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Sword Stained with Royal Blood
Wuxia Wiki | Jin Yong | Novels

Sword Stained with Royal Blood

Sword Stained with Royal Blood (simplified: 碧血剑, traditional: 碧血劍, pinyin: Bì Xuě Jiàn, Bik1 Hyut3 Gim3) is the second wuxia novel by Jin Yong. It was first serialised in Hong Kong’s Hong Kong Commercial Daily1 from 1 January 1956 to 31 December 1956.

When the newspaper was founded in October 1952, it initially focused on economic news with limited circulation of a few thousand copies. In its second year, it broadened its scope to become a more comprehensive newspaper, with an emphasis on its entertainment supplement and local news.

At the end of 1955, while the New Evening Post2 was still serialising The Book and the Sword: A Tale of Favour and Feud, Hong Kong Commercial Daily’s deputy editor Li Shawei3 invited Jin Yong to write a wuxia novel for their “Monthly Stories” section, and his earnest request made it hard for Jin Yong to refuse. Thus, Jin Yong agreed.

The novel underwent multiple revisions after its initial serialisation. Jin Yong made significant revisions to it in 1975 with the publication of the Second Edition by Ming Ho Publications. Jin Yong noted in his Afterword that “among all my works, this novel required the most effort in revision.” The revisions expanded the original text by approximately a fifth.

A second revision was published in early 2003 as the Third Edition.

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Title translation

The title literally means Jade Blood Sword. Jade carries connotations of purity and nobility in classical Chinese literature. The title refers to a noble bloodline and righteous sacrifice, in particular Yuan Chonghua’s loyal service and unjust execution.

The translation Sword Stained with Royal Blood captures the central theme of Yuan Chonghua’s execution by imperial decree and his son’s subsequent quest for justice. The word “royal” emphasizes both Yuan’s high position as a general and the imperial nature of the injustice done to him, while “stained” suggests both the physical blood on the execution sword and the moral stain of the unjust killing.

Other alternative titles include The Sword of Blood, The Blood-stained Sword, and Blade of the Blood-green Sword. However, none of these captures both the literal meaning and thematic significance of the original Chinese.

Plot

Background

The novel is set in China during the final years of the Ming dynasty,4 during the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor.5 The story takes place against the backdrop of increasing social unrest, with peasant rebellions led by Li Zicheng6 threatening the Ming government while Manchu forces7 gather strength beyond the Great Wall.

Summary

The story follows Yuan Chengzhi, son of the wrongfully executed Ming general Yuan Chonghuan. At his first appearance in the story, Yuan Chengzhi is a 10-year-old shepherd boy with dark skin, bright eyes, and a small braid tied with red string.

Despite his young age, he is already brave enough to hunt tigers and leopards. He later gains a distinctive scar on his eyebrow from an incident while rescuing Xiao Hui. After his father’s death, Yuan is taken to Huashan8 where he trains in martial arts under Mu Renqing, leader of the Huashan School.9

During his adventures, Yuan discovers the Golden Serpent Sword and a martial arts manual that once belonged to the mysterious swordsman Xia Xueyi, known as the Golden Serpent Gentleman. He inherits Xia’s techniques and becomes a formidable fighter.

Yuan meets Wen Qingqing, who turns out to be Xia Xueyi’s daughter. Though initially seeking vengeance for his father, Yuan eventually joins Li Zicheng’s rebellion against the corrupt Ming government. He helps the rebels retrieve gold stolen by the Wen family and sabotages cannons meant for the Ming army.

Despite his hatred for the Chongzhen Emperor, Yuan saves him from a coup attempt by Prince Hui. During this time, he meets He Tieshou, leader of the Five Poisons Order, whom he eventually reforms and accepts as his disciple.

Yuan develops romantic relationships with both Wen Qingqing and Princess Ajiu, who is actually Princess Changping, daughter of the Chongzhen Emperor. However, he becomes disillusioned with Li Zicheng’s rebellion after witnessing the rebels’ brutality toward common people. When Wu Sangui allows the Manchus through Shanhai Pass,10 leading to the fall of the Ming dynasty, Yuan decides to leave China with his companions for the Bruneian Empire.11

Historical elements

The novel weaves together historical events and figures from the late Ming dynasty with fictional narrative. Key historical elements include:

Yuan Chonghuan’s legacy

Yuan Chonghuan was a prominent Ming general who successfully defended Ningyuan against Manchu invasion and defeated Nurhaci,12 the founder of the Later Jin.13 Despite these achievements, he was executed by the Chongzhen Emperor in 1630 after being falsely accused of colluding with the Manchus. This historical injustice forms the foundation of the novel’s central conflict.

