A Narrative Analysis of LIU Bei Entrusting His Son inRomance of the Three Kingdoms

The story of LIU Bei Entrusting His Sonhas been praised as an exemplary tale of loyalty between a ruler and his subjects. To some extent, it is owing to the narrative discourse of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.As a narrative text in the overlap of history and fiction, the story in the historical novel with compact and coherent narration blends reality and fiction perfectly. In fact, the theme of the son entrusting runs through the entire novel. LIU Bei entrusting his son as the climax of this story line presents narrative characteristics of being in a three-dimensional time and space which are ceremonial, performative, and obstructive. The narrative ideology permeates throughout, particularly highlighted the shaping of the image of ZHUGE Liang. Consequently, this deliberate presence of the narrative ideology leads to some possible criticism. It is necessary to reflect how to tell the story of the Three Kingdoms in the new era.