The Two Fair Cousins

AnonymousJun 2024

3.8

Word count: 54K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Also known as A Tale of Two Beauties, Yu Jiao Li is an influential novel that readers fond of classical romance may turn to for pleasure. Through a twisting and extraordinary plot, it tells the love story of the young scholar Su Youbai and the official's daughters Bai Hongyu (also known as Wujiao) and Lu Mengli, who endure many trials for love before reaching a happy reunion. It is one of the representative works of the scholar-beauty novel of the late Ming and early Qing. The two heroines are distinct in character, each with her own traits, and the protagonists' conduct reveals unusual courage and an innocent nature. The work has been translated into French, English, and German and has had considerable influence abroad. The German philosopher Hegel also mentions Yu Jiao Li in his Philosophy of History, a sign of how far its influence reached.

Editor's review

Also known as The Strange Fate of Two Beauties, Yu Jiao Li is a representative work of the talented-scholar-and-beauty novel from the late Ming and early Qing. Its readability comes first from its intricate, extraordinary plot: the scholar Su Youbai's love with Bai Hongyu and Lu Mengli undergoes many trials before reaching a happy reunion, offering strong entertainment value. More noteworthy are the two heroines, who do not passively await fate but display distinctive courage and pure character, a striking feature among works of this kind. The book was translated into French, English, and German and had some influence abroad; Hegel mentioned it in his Philosophy of History, showing its reach beyond Chinese readers. For those wanting to understand the talented-scholar-and-beauty genre or interested in classical romantic narrative, this is a representative work. Readers may note the wit and misunderstandings in the characters' dialogue, common devices for advancing plot in such novels.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy classical romance and scholar-beauty stories
Literature lovers curious about late Ming and early Qing popular fiction genres
Researchers interested in images of women and marriage narratives in premodern China
Casual readers who prefer intricate plots and happy endings

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking realistic depth and complex human portrayals
Beginners not yet at ease with the pace of premodern vernacular narrative
Readers who expect character relationships framed by modern values

Reading tips

Familiarize yourself with the basic conventions of scholar-beauty fiction before reading; the genre's features are easier to appreciate that way.
Watch the details of the two heroines' words and actions, and compare how their temperaments and conduct differ.
Slow down at poems exchanged in reply and at misunderstandings; these are key devices by which such novels advance the plot.
After finishing, look into the background of Hegel's mention of the book and consider why it traveled abroad.

版权信息
第一回小才女代父题诗
第二回老御史为儿谋妇
第三回白太常难途托娇女
第四回吴翰林花下遇才人
第五回穷秀才辞婚富贵女
第六回丑郎君强作词赋人
第七回暗更名才子遗珠
第八回悄窥侍郎儿识货
第九回百花亭撇李寻桃
第十回一片石送鸿迎燕
第十一回有腾挪背地求人
第十二回没奈何当场出丑
第十三回苏秀才穷途卖赋
第十四回卢小姐后园赠金
第十五回秋试春闱双得意
第十六回花姨月姊两谈心
第十七回势位逼仓卒去官
第十八回山水游偶然得婿
第十九回错中错各不遂心
第二十回锦上锦大家如愿

FAQ

What is the book's other title?

Yu Jiao Li is also known as A Tale of Two Beauties. Both titles appear in the materials and refer to the same work. Readers looking for editions or reference material can search under either title.

Who are the main characters, and how does the story end?

It mainly tells the love story of the young scholar Su Youbai and the official's daughters Bai Hongyu (also known as Wujiao) and Lu Mengli. The three endure many trials and finally reach a happy reunion, the customary happy ending of scholar-beauty fiction.

Why is it said to have considerable influence abroad?

The materials state that the work was translated into French, English, and German and had considerable influence abroad. The German philosopher Hegel also mentions Yu Jiao Li in his Philosophy of History, showing that it reached Western thinkers and circulated widely.

What is distinctive about the two heroines?

The materials note that the two heroines are distinct in character, each with her own traits, and that their conduct shows uncommon courage and integrity. They are not uniform, passive figures; watch their judgments and choices at key moments.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.