The Deer and the Cauldron (鹿鼎記, Lù Dǐng Jì) is the last novel written by Jin Yong. Another translated name of the story is Duke of the Mount Deer.
This story is about a witty, sly, illiterate and lazy protagonist born in a Yangzhou brothel named Wei XiaoBao. By chance, he was taken to the palace where he became a fake eunuch and a favourite of the young emperor Kangxi. To make the matter even more complicated, he later became one of the leaders of an organization resisting the Manchurian Qing dynasty that had conquered over the majority Han people. This wuxia novel is unique in that the main character has very poor kungfu and was by no mean a person of integrity. He was greedy, lazy, a womanizer, and practically without any redeeming quality except for loyalty to his friends.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
XiaoBao became the trusted friend of Kangxi and gained rank rapidly through manipulation, deceit, and ironically, his generosity towards his friends. He helped the emperor defeat the corrupt official Ao Bai, rescued the ex-emperor and empress, played a huge role in defending China from Russia and significantly weakened Wu San Gui's force before his uprising in the story, earning the gratitude of the emperor.
He met the leader of the patriotic Heaven and Earth Society, one of the Qing resisting organization, named Chen JinNan, and became one of its "lodge master" and a student of JinNan. XiaoBao served both the Qing dynasty and resistance (allegedly as a "mole" in the imperial court), mostly by playing the community against Wu San Gui, corrupt officials, and other foreign invaders. Each feat earned him respect from both sides.
He later married seven beautiful wives. Growing tired of the conflicting loyalties to Kangxi and the resistance, he took his possession, wives, and picked up his mother to live far away in peace.
According to novel, he also went to Russia and had engaged in Russian politics which brought Sophia Alekseyevna to the throne and negogiated against Fedor Golovin on border treaty near the end of story.
Timeline of Important Events in the Deer and the Cauldron
1644 – The year the Ming Dynasty fell in Beijing and the Qing Dynasty started their rule in China, with the surrendering of Wu Sangui.
1645 – The supposed year Li Zicheng was defeated and died.
1655 – Wu Sangui was given the territory in Yunnan with the title “Prince of Pacifying the West” by the Qing in return for his service to root out the last Ming pretender who was hiding in the Yunnan-Burma border.
1661 – The supposed year that the Shunzhi Emperor died.
1661 – The year Kangxi ascended to the throne.
1662 – The year Wu Sangui killed the last pretender to the Ming throne in Burma.
1662 – The year Koxinga defeated the Dutch on the island of Taiwan and installed himself as the protector of the Ming Dynasty. The same year, Kangxi ordered the Great Clearance of southern China to combat the ant-Qing movement led by Koxinga and Ming loyalists to regain Beijing.
1669 – The year Oboi was arrested and died.
1673 – The outbreak of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories led by Wu Sangui.
1675 – Rebellion by the Chakhar Mongols led by Burni.
1682 – The Moscow Uprising of 1682 led by Sophia Alekseyevna, which led to her regency over her half-brother Peter the Great. This event ultimately led to the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689 which ended Russian encroachment of the Amur Region.
1681 – Wu Shifan grandson of Wu Sangui committed suicide ending the Revolt of the Three Feudatories.
1684 – The annexation of the island of Taiwan and the surrendering of the Zheng clan.
Numerous television series and films were made. All of them having the stories somewhat altered. 
TV versions
Hong Kong TVB 1984 Starring Tony Leung & Andy Lau. Theme sung by Leslie Cheung. Hong Kong TVB 1998 Hong Kong TVB 2000 Starring Dicky Cheung
Film versions
Hong Kong 1992. Director Wong Jing. Starring Stephen Chow
There are also books by Hong Kong media writer to examine the office-politic skills displayed by the main characters & their modern day applications.
