Xia Jingqu
1705–1787
Biography
Xia Jingqu (夏敬渠, 1705–1787) was a novelist of the Qing dynasty from Jiangyin, in Jiangsu. He used several literary names, and he was also called Mr. Xutai. He lived through much of the Qianlong reign, a period when the Qing state was at the height of its power, and he is known mainly for one large novel.
That novel is 野叟曝言 (Ye Sou Pu Yan), written in the middle years of the Qianlong reign. It is a chapter novel in twenty volumes and 154 chapters, which makes it one of the longest works of its kind. Its central figure, Wen Suchen, combines learning, moral conduct and military skill, and the book often stops for long passages of argument about learning and government alongside its adventures. A 1940s film called Wen Suchen was adapted from it, and it also inspired a Taiwanese glove-puppet play.
On this site the book is 野叟曝言 (Ye Sou Pu Yan). Its length and its mix of storytelling and argument show a writer who used the chapter novel for more than entertainment. It can be read beside the satire of Wu Jingzi, who was a near-contemporary and whose The Scholars appeared in 1750.
This biography was written by a language model. The sources below are where to check it; treat details with care.
Books
野叟曝言
by 夏敬渠
Wen Suchen, a hero of perfect learning and virtue, defeats foreign tribes, wins many wives and saves the empire in this vast Qing fantasy of the Confucian scholar. A strange mix of piety, military romance and sexual fantasy. This book uses the racial and other slurs of its…
Summary written by Claude Sonnet 5.5.