Late Ming political turmoil

The novel is set against the backdrop of increasing instability in the Ming dynasty, featuring:

  • Growing peasant unrest and rebellions
  • Corruption within the imperial court
  • The threat of Manchu invasion from the north
  • The weakening of central authority

Li Zicheng’s rebellion

The story incorporates the historical rise of Li Zicheng’s rebel forces, showing how initial popular support gave way to disillusionment as the rebels engaged in the same corrupt practices they had opposed. The novel portrays the complex reality of how revolutionary movements can sometimes reproduce the problems they sought to solve.

The Ming-Qing transition

The novel depicts the final years of the Ming dynasty and its eventual fall to the Manchus, including:

  • Wu Sangui’s decision to allow Manchu forces through Shanhai Pass
  • The relationship between Wu Sangui and Chen Yuanyuan14
  • The suicide of the Chongzhen Emperor
  • The establishment of Qing rule

Themes

Justice and loyalty

The novel explores competing forms of justice and loyalty through Yuan Chengzhi’s story. While he initially seeks to avenge his father’s wrongful execution, his sense of justice expands to encompass the broader struggle against corruption and tyranny.

This is shown through his decision to join Li Zicheng’s rebellion, though his loyalty is later tested when the rebels fail to live up to their ideals. The theme of loyalty is further complicated by Yuan’s relationship with Princess Changping, as he finds himself protecting the daughter of the emperor who executed his father.

Power and corruption

Through its portrayal of the late Ming dynasty, the novel examines how power corrupts at both personal and institutional levels. The Ming court’s corruption leads to the unjust execution of Yuan Chonghuan, while Li Zicheng’s rebellion, despite its initial promises of justice and stability, ultimately succumbs to the same abuse of power it opposed.

This cycle of corruption is shown to be systemic rather than simply personal, leading Yuan Chengzhi to eventually abandon China altogether rather than participate in another corrupt regime.

Love versus duty

The novel explores conflicts between personal relationships and larger obligations through multiple love stories. Yuan Chengzhi’s relationships with Wen Qingqing and Princess Changping represent choices between different paths and loyalties.

The tragic love story of Xia Xueyi and Wen Rui, though told through flashbacks, demonstrates how personal love can conflict with family loyalty and martial arts sect obligations. These romantic narratives are interwoven with questions of duty to family, country, and moral principles.

Historical change

Jin Yong uses the turbulent end of the Ming dynasty as more than just a backdrop, making historical transformation itself a central theme. Through Yuan Chengzhi’s journey from seeking personal vengeance to participating in rebellion to ultimately choosing exile, the novel explores how individuals respond to massive historical changes.

The story shows how idealistic movements can fail to achieve their aims, as demonstrated by Li Zicheng’s rebellion becoming as oppressive as the government it replaced.

Revenge and its consequences

The destructive nature of revenge is explored through multiple storylines. While Yuan Chengzhi begins with a quest for vengeance, he ultimately chooses a different path.

The tragic story of Xia Xueyi and the Five Wen Elders demonstrates how vengeance creates cycles of violence and betrayal. He Hongyao’s vengeful actions toward Xia Xueyi and Wen Rui further illustrate the destructive consequences of revenge.

Martial arts

The novel features several distinctive martial arts techniques:

  • Bagua Mobile Body Palm (八卦游身掌) – Recorded in the Golden Serpent Manual, created by observing fighting snakes
  • Wall-climbing Gecko Technique (壁虎游墙功) – A common lightness skill used for scaling walls
  • Divine Snake Tongue (灵蛇吐信) – From the Green Python Sword style used by Chen Dahai
  • Subduing Tiger Palm (伏虎掌法) – A Mount Hua School technique with 108 forms
  • Mixed Elements Palm (混元功) – A Mount Hua internal martial art that must be personally taught by the sect leader
  • Golden Serpent Techniques (金蛇剑法) – Including the Golden Serpent Sword techniques and Golden Serpent Awl methods

