The Heroic Deeds of Sons and Daughters

Author: (Qing) Wen Kang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1900-01-01
Features: In the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, a new genre of popular fiction emerged in China—children and heroes novels. Its representative work is The Story of the Heroic and Charming. Wen Kang, born into an Eight Banners family, wrote this story of a complete tale in his later years of poverty and boredom. He was not satisfied with the heroic display of prowess and the poetic exchanges of lovers. Instead, he gathered the virtues of heroes, heroines, and great sages into his beloved character, the Thirteen Sisters, while having the young nobleman An Ji study and pass imperial examinations, achieving continuous success, and ultimately becoming a high-ranking official, enjoying immense wealth and luxury.
The special strength of The Story of the Heroic and Charming lies in the vivid, elegant, witty, and humorous vernacular language. Wen Kang wrote in Beijing dialect, incorporating a wealth of colloquial expressions. The lively, expressive, and playful style often made readers forget the simplistic and shallow nature of his creative ideas, immersing them in the joy brought by the brilliant language. The dialogue in the novel is particularly outstanding. Wen Kang must have carefully studied the tones, postures, and psychological activities of various characters in real life, so the conversations he wrote were lifelike, with each person having their own voice and manner. Describing it as "captivating" is truly fitting.
The book depicts a bureaucratic case that occurred from the late Kangxi period to the early Yongzheng era in the Qing Dynasty. On one hand, it exposes the darkness and hardships of the court at the time; on the other hand, it creates several vivid and lifelike characters. An Xuehai’s experiences on the riverworks cannot but remind readers of the past days of corrupt officials and suffering people. Moreover, Wen Kang’s portrayal of characters showcases his unique creative talent. For example, the gentle and refined An Gong, the bold and heroic Thirteen Sisters, the gentle and graceful Zhang Jinfeng, and the rough but hearty Deng Jiugong.
The novel has 40 chapters and over 500,000 words, making it long and cumbersome. After editing and rewriting, only the essence of the book remains, making it worth careful reading for young friends. Wen Kang, styled Tie Xian, also called himself "A Leisurely Person of Yanbei," was a Qing Dynasty novelist. Born into the Manchu Xianghong Banner, he held official positions but fell into poverty in his later years. He wrote The Story of the Heroic and Charming to express his ideals and aspirations, portraying his ideal characters—those who embodied both heroic spirit and tender emotions.