Chapter - 53 (53) (1/2)
Afterword
The Deer and The Cauldron was first published as a serial in Ming Pao newspaper (Hong Kong) on October 24, 1969, and ended on September 23, 1972; altogether it was serialized for two years eleven months. My usual practice in writing this serial was to write a segment a day, and publish it the next day, so this novel was also written continuously in two years eleven months. If there is nothing extraordinary happens (in life, there will always be extraordinary things happen), this will be my last wuxia novel.
However, 'The Deer and The Cauldron' already does not look too much like a wuxia novel, rather, it is a historical novel. When this novel was published in the newspaper, the readers unceasingly wrote to ask: ”Is 'The Deer and The Cauldron' written by someone else?” Because they found that this novel is greatly different than my former work. The fact is that this novel was written completely by myself. I am very grateful for the readers who doted on me and pampered me; when they don't like certain book or certain passage that I write, they concluded: ”It is written by others.” They would reserve positive review for myself, and push the unfavorable review to some 'ghost writer'.
'The Deer and The Cauldron' is completely different from my previous wuxia novels; it was intentional. An author should not always repeat his style and form, he should try to create something new as far as possible.
Some readers were not happy with 'The Deer and The Cauldron', because of the main protagonist Wei Xiaobao's moral character, and because of excessive violation of system of values. Readers of wuxia novels are accustomed to substitute themselves into the hero of the book, yet Wei Xiaobao cannot be substituted. In this regard, some readers were deprived of some fun, for which I apologize.
However, it is not necessary that the protagonist of a novel is a 'good guy'. One of the primary missions of a novel is to create characters: good guys, bad guys, good guys with shortcomings, bad guys with good merits, and so on, anything can be written. In China during Kangxi's era, a character like Wei Xiaobao is not out of question. When an author writes about a character, the intention is not to make this character necessarily typical. Hamlet's indecision, Luo Ting who can speak but cannot do, the priest in 'Scarlet Letter' who took part in adultery, Anna Karenina who betrayed her husband; the authors are simply portraying characters like them, not at all encouraging the readers to imitate their behavior. It would be best if the readers do not act like Li Kui of 'The Water Margin', who lost in gambling and stole money, or like Song Jiang, who chopped the mistress who unceasingly blackmailed him to death. Lin Daiyu [from 'The Dream of Red Mansions'] is clearly not a role model for the modern female readers. The sexual relations Wei Xiaobao had with women were not as many as Jia Baoyu at all, to say the least, Wei Xiaobao was not as gay as Jia Baoyu, who already had Qin Zhong, but also had Jiang Yuhan. Lu Xun [1881-1936, one of the earliest and best known modern Chinese writers] wrote 'The True Story of Ah Q' [1921], it was not to agitate the vitality of victory at all.
If the characters in the novels are perfect, unavoidably it is not realistic. Novels reflect the society; in real-life society there is no such thing as absolutely perfect person. Novels are not textbooks in morality at all. It's just that a lot of the readers of my novels are teenage girls, hence I ought to remind these naïve young friends this one thing: Wei Xiaobao attached most importance to yi qi, indeed this is a good moral character; as for his other actions, absolutely must never be copied.
Altogether I wrote twelve long wuxia novels, two novelettes, and one short story. The fourteen characters of the first character of the titles make a rhyming couplet:
飞雪连天射白鹿
笑书神侠倚碧鸳
The last insignificant short story 'The Sword of Yue Maiden' was not included.
During encounters with early readers, the most often asked question was: ”Which of your own novels do you like best?” This question is very difficult to answer, therefore, I often did not reply. Speaking about 'personal preference', I prefer several books with comparatively intense emotion: 'Divine Eagle Gallant Knights', 'Heavenly Sword and Dragon-slaying Saber', 'The Other Tales of The Flying Fox', 'Smiling Proud Wanderer', 'Demi Gods and Semi Devils'. People often asked, ”Which of your own novel you think is the best?” This is a question about technique and value. I believe that over the course of my writing career I have made some progress: the long novels are slightly better than the novelettes and the short story, the later works are somewhat better than the early ones. But many readers did not agree. And I really like it that they do not agree.
