Romance of Di Qing
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Summary
Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early modes of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, medical classics, ancient military treatises, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and gazetteers all form a vast and profound body of knowledge. This "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with a focus on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by the ancient sages, readers may cultivate their temperament and quietly immerse themselves in the classics of Chinese learning.
Editor's review
The Romance of Di Qing follows the legendary experiences of the Northern Song general Di Qing, blending historical romance with popular narrative traditions and presenting traditional values such as loyalty and courage, trustworthiness and righteousness, and responsibility to family and country within a framework of mounted combat. This book belongs to the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series and preserves the appearance of the original, with language and format carrying the flavor of old-style chapter novels, allowing readers to experience the narrative rhythm and character portrayal of traditional popular literature. Its highlight lies in turning a historical figure into a story, with brisk plot development and clear-cut loyal and villainous characters, making it suitable as an introductory reader for understanding the traditional romance genre and popular historical views. When reading, one need not insist on historical verification; it is better viewed at the level of cultural transmission and literary appreciation. For readers who wish to encounter popular readers of Chinese classics and experience ancient heroic narrative, this book offers a relatively relaxed entry point; if used for classroom teaching, it should be paired with source criticism and notes on editions.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Ordinary readers who like traditional chapter-style romances and are interested in ancient heroic stories
- Student readers who hope to encounter popular readers of Chinese classics in a relaxed way and understand popular historical narrative
- Teachers or reading promoters engaged in popularizing traditional culture who need reference material
- Literature lovers who want to experience the language style and narrative rhythm of old-style fiction
Not a good fit for
- Historians who expect strict source criticism and read by the standards of official history
- Readers who prefer the pace of modern vernacular fiction and have little tolerance for chapter-novel language
- Child readers who need picture-book adaptations or simplified stories
Reading tips
- First read the table of contents and chapter titles to grasp the main storyline and character relationships, then read chapter by chapter to avoid being blocked by old-style language.
- When you encounter plot points that differ from official history, mark them casually, and after finishing make a simple comparison with Song dynasty historical sources.
- You can read this book alongside similar historical romances to observe how popular narrative shapes heroic images.
- If used for parent-child or classroom sharing, it is advisable to select passages on themes such as loyalty, courage, trustworthiness, and righteousness for discussion rather than reading the whole book closely.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一回 选秀女内监出京赴皇都娇娥洒泪
- 第二回 八王爷蒙恩获美狄千金慰母修书
- 第三回 寇公劝驾幸澶州刘后阴谋换太子
- 第四回 遭洪水狄青遇救犯中原西夏兴兵
- 第五回 小英雄受困求签两好汉怜贫结义
- 第六回 较技英雄分上下闲游酒肆惹灾殃
- 第七回 打死凶顽除众害开脱豪杰顺民情
- 第八回 说人情忠奸辩驳演武艺英杰纵横
- 第九回 急求名题诗得祸报私怨越律伤人
- 第十回 受伤豪杰求医急济世高僧赠药良
- 第十一回 爱英雄劝还故里恨奸佞赐赠金刀
- 第十二回 伏猛驹误入牢笼救故主脱离罗网
- 第十三回 脱圈套英雄避难逢世谊吏部扶危
- 第十四回 感义侠同伴离奸圆奇梦贤王慰母
- 第十五回 团圆梦力荐英雄奉懿旨勇擒龙马
- 第十六回 感知遇少年诉身世证鸳鸯太后认亲人
- 第十七回 狄公子乘醉寻奸包大人夜巡衡事
- 第十八回 狄皇亲索马比武庞国丈妒贤生心
- 第十九回 御教场俊杰扬威彩山殿奸徒就戮
- 第二十回 奖英雄实至名归会侠烈情投意合
- 第二十一回 荐解征衣施毒计喜承王命出牢笼
