《续英烈传》成书于明代末年，是一部讲述皇宫权斗的历史演义小说。此书版本众多，文章将三十四回本系统的六宜堂本、励园书室刻本以及藏于美国哈佛大学燕京图书馆二十回本系统的新镌秘本进行比较研究，以辨三本优劣，并通过绣像插图、梓刻流传等状况论证六宜堂本应出于清嘉庆至道光年间，励园书室刻本应在其后，而新镌秘本出版时间则应在清康熙至嘉庆年间。同时推论得出二十回本系统成书更早，应为三十四回本之源头之说。研究对现代出版的《续英烈传》各版本中的讹误也有一定的校正参考作用。

Xu Ying Lie Zhuan was written in the late Ming Dynasty. It is a historical romance novel about a power struggle in the imperial palace. There are many versions of Xu Ying Lie Zhuan (the Story of Heroes). This article compares the three versions of this book—thirty-four-chapter Liuyitang version, Liyuan Shushi Keben (Liyuan study engraved version), and the twenty-chapter Xinjuan Miben (newly engraved version) which is stored in Yenching Library of Harvard University, to distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of the three versions. Through the portraits and circulation of the engravings, it is proved that the Liuyitang version should be from the Jiaqing to Daoguang periods of the Qing Dynasty, while the Liyuan Shushi Keben should be later, and the Xinjuan Miben should have been published during the Kangxi to Jiaqing periods. At the same time, it is inferred that the twentychapter version was written earlier and should be the source of the thirty-four-chapters version.It also plays a certain role in correcting and referring to the errors in the modern editions of Xu Ying Lie Zhuan.