Wei Xiaobao
Encyclopedia
Wei Xiaobao is the fictional protagonist of Jin Yong's wuxia
novel The Deer and the Cauldron
(鹿鼎記). He is a witty, sly and illiterate teenager, born to a prostitute from a brothel in Yangzhou
during the Qing Dynasty
. He bumbles his way into the Forbidden City
and has a fateful encounter with the young Kangxi Emperor
, whom he develops an unlikely friendship with. By sheer luck and wit, Wei succeeds in accomplishing a series of tasks that would affect the history of the Qing Dynasty.
in the Lichun brothel in Yangzhou
. His mother, Wei Chunfang, is a prostitute. When Wei is 12 years old, he meets Mao Shiba and follows Mao to the capital city of Beijing
. In Beijing, Mao and Wei are captured by the eunuch Hai Dafu and brought to the Forbidden City
. Wei kills Hai's servant, a young eunuch called Xiaoguizi, and impersonates Xiaoguizi and continues to live with Hai. Hai is aware that his servant is an impostor, but pretends that he does not know. Hai does not have time to train another eunuch for his cause, and besides, he has a plot to force Wei to work for him. One day while wandering around the palace, Wei meets the young Kangxi Emperor
, who decides to dress up in the clothes of an enuch, and strikes up a friendship with him after a brawl.
Wuxia
Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron
The Deer and the Cauldron, also known as The Duke of Mount Deer, is a novel by Jin Yong, and was the last of Jin Yong's works. The novel was initially published as a serial, and ran between October 24, 1969 to September 23, 1972 in Ming Pao.Although the book is often termed as a wuxia novel, it is...
(鹿鼎記). He is a witty, sly and illiterate teenager, born to a prostitute from a brothel in Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. He bumbles his way into the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
and has a fateful encounter with the young Kangxi Emperor
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
, whom he develops an unlikely friendship with. By sheer luck and wit, Wei succeeds in accomplishing a series of tasks that would affect the history of the Qing Dynasty.
Biography
Wei was born around 1656 during the Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in the Lichun brothel in Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
. His mother, Wei Chunfang, is a prostitute. When Wei is 12 years old, he meets Mao Shiba and follows Mao to the capital city of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. In Beijing, Mao and Wei are captured by the eunuch Hai Dafu and brought to the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
. Wei kills Hai's servant, a young eunuch called Xiaoguizi, and impersonates Xiaoguizi and continues to live with Hai. Hai is aware that his servant is an impostor, but pretends that he does not know. Hai does not have time to train another eunuch for his cause, and besides, he has a plot to force Wei to work for him. One day while wandering around the palace, Wei meets the young Kangxi Emperor
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...
, who decides to dress up in the clothes of an enuch, and strikes up a friendship with him after a brawl.
Inventory
- Corpse-eroding powder (化屍粉) – a powder that will react with blood to turn into concentrated acid when sprinkled on and the resultant will erode the body. Wei obtained the powder from Hai Dafu when he first entered the palace. This powder helps him in destroying evidence. The powder was said to be invented by a great martial artist from the Southern Song DynastySong DynastyThe Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
era.
- Sharp dagger – an extremely sharp dagger that can cut through metal as though it were soil and mud. The dagger once belonged to Oboi and came into Wei's possession after Oboi's fall from power. The dagger is used by Wei for self-defence and proves to be a handy weapon that can be concealed easily and yet deadly.
- Lightweight armour – a piece of light clothing that can prevent sharp weapons from piercing through. The armour once belonged to Oboi and came into Wei's possession after Oboi's fall from power. The armour helps to save Wei's life on numerous occasions.
- "Hansha Sheying" (含沙射影) – a mechanical device capable of firing copper needles coated with poison. Wei obtains this device from He Tishou and it comes in useful for him in paralyzing and disarming enemies.
- Sutra of Forty-two ChaptersSutra of Forty-two ChaptersThe Sutra of Forty-two Chapters is the earliest surviving Buddhist sutra translated into Chinese. It was translated by two ordained Yuezhi monks, Kasyapa-Matanga and Dharmaraksha , in 67 CE...
(四十二章經) – a set of eight books that contain a treasure map. Wei obtains these books from various adventures but he does not hunt the treasure eventually.
- Dice – a set of dice that contain mercury. They help Wei cheat in gambling such that he will win every throw of the dice.