Cast

Main characters

  • Yuan Chengzhi (袁承志 – Yuan Chengzhi) – The protagonist, son of wrongfully executed Ming general Yuan Chonghuan
  • Wen Qingqing (温青青 – Wen Qingqing) – Daughter of Xia Xueyi who becomes Yuan’s love interest
  • Princess Ajiu/Princess Changping (阿九/长平公主 – Ajiu/Changping Gongzhu) – Daughter of the Chongzhen Emperor
  • Xia Xueyi/The Golden Serpent Gentleman (夏雪宜/金蛇先生 – Xia Xueyi/Jin She Xiansheng) – A mysterious swordsman whose legacy shapes the story
  • He Tieshou (何铁手 – He Tieshou) – Leader of the Five Poisons Order who becomes Yuan’s disciple
  • Mu Renqing (穆人清 – Mu Renqing) – Leader of Huashan School and Yuan’s master

Supporting characters

  • Yuan Chonghuan (袁崇焕 – Yuan Chonghuan) – Yuan Chengzhi’s father, a wrongfully executed Ming general
  • The Chongzhen Emperor (崇祯皇帝 – Chongzhen Huangdi) – Last emperor of the Ming dynasty
  • Li Zicheng (李自成 – Li Zicheng) – Leader of the peasant rebellion
  • Prince Hui (惠王 – Huiwang) – A treacherous noble who attempts to overthrow the emperor
  • Wu Sangui (吴三桂 – Wu Sangui) – Ming general who allows the Manchus through Shanhai Pass

Behind the scenes

Jin Yong drew inspiration from his high school years in Shiliang Town,15 Quzhou City in Zhejiang, creating the fictional Shiliang School in the novel. The character Wen Qingqing was born in Shiliang, reflecting this connection to the author’s past.

Adaptations

Film

Television series

Video games

He Tieshou appears as a playable character in the 2008 PC fighting game Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation.

Legacy

Sword Stained with Royal Blood marked an important step in Jin Yong’s development as a writer. The novel is notable for its use of flashback narrative techniques, which was innovative for wuxia fiction at the time. This approach influenced later works in the genre and demonstrated Jin Yong’s growing sophistication as a storyteller.

The character of Xia Xueyi, who never appears directly in the story but whose presence drives much of the plot, represents one of Jin Yong’s early experiments with complex narrative structure. His story is revealed entirely through the memories and recollections of other characters, particularly through the emotional reminiscences of Wen Rui and He Hongyao.

See also

Footnotes

  1. 香港商報 – Xiānggǎng Shāng Bào. A Hong Kong newspaper that was founded in 1958. See Wikipedia. ↩

  2. 新晚報 – Xīn Wǎnbào. A Hong Kong evening newspaper affiliated with Ta Kung Pao. See Wikipedia. ↩

  3. 李沙威 – Lǐ Shāwēi. See Wikipedia. ↩

  4. 明 – Míng. A dynasty that ruled China from 1368 to 1644. See Wikipedia. ↩

  5. 崇禎 – Chóngzhēn. The last emperor of the Ming dynasty who reigned from 1627 to 1644. See Wikipedia. ↩

  6. 李自成 – Lǐ Zìchéng. A Chinese rebel leader who led a peasant revolt that overthrew the Ming dynasty. See Wikipedia. ↩

  7. 满族 – Mǎnzú. A Tungusic ethnic group native to Manchuria. See Wikipedia. ↩

  8. 华山 – Huá Shān. One of the Five Great Mountains of China, located in Shaanxi Province. See Wikipedia. ↩

  9. 華山派 – Huá Shān Pài ↩

  10. 山海關 – Shān Hǎi Guān. An important pass of the eastern end of the Great Wall of China. See Wikipedia. ↩

  11. The Bruneian Empire is a historical name for the modern-day Brunei. See Wikipedia. ↩

  12. 努爾哈赤 – Nǔ’ěrhāchì. The chieftain who unified the Jurchen tribes and founded the Later Jin state. See Wikipedia. ↩

  13. 后晋 – Hòujìn. A khanate ruled by the Jurchen people from 936 to 946 AD, after Nurhaci reunited the Jurchen tribes. See Wikipedia. ↩

  14. 陳圓圓 – Chén Yuányuán. Wu Sangui’s famous concubine who also appears in The Deer and the Cauldron. ↩

  15. 石梁 – Shí Liáng. See Wikipedia. ↩