Jianxiazhuan 劍俠傳

Jianxiazhuan 劍俠傳 "Stories of errand knights", with a length of 2 juan, is a collection of 19 stories of biographies of wandering knights.

Some traditional book catalogues say, it was compiled during the Tang period 唐 (618-907) by an unknown person or by Duan Chengshi 段成式 (803?-863). Yet in fact, the book is a selection of stories directly adapted from the story encyclopaedia Taiping guangji 太平廣記 from the Song period 宋 (960-1279), which quotes from ancient texts. This means that some of the originals might date from the Tang period, while others must be dated to the Song era.

The book as such did not exist during the Tang era but was a product of the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) and was perhaps compiled by Wang Shizhen 王世貞 (1526-1590). It was, nonetheless, immensely popular, and is found in many series like Zhengtang dushu ji 鄭堂讀書記, Gujin yishi 古今逸史, Mishu nianyi zhong 秘書廿一種, Shuofu 說郛, Longwei mishu 龍威秘書, Wuchao xiaoshuo 五朝小說, Heke sanzhi 合刻三志, Tangren shuohui 唐人說薈, Tangdai congshu 唐代叢書, Shuoku 說庫 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.

A supplement to the collection called Xu jianxiazhuan 續劍俠傳 was compiled by Zhou Shiya 周詩雅 (1584-1642), courtesy name Tingchui 廷吹, from Wujin 武進 (Dantu 丹徒, Jiangsu). The book of 5 juan assembled further 119 stories of errand knights from the Spring and Autumn 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE) to the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368). Unfortunately, the sources are not indicated, and there is no chronological order. Moreover, some stories are not related to "heroes and gallants", but to "immortals".