Three Heroes and Three Swords

Author: Zhang Jiexin
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 slavery and the development of feudal urban economies, a special scholar class emerged in society, who made a living through their skills—whether literary or martial, or playing the lute and flute. Especially during the period of feudal lords' conflicts, when lords recruited scholars and the practice of nurturing talent flourished, this further promoted the development of the scholar class. Among the scholar class, Confucianism and Wuxia 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 were records of them. In pre-Qin historical texts like the Zuo Zhuan and the Zhan Guo Ce, there are accounts of Wuxia heroes acting with righteousness, which provided life prototypes for wuxia literature and can be considered the origin of wuxia novels.
During the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian, moved by his own misfortunes and the perceived weakness of scholars, used his own pain and blood-stained pen to write biographies of wandering heroes and assassins, praising them as "though their actions may not conform to the principles of justice, their words are always trustworthy, their actions decisive, their promises sincere, and they do not hesitate to sacrifice 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, and there is much to admire in them." Thus, he established the theme of "righteousness" in wuxia literature. Without righteousness, one cannot be called a Wuxia hero, and without Wuxia, righteousness cannot be glorified. This has been the dominant ideology of Chinese wuxia novels from the beginning until now.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Yan Dan Zi, known as the "ancestral text of ancient and modern wuxia novels," was produced, praising Jing Ke for his trustworthiness, decisiveness, and willingness to sacrifice his life to assassinate the Qin Emperor Ying Zheng, with 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 Biography of the Bearded Guest, the Biography of Nie Yingniang, the Biography of Hong Xian, and the Biography of the Unparalleled are among the finest in Tang Dynasty legends. The swordsmen they portray not only reflect the turbulent aspects of Tang society but also left behind shining models and rich materials for later wuxia novels, providing artistic techniques for imitation that have influenced until today. Since the Tang Dynasty, wuxia novels have officially entered the literary hall, competing for a unique position in the garden of literature with their unique cultural essence and aesthetic taste.
During the Song Dynasty, storytelling texts (huaben), and in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, serial novels (zhuanhuai), produced many excellent wuxia novels. For example, Water Margin, which holds an important place in the history of novels, is one of the finest wuxia novels—even though its significance far exceeds that of ordinary wuxia novels. In the 1920s and 1930s of this century, as the forerunner of literary revolution, fiction far surpassed other literary forms, with wuxia novels being particularly prominent, forming what is known as the "wuxia craze," even leading to abnormal development, which displeased critics. However, although a considerable number of works lacked artistic value due to the authors' frivolous writing and merchants' pursuit of profit, many writers like Xiang Kairan, Wang Dulu, Zhu Zhenmu, Li Shoumin, Gong Baiyu, and Zheng Zhengyin created many excellent works, making the old-style wuxia novels quite brilliant.
In the 1950s, wuxia novels in Hong Kong and Taiwan flourished again, with many renowned authors emerging, especially the three giants—Liang Yusheng, Jin Yong, and Gu Long. They inherited the essence of traditional literature while absorbing and introducing creative techniques from Western literature, dedicating themselves to writing wuxia novels to elevate their quality. Through relentless effort, they pushed wuxia novels to a new level. Even those who had 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 to reflect historical and social realities, portray vivid characters, demonstrate the author's profound thoughts on life, society, and nature, and display a unique artistic style, they will stand tall and distinguished in the literary world.
Since the 1980s, with the reform and opening-up, new wuxia novels from Hong Kong and Taiwan surged into mainland China, reviving the dormant wuxia literary creation on the mainland for 40 years. New works and authors emerged continuously, along with a large number of high-quality research works. This has undoubtedly been important for summarizing the artistic laws of wuxia literary creation and guiding reading and writing. It is believed that in the near future, there will be more excellent wuxia works.
Wuxia novels are a form of popular culture. Good works must appeal to both the refined and the masses. Without popular appeal and a broad readership, wuxia novels will lose their vitality and inevitably head down a dead end. However, popularity does not mean vulgarity, and popular culture is not low culture. Excellent wuxia novels blend the vulgar and the refined. Their authors should accumulate knowledge before they can excel. Only in this way can they be loved by people of all cultural levels. Truly achieving this is difficult—it requires a masterful hand.
Because wuxia novels must be popular and face the masses, there is also the issue of how to improve readers' artistic appreciation. Striving for the best will often achieve the middle. How to recommend the best works to readers is not only the task of novelists but also the unshirkable responsibility of publishers and researchers. The Taiwanese academic and publishing communities once selected dozens of old-style wuxia novels and published the Great Series of Modern Wuxia Masterpieces, providing readers with classic works, which was hailed as a great event in the book world.
Now, Beijing October Literature Publishing House, with keen insight, has launched the Series of Chinese Chivalry Classics at a time when readers are beginning to reflect on and refine their appreciation of wuxia novels. This bold and ambitious move has undoubtedly done a great service to the academic and reading communities. It can be said that it has achieved great merit in the wuxia world and benefited readers, deserving to be widely celebrated.
This series includes eight selected works like The Story of the Heroic Parents and the Righteous Heroes, Seven Heroes and Five Righteous, and Seven Swords and Thirteen Heroes, all with excellent selections, representing the highest achievements of wuxia novels during the Qing and Republican periods. With precise annotations and elegant design, they fully deserve the title "Chivalry Classics."
The story is set in the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, a time of social turmoil and banditry. Merchants and travelers were frequently robbed. To protect them, the martial heroes led by Sheng Ying established the "General Escort Bureau of Thirteen Provinces" in Jiangning Prefecture. Their actions were supported by the court, but the bandits regarded them as thorns in their sides and sought to eliminate them. However, after several clashes, Sheng Ying and his escort team's superior martial skills caused heavy losses to the bandits, defeating them soundly. The bandits then plotted to steal treasures from the palace, frame Sheng Ying, and use the court to eliminate him. Emperor Kangxi, discerning right from wrong, not only trusted Sheng Ying but also ordered him to arrest the bandits and recover the treasures. Sheng Ying, with the assistance of other heroes, engaged in a series of intellectual and martial confrontations with the bandits. Thus, there were thrilling and exciting scenes like fighting at Erlang Mountain, Liangyu Valley, burning the White Lotus Temple, capturing Jiulong Mountain, defeating Xiao Jintai, Xiao Yintai, and Xiao Yutai, fighting five times at Lianghua Lake, capturing Han Xiu, and arresting Lin Shipei and the Nine Fish and Two Crabs.