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. Produced by Tangren Media and directed by Patrick Yau and Cheng Wai-man, the series starred Ma Tianyu, Elvis Han, Wan Qian, Dong Jie, Sunny Wang, Dong Xuan, Tan Jianci and Tse Kwan-ho in the leading roles. The series aired on Tencent starting March 27, 2018.^[1]

The series is set in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Consort Wang, a concubine of Emperor Ling, has just given birth to a pair of twin boys – Liu Xie 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 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. 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 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 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.

• Ma Tianyu as Yang Ping / Liu Xie, Emperor Xian of Han
• Elvis Han as Sima Yi
• Wan Qian as Empress Fu Shou
• Dong Jie as Tang Ying, Princess Consort of Hongnong
• Sunny Wang as Guo Jia
• Dong Xuan as Ren Hongchang (Diaochan)
• Tan Jianci as Cao Pi
• Tse Kwan-ho as Cao Cao
• Wang Yuwen as Cao Jie, Empress Xianmu
• Wang Xiaomin as Zhen Fu, Empress Wenzhao
• Li Jianyi as Zhang Yu
• Shu Yaoxuan as Jia Xu
• Wang Renjun as Xun Yu
• Na Renhua as Empress Dowager Dong
• Tu Nan as Man Chong
• 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
• Wang Yinuo as Consort Dong
• Sun Zujun as Wang Fu
• Wang Yilin as Zhao Yan
• Liu Yuhan as Cao Zhi
• Jia Benchu as Sima Lang
• Lin Jing as Empress He
• Deng Shang as Xu Fu

The series was filmed at the Hengdian World Studios and Xiangshan Film City between 7 March and 28 June 2017.^[2][3]

• List of media adaptations of Romance of the Three Kingdoms