Student Edition of High School Classical Literature Masterpieces (Third Series)

Author: Anonymous (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-02-01
Features: Shigong An is a novel from the late Qing Dynasty. Also known as Shigong An Chuan, Shi An Qi Wen, and Bai Duan Qi Guan, it was not attributed to any author. It is believed that its stories originated from storytelling and were later refined and elaborated by scholars. The central character of the novel, Shi Shilun, is actually Shi Shilun from the Kangxi era, styled Wenxian, a member of the Qing Han military flag, who served as the magistrate of Jiangdu County in Yangzhou, the governor of Jiangning, and the governor of the Grand Canal. He authored Nantang Ji and is recorded in Qing Shi Guo. The preface to the novel states, "I have collected dozens of actual cases and presented them to let the world know the character of Shigong, and to let officials know to follow Shigong as a model." However, many of the case themes and plots in the book are largely fictional. The novel begins with Shi Shilun serving as the magistrate of Jiangdu County in Yangzhou and ends when he is promoted to the position of governor of the Tongzhou Granary. The deeds he performs are mainly "judging cases" and "suppressing bandits." The plot is slightly more intricate than that of Ming Dynasty case novels. Beyond judging cases, there are also scenes where he encounters danger during private investigations. The novel features over a dozen cases, most of which are resolved through supernatural means such as dreams, spirits, and divine judgment, giving it a strong mystical flavor. The brutal and ruthless methods used to eliminate the "Yellow River Water Bandits" Liu Liu and Liu Qi, as well as the martial artists Wu Tianqiu and Pu Tian diao from the Tiger Valley, clearly reflect the novel's tendency to uphold loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and the feudal hierarchy. The other main character of the novel is the martial artist Huang Tianba. Originally from the "green forest" (a term for bandits), he attempted to assassinate Shigong and was captured. He claimed to have "reformed from evil" and changed his name to Shi Zhong, becoming a bodyguard and lackey for the government. He turned against his former bandit friends, plotted to execute twelve bandits, forced his sworn brother and sister to commit suicide, and sought rewards for his achievements. The creation of this character aims to combine the "martial artist who subdues injustice and helps the people" with the "loyal and righteous person who serves the ruler," transforming the "martial artist" into a loyal servant and accomplice of the feudal regime, thereby upholding the interests of the feudal empire. Shigong An marks the fusion of Chinese case novels and martial arts novels. It was continued to 10 volumes during the Tongzhi and Guangxu eras. Its sequels include San Xia Wu Yi and Peng Gong An. There are also other works such as Li Gong An, Liu Gong An, Yu Gong An, and Zhang Gong An. The characteristics of these novels are that "each is led by a famous official," while the so-called "martial artists" "help the government." However, because Shigong An promotes the idea of "punishing evil and rewarding good" and caters to the psychology of some urbanites, it had a significant impact. Many Peking Opera titles, such as Ehu Village and Lianhuan Tuo, are related to the novel Shigong An. The language of the novel is colloquial, resembling spoken language, but it is rough and vulgar, with many grammatical errors. Its skillful narrative style, however, gives it the characteristics of folk popular literature.