Xù Jìgōng Zhuàn 續濟公傳
A Sequel to the Biography of Jigong by 坑餘生 (撰)
About the work
Xù Jìgōng Zhuàn 續濟公傳 is a vernacular sequel novel (zhānghui xiǎoshuō 章回小說) in 235 huí, attributed to the pseudonymous author 坑餘生 (Kēng Yúshēng, “Survivor of the Pit”). It continues the adventure cycle begun in Jìgōng Quánzhuàn 濟公全傳 (KR4k0151) by 郭小亭, following the eccentric monk-hero Jìgōng 濟公 through further episodes of bandit suppression, supernatural combat, rescue of the innocent, and religious miracle-working set in the Sòng dynasty landscape of Jiāngnan. The KRP TOC lists chapters to 第二百三十五回. The narrative is organized into three named sections (bù 部): the source text title page identifies at least a “第一部.”
Tiyao
No tiyao found in source.
Abstract
Xù Jìgōng Zhuàn belongs to the late-Qīng vogue for extended fictional cycles built around popular folk-religious heroes. Its pseudonymous author Kēng Yúshēng 坑餘生 cannot be identified from independent sources; no biographical record has been found in CBDB or standard Qīng bibliographies. The sequel follows the same generic conventions as the parent work — blending gōng’àn 公案 detective plots, xiá 俠 martial heroism, and Buddhist miracle narrative — and is likewise excluded from the Sìkù quánshū 四庫全書.
The date range suggested (1898–1910) reflects the probable period of production for the late-Qīng Jìgōng cycle texts. The title page designates the author as “（清）坑餘生 著,” a clearly pseudonymous sobriquet. The narrative continues plot threads from the parent novel, including the cast of secondary heroes (Léi Míng 雷鳴, Chén Liàng 陳亮, Ān Tiānshòu 安天壽) who assist Jìgōng in combating bandits and rooting out corrupt officials. A further sequel, distinguishable as a separate corpus, apparently also circulated in late Qīng print culture.
Translations and research
- Shahar, Meir. 1998. Crazy Ji: Chinese Religion and Popular Literature. Harvard University Asia Center. Provides broader context on the Jìgōng literary cycle, of which this sequel forms a part.
Links
- Wikipedia (zh): 濟公