Nüdi Qiying Zhuan

Nüdi Qiying Zhuan (女帝奇英傳), literally The Female Emperor and the Heroic Genius, is a historical-wuxia novel by Liang Yusheng. It was first published as a serial between 1 July 1961 and 6 August 1962 in the Hong Kong newspaper Hong Kong Commercial Daily^[1] under the title Tanggong Enyuan Lu (Chronicle of Gratitude and Revenge in the Tang Palace) before being retitled for later book editions.

Set in seventh-century China, the novel interweaves court intrigue with adventure, exploring themes of loyalty, idealism, and moral conflict through characters drawn from Chinese history. Owing to its historical depth and restrained use of combat scenes, it has often been described as closer to a historical romance than a conventional wuxia work.

Nüdi Qiying Zhuan is generally regarded as one of Liang Yusheng’s more literary and introspective novels, marking his continued shift toward wuxia storytelling in the 1960s. While less widely adapted than his other works, it remains noted for its classical prose style, tragic structure, and portrayal of strong female figures such as Wu Zetian and Shangguan Wan'er.

Nüdi Qiying Zhuan was first published as a serial between 1 July 1961 and 6 August 1962 in the Hong Kong newspaper Hong Kong Commercial Daily.^[1] Subsequent reprints include a 1985 edition by Heilongjiang Korean Ethnic Publishing House, a 1990 two-volume edition by International Cultural Publishing, 1993 and 2000 two-volume editions by Cosmos Books, a 1996 edition by Guangdong Travel and Tourism Press, a 1996 two-volume edition by Jiangsu Literature and Culture Publishing House, and a 2012 two-volume edition by the Sun Yat-Sen University Press.^[2]

The story is set in seventh- and eighth-century China during the reign of Wu Zetian, the only woman in Chinese history to rule as the emperor of China after usurping power from the House of Li, the imperial clan of the Tang dynasty.

Zhangsun Junliang, a swordsman and former official, raises and trains Shangguan Wan'er in martial arts to prepare her for avenging her grandfather, who had been falsely accused of treason and executed for opposing Wu Zetian. However, when a grown-up Shangguan Wan'er finally meets Wu Zetian, she gives up her quest for vengeance and chooses to serve in the empress's court.

Li Yi, a member of the House of Li, had fled the palace after Wu Zetian's rise to power. Years later, after failing to overthrow Wu Zetian, he encounters Wu Xuanshuang, the empress's niece who is enamoured with him. Torn between loyalty and affection, Li Yi's moral struggle deepens when he learns that his childhood friend Shangguan Wan'er now serves his enemy.

After a failed attempt on Wu Zetian's life, Li Yi escapes with help from Zhangsun Junliang and his daughter Zhangsun Bi, whom he later marries. They settle in Mount Heaven, where they have a son Li Ximin.

Seven years later, Li Yi gets involved in a power struggle when Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Chengsi conspires with the Göktürks to seize the succession to his aunt's throne. After Li Ximin is kidnapped, Li Yi joins forces with Wu Xuanshuang to rescue him, only to lose Zhangsun Bi, who dies from poisoning while pregnant. Grieving, Li Yi returns to the capital and exposes Wu Chengsi's treachery.

During this time, Wu Zetian decides against making Wu Chengsi crown prince. In a final confrontation, Li Yi is poisoned to death by Wu Zetian's daughter Princess Taiping. Shangguan Wan'er marries Wu Zetian's son Li Xian, while Wu Xuanshuang chooses to dedicate the rest of her life to raising the orphaned Li Ximin.

• Li Yi (李逸) – Li Jiancheng's grandson and a member of the House of Li.
• Wu Xuanshuang (武玄霜) – Wu Zetian's niece.
• Shangguan Wan'er (上官婉兒) – Shangguan Yi's granddaughter who serves under Wu Zetian.
• Wu Zetian (武則天) – the only woman in Chinese history to rule as the emperor of China.
• Zhangsun Junliang (長孫均量) – a swordsman and retired official.
• Zhangsun Bi (長孫璧) – Zhangsun Junliang's daughter and Li Yi's wife.
• Li Ximin (李希敏) – Li Yi and Zhangsun Bi's son.
• Wu Chengsi (武承嗣) – Wu Zetian's nephew and Wu Xuanshuang's cousin.
• Li Xian (李顯) – Wu Zetian's son and heir who marries Shangguan Wan'er.
• Princess Taiping (太平公主) – Wu Zetian's influential daughter.

Nüdi Qiying Zhuan has received favourable though comparatively modest attention from readers and scholars. On the Chinese reading platform Douban, it holds an average rating of around seven out of ten, with users praising Liang Yusheng's refined prose, classical allusions, and moral complexity, while some consider the pacing slower than in his more action-driven works.^[3]

Nüdi Qiying Zhuan has been described in essays as one of Liang Yusheng's more "literary" and introspective novels. Some commentators have speculated that its dense historical content and tragic tone have limited its appeal for screen adaptation, as unlike many of Liang Yusheng's other novels, it has not yet been made into a film or television series.^[4]