The Critical Biography of Yuan Chonghuan
Author
Jin Yong
Editor
Publisher
Longshine Publishing
Publication Date
ISBN
The Critical Biography of Yuan Chonghuan is Jin Yong's first critique of a historical figure. Jin Yong notes that Yuan Chengzhi (the son of Yuan Chonghuan), a fictional character in his novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood, is portrayed as an ordinary person, whereas the real Yuan Chonghuan is depicted as a true hero with exceptional talent and charisma. This contrast inspired Jin Yong to write The Critical Biography of Yuan Chonghuan, which is included as an appendix in Sword Stained with Royal Blood. This work represents Jin Yong's attempt to present history in a cohesive, readable style without relying on direct quotations, while maintaining an engaged perspective. The biography's key insight is that Emperor Chongzhen's decision to execute Yuan Chonghuan was not simply due to deception but was instead rooted in a clash of personalities and the emperor's unstable mental state—an explanation not previously highlighted. Additionally, the work critiques the detrimental effects of autocratic rule.
Jin Yong, born Cha Leung-yung in 1924 in Haining, Zhejiang, was a journalist, translator, editor, screenwriter, and director. In 1959, he founded the Ming Pao in Hong Kong, publishing newspapers, magazines, and books. He began serializing his first martial arts novel, The Book and the Sword, in 1955 under the pen name Jin Yong. Over time, he authored fifteen martial arts novels, pioneering a new genre in modern Chinese literature. His works have become a shared cultural language among Chinese-speaking communities worldwide, sparking academic research both domestically and internationally. His collected works have been published in both simplified and traditional Chinese, with translations available in English, French, Italian, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and more.
