on a couple of his key cities, Cao Cao dispatches a general who pledges his life to victory and shows he means it.

  33. 3 Kingdoms Supplemental 008: Hands Off My Shortbread

    · 11 min

    We delve into the relationship between Cao Cao and his secretary Yang Xiu, a man with a keen understanding of his boss's mind ... and a death wish.

  34. 3 Kingdoms 093: The Man Who Didn't Want to Be King

    · 29 min

    After punching Cao Cao in the mouth, Liu Bei tries his best to keep his men from declaring him king, to no avail.

  35. 3 Kingdoms 100th Episode Q&A

    · 49 min

    We've made it to 100 episodes! So let's throw it open to some questions.

  36. 3 Kingdoms 092: Cao Cao's River of Woe

    · 28 min

    Cao Cao can't even get a good night's sleep as he tries to dislodge Liu Bei from the banks of the Han River.

  37. 3 Kingdoms 091: Mighty Man of Power

    · 28 min

    Huang Zhong performs more heroic deeds, then Zhao Yun says to Cao Cao, "Hey, remember me?"

  38. 3 Kingdoms 090: Take That, Young Punks!

    · 29 min · Episode 1

    With the battle for Hanzhong in full swing, Liu Bei sends a senior citizen to chase off some rowdy kids.

  39. 3 Kingdoms 089: They Chose ... Poorly

    · 28 min

    You are a court official. Cao Cao just put down a coup, and now he's asking whether you helped put out the fire started by the rebels or just stayed home. What would you say?

  40. 3 Kingdoms 088: Digression and Prognostications

    · 27 min

    We make virtually no progress in the narrative this week as we get tangled up in mysticism, superstition, and oh yeah, another conspiracy to overthrow Cao Cao.

  41. 3 Kingdoms 087: Cuts Like A Knife ... and Many Other Weapons

    · 28 min · Episode 39

    After a general risks life and limb to save him, Sun Quan makes sure everyone appreciates the sacrifice.

  42. 3 Kingdoms 086: You Killed My Father, Prepare to ... Deal with My Butthurt Tantrums

    · 27 min

    Sun Quan tries to wrestle some territory away from Cao Cao, while at the same time playing peacemaker between two of his own officers.

  43. 3 Kingdoms 085: Another One Bites the Dust

    · 27 min

    Another foe bows to Cao Cao's might.

  44. 3 Kingdoms Supplemental Episode 007: Zhou Yu, Fact and Fiction

    · 12 min

    A long overdue farewell to Dongwu's military genius, who had the misfortune of being alive in the time of Zhuge Liang. Or at least, that's how the novel tells it.

  45. 3 Kingdoms 084: On A Knife's Edge

    · 29 min

    Guan Yu brings a really big knife to a land dispute.

  46. 3 Kingdoms 083: I.O.U.; I.O.U. Not

    · 29 min

    Liu Bei comes into some new possessions, and then tries to wiggle out of having to pay back his creditors in Dongwu.

  47. 3 Kingdoms 082: Dueling Tigers

    · 28 min

    Zhang Fei and Ma Chao collide in a battle for the ages.

  48. Announcement 2016-06-29: 100th Episode

    · 2:29

    I'm planning to make the 100th episode a Q&A session, so send in your questions to 3kingdomspodcast@gmail.com by September 30, 2016.

  49. 3 Kingdoms 081: Honorable Men Slaughtering Women and Children

    · 28 min

    Liu Zhang looks for outside help to deal with the last outside help he brought in, while we hit pause to catch up with Ma Chao and his misadventures.

  50. 3 Kingdoms 080: Never Surrender! ... Until They Ask Nicely

    · 27 min

    Zhang Fei discovers that all you need to do to get the Riverlands' finest to switch sides is to say please.

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