Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Four se-tenant stamps based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms were issued in 2001 by Macao Post.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of China's Four Great Masterworks along with Water Margin, Journey to the West, and a Dream of the Red Chamber. The book is a 14th century fiction about based on three kingdoms. 

• Liu Bei, descended from that Dynasty, founded the continuation called "Shu-Han", situated in the South and West 
• Cao Cao consolidated his power in the north and central China laid the foundations for "Wei" 
• And the Sun family, at the time led by Sun Quan, would form the third, "Wu" - separated by the wide Yangtze River in the South and East.

The novel starts with the end of four hundred years of reign by the Han Dynasty. The emperor is a puppet at the hands of an evil tyrant (Dong Zhuo), who is supported by a warrior (Lu Bu). It includes stories involving coalition, betrayals, battles, politics, strategies, and personal stories of more than thousand characters.

The book was written by Luo Guanzhong and later revised by Mao Lun and Mao Zonggang in the 1660s.  If you haven’t read the book, Red Cliff - International Movie Version or the free online translation of the book may be a good starting point.

The scenes depicted in the stamps (courtesy of explanation from redditors):

• Top left: The story of the Oath in the Peach Garden tells how three legendary figures from the period, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, met and became sworn brothers.
• Top right: Lu Bu fleeing from Dong Zhuo after he finds him with Diao Chan in Feng Yiting. Dong Zhuo is shown throwing Lu Bu’s Ji in anger.
• Bottom left: Liu Bei meeting and recruiting Zhuge Liang to his service after several fruitless visits to his home. Later Zhuge Liang was only convinced to join because Liu Bei’s intentions were pure and he was a good man. This is the famous Three visits to Zhuge Liang’s Hut.
• Bottom right: Zhou Yu sustains an arrow wound at the Battle of Jiangling against Cao Ren's forces, and his condition deteriorates after Zhuge Liang makes him angry by foiling his plans on three occasions later. On the third time, Zhou Yu coughs blood and dies. Shown here: Zhou Yu reading letter from Zhuge Liang on his death bed. He is spitting blood on the horse.. 

The stamps are designed by Poon Kam Ling, who went on to design the second set of stamps on the same subject in 2013.