Fengshen Yanyi

Author: Ming Xu Zhonglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: ▼ Complete Content ▼ Sandalwood Aroma ▼ Compact and Portable ▼ Original Illustrations ▼ Easy to Carry
Rulun discussed the two major trends in Ming Dynasty fiction, one of which was the turbulent mythological fiction. The Investiture of the Gods is the mythological novel that followed Journey to the West in terms of artistic achievement, influence, and fame. The book blends gods, demons, and monsters with historical stories, or transforms historical stories into fantasy, or makes fictional characters historical. History here serves only as a backdrop or decoration, with the main tone still conveyed through gods, demons, monsters, and extraordinary events.
—This book is based on the Song and Yuan dynasty storytelling scripts The Subjugation of Zhou in Battle, incorporating folk legends and adding its own fictional elements to create a captivating and fantastical mythological novel. Set against the backdrop of the transition from the Shang to the Zhou dynasty, the story depicts the tyrannical reign of King Zhou of Shang and how King Wu of Zhou, aided by Jiang Ziya, fights against him in accordance with the will of heaven and the people. The gods in the heavens also split into two factions...