Great Tang Idyll Book 1: Chapter 5

The Swindler Turns Around Intent To Sche

Idlers Note: This novel builds up gradually, even in the original Chinese, since there is a lot of setup before the payoff is apparent. You could argue that it is building up the world with small details. It is definitely different from a lot of the action-oriented . Modern China divides its geography into varying levels and sublevels in an administrative structure that can get quite complex, especially because of the territories that are treated as special cases. The provinces are ranked in the 1st level and are in the top tier of the administrative pyramid.

The act of turning around, hui tou (), or more literally, turning ones head around, references two sayings. One is the Chinese translation of the Biblical phrase, the return of the prodigal son, where langzi hui tou () literally ans the (roaming) wastrel turns their head around. Another is a Buddhist aphorism, hui tou shi an (), that advises that if you turn your head and look back, the shore is still there. The literal translation ans turning the head is the shore. These two adages both speak of repentance and turning over a new leaf. Thus, the chapter title and how Xiaobao is using this phrase has a dual aning of the literal action as well as a taphor.