Records of Zhongzhou

南十字星Jan 2023

3.0

Word count: 355K words
Chapters: 92

Summary

The great poet Yuan Haowen travels a thousand li to Heshuo to compile the History of Jin. By chance he lodges at a post station in Pingshan, and in conversation discovers that its mistress is a palace lady of the fallen dynasty. Thus unfolds a desolate canvas where heroic spirit and tender devotion intertwine in blood and tears.

The last sovereign and his ministers, the sons and daughters of a troubled age; across the Central Plains, snow covers the winter furs. The realm is shattered, the state in peril; a lone girl of the deep palace bears the injustice of a loyal minister's treason case. Two hearts illumine each other, iron bone and gentle heart; the literary patriarch records the palace affairs of two dynasties. The long night is over, dawn approaches; the echoes of the elegy fade, and a new generation of young men and women succeed the old, leaving only the one volume, The Zhongzhou Record, to keep the poet's tears flowing forever. Is there a way in this world to have both—not to fail the people, not to fail you?

The late Jin general Wanyan Chenheshang & the clever and graceful Princess Yanguo.

Editor's review

This is a historical novel set against the turmoil at the end of the Jin dynasty, using the literary giant Yuan Haowen's journey to compile the History of Jin as its narrative thread, and drawing out a desolate tableau of the last rulers and courtiers and the men and women of a chaotic age through a chance encounter at a post station with a former palace woman of the fallen state. Its readability comes from the interweaving of two lines: one is the mystery of the deep-palace orphan girl's origins, bearing the injustice of the meritorious official's treason case; the other is the historian's duty to record the palace affairs of two dynasties. Heroic spirit and tender feeling mirror each other against the backdrop of national ruin and family loss. The title "Zhongzhou Lu" refers both to the manuscript in the book that moves the poet to tears and to the novel's aspiration to write the joys and sorrows of a chaotic age in the manner of historical record. For readers who love the history of the Jin-Yuan transition, classical narrative atmosphere, and themes of homeland and nation, this book offers an entry into a period rarely treated in literature. While reading, note how the author handles the boundary between historical fact and fiction, and how the proposition "not failing the common people, not failing you" unfolds in the characters' choices.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of fiction who prefer the historical background of the Jin-Yuan transition and a classical narrative atmosphere
Literature lovers who enjoy themes interweaving national sentiment with romantic feeling
Readers interested in Yuan Haowen and the circumstances of late Jin literati
General readers who wish to enter a rarely written historical period through fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast pacing and strong plot and have limited patience for classical prose
Historical researchers who expect strict factual verification and reject fictional invention
Readers who find the tragedy of a chaotic age and heavy homeland themes oppressive

Reading tips

Before reading, a brief understanding of the historical context of the Mongol southward advance at the end of Jin will help in understanding the characters' circumstances and the narrative tension.
Take simple separate notes on Yuan Haowen's journey line and the palace woman's origins line to clarify where the two threads converge after the encounter at the post station.
After finishing, consult Yuan Haowen's related poems and prose and the background of the compilation of the History of Jin, comparing the novel's choices between fiction and historical fact.

版权信息
楔子遗山山人
（引子）宣和
一旧家儿女
（一）南渡
（二）夜读
（三）故事
（四）表字
（五）身世
二未论穷通
（一）雁丘
（二）丰乐
（三）除夜
（四）萱堂
三月落山空
（一）春萌
（二）昼静
（三）蕙泽
（四）旧饮
（五）罗网
四香奁梦断
（一）傲霜
（二）遗愿
（三）斑竹
（四）女诫
（五）永夜
（六）湘君
五双阙峥嵘
（一）刲肤
（二）山陵
（三）孺慕
（四）妖异
（五）折翼
六短衣匹马
（一）从戎
（二）镜铭
（三）止戈
（四）殴讼
（五）桑槐
（六）结发
（七）赠礼
（八）归路
（九）秋猎
（十）题赋
七风蓬孤根
（一）秘盒
（二）乞巧
（三）赠书
（四）梦觉
（五）棠棣
（六）重逢
（七）领兵
（八）孤光
（九）长成
（十）解语
八相期晚岁
（一）首捷
（二）定情
（三）秋扇
（四）倾心
（五）前辙
（六）正行
（七）上京
（八）起嫌
（九）寻仇
（十）露迹
九千山寒暑
（一）传信
（二）泛舟
（三）避宠
（四）破吉
（五）御侮
（六）拜堂
（七）擒贼
（八）钦使
（九）合卺
（十）桃源
十故国乔木
（一）连环
（二）黄雀
（三）军溃
（四）鸿聚
（五）雁分
（六）困疫
（七）勒石
（八）褫姓
（九）埋骨
（十）修史
（尾声）中州
后记
番外1 湘妃庙
番外2 忆王孙

FAQ

Is the protagonist of this book Yuan Haowen?

According to the materials, Yuan Haowen's journey to Hebei to compile the History of Jin and his stay at the post station make him the thread figure of the story, while the background of the post station's mistress, a former palace woman of the fallen state, and the injustice of the meritorious official's treason case form another main line. The novel is closer to a multi-character narrative interweaving two lines, with Yuan Haowen serving the function of a historian-witness.

Can I get into it without knowing late Jin history?

Yes. The novel advances through characters' fates and emotional relationships, and the historical background is mainly presented naturally through the characters' circumstances. However, if the late Jin political changes and the meritorious official's treason case are completely unfamiliar, the weight of some plot points will be diminished; a small amount of time spent on the basic timeline before reading is recommended.

What does the title Zhongzhou Lu refer to in the book?

The materials show that "Zhongzhou Lu" is both a manuscript compiled by Yuan Haowen recording palace affairs of two dynasties and the source of the novel's title. It links the poet's duty of compiling history with the bloody, tearful past of the men and women of a chaotic age, and the ending line "only a volume of Zhongzhou Lu remains" points to the significance of historical record and memory surviving dynastic change.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

南十字星 Author

Nan Shizixing (literally "Southern Cross") is a web-fiction author about whom little public information is available. Only one work by this author is currently on record: Zhongzhou Lu, a novel in the time-travel alternate-history genre. Since the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, English name, and other basic details do not appear in public records, no further account of their life can be given here; only a brief note on their writing is possible. Judging from how Zhongzhou Lu is categorized, Nan Shizixing works in a vein that combines time travel with an invented historical setting. Such stories typically unfold against a fictionalized ancient backdrop, using the protagonist's displacement across time to create mismatched identities and clashes of outlook, and building the plot from there. On the available evidence, the author leans toward ancient court intrigue and legendary material; the specific style, length, structure, and reader response cannot yet be assessed for lack of material, and a fuller picture of this author's work must await more titles and public information.