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The emperor of a crumbling Han Kingdom hatches an assassination plot that seems to have been foretold in an ancient prophecy in this sweeping historical epic starring Chow Yun Fat. The time is the Three Kingdoms period. As Emperor Xian's infatuation with the arts distracts him from being a powerful leader, aging Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao (Yun-Fat) fights to maintain their empire's might. When rumors of Cao Cao's ruling ambitions begin to swirl, Emperor Xian sets into motion a plan to have the powerful warrior eliminated. According to an ancient prophecy, a new dynasty will emerge from the ashes of the old one when the four elementals begin to align. Now, in the year 221 A.D., Cao Cao finds himself beset by his enemies. The children of his fallen rivals have been shaped into assassins by a mysterious figure, and now, with the four stars rising in the sky above Bronze Sparrow Tower, the powerful Cao Cao prepares to make his last stand.