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2022/23 School of Chinese Research Student Seminar

征西與平南：清代狄青（1008-1057）小説的歷史底色

Expedition to the West and South: The Historical Undertones of Fictions about Di Qing (1008-1057) in Qing Dynasty

Speaker: Mr. LUO Moxuan

Date & Time: October 21, 2022 (Wed) 5:30-6:45pm

Venue: CPD-3.29, Central Podium Level 3, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

Language: Putonghua

Mode of Delivery: 100% Face-to-face

三部書寫狄青故事的小說《萬花樓演義》、《五虎平西前傳》與《五虎平南後傳》是清代中葉英雄傳奇小說的代表作。整體來看，狄青征西與平南的生平行實構成了這一批小說的基本歷史底色，具體表現在戰事架構與故事特色兩方面。在戰事架構方面，小說以時空錯配與簡化矛盾兩種方式，建構出小說中與宋代對立的他國，以簡單的二元對立的模式，強化英雄行為的正當性，迎合民間的審美偏好。在故事特色方面，狄青故事呈現出「雙面名將」與「邊緣主角」的特徵，與傳統文學史書寫中的岳飛故事、楊家將故事等家將小說產生差異。這與狄青征西平南產生的歷史功績相關。狄青自士兵奮鬥至軍事大員的傳奇經歷增強了故事的可讀性，但其功績的相對有限與行實的相對平淡又削減了故事的傳奇性，從而不得不藉助包公與楊家將的介入增加故事的賣點。以上均反映出在中國古代通俗章回小說的生成過程中，歷史以多重形式向文學滲入，從而建構出通俗小說別樣的文學世界。

The three novels written about Di Qing, Wan Hua Lou, Wuhu Pingxi and Wuhu Pingnan, are representative of the heroic and legendary novels of the mid-Qing period. On the whole, the historical facts of Di Qing's expedition to the West and South constitute the basic historical undertones of this group of novels, which are expressed in two aspects: the structure of the war and the characteristics of the story. In terms of the war structure, the novel uses both time and space mismatches and simplified contradictions to construct other countries counterpart to the Song dynasty in the novels, reinforcing the legitimacy of the hero's actions in a simple dichotomy that appeals to the aesthetic preferences of the people. In terms of the characteristics of the story, Di Qing's story is characterised by a 'double-sided general' and a 'marginal protagonist', which differentiates it from traditional literary and historical novels about generals such as Yue Fei and Yang Jiajiang. This is related to the historical achievements of Di Qing in his conquest of the West and the South. The story's readability is enhanced by Di Qing's legendary experiences as a soldier who fought his way up to the rank of military officer, but the relatively limited merit and the relative blandness of his deeds reduce the story's legendary quality, thus forcing the intervention of Duke Bao and Yang Jiajiang to increase the story's selling point. All of this reflects the multiple ways in which history has infiltrated literature in the production of the ancient Chinese popular novel, thus constructing a different literary world for the popular novel.

ALL are welcome*

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