Chivalrous Bones and a Loyal Heart

Liang Yusheng（香港）传慧出版有限公司 · Hong Kong SAR, ChinaJan 2023

3.8

Word count: 565K words
Chapters: 52

Summary

Jin Zhuliu and Li Nanxing are two young heroes who stand side by side in the jianghu, united against the Qing and as close as brothers. Yet by an unlucky turn, both fall in love with Shi Hongying, sister of Shi Baidu, chief of the Liuhe Gang. Shi Baidu, hungry for fame and profit, serves the Qing court; Shi Hongying is upright by nature and disapproves of her brother's conduct. Shi Baidu uses his sister as bait to ensnare Li Nanxing, but Shi Hongying turns the scheme against him: a maid is sent to the bridal chamber in her place, and only on the wedding night does she reveal the truth to Li. Misunderstandings between Jin and Li are cleared away, and the two join forces to seize the birthday gift Shi Baidu is sending to Sa Fuding, the imperial household's chief eunuch. Shi Hongying also joins them in their cause against the Qing.

Editor's review

Liang Yusheng’s extit{Chivalrous Bones, Loyal Heart} binds martial-world feuds to national righteousness: Jin Zhuliu and Li Nanxing are both close friends resisting the Qing and rivals in love, and this thread of brotherhood intertwined with romance sustains the novel’s main tension. Shi Baidu’s selling himself to the Qing court and using his sister as bait makes the calculations and family strain within the Liuhe Gang concrete and palpable; Shi Hongying’s substitution of a maid in the bridal chamber and her revelation of the truth that night show her clarity and sense of responsibility under her brother’s pressure. The plot moves briskly, and the passage in which Jin and Li join forces to seize the birthday gift after their misunderstanding is resolved best embodies the loyalty and decisiveness of young heroes. Readers should note Liang Yusheng’s female characters: Shi Hongying is no passive pawn—her choices drive the reversal of the whole situation. Suitable for continuous reading in leisure time, and for readers who want to see how new-school wuxia handles friendship, love, and national allegiance.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy traditional wuxia and tales of martial-world feuds
Those interested in Liang Yusheng’s works and the development of new-school wuxia
Readers looking for a fast-paced novel intertwining friendship and love
Wuxia fans interested in chivalry and national themes against the backdrop of anti-Qing resistance

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer short stories or fragmented reading and find long novels hard to commit to
People with no interest in wuxia themes or martial-world settings
Readers expecting strict historical research rather than legendary narrative

Reading tips

First clarify the relationship lines among Jin Zhuliu, Li Nanxing, and Shi Hongying, then read the conflict between the Liuhe Gang and the Qing court
When you reach the maid-substitution and bridal-chamber revelation, pause and review the foreshadowing in Shi Baidu’s earlier schemes
Pay attention to each of Shi Hongying’s choices and appreciate her weighing of family against righteousness
After finishing, compare with other works by Liang Yusheng to see the continuity and changes in his chivalric-romantic style

About the publisher

（香港）传慧出版有限公司 Hong Kong, China

(Hong Kong) Chuanhui Publishing Limited is a publishing house based in Hong Kong, China. Public information about it is limited. Judging from the books in the database, its publishing focus is on wuxia novels, especially electronic editions of works by Liang Yusheng. Titles include such full-length wuxia classics as The Legend of the Condor Heroes-style romances Pingzong Xiaying Lu, Yunhai Yugong Yuan, Baifa Monü Zhuan and Datang Youxia Zhuan, mostly presented in multiple volumes, with both upper and lower volumes and complete editions. Liang Yusheng is its core author, and the category is relatively concentrated, reflecting a systematic arrangement and digital dissemination of classic wuxia texts. Its publishing feature lies in reproducing traditional wuxia novels in e-book form, using Hong Kong ISBNs beginning with 988, so that readers can encounter Liang Yusheng's martial arts world digitally.

