| Literally the title means a
story about books, swords, charity, and vengeance. It starts with two uninvited martial
arts masters Yu Wanting and Wun Tailai, carrying a big secret and sneaking into the
Forbidden City to meet Emperor Cianlong at night. Yu was the head of an outlaw
organization, Honghuahui, of which Wun was the fourth vice-head, sidangjia. Although they
successfully met the emperor, passed him a secret message, and were allowed to leave
peacefully, they instantly became wanted criminals when the emperor changed his mind. Yu
Wanting died soon when he became ill after this mission. Wun Tailai was captured and sent
to jail. So, the Honghuahui organization elected Yu Wanting's foster son and disciple,
Chen Jialuo, to become their new leader to rescue Wun and lead them to achieve their final
goal: to overthrow the Cing and bring back the Ming, fanCing fuMing. Then there were
ceaseless conflicts claiming numerous lives both on the government and the Honghuahui
sides. Young men from the same family would kill each other because they belonged to
different sides.
The reason for the two sides fighting was that Emperor
Cianlong wanted to disguise his bloodline, which was not Manchurian but Han Chinese. He
was irritated when the two masters brought him this message during the their unwelcome
visit. It was all because his adopted father, Yongjheng, desperately needed a healthy and
intelligent son to cheer his adopted grandfather Emperor Kangsi. Yongjheng believed that
by having such a son he would have a better chance to become the crown prince, which he
and his brothers fought for. So, as a baby Cianlong was secretly taken form a ranking
Chinese official, Chen Shihguan, and exchanged with Yongjheng's baby daughter. This scheme
was very successful because he was strong, healthy and much more lovely than Yongjheng's
elder son and other princes' sons. He was never returned to the Chen family and eventually
ascended the throne. |