Jiao Gongli (simplified: 焦公礼, traditional: 焦公禮, pinyin: Jiāo Gōnglǐ, jyutping: ziu1 gung1 lai5), also known as the Iron Back Golden Turtle (铁背金鳌 — Tiěbèi Jīn’áo), was the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang (金龙帮 — Jīnlóng Bāng) in Nanjing. He was known for his righteousness and sense of justice, particularly for his role in exposing and stopping an evil plot involving Min Ziye. He was eventually murdered by the Tai Bai San Ying (太白三英 — Tàibái Sānyīng) in 1643.
Biography
Early life and the Golden Dragon Gang
Jiao Gongli was born in Nanjing and eventually became the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang, one of the most powerful organisations in the region. The gang’s influence extended throughout southern Zhili (南直隶 — Nánzhílì), with over two thousand members in Nanjing alone. Under Jiao Gongli’s leadership, the gang maintained a reputation for righteousness and justice, despite being a jianghu organisation.
The Min Ziye incident
Jiao Gongli’s reputation for righteousness was established through an incident involving Min Ziye (闵子叶), a martial artist from the Xiandu School (仙都派) who was also the chief escort of the Youyou Escort Bureau (会友镖局 — Huìyǒu Biāojú) in Jinan, Shandong.
Min Ziye had conspired with the leader of the Flying Tiger Stronghold (飞虎寨 — Fēihǔ Zhài) to rob a transport and kidnap the second daughter of the transport owner, Qiu Daotai (丘道台), who was known for her beauty. Min Ziye planned to commit rape and murder, disguising the crime as a robbery.
Jiao Gongli, who was then operating as a bandit leader on Shuanglong Ridge (双龙岗 — Shuānglóng Gǎng), learned of this evil plot. Despite being a bandit himself, Jiao Gongli was outraged by Min Ziye’s plan to commit such crimes and decided to intervene. He exposed the conspiracy and, in a fit of righteous anger, killed Min Ziye with a single sabre strike.
Jiao Gongli also obtained a confession (伏辩 — fúbiàn) from the Flying Tiger Stronghold leader and a letter of thanks from Qiu Daotai, which served as proof of his righteous actions.
Conflict with the Xiandu School
After killing Min Ziye, Jiao Gongli knew that he had made an enemy of the Xiandu School. To prevent further conflict, he took the confession and letter of thanks to Mount Xiandu (仙都山 — Xiāndū Shān) to see Huangmu Daoren (黄木道人), the leader of the Xiandu School, and explain the situation.
Xia Xueyi the Golden Serpent Gentleman, who happened to be present, helped escort Jiao Gongli to the Xiandu School and explained the matter to Huangmu Daoren. Huangmu Daoren, recognising that Min Ziye’s actions had been wrong, agreed to constrain his disciples from seeking revenge against Jiao Gongli. However, to protect the school’s reputation, Huangmu Daoren asked Jiao Gongli not to publicise the matter.
The Tai Bai San Ying betrayal
Years later, Min Ziye’s younger brother Min Zihua (闵子华) completed his training and decided to seek revenge for his brother’s death. Jiao Gongli, hoping to resolve the matter peacefully, sought help from his old friends, the Tai Bai San Ying (太白三英 — Tàibái Sānyīng), asking them to mediate.
However, the Tai Bai San Ying had secretly become traitors, working for the Manchus. They tried to recruit Jiao Gongli, but when he refused and condemned their treachery, they decided to eliminate him. They stole the confession and letter of thanks that Jiao Gongli had, destroyed the evidence, and spread false rumours, turning Min Zihua against Jiao Gongli.
Confrontation in Nanjing
Min Zihua, believing the false accusations, gathered a large group of martial artists to seek revenge in Nanjing, including:
- Wan Lifeng (万里风) the Wind Chasing Sword from the Diancang School (点苍派)
- Shili Dashi (十力大师) from the Qingliang Temple (清凉寺) on Mount Wutai (五台山)
- Zheng Qiyun (郑起云) the Green Sea Long Whale, leader of the Seventy-Two Islands Alliance (七十二岛总盟主)
- Zhang Xinyi (张心一) from the Kunlun School (昆仑派)
- Several monks from the Emei School (峨嵋派)
- Mei Jianhe (梅剑和) the Shadowless from the Huashan School
Despite being outnumbered, Jiao Gongli prepared to face the challenge. He sent his daughter Jiao Waner and young son away for their safety, believing that only the Golden Serpent Gentleman could save him.
