Little Five Righteousness

Author: Shi Yukun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Wuxia novels are an important part of Chinese literature, with a long and profound history. As early as the pre-Qin period, with the decline of the slave system and the development of feudal urban economy, a special scholar class emerged in society, who relied on their skills—whether literary or martial—to make a living. Especially during the period of feudal lords' conflicts, when lords recruited scholars and the practice of nurturing talent flourished, the scholar class further developed. Among the scholar class, Confucianism and Wuxia (martial chivalry) had the most influence. Han Fei, in his essay "The Five Vermin," listed them together, describing Confucians as "disrupting the law with literature" and Wuxia as "committing crimes with martial prowess," leaving the earliest records of the term "Wuxia." 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 the Wuxia heroes emerged and the scholar 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 marking its origins.
During the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian, moved by his own misfortunes and the perceived weakness of scholars, used his sharp 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—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 celebrated. This has been the dominant ideology in Chinese Wuxia novels since their inception.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yan Dan Zi, known as the "ancestral text of ancient and modern novels," emerged, praising Jing Ke for his unwavering trustworthiness, decisive actions, and willingness to sacrifice his life to assassinate the Qin Emperor Ying Zheng, imbued with strong literary color.
During the Tang Dynasty, people began to consciously write novels, and Wuxia novels also matured, occupying a significant place in Tang Dynasty legends. Works like The Legend of the Bearded Guest, The Legend of Nie Yingniang, The Legend of Hong Xian, and The Legend of the Unparalleled Hero 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 for imitation that have influenced to this day.
Since the Tang Dynasty, when Wuxia novels formally 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 and the Ming and Qing Dynasty’s 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 fiction led the literary revolution, its development far surpassed other literary forms, with Wuxia novels being particularly prominent, creating what is known as the "" (crazy tide period) and even leading to distorted development, which drew criticism from scholars. However, while many works lacked artistic value due to the authors' frivolous writing and merchants' pursuit of profit, many excellent works were created by authors like Xiang Kairan, Wang Dulu, Zhu Zhenmu, Li Shoumin, Gong Baiyu, and Zheng Zhengyin, making the old-style Wuxia novels a splendid era.
In the 1950s, Wuxia novels in Hong Kong and Taiwan flourished again, with many renowned writers 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 once held prejudices or disdain for them had to acknowledge the reality: Wuxia literature was no longer just idle talk or gossip, but excellent Wuxia works could also join the ranks of literary masterpieces.
Literary creation is not limited by themes. As long as it uses typical language to reflect social and historical realities, portrays vivid characters, demonstrates the author's profound thoughts on life, society, and nature, and displays a unique artistic style, it will stand tall in the literary world.
Since the 1980s, with the reform and opening-up, 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 important for summarizing the artistic laws of Wuxia literary creation and guiding reading and writing. It is believed that in the near future, more excellent Wuxia works will appear.
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 both the vulgar and the refined. Their authors should be well-read before they can excel. Only then can they be loved by people of all cultural backgrounds. Truly achieving this is difficult—it requires a masterful hand.
Because Wuxia novels must be popular and appeal to the masses, there is also the issue of how to improve readers' artistic appreciation. Those who aim high will 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.
In Taiwan, the academic and publishing communities 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 sharp vision, 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 is undoubtedly a great contribution to the academic and reading communities, worthy of being celebrated.
This series includes eight selected works like The Story of Heroes and Heroines, Seven Heroes and Five Righteous, and Seven Swords and Thirteen Heroes, all of which represent the highest achievements of Wuxia novels during the Qing and Republican periods. With precise annotations and elegant design, they truly deserve the title of "Chivalry Classics."
The Little Five Righteous is a sequel to The Three Heroes and Five Righteous. It was refined by a folk artist from the late Qing Dynasty, Shi Yukun, into a story about the white-haired mouse Bai Yutang venturing alone into the bronze net formation to eliminate the rebellious Prince of Xiang Zhao Yu, meeting his demise. Afterward, the other righteous heroes gradually aged. Their descendants, Xu Liang, Bai Yunsheng, Lu Zhen, and Han Tianjin, gathered at an inn on their way to Xiangyang to break the bronze net formation, joining forces with the young hero Ai Hu to form the "Little Five Righteous." Along the way, they eliminated strongmen and eventually gathered in Wuchang, led by Jiang Ping and Wei Zhen, to attack the bronze net formation, where they faced numerous dangers. The story is intricate, with a complex plot.