1981-6-22
My fifteen wuxia novels are finally revised by the beginning of the 21
st
century, the project is completed in July of 2006, mainly it was revision of writing style, there are no major changes on the plot. I seriously considered major change on 'The Deer and The Cauldron', but in the end I decided not to, because this novel tells the story of the golden age of the Qing Dynasty during Kangxi's reign, the main focus was the era itself rather than the people. In that era, this kind of story is plausible. I definitely do not encourage present-age young people to imitate Wei Xiaobao: not opposing mother becoming a prostitute, not knowing Han script, bribing and being corrupt, exchanging people at the execution ground, contempt of the law, after killing someone using drug to dispose the body, even taking seven wives. Just as 'The Dream of Red Mansions' and 'The Water Margin' are good novels, but in modern society, Jia Baoyu and Li Kui's actions cannot be imitated.
2006-7-15
[1] Chuan is abbreviation for Sichuan province. I am not sure about the 'Hu' (lake), since Hunan/Hubei are not adjacent to Sichuan.
[2]Zhuang house, 'zhuang jia' can also mean 'banker' (in gambling); 'leg vise' (夹棍), I don't know what it is, I am assuming it has something to do with gambling; 'three directions', usually there are four positions in a gambling table, denoted by east, south, west, and north, respectively.
[3][4] Wang Xizhi (303-361), famous calligrapher of Eastern Jin, known as the sage of calligraphy.
[5] Chu Suiliang (597–658), a chancellor of the Tang Dynasty, during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong. He became increasingly trusted by Emperor Taizong toward the end of his reign and was charged with the responsibilities of serving as the imperial historian and providing honest advice.
[6] In Cantonese, 'Xuan' of Xiao Xuanzi's name is a homophone for circle. (Courtesy of Pannonian)
[7] Qian Qing Men: 'qian' – one of eight trigrams (bagua), symbolizing heaven, male principle, 'qing' – clear/quiet, 'men' – gate. Gate of Heavenly Purity. Qian Qing Gong – Palace of Heavenly Purity.
[8] Kun Ning Gong: 'kun' – one of eight trigrams, symbolizing earth, female principle, 'ning' – peaceful, 'gong' – palace. Palace of Earthly Tranquility. (Most of the English names are courtesy of Ace High.)
[9][10] Zhengde, 11
th
Ming Emperor Zhu Houzhao (1491-1521, reigned 1505-1521).
[11]Duke who Receives Grace and Guards the Nation (奉恩镇国公; feng en zhen guo gong), simplified as 'Duke who Guards the Nation' (镇国公; zhen guo gong) is the first subgrade of National Dukes (国公; guó gōng), a title granted only to members of the imperial clan. The rank of National Duke (国公; guó gōng) was higher than 'Commoner' Duke (民公; mín gōng)' which often simplified as 'Duke', but lower than a king (王; wáng). (Courtesy of Ace High)
[12] Dong Zhuo (-192), top general of late Han, usurped power in 189, murdered empress dowager and child emperor, killed in 192 by Lü Bu. Cao Cao (155-220), famous statesman and general at the end of Han, noted poet and calligrapher, later warlord, founder and first king of Cao Wei, father of Emperor Cao Pi, the main villain of novel the Romance of Three Kingdoms.
[13] 'your heart must be put to death' (其心可诛) is a chengyu which essentially means that a person is worthy of punishment due to having prepared a premeditated plan/intention, even if that plan wasn't carried out. Basically, it means that the premeditated intent, in and of itself, is sufficient to condemn someone as guilty. In this specific instance, Kangxi is saying that Wei Xiaobao's preparation of an escape route for himself, in and of itself, was sufficient to condemn him as being guilty, even if it was never used (which he now was). (Courtesy of Ren Wo Xing)
[14] Imperial Consort, 'gui fei', I believe it refers to Yang Guifei; she and Xi Shi were two of the four legendary beauties of ancient China.
[15] From the dictionary: 'Five Tiger Generals' was an allusion to the Romance of the Three Kingdom's five great generals under Liu Bei's command, i.e. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao and Huang Zhong.