Haoqiu zhuan

Haoqiu zhuan (traditional Chinese: 好逑傳; simplified Chinese: 好逑传; pinyin: Hǎoqiú zhuàn; Wade–Giles: Hao-ch'iu chuan "The pleasing history" or "The fortunate union") is a Chinese caizi jiaren (talent and beauty) novel published in the 17th Century. The author is known only under the name "Man of the Teaching of Names" (C: 名教中人, P: Míngjiāo Zhōngrén, W: Ming-chiao Chung-jen). The identity of the author and exact date of publishing are not known. According to Philippe Postel, author of "Les traductions françaises du Haoqiu zhuan," the most commonly stated date of authorship is 1683, at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. After 1712 the story was given the subtitle Xiayi fengyue zhuan (T: 俠義風月傳, S: 侠义风月传, P: Xiáyì fēngyuè zhuàn, W: Hsia-i Feng-yüeh chuan, "A Tale of Chivalry and Love").

Chloë F. Starr, author of Red-Light Novels of the Late Qing, wrote that this novel was among the best-known caizi jiaren novels. Maram Epstein, author of Competing Discourses: Orthodoxy, Authenticity, and Engendered Meanings in Late Imperial Chinese Fiction, described the novel as being "moralistic". The story has eighteen chapters.

The beauty, Shui Bingxin, and the scholar, Tie Zhongyu, want to avenge their fathers and go against the bureaucracy, which is corrupt. Shui Bingxin's uncle wants her to marry a son of an official with a lot of power, but Shui Bingxin does not want to marry that man, who is dissolute. Tie Zhongyu rescues Shui Bingxin and the two begin to live in the same house. The uncle spreads rumors that suggest Shui Bingxin is not a virgin. Tie Zhongyu focuses on his studies after Shui Bingxin persuades him to. The two lovers marry after Tie Zhongyu receives the top ranking of the metropolitan examination.

Due to the rumors, Shui Bingxin does not want to have sexual intercourse with Tie Zhongyu. At the end, the Empress oversees a physical examination of Shui Bingxin. In this way, the Empress verifies the virginity of Shui Bingxin. The Emperor of China gives rewards to those loyal to him and punishes those guilty of crimes. After the verification, the two lovers engage in sexual intercourse.

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