Shih Yen-Wen is a protagonist in one of Taiwan’s most famous puppet stories. His father was an important general of the time who died in battle, leading Shih Yen-Wen to be raised by his mother with patriotic values. Growing up during the Ming Dynasty, he was a man with many talents, having great martial arts prowess and the knowledge of many scholars from all walks of life. As Shih Yen-Wen greatly admired Yue Fei, he left home and traveled to Hanzhou to pay homage to him.

On his journey, he stayed at an inn, where he met the owner Liu San, who had a sister named Liu Xuangu whom he later marries. Carrying on in his travels, and known for his gentle and honest disposition, he attracted both admirers and critics alike. The assassin Gao Yun was even sent to kill Shih Yen-Wen but upon meeting him, was so moved by his righteousness that he gifted him the famous Longquan Sword.

Furthermore, people were greatly moved by Shih Yen-Wen’s actions, leading to the formation of a fellowship that followed him around to help him win his battles against his many enemies. His enemies consist of the intruders of the empire, which led to Shih Yen-Wen defeating many great foes and becoming a prominent general of the Ming Dynasty, much like his deceased father. Among those enemies, was the Hidden Mirror Man, an enemy of the state who devised many plans to trap and kill Shih Yen-Wen. Despite that, Shih Yen-Wen never intends to kill the Hidden Mirror Man. In a fight against the Hidden Mirror Man, Shih Yen-Wen won and the Hidden Mirror Man took off his mask in defeat, showing similar physical features that led to Shih Yen-Wen discovering that the Hidden Mirror Man was his long-lost twin! They decided to keep this a secret from the world, and would often still fight one another, though never to the death. However, once the secret leaked out, Shih Yen-Wen was in danger as the nation turned on their once-beloved hero, leading Shih Yen-Wen and his brother to end up hiding in a cave. At this time, Shih Yen-Wen began to feel weary of the world, lamenting at the fact that despite all his years of loyal service, his nation did not trust him. This leads Shih Yen-Wen to despair and disappear from the world, never to be seen again.

References:

“從史艷文到素還真 轟動武林的布袋戲家族.” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, 29 May 2017, tw.news.yahoo.com/-075910062.html. 

“我的童年．我的史艷文-史豔文大戰藏鏡人-黃俊雄親自口白.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBaQrKCM4L0.