Strange Tales from Liaozhai (a Chinese Studio): Lian Cheng tells a poignant love story between the talented scholar Qiao and the wealthy maiden Lian Cheng. Though Lian Cheng admires Qiao’s brilliance, her father, Shi Xiaolian, rejects their union due to Qiao’s poverty, instead betrothing her to Wang Huacheng, son of a rich salt merchant.
Note: Xiaolian refers to Juren, the Provincial Graduate in the imperial examination.
When Lian Cheng falls gravely ill, requiring “flesh from a man’s chest” as medicine, Wang refuses to help. Desperate, Shi promises Lian Cheng’s hand to any man who provides the cure. Qiao Sheng cuts flesh from his own chest to save her. Shi attempts to honor his pledge, but the Wang family blocks the marriage. Offering monetary compensation instead, Shi is rebuffed by Qiao, who declares: “My sacrifice was for love, not gain.”
Later, Lian Cheng relapses and dies; Qiao follows her out of grief. In the underworld, they reunite and encounter scholar Gu — now an underworld official indebted to Qiao for past kindness. Gu helps them return to life, where they finally marry and live happily.
Allegorical Analysis
Love Conquers All:
The story elevates true love as invincible — transcending wealth, status, and even death. This idealizes pure romance while critiquing materialistic marriages.
Defiance of Feudal Constraints:
Shi’s rejection of Qiao embodies parental authority stifling youthful love. The lovers’ ultimate triumph champions personal choice over societal dictates.
Spiritual Bond Over Material Wealth:
Qiao’s poverty contrasts his intellectual and moral worth. Lian Cheng’s attraction to him (not Wang) underscores that soul resonance outweighs financial security in true partnership.
Love Beyond Death:
Qiao’s death after Lian Cheng epitomizes ultimate loyalty. Their underworld reunion and return to life amplify the theme of “love unto death and beyond,” blending romance with the supernatural.
In essence, Lian Cheng is not merely a romance but a layered critique of feudalism, affirming that spiritual connection defies mortality and social barriers.
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