The Story of a Chinese Heroine and Her Children

Author: Wen Kang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Wuxia novels are an important part of Chinese literature, with a long and rich history. As early as the pre-Qin period, with the decline of the slave system and the development of feudal urban economies, a special scholar class emerged in society, who earned a living through their skills—whether literary or martial, or playing the lute and flute. Especially during the period of feudal lords' conflicts, when various lords recruited scholars and the practice of nurturing scholars flourished, this further promoted the development of the scholar class. Among the scholar class, Confucianism and Wuxia (martial chivalry) had the most influence. Han Fei, in his essay "The Five Vermin," listed them side by side, describing Confucians as "disrupting the law with literature" and Wuxia as "committing crimes with martial prowess," leaving the earliest records of the term "Wuxia." Confucian scholars influenced people with their thoughts, while Wuxia heroes fought for justice with their martial skills. The latter, in an authoritarian society, undoubtedly had great appeal to ordinary people, especially the lower laboring class. In a sense, they gave the common people ideals, hopes, and courage to live on when faced with hardship and injustice. For this reason, as Wuxia heroes emerged and the class developed, there arose written records of them. In pre-Qin historical texts like the Zuo Zhuan and the Zhan Guo Ce, there are records of Wuxia heroes acting with righteousness, providing life prototypes for wuxia literature and serving as its origins.
During the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian, moved by his own misfortunes and the perceived incompetence of scholars, used his personal pain and tears to write biographies of wandering heroes and assassins, praising them for their integrity, decisiveness, and unwavering promises, as well as their willingness to sacrifice themselves for others. He wrote, "Their actions may not conform to the principles of justice, but their words are always trustworthy, their actions decisive, their promises sincere, and they do not hesitate to risk their lives. They rush to the aid of those in dire straits, facing life and death, yet they do not boast of their abilities or glory in their virtues—there is much to admire in them." Thus, he established the theme of "righteousness" in wuxia literature. Without righteousness, one cannot truly be a Wuxia hero, and without Wuxia, righteousness cannot be celebrated. This has been the dominant ideology of Chinese wuxia novels from the beginning until today.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yan Dan Zi, known as the "ancestral text of ancient and modern wuxia novels," emerged, praising Jing Ke for his trustworthiness, decisiveness, and willingness to sacrifice his life to assassinate the Qin Emperor Ying Zheng, giving it a strong literary flavor.
During the Tang Dynasty, people began to consciously write novels, and wuxia novels also matured during this period, occupying a significant place in Tang Dynasty legends. Works like The Legend of the Bearded Guest, The Legend of Nie Yingniang, The Legend of Hongxian, and The Legend of the Unparalleled are among the finest in Tang Dynasty legends. The swordsmen they portray not only reflect the turbulent social conditions of the Tang Dynasty but also left behind shining models and rich materials for later wuxia novels, providing artistic techniques that influenced the genre until today.
Since the Tang Dynasty, when wuxia novels officially entered the literary hall, they have stood out in the literary garden with their unique cultural essence and aesthetic tastes. During the Song Dynasty's storytelling sessions and the Ming and Qing Dynasties' serial novels, many excellent wuxia novels emerged, such as Water Margin, which holds an important place in the history of novels and is undoubtedly the finest wuxia novel—though its significance far exceeds that of ordinary wuxia novels.
By the 1920s and 1930s of this century, as novels led the literary revolution, their development far surpassed other literary forms, with wuxia novels being particularly prominent, creating what is known as the "wuxia craze," even leading to distorted development and criticism from scholars. However, despite a significant portion of works lacking artistic value due to authors' playful writing and merchants' greed, many excellent works were created by authors like Xiang Kaoran, Wang Dulu, Zhu Zhenmu, Li Shoumin, Gong Baiyu, and Zheng Zhengyin, leading to a brilliant period in old-style wuxia novels.
In the 1950s, wuxia novels in Hong Kong and Taiwan flourished again, with many renowned masters emerging, especially the three giants—Liang Yusheng, Jin Yong, and Gu Long. They inherited the essence of traditional literature while absorbing Western literary techniques, dedicating themselves to writing wuxia novels to elevate their quality. Through relentless effort, they pushed wuxia novels to a new level. Even those who previously held prejudices or disdain for them had to acknowledge the reality: wuxia literature was no longer just idle talk or gossip, and excellent wuxia works could also join the ranks of literary masterpieces.
The achievements of literary creation are not limited by themes. As long as they use typical language, reflect social and historical realities, portray vivid characters, demonstrate the author's profound thoughts on life, society, and nature, and exhibit a unique artistic style, they will stand tall and distinguished in the literary world.
Since the 1980s, with the reform and opening-up, new-style wuxia novels from Hong Kong and Taiwan surged into mainland China, reviving the dormant wuxia literary creation on the mainland. New works and authors emerged continuously, along with a large number of high-quality research works. This has undoubtedly been significant for summarizing the artistic laws of wuxia literary creation and guiding reading and writing. It is believed that in the near future, excellent wuxia works will appear.
Wuxia novels are a form of mass culture. Good works must appeal to both the refined and the popular, losing their vitality without popular appeal and a broad readership, inevitably leading to a dead end. However, popularity does not mean vulgarity, and mass culture is not low culture. Excellent wuxia novels blend both the popular and the refined. Their authors should be well-read before they can excel. Only then can they be loved by people of all cultural levels. Truly achieving this is difficult, requiring only a masterful hand.
Because wuxia novels must be popular and face the masses, there is also the issue of how to raise readers' artistic appreciation. Striving for the best will often achieve the middle, and how to recommend the finest works to readers is not only the task of novelists but also the unshirkable responsibility of publishers and researchers.
In Taiwan's academic and publishing circles, dozens of old-style wuxia novels were selected and published as The Great Series of Modern Wuxia Masterpieces, providing readers with classic works and hailed as a great event in the book world.
Now, Beijing October Literature Publishing House, with keen insight, has launched The Chinese Chivalry Classics Series at a time when readers are beginning to reflect on and refine their appreciation of wuxia novels. This bold and ambitious move is undoubtedly a great contribution to the academic and reading communities, earning them high praise in the wuxia world and benefiting readers, deserving of special mention.
This series includes eight selected works like The Story of the Heroic Parents and the Wandering Heroes, The Seven Heroes and the Five Righteous, and The Seven Swords and Thirteen Heroes, all of which represent the highest achievements of wuxia novels during the Qing and Republican periods. With precise editing and elegant design, they fully deserve the title of "Chivalry Classics."
The Story of the Heroic Parents and the Wandering Heroes is a distinctive mock-storytelling novel. Since its publication during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, it has been beloved by readers. The author, Wen Kang, whose surname is Feimo, was a Manchu from the Xianhong Banner. In the novel, the author creates an ideal story: during the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, the honest official An Xuehai is framed by corrupt officials. His son, An Ji, travels alone to rescue his father and is plotted against on the road, saved by the heroic woman He Yufeng (also known as the Thirteen Sisters). He Yufeng arranges a marriage between An Ji and another woman he saved, Jin Fengxiong. Afterward, He Yufeng retreats from the world. An's father, to repay the Thirteen Sisters, resigns his post and searches far and wide, eventually uncovering He Yufeng's true identity as the daughter of a military family. Learning of her origins, He Yufeng, with her father's enemies now eliminated by the court, decides to marry An Ji and live with Jin Fengxiong, helping An Ji establish his family.