One#
Qian Zhongshu said, "If you eat an egg and find it delicious, why bother getting to know the mother hen?" If that's the case, where did the Index School and the Textual Research School of Dream of the Red Chamber come from? Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang often allude to real people in their novels, such as in Fortress Besieged, Bathing, and We Three. However, they hide the true events and thoughts, and perhaps only those familiar with them know who or what they are alluding to. Ordinary readers have no way of discerning, but they can vaguely sense that they have encrypted a layer of code that is impossible to decipher, including The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting and Qian Zhongshu's poetry. Qian Zhongshu wrote The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting in classical Chinese, saying, "This can nourish the spread of toxins."
Italian writer and literary critic Umberto Eco said that an ideal reader can stand in the author's perspective and understand what the author was thinking when writing. Although the author sets up maze obstacles, in the end, they can still see the cleverness of the maze arrangement. The maze is meant to be deciphered by someone, and the author's efforts are not in vain.
Jin Yong is familiar with scriptwriting and often sets up a MacGuffin, as Alfred Hitchcock said, such as the Dragon Slaying Saber, Nine Yin Manual, and Wumu's Book of Martial Arts, which serve as motivation and rewards for the challenges. However, this is only superficial. Jin Yong also sets up a true narrative story line that drives the plot, often involving emotional conflicts in seeking revenge for one's father. This is the hidden Easter egg in Jin Yong's maze.
The theme of avenging one's father is a classic theme in drama. The most famous tragedies related to this theme are Oedipus Rex, which tells the story of the plague in Thebes and the oracle's command for Oedipus to find the killer of the former king (who is actually his father), and Hamlet, in which Hamlet hesitates in seeking revenge for his father, famously pondering "to be or not to be."
An ambitious author would never be satisfied with self-repetition. The constant repetition of this theme by Jin Yong can only be attributed to the unresolved emotional conflict within him. I have not seen anyone analyze it, but if you don't analyze it, you are truly not doing justice to the author's efforts. It's like Linghu Chong not going to the Cliff of Reflection to see Feng Qingyang, or Xuzhu not deciphering the intricate chess game of Wu Yazi. It is unsatisfactory for both parties.
The Cha family in Haining is a prominent family, and their ancestor Cha Shenxing was a famous poet in the Qing Dynasty who studied under Huang Zongxi. Huang Zongxi never served in the Qing government and wrote books criticizing the flaws of the Qin Dynasty's governance for two thousand years, saying, "The greatest harm to the world is the ruler alone." Cha Shenxing, on the other hand, served as a literary official in the Southern Study Room and had seven successful candidates in his family. During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, Cha Shenxing's younger brother Cha Siting went to Jiangxi to become an examiner and set a question that said "for the people to stop." He was accused of removing the characters "Yongzheng" from the question. Cha Siting and his son died in prison, and their family members were exiled. Scholars in Zhejiang Province were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations for six years. Cha Shenxing was also implicated and was ordered to lead his whole family to Beijing to be imprisoned.
In the era of national crisis, Jin Yong wanted to become a diplomat who could make a difference. In 1950, he went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing to seek employment, but was unsuccessful. In 1951, his father passed away. Regarding his father's death, Jin Yong wrote, "I cried for three days and three nights in Hong Kong and was heartbroken for half a year." He said he had no resentment, as "thousands of landlords were executed, which was a great upheaval." (From his memoir "Moon Cloud")
Huang Zongxi encountered the enemy who killed his father, Xu Xianchun, and publicly attacked Cui Yingyuan, beating him in front of everyone and pulling out his beard to pay homage to his father's spirit. Jin Yong comes from an intellectual family and has been deeply influenced by traditional culture. Overcoming the grudge of the heart is not so easy, and we can see his inner journey in his novels.
Two#
In The Book and the Sword, Chen Jialuo and Emperor Qianlong are brothers. Chen Jialuo understands the importance of national righteousness, but Emperor Qianlong remains unmoved. In order to persuade Emperor Qianlong, Chen Jialuo gives him Kesili (Concubine Xiang) with the reason that "national affairs are more important than personal feelings." We should note that in traditional culture, the literati take it upon themselves to maintain peace and harmony in the country, and their family and country are intertwined. Emperor Qianlong is essentially recognizing the enemy as his father, but his behavior is completely understandable, while Chen Jialuo's behavior is inexplicable, as if sleepwalking. Why did the story turn out this way? Readers should interpret it for themselves. I think it is Jin Yong's resistance to the plausibility of the story. The novel regards the actions of the heroes of the Red Flower Society as a joke and highly praises the literary and martial achievements of the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, even though it was Emperor Qianlong who exterminated the tribe of the female protagonist. In terms of national perspective, Jin Yong's first novel, although it appears to be similar to Liang Yusheng's works, is quite different. Liang Yusheng's views on national issues are quite firm.
