Kai Lung’s Golden Hours · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Kai Lung’s Golden Hours by Ernest Bramah.
Chapter 1
Kai Lung's Golden Hours
Kai Lung, a wandering storyteller, is arrested and imprisoned in Yu-ping. During his captivity, he uses his storytelling skills to navigate trials and ultimately secure his freedom, weaving tales that reflect themes of wisdom, cunning, and justice.
Chapter 2
The Encountering of Six Within a Wood
Kai Lung, a traveling storyteller, rests in a wood on his way to Yu-ping and meets two maidens, one of whom is Hwa-mei. After they flee, he shares a meal with Li-loe, a sandal-maker who warns him of the dangerous Mandarin Shan Tien and his adviser Ming-shu. Li-loe, revealed as the keeper of the yamen doors, takes three strings of cash from Kai Lung in exchange for future protection. As the Mandarin's procession passes, Hwa-mei, from her chair, drops a red blossom at Kai Lung's feet.
Chapter 3
II: The Inexorable Justice of the Mandarin Shan Tien
Kai Lung is imprisoned in Yu-ping and placed in a walled enclosure with a shutter overlooking the yamen garden. Hwa-mei visits him, bringing fruit and advising him to use his storytelling skills to delay his trial. Li-loe warns Kai Lung that Ming-shu has arranged for him to be tried first. At the trial, Ming-shu accuses Kai Lung of treason, but when Kai Lung mentions the story of Wong Ts'in and the Willow Plate, the Mandarin Shan Tien orders him to relate it, overriding Ming-shu's objections.
Chapter 4
The Story of Wong Ts’in and the Willow Plate Embellishment
Wong Ts'in, a wealthy porcelain maker, is tormented by an earth-demon he disturbed while building his house. He escapes its persecution by a ruse and wanders into the Outer Expanses, troubled by the problem of his daughter Fa Fai's marriage. Meanwhile, Wei Chang, a lowly craftsman secretly in love with Fa Fai, is approached by her in the absence of her father. Fa Fai reveals her knowledge of the malicious Fang, who has been sabotaging the works, and she proposes a collaborative design to outwit him. Wei Chang devises a method of transferring embellishments by sitting on each plate, leading to the successful delivery of tenscore plates to Hien Nan. Fang's plot fails, and he later dies ignominiously. Wei Chang marries Fa Fai, is adopted by Wong Ts'in, and the couple has seven sons.
Chapter 5
The Degraded Persistence of the Effete Ming-Shu
Kai Lung meets Hwa-mei at the shutter again. She brings fruit and reports that Ming-shu, foiled in his first attempt, now plans to use a tribesman named Cho-kow to falsely implicate Kai Lung in tomb-robbing. Kai Lung learns that the Mandarin Shan Tien is troubled by a recurring dream of walking naked, seeing hidden things, and floating. Kai Lung devises a plan to use this dream to his advantage. At the trial, Cho-kow is pressed to implicate Kai Lung but instead invokes the story of Tian, leading to Kai Lung being called to tell a story. The chapter includes the beginning of 'The Story of Ning, the Captive God, and the Dreams That Mark His Race,' which recounts Sun Wei's defiance of the gods and the subsequent siege of Ti-foo by Ah-tang, involving treachery by the demon Leou.
Chapter 6
The Story of Ning, the Captive God, and the Dreams That Mark His Race
The chapter recounts the tale of Sun Wei, who defies the gods by destroying their altars, leading to a celestial debate. The demon Leou schemes against the deity Ning, while Ning discovers his divine son Tian, who possesses godlike abilities. The story weaves themes of divine justice, revenge, and the consequences of mortal defiance.
Chapter 7
I: The Malice of the Demon, Leou
Sun Wei, despairing of divine favor, destroys his altars and images in defiance. The demon Leou, seeking to enmesh the god Ning, enters Sun Wei and persuades him to capture Ning as a hostage. The supreme deity N'guk, roused from slumber, counsels patience, arguing that leaving the profaner to his own devices will ultimately lead to his downfall, preserving the gods' dignity.
Chapter 8
The Part Played by the Slave-Girl, Hia
Hia, a slave-girl of Sun Wei, encounters the deity Ning by a secluded pool. Through a cunning ruse, she tricks him into removing his magical nail-sheaths, which contain his power, and then escapes. Ning awakens stripped of his divine attributes and is forced into labor as a slave by Sun Wei.