- 第二十二回 离牢狱三杰谈情解征衣二雄立志
- 第二十三回 现金躯玄武赐宝临凡界王禅收徒
- 第二十四回 出潼关刘庆追踪入酒肆狄青遇母
- 第二十五回 设机谋智拿虎将盗云帕巧伏英雄
- 第二十六回 军营内传通消息路途中痛惩强徒
- 第二十七回 因心急图奸惹祸为国事别母登程
- 第二十八回 报恩寺得遇高僧磨盘山险逢恶寇
- 第二十九回 信奸言顽寇劫征衣出偈语高僧解大惑
- 第三十回 李将军寻觅钦差焦先锋图谋龙马
- 第三十一回 勇将力剿大狼山莽汉误投五云汛
- 第三十二回 贪酒英雄遭毒计冒功肖小设奸谋
- 第三十三回 李守备冒功欺元帅狄钦差违限赶边关
- 第三十四回 杨元帅怒失军衣狄钦差忿追功绩
- 第三十五回 帅堂上小奸丧胆山涧中莽将呼援
- 第三十六回 莽先锋质证冒功刁守备强辞夺理
- 第三十七回 守备无能军前出丑钦差有术马上立功
- 第三十八回 思投效强盗进征衣念亲恩英雄荐姐丈
- 第三十九回 临潼关刘庆除奸五云汛张文上任
- 第四十回 庞国丈唆讼纳贿尹贞娘正语规夫
- 第四十一回 逞刁狡沈氏叩阍暗请托孙武查库
- 第四十二回 封仓库儒臣设计打权奸莽汉泄机
- 第四十三回 杨元帅上本劾奸庞国丈巧言惑主
- 第四十四回 骂奸党贞娘自缢捏供词莽汉遭殃
- 第四十五回 佘太君金殿说理包待制乌台审冤
- 第四十六回 行色匆匆星夜登程狂飘飒飒中途落帽
- 第四十七回 郭海寿街头卖菜李太后窖内逢臣
- 第四十八回 诉冤情贤臣应梦甘淡泊故后安贫
- 第四十九回 包待制当殿劾奸沈御史欺君定罪
- 第五十回 贤命妇获救回生忠直臣溯原翻案
- 第五十一回 包待制领审无私焦先锋直供不讳
- 第五十二回 复审案扶忠抑佞再查库假公济私
- 第五十三回 孙兵部领旨查库包待制惊主伸冤
- 第五十四回 宋仁宗闻奏思亲王刑部奉旨审案
- 第五十五回 刁愚妇陷夫不义无智臣昧主辜恩
- 第五十六回 王刑部受贿欺心包待制夜巡获证
- 第五十七回 勘奸谋包拯持正儆贪吏王炳殉身
- 第五十八回 怀母后宋帝伤心审郭槐包拯棘手
- 第五十九回 假鄷都郭监招供真惶恐刘后自裁
- 第六十回 迎国母君王起驾还凤阙李后辞窑
- 第六十一回 殡刘后另贬陵墓戮郭槐追旌善良
- 第六十二回 安乐王喜谐花烛西夏主妄动干戈
- 第六十三回 杨宗保中锤丧命飞山虎履险遭擒
- 第六十四回 丢失毒锤西军败阵安排酒宴宋将庆功
- 第六十五回 悼功臣加恩后嗣虑边患暗探军情
- 第六十六回 稽婚姻狄青尽职再进犯夏主鏖兵
- 第六十七回 美逢美有意求婚强遇强灰心思退
- 第六十八回 赵元昊兵败求和宋将帅凯旋完娶
FAQ
Is this book suitable for reading as official history?
No. It belongs to the traditional romance genre, focusing on storytelling and the expression of popular historical views, and differs from official historical records. If you are interested in historical facts, you can treat it as material for understanding popular narrative traditions and then read it alongside relevant historical works for comparison.
Can I understand it without a foundation in classical Chinese?
You can try. The book preserves the original appearance and its language has the characteristics of old-style chapter novels, but the plot moves fairly directly. First-time readers can look at the chapter titles to grasp the main line, and when encountering unfamiliar expressions need not struggle over every word, focusing instead on understanding the story and character relationships.
What do the books in this series have in common?
The series focuses on preserving the appearance of the original books and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture, with selections covering literature, history, customs, and other aspects. When reading, it is more appropriate to focus on their cultural preservation and popularization value rather than demanding the standards of modern scholarly editions.
What can I gain from reading this book?
Mainly you can experience the narrative methods of traditional romance and the techniques of heroic portrayal, feel the expression of traditional values such as loyalty, courage, trustworthiness, and righteousness in popular literature, and also use it as a relaxed entry point for understanding popular historical views.
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About the author
西湖居士
Author
Xihu Jushi is the name signed to The Romance of Di Qing. The author's real name, native place, dates of birth and death, and biographical details are not clearly recorded, and available public information is limited. Judging from the signature, "Xihu Jushi" appears to be a style name in the tradition of literati self-designations, but it would be unreliable to infer the author's identity, period, or region from it. What can be confirmed is only that one work survives under this name, The Romance of Di Qing, which is commonly classified as a classic. The book takes as its subject the deeds of Di Qing, the famous Northern Song general; it is a historical romance that narrates campaigns, with vivid characters, coherent plotting, and accessible language suited to general readers. It has had some influence in popular circulation and serves as a readable introduction to the development of Di Qing stories and to traditional romance writing. Because information about the author is scarce, a detailed discussion of literary style and the full body of work is difficult, and readers may prefer to focus on the work itself.
