Saying Yue Quan Chuan (Classical Popular Fiction Library)

Author: Qian Cai et al. (Qing Dynasty), edited by Lu Ming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-03-01
Features: The full title of The Legend of Yue Fei is The Story of Yue Fei According to the Qingzhong Yanyi and the Complete Biography of Yue the King. It is attributed to "Qian Cai of Renhua" for editing and "Jin Feng of Yongfu" for revision, comprising twenty volumes and eighty chapters. The book was completed around the Kangxi to Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and was once banned during the Qianlong era. Yue Fei is a national hero etched in the hearts of the Chinese people, and The Legend of Yue Fei fully expresses the aspirations of the common folk. In the novel, Yue Fei is loyal to his country, righteous, highly skilled in martial arts, and proficient in strategy. The generals of Yue's army are mostly outlaws from the common people who are dissatisfied with the corrupt court but rise to defend their nation at critical times, shedding blood on the battlefield. As the opposing force are the weak court, the treacherous emperor, and the tyrannical ministers who abuse power, bend justice, and seek personal gain at the expense of the nation. Yue Fei is an invincible general on the battlefield, but in the struggle between loyalty and treachery, he ultimately meets a tragic end at Fengbo Pavilion due to his loyalty to the emperor. Faced with this helpless reality, the authors a fictional ending in the latter part of the novel where the treacherous ministers and invaders are punished, and the loyal officials and heroes are rewarded, reflecting the people's desire for "words of fantasy to comfort the loyal souls."