Historical figures unfairly maligned by Jin Yong?

[Ken Cheng]

Historical figures who appear in Jin Yong's wuxia novels generally receive generous treatment from the author: the various rulers of nation-states such as Dali, the Liao Empire, the Yuan Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, etc., are often portrayed in a flattering light...in some cases coming off looking much better than their historical, real world counterparts.

Which historical figures in Jin Yong's stories, however, do you feel that he unfairly maligned? Is there any historical wuxia character whom you felt that Jin Yong might have slandered or treated unfairly?

For me, it's the Cheun Jen Sect Taoists: Jin Yong's portrayal of the Eternal Springs Taoist Yau Chui Gei in LOCH and ROCH was often unflattering, and he maligned Yau's student Wan Tze Ping as a rapist in ROCH (something Jin Yong rectified in the third edition of the novel). Even Jin Yong's depiction of Cheun Jen Sect founder Central Divinity Wong Chung Yeung was highly unflattering in ROCH (WCY was portrayed fairly in LOCH, but ROCH introduced a bunch of retcons into his early years that seemed to besmirch the character).

[Ian Liew]

Chen Youliang got rewritten as a real scumbag, didn't he? I'm not sure what he was like in real-life, but I doubt he was the villain which HSDS made him out to be.

[Ken Cheng]

Chen Youliang got rewritten as a real scumbag, didn't he? I'm not sure what he was like in real-life, but I doubt he was the villain which HSDS made him out to be.

He probably wasn't a saint, but I too do not think the historical Chan was necessarily any worse than his rivals (e.g. Chu Yeun Cheung).

[Snafu3721]

Ken

Even before I finished reading your entire post, the first name that popped to mind was QCJ. Because of my previous non Wuxia related studies of Chinese history and arts, I had always liked the man of Eternal Spring. And so, I was a bit shocked to read JY's interpretation at first...

However, as I've matured and re-read LOCH/ROCH. I have a newfound respect of JY's take on QCJ. By all definitions, QCJ was a "Xia". He was only a bit stubborn and perhaps less "rounded" as a character. But that doesn't take away from the fact that he always had good intentions, knows and can admit when he's wrong, and always fights for what is right. In a lot of ways, he is not that different than HYS-- the problem QCJ suffered was "I'm not cool like Eastern Heretic" Syndrome.