In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Yuan Chengzhi needs to consider who is responsible for avenging his father and how to do it. Yuan Chonghuan sacrificed himself for the country, dying for the nation. The ignorant and misguided masses tortured Yuan Chonghuan by eating his flesh. In the end, he could only escape overseas.
In The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Guo Jing and Yang Kang are opposing characters. Guo Jing is simple-minded and does not need to think too much about national vengeance and family hatred. He just needs to fulfill the expectations of his teachers. Yang Kang, on the other hand, recognizes the enemy as his father and ultimately brings destruction upon himself through his unjust actions. This novel, with its limited intelligence of the protagonist, presents a clear distinction between good and evil.
In The Return of the Condor Heroes, Yang Guo painfully discovers that the one he seeks revenge against is a chivalrous hero who fights for the country and the people. After much inner struggle, Yang Guo lets go of his hatred and chooses the righteousness of his family and country. The climax of the novel is when the hero of the condor appears and Yang Guo gives three great gifts to Guo Xiang: the annihilation of two thousand Mongolian troops, the burning of Mongolian food supplies, and the exposure of the conspiracy of Prince Huodu of the Mongols to become the leader of the Beggar's Sect. Guo Xiang understands that personal feelings and personal grievances are insignificant in the face of national righteousness.
In The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, the ones responsible for killing Zhang Wuji's parents are the six major sects. Zhang Wuji chooses to give up revenge, a behavior that many readers may not understand. Jin Yong himself said, "Tolerance is a very important spirit in Chinese national character, and it is also a necessary condition for the nation. Speaking of tolerance, my novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber can be said to concentrate on expressing this spirit. In my other works, I also intentionally or unintentionally express this point."
In The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain, Hu Yidao is killed by Miao Renfeng's sword, but it is not Miao Renfeng's true intention. It is the result of a secret plot by a villain. Can this revenge still be achieved? The story abruptly ends.
In The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, it's all about "Where is Daddy going?" All the main characters are looking for their fathers. Perhaps because Qiao Feng is of a different ethnicity, he is different from the other protagonists in Jin Yong's novels. Like Oedipus, he is full of enthusiasm in his search for his father, but in the end, there is no revenge to be had, except for death.
In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, it is different from other novels. Linghu Chong kills his father figure in his mind and realizes the hypocrisy, selfishness, and despicability of his master. This novel was written in 1967, during the turmoil in Hong Kong. Jin Yong faced personal threats and went to Switzerland to seek refuge. For his safety, he even planned to move the newspaper to Malaysia.
In Jin Yong's last novel, The Deer and the Cauldron, Wei Xiaobao has no father, so there is no question of seeking revenge. However, as a literati, the family and country are intertwined. During the upheaval of the nation, Huang Zongxi shaved his head and buried his body naked, refusing to see his ancestors in Manchu attire. The family tradition of Zhang Taiyan continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty, and even at the funeral, they still had to wear masks to show their shame in front of their ancestors. Huang Zongxi, Gu Yanwu, and other great scholars advised Wei Xiaobao to become emperor, but Wei Xiaobao refused, thinking that Kangxi was doing a good job. The novel begins with a tragic event from Ming history, but the main culprit, Ao Bai, has already been executed, and it will be a few decades before the events unfold. The brothers of the Heaven and Earth Society ask him to go home and ask his mother, "Did you receive any guests before I was born?" The following conversation is quite interesting:
Wei Xiaobao said, "Were these guests all Han Chinese?" Wei Chunfang said, "Of course there were Han Chinese, as well as Manchu officials, and even Mongolian military officers." Wei Xiaobao said, "What about foreign devils?" Wei Chunfang angrily said, "Do you think your mother is a prostitute? Even foreign devils came to the brothel, and I drove them out with a broom. Those demons, red-haired devils, came to the Lychee Garden, and I drove them out with a big broom." Wei Xiaobao was relieved and said, "That's good!" Wei Chunfang looked up and recalled the past, saying, "There was a Hui Muslim who often came to see me. He was very handsome, and I often thought to myself that my little treasure's nose looks a bit like his." Wei Xiaobao said, "Were there Tibetans?" Wei Chunfang proudly said, "Of course there were! That Tibetan lama, before getting on the bed, had to recite scriptures. While reciting, his eyes would roll around and look at me. Your eyes are mischievous, just like that lama!"
