Iron Words

Name: Iron Words
ISBN: 9787559496058

Zhang XinkeJiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJul 2026

3.5

Word count: 398K words
Chapters: 68
ISBN: 9787559496058

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Summary

In April 1932, the world was stunned by the "Hongkou Park Bombing." Enraged, the Japanese military established the "Tiger Hunting Squad," led by Captain Fangzi, and launched a frenzied campaign to hunt down and kill members of the Korean Provisional Government then in exile in China. To protect his comrades, Mr. Jin, leader of the Korean Provisional Government, issued a statement through the newspapers boldly declaring himself the mastermind behind the Hongkou bombing... From then on, Mr. Jin and a group of patriots were forced onto a precarious road of exile, fleeing successively to Shanghai, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Guangzhou, Liuzhou, and Chongqing. In the face of thirteen years of pursuit, encirclement and suppression, assassination by the "Tiger Hunting Squad," as well as internal informants and betrayal, Mr. Jin and his comrades were repeatedly on the brink of death. Thanks to the selfless, death-defying help of ordinary Chinese people represented by Cui Lijun and Chu Jiacheng, they narrowly escaped and ultimately welcomed the victory of the War of Resistance, returning safely to the Korean Peninsula to rebuild their homeland.

Editor's review

"Iron Words" takes the 1932 Hongkou Park bombing as its entry point and centers its narrative on the difficult thirteen-year exile of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in China—a subject rarely seen in original novels. Its readability comes from the interweaving of two threads: the tension of the "Tiger Hunters" relentlessly tracking, besieging, and assassinating, and the life-risking assistance of ordinary Chinese people represented by Cui Lijun and Chu Jiacheng as Mr. Jin and his party move through Shanghai, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, Guangzhou, Liuzhou, and Chongqing. The author does not write the exile as a mere record of flight but lets geographical movement and character fate mirror each other, portraying the resilience of faith through repeated trials of betrayal, informers, and life hanging by a thread. Suitable for readers interested in novels set against modern history, espionage, and exile narratives, and for those willing to experience themes of transnational friendship and national reconstruction in a long read. While reading, note what "iron words" refers to—silence and promise—and how ordinary people become supports for others in times of peril.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of long novels who enjoy fictional narratives built on real historical events
Readers interested in 1930s Shanghai and the exile routes across many parts of China
Readers who prefer espionage, pursuit, assassination, and protecting-informants tension
Readers drawn to transnational mutual aid and ordinary people's courage in crisis

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting pure romance or light urban subjects
Readers sensitive to violence, pursuit, and assassination who wish to avoid them
Readers unwilling to follow long geographical movement and large casts of characters

Reading tips

Read the chapters on the Hongkou Park bombing first, then follow the exile route, marking the stops from Shanghai to Chongqing on a map
Note the appearances of ordinary people like Cui Lijun and Chu Jiacheng, record how their relationships with Mr. Jin's party develop, and appreciate the layers of transnational mutual aid
Separate the Tiger Hunters' pursuit from the internal informers and betrayal threads to ease the burden of following multiple lines
After finishing, compare with the ending of victory in the War of Resistance and the return to the Korean Peninsula to rebuild the nation, and look back at how faith was repeatedly tested over thirteen years of exile

About the publisher

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1958

Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House focuses on literary publishing while also covering the humanities, social sciences, and books on art and daily life. Its approximately 1,535 titles in the database span social novels, world history, design, science fiction, classic works, and film and television: they include modern Chinese literary classics by Lu Xun such as A Madman's Diary: The Complete Short Stories of Lu Xun, Call to Arms, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, as well as foreign literary memoirs like Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday. In science fiction it offers Asimov's Galactic Empire series, while in architecture and art it publishes Liu Dunzhen's Classical Gardens of Suzhou and design titles from Phoenix Space. Its authors are concentrated among classic writers such as Lu Xun, Zweig, and Asimov, with translators including Liang Xijiang, Zhong Haonan, and Ye Lihua. Its overall character is built on classic works while embracing genre fiction and visual culture. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based on the titles in the database.

