Sword Stained with Royal Blood
Encyclopedia
Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a wuxia
novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialized in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily
between January 1, 1956 and December 31, 1956. The book has three editions, and is undergoing revision for a fourth edition as of 2006.
Characters from this novel play minor roles in Jin Yong's last novel The Deer and the Cauldron
and the plots of both novels exhibit certain connections.
, the plot centers on Yuan Chengzhi, the son of Yuan Chonghuan
, a patriotic military commander who was wrongly put to death by the Chongzhen Emperor
. As an orphan, Yuan Chengzhi is sent to Mount Hua
, where he is tutored in martial arts by Mu Renqing. He grows up to become a fine young swordsman and leaves Mount Hua in search of adventure. Serendipitous incidents lead him to discover the Golden Serpent Sword and a martial arts manual, which once belonged to Xia Xueyi, a long-dead enigmatic swordsman. Yuan Chengzhi inherits Xia Xueyi's possessions and skills and becomes a formidable pugilist.
Subsequently, Yuan Chengzhi wanders around the land and meets Wen Qingqing, a young maiden from a family of brigands. Wen Qingqing is actually Xia Xueyi's daughter and she follows Yuan Chengzhi after being expelled from her family. Initially, Yuan Chengzhi wanted to seek redress for his father, but decides to join Li Zicheng's rebel force in overthrowing the corrupt Ming Dynasty. He helps the rebels retrieve the gold robbed by the Wen family, sabotages a battery of cannons supplied to the imperial army by foreigners, and finances the rebellion with part of the treasure he discovered in Nanjing
. Yuan Chengzhi also befriends several pugilists, who pledge allegiance to him after learning that he is the son of Yuan Chonghuan. Yuan Chengzhi reorganizes his followers to form an army and they pledge to serve and defend China from the Manchu
invaders in the north.
Eager to prove his loyalty to his countrymen, Yuan Chengzhi infiltrates the Manchu capital city and attempts to assassinate the ruler Hong Taiji
, but fails. Later despite having a feud with the Chongzhen Emperor for his father's death, he saves the emperor from a coup led by a treacherous noble, Prince Hui. During that time, he meets He Tieshou, one of Prince Hui's allies and the leader of the Five Poisons Cult. Yuan Chengzhi succeeds in guiding her back to the path of goodness and accepts her as his disciple. Concurrently, he becomes romantically involved with Qingqing and A'jiu (actually Princess Changping
).
Yuan Chengzhi's decision to aid the rebels eventually makes him regret, as after his victory, Li Zicheng fails to fulfill his promises of leading the people out of poverty and chaos, and condones his followers' atrocities against them. Yuan Chengzhi is disappointed with Li Zicheng and decides to leave. With help from Wu Sangui
, the Manchus enter the Central Plains
and overrun the rest of China, establishing the Qing Dynasty
. When Yuan Chengzhi learns that China has fallen to the Manchus, he realizes that he is unable to reverse the situation and decides to leave China for good and sails to a distant land, the Bruneian Empire
, with his companions.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialized in the Hong Kong Commercial Daily
Hong Kong Commercial Daily
The Hong Kong Commercial Daily is a business-oriented newspaper, published in broadsheet format. Established in 1952, it was the first financial newspaper in the Chinese language, with its electronic format available on the Internet...
between January 1, 1956 and December 31, 1956. The book has three editions, and is undergoing revision for a fourth edition as of 2006.
Characters from this novel play minor roles in Jin Yong's last novel The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron, also known as The Duke of Mount Deer, is a novel by Jin Yong, and was the last of Jin Yong's works. The novel was initially published as a serial, and ran between October 24, 1969 to September 23, 1972 in Ming Pao.Although the book is often termed as a wuxia novel, it is...
and the plots of both novels exhibit certain connections.
Plot
Set in the late Ming DynastyMing Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, the plot centers on Yuan Chengzhi, the son of Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan was a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty who battled the Manchus in Liaoning. A commander of Cantonese origin, Yuan Chonghuan was known to have excelled in artillery warfare and successfully incorporated Western tactics with those of the East...
, a patriotic military commander who was wrongly put to death by the Chongzhen Emperor
Chongzhen Emperor
The Chongzhen Emperor was the 16th and last emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. He reigned from 1627 to 1644, under an era name that means "honorable and auspicious".- Early years :...
. As an orphan, Yuan Chengzhi is sent to Mount Hua
Mount Hua
Mount Hua or Hua Shan in Chinese is located in Shaanxi Province, about 120 kilometres east of the city of Xi'an, near the city Huayin in China. Also known as Xiyuè, Western Great Mountain, it is one of China's Five Sacred Taoist Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance...
