Huangzhonggong

Huangzhonggong

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Huangzhonggong (simplified: 黄钟公, traditional: 黄鐘公, pinyin: Huángzhōnggōng, jyutping: wong4 zung1 gung1) was the leader of the Four Friends of Jiangnan and a master of the guqin. He was a former member of the Sun Moon Order who, along with his three companions, guarded Ren Woxing at Plum Manor in Hangzhou. His name means “Yellow Bell Duke,” referring to the musical note huangzhong (黄钟), the fundamental note in traditional Chinese music theory.

Biography

Early life and Sun Moon Order

Huangzhonggong was originally a member of the Sun Moon Order during Ren Woxing’s leadership. He and his three companions—Heibaizi, Tubiweng, and Danqingsheng—joined the order with the intention of doing good deeds and making a name for themselves in the jianghu.

However, they became disillusioned with Ren Woxing’s leadership, finding him too temperamental and autocratic. When Dongfang Bubai took over as leader, the situation worsened, as Dongfang Bubai favoured sycophants and eliminated old members of the order.

Life at Plum Manor

The four friends requested the assignment of guarding Ren Woxing at Plum Manor in Hangzhou, far from the order’s headquarters at Blackwood Cliff. This allowed them to distance themselves from the order’s internal politics and enjoy a peaceful life by West Lake, pursuing their interests in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

For twelve years, Huangzhonggong and his companions lived a quiet life, with Huangzhonggong focusing on his guqin playing and music. They guarded Ren Woxing in the underground prison beneath Plum Manor, though they did not know his true identity.

Meeting Linghu Chong

When Linghu Chong came to Plum Manor with Xiang Wentian and Ren Yingying, Huangzhonggong was intrigued by Linghu Chong’s swordplay. He challenged Linghu Chong to a duel, using his Seven-String Invisible Sword technique.

However, because Linghu Chong had lost his neili, Huangzhonggong’s technique, which relied on disrupting an opponent’s neili through musical resonance, had no effect on him. This allowed Linghu Chong to defeat Huangzhonggong despite his superior martial arts ability.

Death

After Ren Woxing was freed and regained control of the Sun Moon Order, he demanded that the Four Friends of Jiangnan return to Blackwood Cliff and serve under him again. Unwilling to return to the order’s internal conflicts, Huangzhonggong chose to commit suicide rather than submit to Ren Woxing’s authority.

Before his death, he expressed his satisfaction with the peaceful life he had enjoyed at Plum Manor, saying: “We four brothers joined the Sun Moon Order with the intention of doing good deeds and making a name for ourselves in the jianghu. But Ren Woxing was too temperamental and autocratic, and we four brothers had long wanted to retire. When Dongfang Bubai took over, he favoured sycophants and eliminated old members. We four became even more disillusioned. We requested this assignment, first to distance ourselves from Blackwood Cliff and avoid internal conflicts, and second to enjoy a quiet life by West Lake, pursuing music and calligraphy. For twelve years, we have enjoyed enough blessings. Life is full of more sorrows than joys—this is how it is.”

Personality & traits

Huangzhonggong was portrayed as a refined scholar-warrior who valued peace and artistic pursuits over power and conflict. He was described as thin and bony, but with bright, piercing eyes, suggesting both physical frailty and neili.

He was disillusioned with the jianghu’s power struggles and preferred a life of quiet contemplation and artistic expression. His decision to commit suicide rather than return to the Sun Moon Order demonstrated his commitment to his principles and his unwillingness to compromise his values.

Martial arts abilities

Seven-String Invisible Sword

Huangzhonggong’s signature technique was the Seven-String Invisible Sword (七弦无形剑), a unique martial art that combined guqin playing with neili attacks. The technique worked by infusing musical notes with neili, creating resonance with an opponent’s neili and disrupting their movements.

When the music was slow, the opponent’s movements would slow down; when the music was fast, the opponent’s movements would speed up. However, Huangzhonggong’s sword techniques moved in the opposite direction of the music, making it difficult for opponents to defend against his attacks.

The technique’s most powerful move was the “Six Ding Opens the Mountain” (六丁开山), which involved six plucks of the strings, continuously increasing neili until all seven strings sounded together, reaching the peak of power.

The technique was ineffective against opponents who lacked neili, as it relied on creating resonance with the opponent’s neili to disrupt their movements.

Relationships

Huangzhonggong’s relationship with his three companions—Heibaizi, Tubiweng, and Danqingsheng—was one of mutual respect and shared values. They worked together as the Four Friends of Jiangnan, each specialising in a different art form.

His relationship with Ren Woxing was complex. He had originally joined the Sun Moon Order to serve under Ren Woxing, but became disillusioned with his leadership style. When Ren Woxing was freed and demanded their return, Huangzhonggong chose death rather than submission.

Behind the scenes

Huangzhonggong represents the ideal of the scholar-warrior who values peace and artistic pursuits over power and conflict. His character demonstrates that not all martial artists are driven by ambition and that some prefer a life of quiet contemplation.

Literary significance

Huangzhonggong’s character serves to contrast the jianghu’s power struggles with the peaceful life of artistic pursuit. His decision to commit suicide rather than return to the Sun Moon Order demonstrates the importance of personal principles and the cost of maintaining one’s values in a world driven by power and ambition.

Portrayals

Huangzhonggong has been portrayed in various adaptations of Laughing in the Wind:

Laughing in the Wind

See also

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