Other Details

Huang Yushi <huangyushi[dot]hys[at]gmail[dot]com>

Published: Wednesday 18 October 2006 - Updated: Thursday 26 October 2006 - Current version: 3

Information that cannot be fitted into the above categories.

When did the novel begin?

The novel began in the year 1090 A.D., during the Yuanyou Period of the (Northern) Song Dynasty (Da4 Song4 Yuan2 You4 Nian2 大宋元祐年, 1086-1093 A.D.) in the reign of Song Zhezong, the Wise Ancestor of Song (Song4 Zhe2 Zong1 宋哲宗) (Chapter 1, 3rd edition only). [Note: Song Zhezong was also known as Zhaoxiao, the Emperor of Clear Piety 昭孝皇帝, Zhao Xu 赵煦].

According to the Chinese calendar, 1086 A.D. was the year of Bing-Yin (丙寅年), the 3rd in the 60-year cycle (see Culture and Lifestyle -> Time Designations). Zhong Ling was born in the year of Yi-Mao (乙卯年, the 52nd; Chapter 2, 3rd edition only), the nearest being either 1075 or 1135 A.D. Since Zhong Ling was already 16 years old at the beginning of the novel, she had to be born in 1075 A.D. Consequently, the year in which the novel began could be determined, i.e. 1090 A.D.

In the 2nd edition, Zhong Ling was born in the year of Geng-Shen (庚申年), the 57th in the 60-year cycle. This resulted in her reaching her 16th birthday only in 1096 A.D., which was out of the range of the Yuanyou Period.

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'That Their Ways Be Bestowed Upon Them Too' (Yi3 Bi3 Zhi4 Dao4 Huan2 Shi1 Bi3 Shen1 以彼之道，还施彼身) - a philosophy practised by the Murong Family of Suzhou, especially Murong Bo; brought fear into the eyes of the Yellow-Browed Monk as he sought to explain it to the Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun, Gao Shengtai, Huizhen and Huiguan (Chapter 9). Considered by Wang Yuyan simply as a saying that did nothing more than to give others a fright; did not think that it would be easy to carry the philosophy out in terms of martial arts use (Chapter 12).

Alleged victims of this philosophy included:

  • Ke Baisui - see People.
  • The Taoist Zhangxu of Shandong (Zhang1 Xu1 Dao4 Ren2 章虚道人) - would chop the four limbs of his enemies off so that they would cry in pain for half a day before dying; eventually died in the same manner himself in the marketplace of Jinan 济南, shouting 'That Their Ways Be Bestowed Upon Them Too' (Chapter 9).
  • The Three Luo Brothers of Hebei (Luo4 Shi4 San1 Xiong2 骆氏三雄) - skilled in the use of the flying awl (fei1 zhui1 飞锥); eventually killed by the flying awl as well (Chapter 9).
  • Xuanbei - see Organisations -> Shaolin Temple, The.