Sword of the Yue Maiden

"Sword of the Yue Maiden"

Book cover
Author Jin Yong
Country Hong Kong
Language Chinese
Genre(s) Wuxia
Published in 1970
Publisher Ming Pao
Media type Print
Sword of the Yue Maiden
Traditional Chinese 越女劍
Simplified Chinese 越女剑

"Sword of the Yue Maiden",[1] alternatively translated as "Yue Maiden's Sword",[2] is a wuxia short story by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It was first serialised in 1970 in the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao Evening Supplement.[3] This short story is the last of Jin Yong's works. However, its historical setting, in the Spring and Autumn period, is the earliest amongst Jin Yong's works.

Plot

The story is set in the Spring and Autumn period against the backdrop of the conflict between the states of Wu and Yue in southern China. A swordsman from Wu challenges Yue. Fan Li, a Yue royal adviser, finds Qing, a young swordswoman, to take up the Wu swordsman's challenge. Qing defeats the Wu swordsman with ease.

It is revealed that Qing learnt her skills while playing mock sword duels with a white gibbon. Fan Li allows Qing to train the soldiers of Yue in swordsmanship. Qing gradually falls in love with Fan Li. King Goujian of Yue finally defeats his rival King Fuchai of Wu after enduring hardship and humiliation. Fan Li is reunited with his lover Xishi, who has been working as a spy in Wu. Qing feels that Xishi is a threat to her relationship with Fan Li and wants to kill her. However, she is taken aback by Xishi's beauty and hesitates. Qing accidentally hurts Xishi with her inner energy while thrusting her sword towards Xishi, even though the blade did not touch Xishi at all. Xishi clutches her bosom in pain and the expression on her face is described as "so beautiful that it will take away the soul of any man who looks upon her". This incident gave rise to the Chinese phrase "Xizi clutching her bosom" (西子捧心), which refers to a woman's beauty being enhanced when she is in a state of distress or agony.

Main characters

Adaptations

In 1986, Hong Kong's ATV produced a television series based on the story, starring Moon Lee as Qing.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Li Yijian (2007). "'Rewriting' Jin Yong's Novels into the Canon: A Consideration of Jin Yong Novels as Serialized Fiction". In Huss, Ann; Liu Jianmei. The Jin Yong Phenomenon: Chinese Martial Arts Fiction and Modern Chinese Literary History. Youngstown, New York: Cambria Press. p. 78.
  2. ↑ Wu Dingbo; Patrick D. Murphy, eds. (1994). "Gallant Fiction". Handbook of Chinese Popular Culture. Greenwood Press. p. 248. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  3. ↑ The date conforms to the data published in Chen Zhenhui (陳鎮輝), Wuxia Xiaoshuo Xiaoyao Tan (武俠小說逍遙談), 2000, Huizhi Publishing Company (匯智出版有限公司), pg. 58.
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