Abstract

The current affairs novels of the late Ming Dynasty 〈Liao Hai Dan Zhong Lu〉 and 〈Zhen Hai Chun Qiu〉 describe the competition between the Ming and Jin forces in the Liaodong region at the end of the Ming Dynasty. They largely involve Joseon's diplomatic stance, internal affairs and military affairs. This phenomenon of other countries appearing in Chinese classical novels is novel. On the surface, the plots of the two novels are very similar, but after careful analysis, it can be found that the two works contain different emotional colors. First of all, in terms of Joseon's stance, 〈Liao Hai Dan Zhong Lu〉 emphasizes more the difficulties and helplessness of Joseon sandwiched between the Ming and Jin sides, while 〈Zhen Hai Chun Qiu〉 reveals a side that is too rich in the author's personal subjective emotions. Then in terms of Joseon's internal affairs, 〈Liao Hai Dan Zhong Lu〉 and 〈Zhen Hai Chun Qiu〉 agree on the nature of this political change and the Ming court's handling strategy. Finally, there is the military aspect of Joseon. In the text, the novelist devises a plot that leads to war due to the mistakes of Joseon officials. The novelist also uses literary works to express the Ming Dynasty's concerns about the situation and its continued hope for an alliance with Joseon. Therefore, this article takes these two novels as the research object, trying to explore the literary understanding of “Joseon” in the current affairs novels of the late Ming Dynasty, and explore the underlying motivations of the novelists' creations and the inspiration for us today.

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