
Amid the fractured kingdoms of a war‑torn era, a loyal minister named Hu Yanti is betrayed and slain by a ruthless courtier, leaving his concubine Liu and their infant son as the only survivors. The pair narrowly escape a brutal raid, finding refuge with a hardened warrior, Ma Zhong, who vows to protect them and raise the child in the rugged hills of He‑dong. Over the next several years the boy, now grown into a fierce and skilled youth, is trained in both scholarship and martial arts, his every move shaped by the memory of his family’s tragedy.
As the young man learns the truth of his lineage, the burning desire for justice drives him to seek allies and devise a plan to confront the treacherous official responsible for his father’s death. With a loyal band of followers and a prized warhorse, he prepares to step onto the political stage, where intrigue and vengeance will collide. The story weaves together personal loss, the harsh realities of power, and the relentless pursuit of retribution in a world where loyalty is scarce and honor is hard‑won.
Language
zh
Duration
~2 hours (155K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2007-12-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Known mainly through the historical sagas he compiled in the late Ming period, this Chinese writer helped shape popular storytelling around famous heroes and dynasties. His books mixed history, legend, and dramatic pacing in ways that kept readers turning pages.
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