Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Gwok Seung at Seung Yeung...a lesson that Gwok Jing learned from Genghis Khan?

  1. #1
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    24,366

    Default Gwok Seung at Seung Yeung...a lesson that Gwok Jing learned from Genghis Khan?

    To say that Genghis Khan was an important influence on the development of Gwok Jing's character is an understatement, but I wonder if one particular concept that the Khan introduced to Gwok Jing early on didn't fully manifest until much later in Gwok's life.

    Some of Gwok Jing's critics point out that his decision to sacrifice his younger daughter Gwok Seung (if necessary) to prevent the Mongols from overrunning Seung Yeung Fortress was callous. Gwok Jing did seem prepared to sacrifice even family members if necessary for what he regarded as the greater good.

    I wonder if this idea was first instilled in young Gwok Jing by Genghis Khan during the (young Kereit nobleman) Dosi incident. The young Gwok Jing confronted Genghis Khan in the latter's tent after learning of Genghis' intention to betroth Princess Hua Jeng to Dosi to strengthen ties between Genghis' own tribe and the Kereits. Gwok Jing believed the Khan was heartless to sacrifice his own daughter's future for political reasons. After Genghis explained his position to Gwok Jing, however, including the all-important need to unify the Mongolian nation, Gwok Jing relented. While it cannot be said that Gwok Jing completely agreed with Genghis Khan's position at the time, he certainly understood and accepted it.

    Perhaps this is why, some forty years later, Gwok Jing was prepared to sacrifice one of his own daughters to prevent the Mongols from overrunning Seung Yeung Fortress. The older Gwok Jing might have recalled the difficult decision that Genghis Khan once made in consideration of the welfare of his own nation.

  2. #2
    Moderator kidd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Somewhere Out There
    Posts
    13,111

    Default

    I wonder. If Guo Polu was the one who was held ransom, will Guo Jing sacrifice him?

    Nothing against Guo Jing. Just wonder. Someone once said that the Guo couples loved Guo Xiag the least of their 3 children. Also Guo Polu was the only male child in the family.
    什麼是朋友?朋友永遠是在你犯下不可原諒錯誤的時候,仍舊站在你那邊的笨蛋。~ 王亞瑟

    和諧唔係一百個人講同一番話,係一百個人有一百句唔同嘅說話,而又互相尊重 ~ - 葉梓恩

  3. #3
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    24,366

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kidd
    I wonder. If Guo Polu was the one who was held ransom, will Guo Jing sacrifice him?
    I think he would. It wasn't as if it were, "Oh, it's only Seung-yee? Yeah, I don't need her." If it were Gwok Fu, Gwok Por Lo, maybe even Yeung Gor (maybe), he would have made the same decision.

  4. #4
    Moderator Ren Wo Xing's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Currently DC
    Posts
    6,660

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    To say that Genghis Khan was an important influence on the development of Gwok Jing's character is an understatement, but I wonder if one particular concept that the Khan introduced to Gwok Jing early on didn't fully manifest until much later in Gwok's life.

    Some of Gwok Jing's critics point out that his decision to sacrifice his younger daughter Gwok Seung (if necessary) to prevent the Mongols from overrunning Seung Yeung Fortress was callous. Gwok Jing did seem prepared to sacrifice even family members if necessary for what he regarded as the greater good.

    I wonder if this idea was first instilled in young Gwok Jing by Genghis Khan during the (young Kereit nobleman) Dosi incident. The young Gwok Jing confronted Genghis Khan in the latter's tent after learning of Genghis' intention to betroth Princess Hua Jeng to Dosi to strengthen ties between Genghis' own tribe and the Kereits. Gwok Jing believed the Khan was heartless to sacrifice his own daughter's future for political reasons. After Genghis explained his position to Gwok Jing, however, including the all-important need to unify the Mongolian nation, Gwok Jing relented. While it cannot be said that Gwok Jing completely agreed with Genghis Khan's position at the time, he certainly understood and accepted it.

    Perhaps this is why, some forty years later, Gwok Jing was prepared to sacrifice one of his own daughters to prevent the Mongols from overrunning Seung Yeung Fortress. The older Gwok Jing might have recalled the difficult decision that Genghis Khan once made in consideration of the welfare of his own nation.
    TVB. Genghis Khan made his intentions known to everyone very early on in the book, when all of them were still kids, barely after Guo Jing had even met up with Jiangnan Seven.