Chapter 9
The Incoming of the Youth, Tian
In the High Heaven, N'guk notices the absence of Ning, the Seed-sower, and punishes him by exiling him among the stars for sixty thousand ages, while Leou is tasked with Ning's duties. Meanwhile, on earth, Ning has been laboring in the fields of Sun Wei for twenty-five years. He encounters Tian, a young man who emerges from a river, and through a series of revelations—including Tian's ability to float, see through matter, and stand unashamed—Ning recognizes Tian as his son by Hia. Hia reveals that Tian's purpose is to retrieve sacred nail-sheaths from Ti-foo, which are essential for Ning's restoration. The chapter ends with the arrival of Lin Fa, who warns of a rebellion by Ah-tang, which Ning interprets as part of a divine plan for his advancement.
Chapter 10
Events Round Walled Ti-Foo
Tian, caught between joining the usurper Ah-tang or the defenders of Ti-foo, accidentally walks into Ah-tang's camp. After a misunderstanding where he returns with the heads of his would-be executioners, Ah-tang makes him a captain. Tian uses wild horses to encircle Ti-foo, cutting off all aid. The city sends a surrender message, but a spy from Wu Sien urges Ko'en Cheng to hold out. Tian enters the city alone, naked, and escapes by killing a swordsman with a copper hoop and flying away on his horse. He steals magic sheaths from a temple, but when Ning uses them, he is projected into the Outer Upper Paths. Tian later marries Mu, daughter of Ko'en Cheng, founding a lineage with fading supernatural traits.
Chapter 11
The Inopportune Behaviour of the Covetous Li-Loe
Kai Lung is visited by Li-loe, who persistently searches for a hidden cask of wine and demands a story. To satisfy him, Kai Lung relates the tale of Wong Pao and the minstrel Kiau Sun, a dispute over the value of commerce versus art, resolved by Emperor N'ang Wei's clever judgment.
Chapter 12
The Story of Wong Pao and the Minstrel
Wong Pao, a wealthy merchant, is disturbed by the minstrel Kiau Sun singing outside his gate. After a failed attempt to remove him, Wong Pao invites him inside, leading to a debate over the value of their respective professions. The Emperor N'ang Wei intervenes and devises a contest: Kiau Sun will recite on the Western Hill while Wong Pao distributes silver on the Eastern Hill. Wong Pao fails to provide the promised silver, and the crowd gathers at the Eastern Hill expecting payment. The Emperor then forces Wong Pao to endow a new post for Kiau Sun as Chanter of Congratulatory Odes.
Chapter 13
The Timely Intervention of the Mandarin Shan Tien's Lucky Day
Kai Lung meets Hwa-mei at the shutter, who warns him of a second trial orchestrated by Ming-shu with a cloud of witnesses. She reveals that the next day is Shan Tien's lucky day, and Kai Lung should use the story of Lao Ting to sway the Mandarin. At the trial, Ming-shu's witnesses fail to appear due to Hwa-mei's sabotage, and Kai Lung appeals to Shan Tien, who permits him to tell the story of Lao Ting and the luminous insect, a tale of perseverance and love.
Chapter 14
The Story of Lao Ting and the Luminous Insect
Lao Ting, a poor but studious scholar, struggles to prepare for the imperial examinations due to lack of light and resources. He devises a hole in a neighbor's wall to borrow light, but is thwarted. He then meets Chun Hoa-mi, inspiring him to strive for greatness. A rival, Sheng-yin, bribes him to leave town during the exams, but the exams are delayed due to an omen. Lao Ting returns in time to pass, while Sheng-yin fails and later commits suicide, cursing Lao Ting. Lao Ting marries Hoa-mi and eventually achieves modest success, commemorating his journey with the image of a luminous insect.
Chapter 15
The High-Minded Strategy of the Amiable Hwa-Mei
Kai Lung meets Hwa-mei in disguise, who reveals Ming-shu's plot to implicate him in the crime of Kai-moo. Hwa-mei devises a plan to impersonate the accused woman and tell a story before Shan Tien, using the tale of Weng Cho to sway the uncertain loyalties of the officials.
