''Secret of the Three Kingdoms'' is a 2018 Chinese television series based on the novel ''San Guo Ji Mi'' (三国机密; ''Secret of the Three Kingdoms'') by

Ma Boyong Ma Boyong (born 14 Dec, 1980) is a Chinese novelist, columnist and blogger. In the year of 2010, he won People's Literature Prize, one of China's most prestigious honors. His short story ''The City of Silence'' was translated into English by s ...

. Produced by Tangren Media and directed by Patrick Yau and Cheng Wai-man, the series starred

Ma Tianyu Ma Tianyu (; born 12 July 1986), also known as Ray Ma, is a Chinese Mandopop singer and actor of Hui ethnicity. He graduated from the Beijing Film Academy. Career 2006–2008: Debut as a singer In 2006, Ma Tianyu entered the ''My Hero'' compe ...

Elvis Han Han Dongjun (, born 21 July 1992), also known as Elvis Han, is a Chinese actor. Early life and education Han attended high school in Vancouver, Canada from 2007 to 2011. In 2011, Han was cast to star in the web film ''Vancouver Rock and Roll ...

Wan Qian Wan Qian (, born 14 May 1982), also known as Regina Wan, is a Chinese actress and singer. She won Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 2014 Taiwanese film ''Paradise in Service'' and the Beijing College Student Film Festival fo ...

Dong Jie Dong Jie (, born 19 April 1980) is a Chinese actress and dancer. Dong made her debut in Zhang Yimou's '' Happy Times'' (2000) ( Yimou girl), playing a blind girl mistreated by her stepmother. Zhang selected Dong after a casting call on the Int ...

Sunny Wang Sunny Wang () is a Taiwanese-American actor and model. He was born on November 2, 1982, in New York, New York, United States of Taiwanese origin. He pursued his post-secondary education at New York University, Stern school of business and Tisch ...

, Dong Xuan,

Tan Jianci Tan Jianci (; born October 5, 1990), also known by his stage name ''JC-T'', is a Chinese actor, singer, and dancer. He is the youngest member of the Chinese idol group M.I.C. (band), M.I.C. Tan is now active as an actor in China and is known for ...

and

Tse Kwan-ho Tse Kwan-ho (born 23 March 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, professionally also known as Gardner Tse. Originally a nurse, Tse Kwan-ho rose to prominence in the stage play ''The Mad Phoenix'' (), this was later remade into a feature film of the sam ...

in the leading roles. The series aired on

Tencent Tencent Holdings Ltd. () is a Chinese multinational technology and entertainment conglomerate and holding company headquartered in Shenzhen. It is one of the highest grossing multimedia companies in the world based on revenue. It is also the w ...

starting March 27, 2018.

Synopsis

The series is set in the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

of China. Consort Wang, a concubine of Emperor Ling, has just given birth to a pair of twin boys –

Liu Xie Liu Xie (, ca. 465–522), courtesy name Yanhe (), was a Chinese monk, politician, and writer. He was the author of China's greatest work of literary aesthetics, ''The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons'' (文心雕龍). His biography is incl ...

and Liu Ping – when she is poisoned to death by the jealous Empress He. While Liu Xie is raised by his grandmother

Empress Dowager Dong Empress Dowager Dong (156 - 7 July 189), personal name unknown, formally known as Empress Xiaoren, was an empress dowager of the Eastern Han dynasty of China. She was never empress throughout her early life because she was the wife of a marquis; ...

and later becomes the emperor (as Emperor Xian), Liu Ping is secretly taken out of the palace and raised as a commoner. Eighteen years later, chaos has broken out throughout China as various warlords fight for power and control over territories. Emperor Xian has been reduced to the status of a puppet under the control of a powerful warlord,

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

. During this time, he learns that he has a secret twin brother, Liu Ping, so he summons his brother to the palace to help him save the Eastern Han dynasty from collapse. Throughout these years, Liu Ping has grown up with

Sima Yi Sima Yi ( ; 179 CE – 7 September 251 CE), courtesy name Zhongda, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He formally began his political career in 208 un ...

and never knew about his true origins. A power struggle breaks out between Liu Ping and Cao Cao. With assistance from Sima Yi,

Empress Fu Shou Fu Shou (died 8 January 215) was an empress of the Eastern Han dynasty of China. She was the first wife of Emperor Xian, the last Han emperor. She is best known for initiating a conspiracy against Cao Cao, the ruler of state of Cao Wei. Fami ...

and other Han loyalists, Liu Ping evades several attempts by Cao Cao and his followers to get rid of him. At a critical moment, Liu Ping realises that he cannot do anything to save the Eastern Han dynasty and that the best thing he can do is to back out from the power struggle.

Cast

as Yang Ping / Liu Xie, Emperor Xian of Han *

as Tang Ying, Princess Consort of Hongnong *

Guo Jia Guo Jia () (170–207), courtesy name Fengxiao, was an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Throughout his 11 years of service, Guo Jia aided Cao Cao greatly with his brilliance and foresight, and his s ...

* Dong Xuan as Ren Hongchang (

Diaochan Diaochan was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Although based on a minor historical personage, she is mostly a fictional character. She is best known for her role in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', ...

) *

Cao Pi Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest son ...

* Wang Yuwen as Cao Jie, Empress Xianmu * Wang Xiaomin as Zhen Fu, Empress Wenzhao * Li Jianyi as Zhang Yu * Shu Yaoxuan as

Jia Xu Jia Xu (147 – 11 August 223), courtesy name Wenhe, was an official of the state of Cao Wei during the early Three Kingdoms period of China. He started his career in the late Eastern Han dynasty as a minor official. In 189, when the warlord Don ...

* Wang Renjun as

Xun Yu Xun Yu (163–212), courtesy name Wenruo, was a Chinese military official and politician who served as an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early life Xun Yu was from Yingchuan Commandery (around pr ...

* Na Renhua as

* Tu Nan as

Man Chong Man Chong () (before 175According to the chronology of Man Chong's biography in ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', he was older than 17 when he was recruited by Cao Cao during Cao's tenure as Governor of Yan Province between 191 and 192. By calc ...

* Wang Meng as Yang Xiu * Zhang Qi as Yang Biao * Shi Wenxiang as Leng Shouguang * Chang Cheng as Yang Jun * Li Yansheng as

Kong Rong Kong Rong () (153 – 26 September 208), courtesy name Wenju, was a Chinese poet, politician, and minor warlord. who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was a 20th generation descendant of Confucius. As he was once the Chance ...

* Wang Yinuo as Consort Dong * Sun Zujun as Wang Fu * Wang Yilin as Zhao Yan * Liu Yuhan as

Cao Zhi Cao Zhi (; ; 192 – 27 December 232), courtesy name Zijian (), posthumously known as Prince Si of Chen (陈思王), was a prince of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China, and an accomplished poet in his time. His style o ...

* Jia Benchu as

Sima Lang Sima Lang (171–217), courtesy name Boda, was a government official who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was the eldest among the eight sons of Sima Fang, who served as the Intendant of the Capital () during the reign of ...

* Lin Jing as Empress He * Deng Shang as Xu Fu

Production

The series was filmed at the

Hengdian World Studios Hengdian World Studios () is a film studio located in Hengdian, a Chinese town in the city of Dongyang, Zhejiang Province. It is one of the largest film studios in the world. The movie studio is operated by the privately owned Hengdian Group foun ...

and Xiangshan Film City between 7 March and 28 June 2017.

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

References