Jade Worth Fifteen Cities (2)
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Summary
Lian Cheng Bi (The Priceless Jade), also known as Wu Sheng Xi (Silent Drama), was written by the great Qing dynasty literary figure Li Yu and is one of the novels repeatedly banned and destroyed in the Qing dynasty. This complete collection comprises [number] volumes of the outer collection. The complete collection presents one story, and the outer collection presents another. Overall, the work chiefly depicts marketplace life and the daily lives of ordinary people, with an emphasis on rewarding good and punishing evil, and it shows a strong citizen sensibility. The language, plot and characters are all vivid, and the depiction of love between men and women is especially delicate and subtle, with a distinctly romantic flair. The work is highly readable and still feels very relevant today.
Editor's review
Lian Cheng Bi is a representative collection of Li Yu's short stories. This edition presents it in the form of the outer collection in [number] volumes, one story per volume, each independent yet unified by the underlying texture of marketplace life. Li Yu's writing combines literati taste with a citizen sensibility: his treatment of love between men and women is delicate and subtle, while his portraits of human nature and social manners are full of sharp wit, and his plots often turn in unexpected ways, never stiff or dull. The reward-good-and-punish-evil theme running through the book bears the ethical imprint of its time, yet the author's observation of ordinary people's daily lives, emotional entanglements and survival wisdom is remarkably true to life, and many passages still strike a chord today. The language is vivid and the characters speak in distinct voices, making this an important text for understanding Qing dynasty vernacular fiction and citizen aesthetics. It is best read as an entertaining collection of stories of social manners rather than as a moral tract, so that Li Yu's narrative ingenuity and humor can be fully appreciated. It suits leisurely reading, one story at a time, and can also be read alongside Twelve Towers.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who love Ming-Qing vernacular fiction and want to understand Li Yu's narrative art
- General readers interested in marketplace life and stories of social manners
- Students and enthusiasts studying Qing dynasty fiction and citizen culture
- People who need short story material and enjoy self-contained structures
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer serious, grand historical subjects and have no interest in marketplace stories
- Readers who find old vernacular expression and old-style moralizing hard to accept
- People who expect a continuous long-form plot and do not want independent short stories
Reading tips
- Read the volumes in order, pausing briefly after each story to savor the ingenuity of its plot twists.
- Skim quickly through moralizing passages and focus on character dialogue and scene description.
- Read alongside Li Yu's Twelve Towers and compare their short-story structures and narrative techniques.
- Before reading, briefly familiarize yourself with the language habits of Qing dynasty vernacular fiction to reduce reading difficulties.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 卷五 美女同遭花烛冤 村郎偏享温柔福
- 卷六 遭风遇盗致奇赢 让本还财成巨富
- 卷七 妒妻守有夫之寡 懦夫还不死之魂
- 卷八 妻妾败纲常 梅香完节操
FAQ
What is the relationship between Lian Cheng Bi and Wu Sheng Xi?
According to the source material, Lian Cheng Bi is also known as Wu Sheng Xi; they are different titles for the same work. This edition presents the outer collection of the novel, with one story per volume, generally taking marketplace life and the daily lives of ordinary people as its subject and emphasizing rewarding good and punishing evil.
Are the stories in this book a continuous long narrative?
No. The source explains that the complete collection presents one story and the outer collection presents another, so the structure consists of independent, self-contained pieces. You can therefore start with any volume and need not read straight through; it suits reading in spare moments.
The book contains old-style moralizing. Will it feel remote?
The book does have a reward-good-and-punish-evil tendency and carries the ethical coloring of its time. But the author's depiction of marketplace life and love between men and women is detailed and vivid, and the plots are often ingenious. If you treat the moralizing as historical background and focus on the narrative and character portrayal, the sense of remoteness will be greatly reduced.
Is there anything to note about the language?
The work is Qing dynasty vernacular fiction: the language is vivid but retains old-fashioned expressions, and some vocabulary and sentence patterns differ from today's. It is advisable to read one or two stories first to get used to the feel of the language; there is no need to scrutinize every obscure word—just follow the plot and dialogue and you will read smoothly.
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About the author
Li Yu
Author · China · 1611–1680
Li Yu (1611–1680) was a writer, playwright and drama theorist of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Styled Liweng, he was born in Rugao, Jiangsu, and came from Lanxi, Zhejiang. Failing repeatedly in the imperial examinations, he made a living by his writing after the Qing conquest and later moved to Jiezi Garden in Nanjing, where he ran a bookshop and organized a family troupe that toured various regions. His works span drama, fiction and prose, including Ten Plays of Liweng, Twelve Towers and Silent Opera. Xianqing ouji discusses both playwriting and the art of living, while Liweng duiyun served as a primer for learning verse and parallel couplets. Valuing stage practice, he built a systematic theory of structure, diction and prosody, and is regarded as a key founder of Chinese drama theory.
