Sa Jin Hua. Mortal World

Author: Wang Xiaoyu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-12-01
Features: A young girl from Jiangnan, at the cusp of womanhood, is lured onto a flower boat selling floral art under the weight of life's hardships, becoming a courtesan. She struggles fiercely to escape her plight, yet manages to grasp the hand of a high-ranking official of the imperial court, a former scholar-official, and accompanies him on a visit to Europe, revered as the "Ambassador's Wife." However, all of this soon fades like wind and mist. Fate cruelly forces her back into the brothel, continuing her bitter and sordid life. From then on, countless footsteps of high-ranking officials and dignitaries from Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing pursue her in a flurry. She becomes not only a renowned courtesan at the height of the late Qing and early Republican era but also, in the chapter of national humiliation in the history of the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China, writes a disputed and debated line in history with her personality and opportunities. Her name is Sai Jinhua.
Wang Xiaoyu, a literary talent of Shanghai, once again turns her pen to the theme of women at the bottom of society. With a sharp gaze, she examines and sorts through the chaotic history, thoroughly analyzing the turbulent and dark era, and depicting the ups and downs of Sai Jinhua's life. In her portrayal, Sai Jinhua is neither a wanton courtesan nor a truly beautiful and charming courtesan, nor a "Divine Empress Who Protects the Nation" who tries to save the nation from chaos. Instead, she is an ordinary woman immersed in the life of a courtesan, full of womanly charm yet possessing wisdom and courage, indulging in vices and pursuing vanity but still retaining a kind nature.
Author Sai Shi has conducted a comprehensive study of historical materials, the context of the era, social customs, including the history of courtesans in modern times. She blends her true understanding of history and human nature with the mature techniques of a novelist, making the work rich in content, dramatic in plot, vivid in characters, and imbued with a strong sense of life and readability.