"Say Yue Quan Chuan"

Author: Qian Cai [Qing Dynasty]
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Legend of Yue Fei (also known as The Complete Story of Yue Fei with Added Adventures of Loyalism), is a heroic romance novel based on the story of Yue Fei resisting the Jin forces, with a touch of historical romance. The Legend of Yue Fei is a complex work in terms of its ideological content, as it explores the conflict between loyalty and treachery as a thread to depict national contradictions, with the struggle between loyalty and treachery reflected within the context of national conflicts. The theme of loyalty and treachery is an ancient one, but its specific content varies across different eras. The loyalty and treachery depicted in The Legend of Yue Fei unfold against the special historical backdrop of the Southern Song Dynasty, when the nation was still unstable and the Jin forces launched a massive invasion into Central China. Generals like Yue Fei, who advocated resistance and sought to reclaim lost territories, stood in stark contrast to the treacherous faction led by Qin Hui, who relentlessly pushed for a traitorous peace. Thus, loyalty versus betrayal, resistance versus surrender, became the concrete content of the loyalty and treachery depicted in the work. Since the highest ruler, the emperor, stood on the side of the surrenderists, this created an irreconcilable dilemma for both the author and the protagonist: on one hand, praising resistance was inherent to the central theme of the Yue Fei story and aligned with the author's ideology; on the other hand, loyalty to the monarch was the highest moral principle in feudal society, the "topmost of the Three Cardinal Guides," a principle the author could not bypass. In a situation where the emperor himself was the head of the surrenderist faction, loyalty to the monarch and patriotism were mutually exclusive. However, in The Legend of Yue Fei, the author strove to unify the two, resulting in the complexity of the work's thematic ideas and Yue Fei's character. Unable to explain the tragedy of reality, the author added a comforting conclusion to the story of Yue Fei. Therefore, the eighty chapters of The Legend of Yue Fei naturally divide into two relatively independent parts: the first sixty-one chapters tell the "heroic chronicle" and "foundational story" of Yue Fei, while the last nineteen chapters recount the events after his death—how Yue Fei's injustices were rectified and he was posthumously honored as the "Loyal and Martial King." The Legend of Yue Fei is filled with a sense of romance. Scenes such as Yue Fei charging alone into the enemy camp, Liang Hongyu beating the war drums against Jin forces at Jinshan, and Niu Gao dying with a laugh while riding Jin Wuzhu on his horse are vividly depicted and deeply moving. Other scenes, such as Li Ruoshui's unwavering defiance under brutal torture, biting off the ear of the wolf leader; Zong Ze's patriotic fervor leading him to shout "Kill the enemy after crossing the river" before dying; and Wang Zuo using the "bitter flesh trick" to cut off his own arm to infiltrate the Jin camp for betrayal, all leave a lasting impression. The plot arrangement of The Legend of Yue Fei has its own distinctive features. Centered around Yue Fei, it forms a dynamic structure where all other characters revolve around him. Additionally, while maintaining a clear vertical main storyline, the work pays attention to the vividness of horizontal plotlines and the richness of character personalities. The interweaving of these elements is well-organized, with a clear focus and dense details. The classical techniques of suspense, foreshadowing, callbacks, contrast, and embellishment are skillfully employed, resulting in a relatively successful achievement.