Yuan Chengzhi’s intervention
Yuan Chengzhi, who happened to be in Nanjing, heard of the conflict and decided to help Jiao Gongli. He retrieved the stolen confession and letter of thanks from the Tai Bai San Ying and presented them to Min Zihua, exposing the truth.
With the help of Priest Musang, Yuan Chengzhi also captured the Tai Bai San Ying, who had attempted to escape. The truth was revealed, and Min Zihua and Jiao Gongli reconciled, ending their conflict.
Death
However, the Tai Bai San Ying escaped (or were rescued) and, seeking revenge, stole Min Zihua’s assassination knife (戒杀刀 — jièshā dāo) and used it to murder Jiao Gongli, framing Min Zihua and the Xiandu School for the crime.
Yuan Chengzhi, with the help of Jiao Waner, eventually uncovered the truth. Jiao Waner personally killed the Tai Bai San Ying to avenge her father’s death.
Personality and character
Jiao Gongli was known for his righteousness and sense of justice. Despite being a bandit leader in his youth, he maintained high moral standards and was willing to risk his own safety to prevent evil deeds. His intervention in the Min Ziye incident demonstrated his commitment to justice, even when it meant making enemies of powerful organisations.
He was also known for his leadership abilities. Under his guidance, the Golden Dragon Gang became one of the most powerful organisations in the region, with over two thousand members in Nanjing alone. The gang maintained a reputation for righteousness, which was unusual for a jianghu organisation of its size.
Jiao Gongli was described by Shili Dashi, a respected monk, as “a famous righteous man in the jianghu” (江湖上有名的汉子 — jiānghú shàng yǒumíng de hànzǐ), and the Golden Dragon Gang’s reputation was also noted as being “not bad” (名声向来也并不坏 — míngshēng xiànglái yě bìngbùhuài).
Martial arts
Jiao Gongli was a skilled martial artist, though the specific details of his techniques are not extensively described in the novel. He was known for using a broken iron sabre (折铁刀 — zhétiě dāo) as his weapon.
As the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang, he would have had access to the gang’s martial arts techniques, though the specific techniques are not detailed in the novel.
Relationships
Family
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Jiao Waner (焦宛儿) — Jiao Gongli’s daughter, who was around sixteen or seventeen years old when he was murdered. After his death, Jiao Waner worked with Yuan Chengzhi to uncover the truth and avenge him.
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Wife — Jiao Gongli was married and had at least two children.
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Son — Jiao Gongli had a young son, around seven or eight years old, whom he sent away with Jiao Waner for safety.
Disciples
- Luo Liru (罗立如) — Jiao Gongli’s disciple who later married Jiao Waner. Luo Liru lost an arm in a confrontation with Sun Zhongjun (孙仲君).
Friends and allies
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Tai Bai San Ying (太白三英) — Originally Jiao Gongli’s friends, they betrayed him and became his enemies after he refused to join their traitorous activities.
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Yuan Chengzhi — The protagonist of Sword Stained with Royal Blood, who helped Jiao Gongli resolve the conflict with Min Zihua, though he arrived too late to prevent Jiao Gongli’s murder.
Legacy
Jiao Gongli’s death highlighted the dangers faced by righteous figures in the jianghu and the treachery of those who would betray their country. His murder by the Tai Bai San Ying demonstrated the lengths to which traitors would go to eliminate those who stood in their way.
However, his legacy lived on through his daughter Jiao Waner, who successfully avenged his death and continued to uphold the values he represented. The Golden Dragon Gang continued to operate after his death, though its leadership changed.
Jiao Gongli’s story served as an example of the complexities of jianghu morality, where even bandits could be more righteous than those who claimed to be orthodox martial artists. His willingness to risk his own safety to prevent evil deeds, and his eventual death at the hands of traitors, made him a tragic but respected figure in the jianghu.