Kou Zhun

Name: Kou Zhun
ISBN: 9787551319096

金步摇Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJul 2026

3.4

Word count: 231K words
Chapters: 31
ISBN: 9787551319096

Report an error Find this book

Summary

The long historical novel Kou Zhun is set against the treacherous political intrigues of the Northern Song dynasty and takes as its subject the forty-year official career of the celebrated chancellor Kou Zhun—one of the Three Worthies of Xiagui in Weinan, Shaanxi—who served as chancellor three times and was demoted five times. Drawing also on poems Kou Zhun wrote throughout his life, the novel recounts his singular and little-known legendary life. Taking the rise and fall of the Song dynasty as its chronological thread and Kou Zhun's life experience as its main plot, the author tells the story of Kou Zhun's life in vivid, fluent prose while lucidly tracing the evolution of Song political institutions and reconstructing the social landscape of the era. The content is detailed, blending narrative with commentary in an engaging, unhurried style. Divided into thirty chapters and totaling roughly 300,000 characters, the book is a literary work the author created on the basis of research into historical sources. Its arguments strive for objectivity as it seeks to restore the image of Kou Zhun, an instructive historical figure.

Editor's review

Set against the political turbulence of the Northern Song, this book follows the celebrated chancellor Kou Zhun through a forty-year official career in which he served as chancellor three times and was demoted five times, interweaving his personal fate with the institutional changes of the Song dynasty. Building on historical research, the author engages in literary creation that both reconstructs the political ecology and social landscape of Song times and uses poems from Kou Zhun's life to trace the shifts in his state of mind, giving the historical figure greater depth. The book runs to thirty chapters and about 300,000 characters; the narrative is vivid and fluent, blending story with commentary, and its arguments strive for objectivity, balancing readability with instruction. It suits readers interested in Song history, biographies of famous officials, or historical fiction, who can read it in installments in their spare time—following the plot to feel the dramatic tension of an official career's ups and downs, and learning between passages how Song political institutions operated. The book's restoration of Kou Zhun as an instructive historical figure gives readers a concrete, tangible entry point for understanding the sense of responsibility and the limitations of traditional scholar-officials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Song history and biographies of famous officials and want to learn about Kou Zhun's life through a novel
Those interested in the institutional changes of Northern Song politics who want to understand how institutions worked through one man's fate
Readers who prefer historical fiction with fluent narrative and blended story and commentary, for installment reading in their spare time
Readers drawn to the spirit of traditional scholar-officials and the theme of ups and downs in officialdom who hope for food for thought

Not a good fit for

Song historians expecting rigorous academic research or a pure compilation of historical sources
Readers who prefer fast-paced alternate-history or romance genre fiction and have limited patience for historical background
Casual readers who want to finish a light story in one sitting and are unwilling to engage with political institutions

Reading tips

Start with Chapters 1 to 3 to grasp the Northern Song political background and Kou Zhun's early years, then move into the main line of his official career.
While reading, pay attention to the poems by Kou Zhun quoted in the book and feel how his state of mind shifts in light of the plot; mark them as you go.
After each section, briefly sort out the causes and effects of one of Kou Zhun's appointments or demotions to help understand the relationship between institutions and personnel.
If you are unfamiliar with Song institutions, look up basic officialdom knowledge between chapters; there is no need to interrupt the main narrative.

About the publisher

Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1993

Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional publisher focused on literature and art. Its publishing areas cover classics, foreign literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, modern poetry, philosophical reading, and social novels. Judging from the books in the database, the press introduces foreign literary classics such as John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Dostoevsky's The Insulted and Humiliated, Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, and the complete novels of Jane Austen, while also publishing essay works such as Xiang Xing Za Ji: Huang Yongyu Illustrated Edition, modern poetry such as Zha Lie Zhi, and philosophical reading such as On the Art of Choice. Its translators and authors include Hu Zhongchi, Shao Quanlin, Feng Zikai, and Li Jihong, reflecting a publishing profile that combines classic translation with domestic literary creation. Due to limited public information, its complete publishing scope and features require further supplementation.

版权信息
一咏华山
二中进士
三巴东集
四一文钱
五知成安
六一只靴
七运军粮
八簪花郎
九被造反
十贬青州
十一立储君
十二访罪属
十三六悔铭
十四新皇帝
十五知邓州
十六开封府
十七颜如玉
十八澶渊（上）
十九澶渊（中）
二十澶渊（下）
二十一一身轻
二十二大封禅
二十三大名府
二十四闹五鬼
二十五灭蝗灾
二十六恶势力
二十七斗刘娥
二十八贬三次
二十九尚方剑
三十死雷州

FAQ

Is this book a strict work of history or a novel?

It is a long historical novel the author created on the basis of research into historical sources. It takes Kou Zhun's life as its main line and unfolds its narrative through his poems and the institutional changes of the Song dynasty; its arguments strive for objectivity, but it is on the whole a literary work, best read as historical fiction.

Can I read it without knowing Northern Song history?

Yes. The novel takes Kou Zhun's life experience as its main plot, with a clear chronological thread and vivid, fluent narration, and it lucidly traces the institutional changes of the Song dynasty. Even readers unfamiliar with Northern Song history can follow the story to understand the character's circumstances and the institutional background.

How long is the book, and how should I plan my reading?

The book has thirty chapters and runs to about 300,000 characters. Reading in installments of one or two chapters at a time is recommended; this keeps the plot coherent while giving you time between readings to digest the institutional background and character relationships.

Will the poems by Kou Zhun quoted in the book hinder comprehension?

No. The poems are combined with the plot of Kou Zhun's life and serve to reflect his state of mind. Readers can appreciate them in context without having to study every line; if interested, they can look up relevant background separately, which will not affect the main narrative.

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

金步摇 Author

Jin Buyao is an author about whom publicly available information is currently limited; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and an English name have not been clearly recorded. According to the library holdings, three works are attributed to this name: Kou Zhun, Weibei Hanzi, and Shehuo Wa. In terms of classification, these works fall into two categories, alternate-continent fiction and social fiction, indicating a considerable range of subject matter, with narratives leaning toward a fantasy world as well as writing close to real social life. Because public information on the author's life and statements about the writing process is lacking, it is difficult to say more about their background or creative development; based on the existing bibliography alone, one can judge that their writing interests are relatively broad and that they move between different kinds of material. Overall, Jin Buyao has produced only a small number of works, and further disclosures are needed before a full picture of their writing can emerge. Readers may begin with the three representative works mentioned above to get a sense of their style.