Jie Jin is a historical novel based on the life of Jie Jin, a gifted scholar of the Ming Dynasty. Jie Jin (1369–1415), courtesy names Dashen and Jinkun, also known by the literary names Chunyu and Xiyi, was from Jishui, Jiangxi. A Ming official and writer, Jie Jin was exceptionally bright from childhood. He could recite texts at five and write poetry at seven, earning a reputation as a prodigy. His prose was elegant, vigorous, and unconventional; his poetry was bold and richly expressive, and his small regular-script calligraphy was exquisite. Along with Xu Wei and Yang Shen, he is regarded as one of the three great talents of the Ming Dynasty.
This book offers a comprehensive account of Jie Jin’s eventful and extraordinary life, portraying him as a gifted official who was loyal to his emperor and country and devoted to protecting the people and securing the realm. During his twenty-five years in office, he remained steadfast in his service to the state and its principles, championed righteousness, and showed compassion for the vulnerable. Though a civil official, he possessed a chivalrous and tender heart, and ultimately rose to become a Grand Academician of the Right Spring Quarter. Following the creative principle of “true in broad strokes, unconstrained in the details,” the novel explores, from a literary perspective, the inner journey of this rare gifted official in Chinese feudal society.
This book is based on Xie Jin's life and tells his legendary story. Xie Jin is talented and admirable, and his experience is also touching. This reminds me of "Things About the Ming Dynasty", they both show the history of the Ming Dynasty in an interesting way. I especially like the plot of Jie Jin in the officialdom in the book. His wisdom and loyalty are impressive.
This book is not bad. It systematically writes about the legendary life of Jie Jin. When I read "Those Things in the Ming Dynasty", I didn't pay much attention to Jie Jin and didn't write much about his deeds. Now after reading this biography of Jie Jin, I feel that he is a very full character. This is the return journey of a talented man. Although some descriptions in the book are strange, I still recommend this book to those who are interested in Jie Jin. It has a sense of daily life.
The genius of the early Ming Dynasty, offering sacrifices to the sky with snow!