版权信息
第1章上海
第2章上海
第3章上海
第4章上海
第5章上海
第6章上海
第7章上海
第8章上海
第9章上海
第10章上海
第11章上海·嘉兴
第12章上海·嘉兴
第13章沪嘉铁路线上·嘉兴
第14章嘉兴
第15章嘉兴
第16章嘉兴
第17章嘉兴
第18章嘉兴
第19章嘉兴
第20章嘉兴
第21章嘉兴·上海
第22章上海·杭州
第23章杭州·嘉兴
第24章杭州·嘉兴
第25章嘉兴·上海
第26章嘉兴·海盐
第27章嘉兴·上海·海盐
第28章海盐
第29章海盐·嘉兴·上海
第30章上海·海盐
第31章海盐·嘉兴·严家浜
第32章严家浜·嘉兴
第33章嘉兴·嘉兴至苏州运河上·吴江
第34章镇江·杭州
第35章杭州·镇江·南京
第36章南京
第37章南京·镇江·上海
第38章镇江·嘉兴
第39章嘉兴·镇江
第40章镇江
第41章镇江
第42章镇江·南京
第43章南京
第44章南京·上海
第45章南京
第46章南京
第47章武汉
第48章武汉·长沙
第49章长沙
第50章长沙
第51章长沙
第52章长沙·广州
第53章广州·重庆·柳州
第54章重庆·柳州·綦江
第55章重庆·綦江
第56章綦江·重庆
第57章重庆·綦江
第58章綦江
第59章綦江
第60章綦江·重庆
第61章重庆
第62章重庆
第63章重庆·贵州凤凰山
第64章贵州凤凰山·长沙·上饶·重庆
第65章重庆·西安
第66章西安·重庆
终章重庆·上海

FAQ

Can I read this smoothly without a background in modern history?

Yes. The novel advances through character fate and pursuit-and-protection plots, with historical background unfolding gradually in the narrative; no detailed prior knowledge is required. A basic familiarity with the Hongkou Park bombing and the provisional government's exile route will make the geographical stops and characters' situations clearer.

Is this book mainly espionage or exile?

Both. The Hongkou Park bombing and the Tiger Hunters' pursuit, siege, and assassination form a tense thread, while Mr. Jin's party's thirteen-year exile from Shanghai to Chongqing is the main narrative. The life-risking aid of ordinary Chinese people adds a layer of humanity and moral duty beyond espionage.

There are many characters—will I confuse them?

The characters do involve several groups: provisional government colleagues, Tiger Hunter members, and ordinary people. On first reading, focus on key figures like Mr. Jin, Cui Lijun, and Chu Jiacheng; identify the rest as the plot progresses—you needn't remember every name from the start.

Is it suitable as an introduction to the Hongkou Park bombing?

It is first and foremost a novel, not historical research. You can use the bombing as a starting point to enter the story and feel the hardships of exile and pursuit, but for specific facts about the event itself, consult specialized historical sources.

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About the author

Zhang Xinke Author · China · 1966

Zhang Xinke, born in 1966 in Shangcai, Henan, holds a doctorate from Germany and is a second-tier professor and doctoral supervisor. He currently serves as Party secretary and executive vice chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Federation of Social Sciences. Trained in engineering, he has devoted himself to literary creation and has published nearly five million characters of fiction, including Remote Letters, Vast Land, The Story of Mountains and Rivers, and Iron Words. He has received the Annual Award of Selected Stories and the Zijinshan Literature Prize. His works often focus on social reality and historical memory, with solid writing that combines narrative tension and humanistic concern. In addition to fiction, he has edited or contributed to social science volumes on Jiangsu's development and policy consultation, reflecting a parallel engagement with literature and social science research.