第一回荒山隐士迎佳客美酒甜言惑少年
第二回崎岖世路堪嗟叹怅惘情怀可奈何
第三回疑梦疑真逢异丐半忧半喜救佳人
第四回神功难测惊高弟祸患潜埋闯喜筵
第五回重来踪迹从何觅出处恩仇忍细论
第六回豪士惊心谈恶斗荒山动魄遇穷儒
第七回锦帐低垂人已杳琼浆难得客归来
第八回明珠尽散滋疑虑红粉何尝是祸胎
第九回谁施妙手空空技哪识芳心惘惘情
第十回异宝轻抛真侠士荒林谈笑救佳人
第十一回分离最是怜孤影中伏何堪作楚囚
第十二回诧见残脂逃黑狱变来解药戏魔头
第十三回慨赠奇珍怀玉女巧搓解药戏魔头
第十四回弦索声中来恶客大明湖畔结良朋
第十五回独行长剑一杯酒孤客高楼万里心
第十六回玄铁逞威斗帮主道旁仗义作媒人
第十七回倾国倾城难与遇乐山乐水易忘归
第十八回异宝纷陈招巨盗华堂喧闹现佳人
第十九回拭目惊看龙虎斗伤心疑是凤鸾俦
第二十回愿拼热血酬知己误解芳心断侠肠
第二十一回铸成宝剑还心愿掌击桐棺报宿仇
第二十二回拔剑狂歌伤往事抚琴无语对良朋
第二十三回秘魔崖下除妖孽白玉环中识故人
第二十四回禅机妙悟游方外旧梦难忘坠算中
第二十五回岁月消磨嗟白发心思多少为金钗
第二十六回毒酒碎情怆往事良宵惊梦晤佳人
第二十七回洞房一语惊迷梦花烛今宵隐杀机
第二十八回暗使毒针施毒手且看神剑显神威
第二十九回沉江幸有渔舟过搜匣犹惊宝剑寒
第三十回覆雨翻云施毒手光风霁月见仁心
第三十一回几番惆怅歌金缕无限伤心付玉箫
第三十二回九州惯铸人间错一缕难抽茧底丝
第三十三回四野龙蛇吟寂寞九边风雪路离迷
第三十四回联手双雄擒恶贼同心慧婢定良谋
第三十五回拼教玉碎歼强敌始信金坚是旧情
第三十六回帕上脂痕刀上血镜中俪影雾中花
第三十七回妙舞清歌腾杀气神拳宝剑拼存亡
第三十八回众叛亲离终自毙人亡城失叹途穷
第三十九回幽谷落花埋侠骨青天碧海证丹心
第四十回岂知陌路逢强敌却喜荒村遇故人
第四十一回豪杰胸怀遭误解鬼蜮伎俩最难防
第四十二回疑雨疑云终大白亦真亦幻说前因
第四十三回幽谷落花藏侠影晓星残月证鸳盟
第四十四回走火入魔难自拔传功运剑显神通
第四十五回中原并驾英豪在海外连枝剑客来
第四十六回郁郁但求忘旧怨惺惺相惜结新知
第四十七回玄功绝技惊豪杰高士神拳显异能
第四十八回诧见剑痕留碧玉为完心愿访同门
第四十九回海外归来求秘笈华山巧遇试奇招
第五十回柔枝代剑惊神技美目流波觅故人
第五十一回神鞭暗器称双绝快马挥刀会七雄
第五十二回但愿有情成眷属却嗟无处觅萧郎

FAQ

Why do Jin Zhuliu and Li Nanxing misunderstand each other?

Both love Shi Hongying, and Shi Baidu sets a trap using his sister as bait to deceive Li Nanxing, sowing suspicion between Jin and Li. Shi Hongying substitutes a maid in the marriage and reveals the truth to Li Nanxing on their wedding night; the misunderstanding is cleared and the two join forces again.

What kind of character is Shi Hongying?

She is the sister of Liuhe Gang leader Shi Baidu and is upright, disapproving of her brother’s service to the Qing court. Faced with his plan to use her as bait, she does not submit; she turns the scheme to her advantage by substituting a maid and revealing the truth on the wedding night, later joining the anti-Qing cause.

Is this book suitable for someone reading Liang Yusheng for the first time?

It can be read, but it is a mid-to-late work with many ties to earlier character relationships and martial-world circumstances. To get familiar with his style first, you might start with earlier representative works; if reading this directly, pay attention to character relationships and don’t rush to memorize every gang name.

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About the author

Liang Yusheng Author · Chinese · 1924–2009

Liang Yusheng (1924–2009), originally named Chen Wentong, was a native of Mengshan, Guangxi. After the victory of the War of Resistance, he entered Lingnan University in Guangzhou and later became an editor of the supplement of the Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao. In 1954, with The Dragon and Tiger Duel in the Capital, he pioneered the new school of Hong Kong wuxia fiction. He wrote thirty-five works before retiring his pen in 1984. His wuxia novels often draw on history, weaving real dynastic changes with martial-world feuds; his characters combine patriotic concern with romantic attachment, and his elegant prose is interspersed with poetry, giving his work a distinctive scholarly flavor. Representative works include The White-Haired Demoness, Seven Swords from Mount Heaven, The Romance of Pingzong Xiaying, and The Romance of the Cloud Sea and Jade Bow. He is often mentioned alongside Jin Yong as a leading figure of his time. Besides wuxia fiction, he also wrote modern poetry; the library holds 143 of his works.