《
孽海花》 is one of the four classic
谴责小说 (qiǎnzé xiǎoshuō, castigation novels) of the late Qing — alongside 《
官场现形记》, 《
二十年目睹之怪现状》, and 《
老残游记》. Begun by Jin Tianhe (
金天翮) and finished by Zeng Pu (
曾朴), it follows the courtesan Sai Jinhua (
赛金花) and the diplomat Hong Jun (
洪钧), using their lives as a window onto Qing decay and foreign-affairs scandals.
