Yu Jiao Li (simplified Chinese: 玉娇梨; traditional Chinese: 玉嬌梨; pinyin: Yù Jiāo Lí; Wade–Giles: Yü Chiao Li), known in the West as Iu-Kiao-Li: or, the Two Fair Cousins, is an early-Qing Chinese caizi jiaren ("scholar and beauty") novel by Zhang Yun (張勻).

The opening of the novel (from chapter one)
Pages from an early printed edition of the novel, 1644-1661
1826 French translation by Jean-Pierre-Abel Rémusat
1827 English translation published by Hunt and Clarke of London

Yu Jiao Li is one of the best-known caizi jiaren novels,[1] together with Ping Shan Leng Yan, and Haoqiu zhuan.[2] The English version published by Hunt and Clarke of London in 1827 is an adaptation of Jean-Pierre Abel-Rémusat's French translation.[3]

The novel is about two cousins, Bai Hongyu and Lu Mengli, how they both fell in love with the handsome scholar Su Youbai.

Characters

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Two of the antagonist characters, Zhang Guiru (張軌如; 张轨如; Zhāng Guǐrú; Chang Kuei-ju) and Su Youde (蘇有德; 苏有德; Sū Yǒudé; Su Yu-te), plagiarize poems written by other people and pretend to be poets. Pseudo-caizi are foils to the real caizi in caizi jiaren stories.[4]

Illustrations of characters and scenes from the novel

Notes

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  1. ^ Song, Geng (2004). The Fragile Scholar: Power and Masculinity in Chinese Culture. Hong Kong University Press. p. 20. ISBN 962-209-620-4.
  2. ^ Starr, Chloë F. (2007). Red-Light Novels of the Late Qing. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV. p. 40. ISBN 978-90-04-15629-6. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  3. ^ Iu-kiao-li: or, the Two Fair Cousins (PDF) (English ed.). London: Hunt and Clarke. 1827. p. title page. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  4. ^ Song, Geng (2004). The Fragile Scholar: Power and Masculinity in Chinese Culture. Hong Kong University Press. p. 203. ISBN 962-209-620-4.
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