Masterfully interweaving fictional characters and events with real history, Jin Yong’s final wuxia novel tells the story of an unconventional hero who rises to fame and fortune through sheer luck and clever wit.
Born in a Yangzhou brothel, Wei Xiao Bao is naturally cunning, witty, and lazy. Having learned all he can about heroes from the teahouse patrons, he decides to become one himself. On a whim, he helps Mao Shi Ba, a chivalrous man down on his luck, and persuades him to take him to Beijing—where his true adventures begin.
After being captured and taken into the imperial palace, Xiao Bao tricks Head Eunuch Hai and assumes the identity of Xiao Gui Zi, a young eunuch. One day, while wandering the palace, he encounters the young Emperor Kang Xi practicing martial arts. After a brief sparring session, the two form an unlikely friendship.
Throughout the story, Xiao Bao becomes Kang Xi’s trusted confidant, helping him dispose of the treacherous Ao Bai, suppress Wu San Gui’s rebellion, and face numerous other challenges—all while concealing his secret identity as a spy for Tian Di Hui, an anti-Qing organization.
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Native Title: 鹿鼎记
Also Known As: Deer, Lu Ding Ji, The Deer and the Cauldron, The Duke of Mount Deer, 鹿鼎記
Screenwriter: Lang Xue Feng
Genres: Comedy, Wuxia
Tags: Prince Supporting Character, Emperor Supporting Character, Emperor Male Lead, Princess Female Lead, Unlikely Friendship, Historical Figure, Historical Fiction, Kangxi Emperor, Polygamy, Multiple Mains
