Sword Dynasty Fantasy Masterwork

Water Margin (simplified Chinese: 水浒传; traditional Chinese: 水滸傳; pinyin: Shuǐhǔ Zhuàn), also called Outlaws of the Marsh or All Men Are Brothers, is a Chinese novel from the Ming dynasty. Attributed to Shi Nai'an, it is regarded as one of the earliest great Chinese novels written entirely in vernacular Chinese. Set during the Northern Song dynasty (twelfth century), the story follows a group of 108 outlaws that gathers at Mount Liang (also known as Liangshan Marsh) to rebel against the government. Later they are granted amnesty and enlisted by the government to resist the nomadic conquest of the Liao dynasty and other rebels. A wealth of bibliographical and other evidence names Shi Nai'an, Luo Guanzhong (fl. 1330–1400), or both of them, as the novel's principal compiler, responsible for its original compilation. Through a complex textual evolution, a printed revision based on previous editions was published during the reign of Emperor Shizong (1522–1566) of the Ming dynasty, becoming the ancestral edition to a series of the most widely circulated versions. The original title of the novel was Water Margin for Loyalty and Justice (忠義水滸傳). Water Margin is considered one of the masterpieces of early vernacular fiction and Chinese literature. It had a far-reaching impact on East Asian narrative literature. The critics Li Zhi and Jin Shengtan both placed the book among the "greatest works of genius" in Chinese literature, and modern scholars and critics have been nearly unanimous in their praise of the work. Known for its heroic characterization of vigilantes, outlaws, and others who resist authority, the novel has introduced readers to some of the best-known characters in Chinese literature, such as Shi Jin, Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Li Kui, Yan Qing and Song Jiang. Its characters and plots frequently reappear in other novels, operas, and performance media of all sorts. With its moral ambiguity, social critique, and theme of righteous bandit rebellion, Water Margin has long been an allegorical tool of historical and political commentary. Its influence spread far beyond the confines of literature.