Chapter 16
The Story of Weng Cho; or, the One Devoid of Name
Weng Cho, son of Wu Chi, is disowned and cast out after defying his father and stepmother by mourning his deceased mother. He seeks refuge with his beloved Tiao, who rejects him. Wandering aimlessly, he witnesses a widow being burned alive by a corrupt Mandarin, kills the Mandarin, and is then recruited by a member of the League of Tomb-Haunters, a secret society.
Chapter 17
Not Concerned with Any Particular Attribute of Those Who Are Involved
Kai Lung meets Hwa-mei at the shutter, where she updates him on the shifting political situation: Ming-shu is away on a mission, but Shan Tien has become dangerously superstitious after interpreting a story's omen. Hwa-mei warns that Shan Tien will summon Kai Lung to advise on the essential virtue of a burial robe. Kai Lung is indeed summoned, and in the Mandarin's presence tells the story of Wang Ho and the Burial Robe, a tale about a fortune-teller, a disputed robe, and the unexpected consequences of greed and compromise.
Chapter 18
The Story of Wang Ho and the Burial Robe
Wang Ho, a wealthy but illiterate merchant, suffers mysterious ailments after wearing an expensive burial robe. His scribe Cheng Lin, who secretly dreams of passing the literary exams and marrying Hsi Mean, reveals that the robe was embroidered by a maiden named Hsi Min who died young, thus imparting a malign influence. Lin advises Wang Ho not to confront the seller Shen Heng publicly, but instead to wait for a relative to impose the loss upon, and to exchange the robe for one of proven efficacy, such as his own father's robe made by a wise old woman.
Chapter 19
The Timely Disputation Among Those of an Inner Chamber of Yu-Ping
Hwa-mei devises a plan to protect Kai Lung from Ming-shu's schemes by challenging Shan Tien's chief wife to a wager: if Kai Lung can successfully tell a story on a given theme, she wins; otherwise, she loses her jade rings. Meanwhile, Chang Tao, seeking to marry Melodious Vision, defies the Usages and sets out to confront Shen Yi directly, encountering Pe-lung along the way who reveals a crucial difference between dragons and men.
Chapter 20
The Story of Chang Tao, Melodious Vision and the Dragon
Chang Tao's grandfather pressures him to marry to continue the family line. Chang Tao avoids a match with the unattractive daughters of the house of Tung and instead sets his sights on Melodious Vision, the beautiful daughter of wealthy Shen Yi. Defying custom, he goes to speak to Shen Yi directly. On the way, he encounters Pe-lung, a dragon who has taken human form, and becomes entangled in Pe-lung's own romantic predicament involving Fuh-sang. Pe-lung tasks Chang Tao with solving a riddle to prove Fuh-sang's identity, promising dragon scales as a reward. Chang Tao, with inspiration from the Forces, realizes the essential difference between men and dragons: dragons have tails, men do not.
Chapter 21
The Propitious Dissension Between Two Whose General Attributes Have Already Been Sufficiently Described
Kai Lung finishes his story of Chang Tao, pleasing Shan Tien, who privately invites him to recount a fuller version. Ming-shu interrupts, accusing Shan Tien of leniency and demanding Kai Lung's execution. A dispute arises over Kai Lung's storytelling prowess, leading Ming-shu to cite the proverb 'even Yuen Yan once cast a missile at the Tablets.' Shan Tien challenges Kai Lung to tell the story behind the proverb, thereby incriminating Ming-shu. Kai Lung begins the tale of Yuen Yan, a once-aspiring mandarin reduced to leading blind beggars, and his rival Ho.
Chapter 22
The Story of Yuen Yan, of the Barber Chou-Hu, and His Wife Tsae-Che
The chapter recounts the early life of Yuen Yan, who, after failing to achieve high official status, becomes a blind beggar leader. Through a series of events, he is employed by the barber Chou-Hu, who seeks to use Yan as a decoy against a rival. Yan proves exceptionally skilled and honest, attracting many customers. Eventually, Yan kills Chou-Hu in self-defense, takes his place, and with Tsae-Che, devises a scheme to frame the baker Heng-cho for the murder.
