Fēilóng Quánzhuàn 飛龍全傳
The Complete Tale of the Flying Dragon Anonymous (無名氏)
About the work
Fēilóng Quánzhuàn 飛龍全傳 (The Complete Tale of the Flying Dragon) is an anonymous Qīng historical vernacular novel in 60 huí, narrating the life and exploits of Zhào Kuāngyìn 趙匡胤 (927–976), the founder of the Sòng dynasty, from his youth through the momentous “Yellow Robe Incident” (Chén Qiáo bīngbiàn 陳橋兵變, 960) by which he became emperor, down to the pacification of rival regimes and the founding of the Northern Sòng. The “flying dragon” (fēilóng 飛龍) of the title refers to the legend of the “true-dragon son of heaven” (zhēn-mìng zhǔ 真命主) destined to found a dynasty — in this case Zhào Kuāngyìn, whose predestined destiny is visible to the prophet Miáo Xùn 苗訓 from the story’s opening.
The catalog attributes the novel to 無名氏 (anonymous) and assigns it to the Qīng dynasty. The novel ends with a note pointing the reader to a sequel: “To know what follows in all under heaven, look to Běisòng Jīn Qiāng 北宋金槍 for the sequel.”
Tiyao
No tiyao found in source.
The source file contains no preface or postface. The narrative opens directly with a poem (shuō-cí 說詞) and the introductory chapter.
Abstract
Fēilóng Quánzhuàn belongs to the broad genre of historical fiction (lìshǐ yǎnyì 歷史演義) centered on dynastic foundation, analogous to Sòng Tàizǔ Sōngxué Lóng-Xīng Zhì 宋太祖龍興誌, Sānguó Yǎnyì 三國演義, and similar works. It draws on the extensive oral storytelling tradition around Zhào Kuāngyìn — the Three Beatings of Hán Tōng (Sān Dǎ Hán Tōng 三打韓通), the Brotherhood at Chánzhōu (Chánzhōu Jiéyì 禪州結義), the delivery of Jīng Niáng 京娘, the chess game at Huà Shān 華山 (where Zhào wagers the mountain against the Daoist Chén Tuán 陳摶) — all elements that appear in earlier drama (zájù 雜劇), ballads (tán-cí 彈詞), and storytelling (shuōshū 說書) traditions.
The novel is structured around the figure of Miáo Xùn 苗訓, the prophet-advisor (sent down by the Daoist patriarch Chén Tuán 陳摶) who recognizes Zhào Kuāngyìn’s destiny and orchestrates the narrative around the prophecy of dynastic succession. Key episodes include: Zhào’s adventures with his blood-brothers Zhèng Zǐmíng 鄭子明 (the rustic strongman, nicknamed “Chèxū Lóng” 赤須龍, Red-Bearded Dragon) and Chái Róngyuán 柴君貴; the campaigns under the Later Zhōu dynasty against northern rival powers; and the famous “Chén Qiáo” military mutiny in which Zhào’s troops drape the yellow robe on him and proclaim him emperor.
The dating of the novel is uncertain. The Qīng dynasty attribution is standard; the earliest known editions appear to be from the Qiánlóng period (1736–1796), though the source material predates this by several centuries. No preface or postface in the source file provides dating evidence.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature in Western languages located.
Other points of interest
The closing lines of the novel explicitly advertise a sequel: Běisòng Jīn Qiāng 北宋金槍 (The Golden Spear of the Northern Sòng), suggesting the work was conceived as the first part of a cycle of Sòng-dynasty historical novels. The figure of Zhào Kuāngyìn has generated an extensive body of popular fiction, drama, and tán-cí ballad literature; Fēilóng Quánzhuàn is one node in this larger narrative complex.