, where he is tutored in martial arts by Mu Renqing. He grows up to become a fine young swordsman and leaves Mount Hua in search of adventure. Serendipitous incidents lead him to discover the Golden Serpent Sword and a martial arts manual, which once belonged to Xia Xueyi, a long-dead enigmatic swordsman. Yuan Chengzhi inherits Xia Xueyi's possessions and skills and becomes a formidable pugilist.
Subsequently, Yuan Chengzhi wanders around the land and meets Wen Qingqing, a young maiden from a family of brigands. Wen Qingqing is actually Xia Xueyi's daughter and she follows Yuan Chengzhi after being expelled from her family. Initially, Yuan Chengzhi wanted to seek redress for his father, but decides to join Li Zicheng's rebel force in overthrowing the corrupt Ming Dynasty. He helps the rebels retrieve the gold robbed by the Wen family, sabotages a battery of cannons supplied to the imperial army by foreigners, and finances the rebellion with part of the treasure he discovered in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. Yuan Chengzhi also befriends several pugilists, who pledge allegiance to him after learning that he is the son of Yuan Chonghuan. Yuan Chengzhi reorganizes his followers to form an army and they pledge to serve and defend China from the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
invaders in the north.
Eager to prove his loyalty to his countrymen, Yuan Chengzhi infiltrates the Manchu capital city and attempts to assassinate the ruler Hong Taiji
Hong Taiji
Hong Taiji , also transliterated as Huang Taiji based on the Chinese language transcription of his name, was the first Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.Hong Taiji was the first Emperor of the Qing dynasty after acceding to the title in 1636...
, but fails. Later despite having a feud with the Chongzhen Emperor for his father's death, he saves the emperor from a coup led by a treacherous noble, Prince Hui. During that time, he meets He Tieshou, one of Prince Hui's allies and the leader of the Five Poisons Cult. Yuan Chengzhi succeeds in guiding her back to the path of goodness and accepts her as his disciple. Concurrently, he becomes romantically involved with Qingqing and A'jiu (actually Princess Changping
Princess Changping
Princess Changping , birth name Zhu Meicuo , was a princess of the Chinese Ming Dynasty.-Biography:Changping was born to the Chongzhen Emperor and Consort Wang Shun. As Consort Wang died from illness not long after Changping's birth, the princess was raised by Empress Zhou...
).
Yuan Chengzhi's decision to aid the rebels eventually makes him regret, as after his victory, Li Zicheng fails to fulfill his promises of leading the people out of poverty and chaos, and condones his followers' atrocities against them. Yuan Chengzhi is disappointed with Li Zicheng and decides to leave. With help from Wu Sangui
Wu Sangui
Wu Sangui was a Ming Chinese general who was instrumental in the succession of rule to the Qing Dynasty in 1644...
, the Manchus enter the Central Plains
Central Plain (China)
Zhongyuan or the Central Plain of China refers to the area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization. It forms part of the North China Plain....
and overrun the rest of China, establishing the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. When Yuan Chengzhi learns that China has fallen to the Manchus, he realizes that he is unable to reverse the situation and decides to leave China for good and sails to a distant land, the Bruneian Empire
Bruneian Empire
The Bruneian Empire was founded in the early 7th century on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The empire was ruled by pagan or Hindu kings converted into Muslims by Indian, Arab and merchants from the other parts of the Malay Archipelago who came to trade and spread Islam...
, with his companions.
Characters
- Yuan Chengzhi (袁承志) – the protagonist of the novel. He is tutored in martial arts by Mu Renqing and inherits the skills of Xia Xueyi by coincidence later, becoming one of the most powerful pugilists of his age. His adventures mould him into a young hero, who strives to uphold justice and defend his nation. He leaves China for good eventually and sails to a distant land with his companions.
- Yuan ChonghuanYuan ChonghuanYuan Chonghuan was a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty who battled the Manchus in Liaoning. A commander of Cantonese origin, Yuan Chonghuan was known to have excelled in artillery warfare and successfully incorporated Western tactics with those of the East...
(袁崇煥) – the father of Yuan Chengzhi. He was a military commander, appointed by the Ming government to defend the northern border from Qing invaders. He is wrongly accused of treason and put to death by the Chongzhen Emperor.
- Xia Xueyi (夏雪宜) – a powerful swordsman with extraordinary skills. He is nicknamed "Golden Serpent Gentleman" (金蛇郎君). He appears attractive to women for his charming good looks and sense of chivalry, and becomes involved in two separate love affairs with He Hongyao and Wen Yi. He is only mentioned by name as he is already dead at the start of the novel, and is succeeded by Yuan Chengzhi, who inherits his possessions and skills.
- Xia Qingqing (夏青青), also known as Wen Qingqing (溫青青) – the daughter of Xia Xueyi and Wen Yi. She is first introduced as a member of a family of brigands. After having a conflict with the Wen elders, she has no option but to leave and follow Yuan Chengzhi on his adventures. Although she is jealous of several women who come into Yuan's company, she is arguably the closest to Yuan Chengzhi of all his female companions.
