Shi Yukun (approximately 1810-1871), courtesy name Zhenzhi, was born in Tianjin and was a famous storyteller between Xianfeng and Tongzhi.His rap "Longtu Gongan" is still handed down to this day, and there are many librettos.Later, on this basis, some people deleted the libretto and added it as a novel, titled "Longtu Erlu".During the Guangxu period, the master of Wenzhu revised and polished it, and renamed it "The Legend of Zhonglie Chivalry", also known as "Three Heroes and Five Righteousness", each with 120 chapters. According to storytelling artists from generation to generation, Shi Yukun was entrusted by the prince of Li, based on the story of Bao Gong’s trial that has been passed down since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and based on the paintings of Zhong Kui and orchids, jade cats, hanging nails and mice in the house hanging in the prince’s house. The main protagonists and villains in the book are compiled into a book based on the main plot line of the Three Heroes and Five Justices assisting Bao Zheng in eliminating violence and peace, punishing rape and eradicating evil.

Later, Yu Yue (1821-1907), a native of the Qing Dynasty, made additions, deletions and revisions, and rewritten it as "Seven Heroes and Five Righteousnesses". It was first published in the fifth year of Guangxu (1879), and was written by Shi Yukun.At the beginning of the volume, there are prefaces to ask the master of bamboo and two prefaces to the master of Tuisi and the lost Taoist.Yu Yue thought that the first episode of the original book about the exchange of the civet cat for the prince was not relevant, so he relied on historical biography, corrected the common saying, and rewritten the first episode.In addition, the three heroes are Nan Xia Zhan Zhao, Bei Xia Ouyang Chun, and Shuang Xia Ding Zhaolan and Ding Zhaohui. Tianshu Lu Fang, Chedishu Han Zhang, Chuanshanshu Xu Qing, Fanjiang Shu Jiang Ping, and Jinmaoshu Bai Yutang are still the Five Righteous Men. The title of the book was changed to "Seven Heroes and Five Righteousness", and the preface was written in the fifteenth year of Guangxu issue.So today there are two books of "Three Heroes and Five Righteousness" and "Seven Heroes and Five Righteousness".

This book is a revised version by Yu Yue, but there are still many typos. Yu Yue did not correct it in order to maintain the original flavor. For example, the Junshan Mountain in Dongting Lake in this book should be regarded as the Junshan Mountain.Correct it when making the e-book. In addition, the story after one hundred chapters of "Seven Heroes and Five Righteousnesses" is repeated with the first forty chapters of "Small Five Righteousnesses". Not the same.Although "Seven Heroes and Five Righteousnesses" has been edited by Yu Yue, the text is better, and "Little Five Justices" is more vulgar, but in terms of narrative details and plot twists, the story of "Little Five Justices" breaking Junshan is more exciting and more Reasonable.

Jack Hwang 2011.08.10