    The only time Guo Jing ever 'confronted' Genghis Khan about it was when the Khan offered him a gift after he had shot two eagles with one arrow, and he asked the Khan to annul the marriage between Huazheng and Dosi. All the Khan did was laugh, say that those words were the words of a child, then give him his own gold-sheathed knife.

    The discussion you brought up never took place. Interesting idea, but not borne out of facts in the book.

  5. #5
    Senior Member HuangYushi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Under a pile of work ....
    Posts
    1,633

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng
    I think he would. It wasn't as if it were, "Oh, it's only Seung-yee? Yeah, I don't need her." If it were Gwok Fu, Gwok Por Lo, maybe even Yeung Gor (maybe), he would have made the same decision.
    I think it is highly unlikely that Guo Jing would sacrifice Yang Guo if Yang Guo was in Guo Xiang's place. While it is true that Guo Jing wanted to kill Yang Guo with his own hands because of the perceived shame that Yang Guo would bring to the name of the Yang Family by marrying Xiaolongnü, it is a totally different ball-game where sacrificing a relative's child is concerned. If there was any sacrificing to be done, the candidate had to come, first and foremost, from Guo Jing's own brood.
    Jin Yong's Ode to Gallantry [侠客行].
    Quote Originally Posted by atlantean0208
    what about SPT, I need my SPT fix ASAP, pretty pleaseeeee...
    Soon ... SOON!

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    2,109

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kidd
    I wonder. If Guo Polu was the one who was held ransom, will Guo Jing sacrifice him?

    Nothing against Guo Jing. Just wonder. Someone once said that the Guo couples loved Guo Xiag the least of their 3 children. Also Guo Polu was the only male child in the family.
    During JLFW's visit to XiangYang, GJ wanted to confront him, but HR persuaded him to let her go instead, by asking "What's more important, family or country? Who's more important, me or you?". So GJ was willing to sacrifice even HR for the cause.

  7. #7
    Senior Member ghostdarTeal'c's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Currently in Moss, Silver. Next stop....still Moss, Silver
    Posts
    4,330

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pannonian
    GJ wanted to confront him, but HR persuaded him to let her go instead, by asking "What's more important, family or country? Who's more important, me or you?". So GJ was willing to sacrifice even HR for the cause.
    no other couple can be more perfect than this one....even if i have yet to read other JY's novels...

  8. #8
    Junior Member david1025's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Quezon City
    Posts
    22

    Default

    Guo Jing is a hypocrite he just pretends to actually care more for his country than his family but in reality he cares for his family more than his country for example when Guo Xiang was kidnapped by GWM he pretended that he does not care for Guo Xiang but he left Xiang Yang to rescue Guo Xiang even though he knew there were no capabale leaders in Xiang Yang.

  9. #9
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    24,366

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by david1025
    Guo Jing is a hypocrite he just pretends to actually care more for his country than his family but in reality he cares for his family more than his country for example when Guo Xiang was kidnapped by GWM he pretended that he does not care for Guo Xiang but he left Xiang Yang to rescue Guo Xiang even though he knew there were no capabale leaders in Xiang Yang.
    He didn't agree to join the rescue operation until his father-in-law, East Heretic Wong Yerk See, showed up with a plan that seemed likely to work (the Chinese were going to have to attack to Mongols anyway to drive them off, Gwok Seung or no Gwok Seung). I believe that it was only after Wong Yerk See demonstrated that there was a way to defeat the Mongols and perhaps rescue Gwok Seung as well that Gwok Jing was willing to chance it.

    But had Wong Yerk See not shown up, I really do believe Gwok Jing would have let Gwok Seung burn.

Similar Threads

  1. Genghis Khan: were there warning signs for Gwok Jing?
    By Ken Cheng in forum Wuxia Fiction
    Replies: 24
    Last Post: 11-04-20, 04:43 AM
  2. Replies: 5
    Last Post: 06-10-08, 06:06 PM
  3. Replies: 11
    Last Post: 09-01-06, 03:53 AM
  4. If Gwok Jing had accompanied Gwok Seung to Shaolin...
    By Ken Cheng in forum Wuxia Fiction
    Replies: 19
    Last Post: 04-25-06, 10:15 AM
  5. Replies: 10
    Last Post: 12-07-04, 09:47 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •