The Hsu-Tang Library presents authoritative and eminently readable translations of classical Chinese literature, in bilingual editions, ranging across three millennia and the entire Sinitic world. The Emperor of China in a House of Ill Repute by one of China's most famous authors builds on earlier dramatic works that had been inspired by the antics and travels of the Zhengde emperor (posthumous title Wuzong; r. 1506-1521) of the Ming dynasty. The Zhengde emperor was, despite his reign title ("Right Virtue"), a dismal failure as emperor. His life was given over to the pursuit of pleasure. When in Beijing he often left the palace in disguise and roamed the city incognito. He also made several long and elaborate trips to other parts of the empire, for instance one to Nanjing and Yangzhou, and one to the cities of Datong and Taiyuan in Shanxi. While these historical trips might have had a certain military purpose, the popular imagination saw them as informed by a search for beautiful women. In alternating prose and song, The Emperor of China in a House of Ill Repute tells the tale of the emperor setting out for Datong in the disguise of a common soldier after his evil genius Jiang Bin has told him about the beauty of the three thousand courtesans in the red-light district of this garrison town. This volume presents a fully annotated translation of all twenty-eight chapters of the work, preceded by an Introduction that provides context to the life and works of Pu Songling, the genre of "rustic songs" to which the work belongs, and the specific characteristics of the translated text.

About the Author
One of the most famous prose writers of China, Pu Songling (1640-1715) is the author of the classic collection of stories called Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. He also published long narratives in an alternation of prose and verse that have remained popular since they first appeared. Wilt Idema is Professor of Chinese Literature, Emeritus, at Harvard University. His most recent translations include The Orphan of Zhao and Other Yuan Plays: The Earliest Known Versions (with Stephen H. West); Mouse vs. Cat in Chinese Literature: Tales and Commentary; and Insects in Chinese Literature: A Study and Anthology.

Reviews
Consistently entertaining - a very rollicking good read. The mix of crudeness and eloquence--manifesting itself both in the presentation of the story and in the character of the Zhengde emperor - can be jarring, but often also works well, especially in the confusion it causes those who deal with the Zhengde emperor... A solid, full-fledged novel, and it's good to see it available in English translation. This Hsu-Tang Library of Classical Chinese Literature also provides the Chinese original facing the translation - always welcome - and Wilt L. Idema's Introduction is also a helpful and informative one. * The Complete Review *
[The Hsu-Tang Library] will open up a classical tradition that spans millennia, relatively little of which has ever been translated into English. There is a humanity and irreverence to some of these works that readers expecting stuffy, prim Confucian moralizing will find refreshing. * The Wall Street Journal *



Book Information
ISBN 9780197606308
Author Pu Songling
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 724g
Dimensions(mm) 243mm * 164mm * 33mm