Qing Dynasty Tiger General: Nian Gengyao

Nian Gengyao led a tumultuous life. He was an important Qing official in the late Kangxi and early Yongzheng eras, serving as governor-general of Sichuan and Shaanxi and holding the seal of the General Who Pacifies the Far Regions. He was a formidable figure on the frontier in his day. Historical records say little about his youth, offering only vague details, though they do mention that he was unruly as a boy. Legend has it that he was later taken in as a disciple by Gu Kentang, a cousin of Gu Yanwu, who carefully polished him until the rough jade became a fine work of art. Why this anti-Qing loyalist, who sought to restore the Ming, would take on a member of the Eight Banners as a disciple remains a mystery, giving rise to all kinds of speculation and legends.

Nian Gengyao's end was both unexpected and inevitable. It was a tragedy.

As for the historical accuracy of this novel, George Bernard Shaw once said, “Everything in history is false except the names; everything in fiction is true except the names.”

This is a historical novel, so everything in it is false, and everything in it is true.