Bai Yutang is one of the best-loved characters in The Three Heroes and Five Gallants.
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history
Built from the tales of the Beijing storyteller 石玉昆 and printed in 1879. Ten years later the scholar 俞樾 rewrote its first chapter and renamed it 七侠五义, since by his count the heroes numbered seven; both versions are still read.
culture
The five gallants are five sworn brothers nicknamed the Five Rats, of whom 白玉堂 is the most famous. Their feud with the swordsman 展昭, whose title 御猫 'Imperial Cat' they take as an insult, drives much of the plot until all of them serve 包拯.