- A'jiu (阿九), also known as Princess ChangpingPrincess ChangpingPrincess Changping , birth name Zhu Meicuo , was a princess of the Chinese Ming Dynasty.-Biography:Changping was born to the Chongzhen Emperor and Consort Wang Shun. As Consort Wang died from illness not long after Changping's birth, the princess was raised by Empress Zhou...
(長平公主) – the daughter of the Chongzhen Emperor. She first appears as a young lady who associates herself with the bandits, and develops a close relationship with Yuan Chengzhi. She has an arm sliced off by her father after the palace falls to the rebels, but is rescued by Yuan Chengzhi in time. At the end of the novel, she decides to give up her love for Yuan Chengzhi and becomes a nun known as "Jiunan" (九難).
- He Tieshou (何鐵手) – the leader of the Five Poisons Cult. She has a hook for her right hand, as implied by her name "Tieshou", which means "metal hand". She meets Yuan Chengzhi and plays several evil pranks on him to hinder his missions. She is attracted to Xia Qingqing, who is disguised as a young male scholar. Her crush on Xia Qingqing makes her betray her sect and she withdraws from the assassination plan on Chongzhen. Yuan Chengzhi succeeds in turning her back to goodness and she becomes his disciple. She is renamed to "He Tishou" (何惕守).
Films
| Year | | Production | | Yuan Chengzhi | | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 / 1959 | Emei Film Company (Hong Kong) |
Cho Tat-wah Cho Tat-wah Cho Tat-wah or Tso Tat-wah was a film actor of Hong Kong, most famous for the roles he played in a number of Wuxia films in the 1950s and 1960s.... |
See Sword of Blood and Valour Sword of Blood and Valour Sword of Blood and Valour is a 1958 / 1959 two-part Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood.-Cast:*Cho Tat-wah as Yuen Sing-chi**Shek Sau as young Yuen Sing-chi*Sheung-koon Kwan-wai as Wan Ching-ching... |
| 1982 | Shaw Brothers Studio Shaw Brothers Studio The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution... (Hong Kong) |
Philip Kwok Philip Kwok -Filmography:*The Eye 2 - Monk*The Sunshine Cops *Tomorrow Never Dies - General Chang non speaking appearance*The Phantom Lover *American Shaolin - Cab Driver*Hard Boiled - Mad Dog... |
See Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1982 film) Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1982 film) Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a 1982 Hong Kong film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by Chang Cheh and starring the Venom Mob. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Louis Cha... |
| 1993 | Hong Kong | Yuen Biao Yuen Biao Yuen Biao is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer... |
See The Sword Stained with Royal Blood (film) The Sword Stained with Royal Blood (film) The Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a 1993 Hong Kong film based on Louis Cha's novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood.-Cast:*Yuen Biao as Constable Yuen Sing-chi*Yip Chuen-chan as Wan Ching-ching*Sharla Cheung as Ah-kau / Princess Cheung-ping... |
Television
| Year | | Production | | Yuan Chengzhi | | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | CTV (Hong Kong) | Chan Keung | See Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1977 TV series) Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1977 TV series) Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on CTV in Hong Kong in 1977.-Cast:*Chan Keung as Yuen Sing-chi*Wen Hsueh-erh as Wan Ching-ching... |
| 1985 | TVB Television Broadcasts Limited Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967... (Hong Kong) |
Felix Wong Felix Wong Felix Wong Yat-wah is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Wong is best known for his performances in many Hong Kong wuxia television drama series produced by TVB, such as The Legend of the Condor Heroes , in which he played the protagonist Kwok Ching... |
See Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1985 TV series) Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1985 TV series) Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on TVB in Hong Kong in 1985.-Cast:*Felix Wong as Yun Sing-chi**Fung Chi-fung as young Yun Sing-chi... |
| 2000 | Gordon Lam | See Crimson Sabre Crimson Sabre Crimson Sabre is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood. The series was first broadcast on TVB in Hong Kong in 2000.-Cast:*Gordon Lam as Yun Sing-chi**Lee Chun-leung as young Yun Sing-chi... |
|
| 2007 | Mainland China | Bobby Dou | See Sword Stained with Royal Blood (2007 TV series) Sword Stained with Royal Blood (2007 TV series) Sword Stained with Royal Blood is a 2007 Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on CTV in Taiwan in 2007.-Cast:*Bobby Dou as Yuan Chengzhi*Eva Huang as Xia Qingqing... |
External links
Sword Stained with Royal Blood on Baidu BaikeBaidu Baike
Baidu Encyclopedia is a Chinese language collaborative Web-based encyclopedia provided by the Chinese search engine Baidu. Like Baidu itself, the encyclopedia is heavily self-censored in line with government regulations....