Three Heroes and Three Swords (Chinese Chivalry Classics Series)

Author: Zhang Jiexin
Publisher:
Publish 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 economy, 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 time of the warring states, when feudal lords competed for talent and the practice of recruiting scholars 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." 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 hardship and injustice struck. Because of this, as Wuxia heroes emerged and the 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 justice, providing life prototypes for Wuxia literature and serving as 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 justice, their words are always trustworthy, their actions decisive, their promises sincere, and they love their bodies not for themselves but for others. 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 of Chinese Wuxia novels since their inception. In the late 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, adding a strong literary flavor. During the Tang Dynasty, people began to consciously write novels, and Wuxia novels also matured, forming a significant part of Tang Dynasty legends, such as The Legend of the Bearded Guest, The Legend of Nie Yingnian, The Legend of Hong Xian, and The Legend of the Unparalleled. These works created iconic Wuxia heroes, not only reflecting the turbulent social conditions of the Tang Dynasty but also leaving 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 sessions and the Ming and Qing Dynasties' serial novels, many excellent Wuxia novels emerged, such as Water Margin, one of the most important works in the history of novels, which is undoubtedly the finest Wuxia novel—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 in development, with Wuxia novels being particularly prominent, leading to what was called a "frenzy period," even with abnormal development, which drew criticism from scholars. However, despite many works lacking artistic value due to authors' casual writing and merchants' profit-seeking, 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 exceptionally brilliant. In the 1950s, Wuxia novels in Hong Kong and Taiwan flourished again, with a succession of renowned authors, 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 against 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. The achievements of literary creation are not limited by themes. As long as they use typical language to reflect social and historical 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. New works and high-quality research books emerged continuously, which is undoubtedly important for summarizing the artistic laws of Wuxia literature creation and guiding reading and writing. It is believed that excellent Wuxia works will appear in the near future. Wuxia novels are a form of mass culture; good works must appeal to both the refined and the popular. Without popular appeal and a broad readership, Wuxia novels will lose their vitality and inevitably head down a dead end. But popularity does not mean vulgarity, and mass culture is not low culture. Excellent Wuxia novels blend both the vulgar and the refined. Their authors should accumulate knowledge before they excel. Only in this way can they be loved by people of all cultural levels. Truly achieving this is difficult—it requires a great talent. Because Wuxia novels must be popular and face the masses, there is also the issue of how to improve readers' artistic appreciation. Those who aim high often achieve something in the middle. How to recommend the best works to readers is not only the task of novelists but also the responsibility of publishers and researchers. The Taiwanese academic and publishing communities once selected dozens of old-style Wuxia novels, publishing 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 Wuxia Classics Series when readers begin to reflect on and refine their understanding of Wuxia novels, undoubtedly doing a great thing for the academic and reading communities. It can be said that their contribution is outstanding in the literary world and beneficial to readers, deserving of special praise. This series includes eight excellent works such as The Heroic Deeds of the Son and Daughter, Seven Heroes and Five Righteous, and Seven Swords and Thirteen Heroes, with a carefully selected list representing the highest achievements of Wuxia novels during the Qing and Republican periods. Coupled with precise editing and elegant design, they truly deserve the title of "Wuxia Classics." Set in the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the society was turbulent, with bandits rampant, merchants and travelers frequently robbed. Led by Sheng Ying, martial arts heroes established the "General Escort Bureau of Thirteen Provinces" in Jiangning to protect merchants and travelers. Their actions were supported by the court, but the bandits saw them as thorns in their sides and sought to eliminate them. However, after several confrontations, Sheng Ying and his escort guards defeated the bandits with their superior martial skills. The bandits then plotted to steal treasures from the palace, frame Sheng Ying, and eliminate him with the help of the court. Emperor Kangxi, discerning right from wrong, not only trusted Sheng Ying but also ordered him to capture 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 such as fighting at Erlang Mountain, at Lotus Valley, burning the White Lotus Temple, capturing Jiulong Mountain, defeating Xiao Jintai, Xiao Yintai, and Xiao Yutai, five battles at Lotus Lake, capturing Han Xiu, and arresting Lin Shipei and the Nine Fish and Two Crabs.