Chapter 23
X: The Incredible Obtuseness of Those Who Had Opposed the Virtuous Kai Lung
Kai Lung and Hwa-mei meet secretly at the shutter, where they exchange vows of devotion and plan a final gambit against Ming-shu and Shan Tien, who have reconciled and plan a feast at which Kai Lung will be humiliated and executed. Kai Lung learns of the feast and begins to orchestrate a counter-scheme involving the Censor K'o-yih. The chapter also includes the embedded story of Hien and Thang-li, illustrating themes of love, cunning, and fate.
Chapter 24
The Story of Hien and the Chief Examiner
Chief Examiner Thang-li has a beautiful daughter, Fa Fei, who is courted by two suitors: the scholarly Tsin Lung and the bandit Hien. Thang-li, unwilling to choose between them, devises a literary examination to decide the matter. Fa Fei secretly aids Hien by giving him a scroll of verses to memorize, but Tsin Lung discovers and memorizes one of the poems. During a chaotic examination hall incident, both men produce identical correct lines, forcing Thang-li to make a final decision.
Chapter 25
XI: Of Which It Is Written: “In Shallow Water Dragons Become the Laughingstock of Shrimps”
Kai Lung is brought to judgment before the Mandarin Shan Tien and the scheming Ming-shu. Ming-shu declares his guilt proven by a special procedure, but Kai Lung cleverly confesses to a false crime of rejoicing on a day of mourning for the Emperor, which forces Shan Tien to avoid scandal. Kai Lung negotiates a punishment of banishment, a safe-conduct, five hundred taels of silver, and a horse to escape, ultimately turning the tables on Ming-shu, who is led away with the cang.
Chapter 26
The Out-Passing Into a State of Assured Felicity of the Much-Enduring Two with Whom These Printed Leaves Have Chiefly Been Concerned
Kai Lung and Hwa-mei rest under an ancient arch during their journey. At Hwa-mei's request, Kai Lung tells the story of Ten-teh, a cormorant fisherman whose loyalty to the deposed imperial line is tested during the usurpation of Fuh-chi. The story follows Ten-teh's misfortunes, his encounter with a mysterious figure named Hoang, and his subsequent loss of livelihood due to a corrupt mandarin. The chapter concludes with Kai Lung and Hwa-mei arriving at a humble hut where an aged patriarch welcomes them, and Hwa-mei prepares their evening rice.
Chapter 27
The Story of the Loyalty of Ten-Teh, the Fisherman
Ten-teh, a poor cormorant fisherman on the Upper Seng river, suffers under the oppressive rule of the usurper Fuh-chi. After being unjustly fined and stripped of his livelihood by a corrupt mandarin, he journeys to the capital to seek justice from the rightful Emperor Kwo Kam. There, he delivers a crucial message from the eleven villages, convincing Kwo Kam to send his entire army north to the Seng valley instead of west, a strategic move that proves decisive. Exhausted and fulfilled, Ten-teh dies in the Emperor's arms, having secured the loyalty of the villages and the success of the campaign.
Chapter 28
Under the Dragon’s Wing
Ten-teh, a cormorant fisher on the Upper Seng river, struggles with poverty and a failing livelihood. One evening, a strange cormorant without a throat-strap brings him a mysterious fish, and a mentally deficient youth interprets it as an omen. Ten-teh later finds a man-child in the fish's mouth, whom he names Hoang. Hoang grows up with noble bearing and brings prosperity to Ten-teh's household. Meanwhile, the tyrannical ruler Fuh-chi's oppression sparks rebellion across the land, and omens foretell change.
Chapter 29
The Message from the Outer Land
After Hoang's departure, Ten-teh's fortunes decline. A mandarin seizes his raft and cormorants on a false pretext. The villagers, suffering from famine and oppression, consider sending a messenger to the Emperor Kwo Kam but are too deformed or ill to go. They turn to Ten-teh, who angrily rejects them for their disloyalty. Winter brings devastation, and only Ten-teh remains alive, dying in his hut, when a stranger arrives.
Chapter 30
III: The Last Service
Kai Lung tells the story of the loyal Ten-teh, who, despite his age and injuries, delivers a crucial military warning to Emperor Kwo Kam about an invasion from the north. After delivering his message and ensuring the Emperor's forces are deployed correctly, Ten-teh dies peacefully in the Emperor's presence. The chapter ends with Kai Lung and Hwa-mei arriving at the cottage of Hwa-mei's father, where they are welcomed.