This is the reconstruction of national identity, and it is crucial. Jin Yong finally found peace.
Three#
In the 1997 film "The Thirteen Lord of South Sea," Lord Thirteen is already senile in his old age. He calls the police to report that his shoes have been stolen. When the police officer, played by James Wong, arrives, he asks what was stolen. Lord Thirteen replies, "Shoes! The left shoe was stolen by the British, and the right shoe was stolen by the Japanese. Will you dare to catch them?" Lord Thirteen's early life experiences were similar to Jin Yong's. His father, Jiang Kongyin, studied under Kang Youwei and had assisted the revolutionary party. In 1951, he went on a 41-day hunger strike and passed away. In the film, upon hearing the news of his father's death, Lord Thirteen becomes mentally disturbed, but even in his destitution, he still remembers the Japanese invasion and British colonization.
The intellectuals who fled to Hong Kong had a strong sense of patriotism for various reasons. I believe the most important reason was that the intellectuals relied on culture, and the search for cultural roots was their way of finding their place in the world.
In 1954, there was a dispute between the Tai Chi and Baihe martial arts schools in Hong Kong. They had a showdown at the New Garden in Macau to determine the victor. The stage effect of this showdown is similar to the one between Yan Fang and Tai Chi Lei Lei, but it caused a huge sensation in Hong Kong. Liang Yusheng wrote "The Dragon and the Tiger Fight in Beijing" and Jin Yong wrote "The Book and the Sword." This opened up a new era of martial arts novels. Like Jin Yong, Liang Yusheng had worked for Ta Kung Pao and Xin Wan Bao. In 1950, his father was mistakenly killed, and he was a patriot throughout his life.
Jin Yong answered why so many people like martial arts novels. His answer was, "I think the most important thing is that martial arts novels are based on Chinese tradition. They depict Chinese society, and more importantly, their values are acceptable to the Chinese. They depict the moral ethics of the Chinese people and have a strong national color, which is why they attract Chinese readers." The Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, revolutionary ideas, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the profound Chinese medicine skills in martial arts novels represent the desire of the people in the colony to seek their cultural roots. Hong Kong intellectuals created national heroes such as Huo Yuanjia, Ma Yongchun, Ip Man, Wong Fei-hung, Hong Xiguan, and Hua Yingxiong.
The patriotism of Hong Kong intellectuals is most subtly and elegantly expressed in "Shanghai Bund." Xu Wenqiang is a student at Yanjing University and is arrested and imprisoned for three years due to his involvement in patriotic student movements. He loses his like-minded girlfriend and ends up in the Shanghai underworld. Due to killing a Japanese spy, he loses Feng Chengcheng and ultimately his own life. Whenever he is patriotic, he must make great sacrifices, but his patriotic heart remains unchanged. This also involves many untold stories of Hong Kong.
Jin Yong loves his motherland and his hometown. "If you have been to Jiangnan, you will think of those swallows, those willows and apricot blossoms, and those small boats in the drizzle." In his later years, Jin Yong went into politics after working in the media and business, and he worked tirelessly for the peaceful handover of Hong Kong. He said, "China is vast! How can a few people's intentions control the great changes in the world? The situation naturally inspires and resonates with people's hearts and minds. From literature, art, or philosophical and metaphysical ideas, we can glimpse some clues to the development of history. People must step by step toward the ideals of freedom, enlightenment, tolerance, and democracy. Based on my personal observations over the past three years, the general mentality of the people on the mainland tends toward these tendencies and trends. In a sense, this can be regarded as the foundation of progress." (From Zhang Dachun's "Jin Yong on Art and Literature") His thoughts had a great influence on the young people in mainland China during the early stages of reform and opening up. He even had fervent fans who compared themselves to Jin Yong, transitioning from business to media to politics.
Mr. Cha described his life as follows: "I came from the south as a young man with nothing, and I established myself and found happiness in Hong Kong. The praise and criticism I have received over the years are insignificant. Success and failure in a hundred years are not to be taken lightly. Listen, gentlemen, I will proclaim profound insights into the country's soil, and I will use my humble talents to contribute to the nation. In times of wind and rain, we must work together to overcome difficulties and cherish our modest reputation." Huang Zongxi said, "A great man's actions are based on right and wrong, not on personal gain or loss; on right or wrong, not on success or failure; on eternity, not on one's lifetime."
History will have a fair evaluation of everyone and everything. For Huang Zongxi, there will be a wise king three hundred years later. This kind of evaluation is not for the present time, perhaps in a hundred years. Excessive praise or defamation by those in power cannot withstand the test of time.