This is a work of historical fiction inspired by real events, presenting readers with a different panorama of early Qing history. It combines the weight of history with the lightness of fiction, striving to offer readers an enjoyable reading experience.
The four reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing are often celebrated as the golden age of Kangxi and Qianlong, but beneath the surface, undercurrents surged and unrest flared across the land.
Set against the backdrop of the four Banquets for a Thousand Elders held between the fifty-second year of Kangxi's reign and the first year of Jiaqing's, this novel depicts the exchanges and clashes between the imperial court and the world of the martial arts!
It brings to life many chivalrous figures, including Liu Zhixie and Li Huier, as well as vile characters who reveal the ugliest side of human nature, such as Yao Dafu and Song Yuqing.
Major figures from the Kangxi era, including Zhang Tingyu, Chen Tingjing, Longkodo, Wu Dali, and the imperial princes, all make appearances.
The painting Banquet for a Thousand Elders was painted by court artist Jiao Bingzhen under the guidance of Giuseppe Castiglione. After composing an imperial poem for it, the Kangxi Emperor personally inscribed it on the painting. Its status and value far surpass those of Zhang Zeduan's Along the River During the Qingming Festival and Wang Ximeng's A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains from the Song dynasty.
Banquet for a Thousand Elders is a treasure of the imperial court, and a symbol of the Qing Empire's fortunes.
The story unfolds around this precious painting, bringing to life both the chill of high office and the quiet anonymity of the distant martial world.
Major figures of the Qianlong era, including Li Wei, Fuheng, Liu Tongxun, Yin Jishan, Yu Minzhong, Fuk'anggan, Heshen, Hailancha, Liu Yong, and Ji Yun, will also appear, each living out a many-sided life unlike any other.
Stay tuned!
