"The Biography of the Ren Family" is a classic legendary work written by Shen Jiji, a writer of the Tang Dynasty. It was written around 781 AD. It is a pioneer work in ancient China that used the fox fairy theme to write stories about love and human nature. It takes the intricate emotional entanglement between the demon fox Ren and the human scholar Zheng Liu as the main line. It not only integrates fantasy colors, but also profoundly presents the characters' psychology and social reality. It is one of the important signs of the maturity of the legend.
At the beginning of the story, Zheng Liu, a young man who loves wine and enjoys wine, encounters a beautiful and charming woman in white named Ren in Chang'an. The two fall in love at first sight and spend a good night together in the night. Although Ren is a fox demon in disguise, she has beauty and wisdom beyond ordinary people. As the relationship continues, Ren's loyalty to Zheng Liu and her persistence in true love gradually break the traditional image of the fox spirit as "charming and dangerous" in people's minds, and create an image of a fox spirit that is both intelligent and affectionate. Through delicate description, Shen Jiji makes Ren both a legendary beast and the softest emotional carrier in the world.
Different from traditional fantasy works, "The Legend of Ren" not only focuses on showing supernatural phenomena, but also pays attention to the complexity of character portrayal and sexual relations. It interweaves love, loyalty, desire and real dilemmas, breaking through the limitations of simple monsters or horror in fox monster novels. It has become an important source of the development of fox monster culture and romantic fantasy literature in later generations, and has had a profound impact on works such as "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio". After reading this article, you will experience the true love across race and identity written by the ancients, as well as a legendary love that burns on the edge of reality and fantasy.
