| Abstract |
Water Margin tells the story of Liangshan heroes who revolted against the suppression of the central government and finally surrendered. These people were bandits and officers at the same time. Thus, should they be regarded as loyal? Song Jiang was labeled as one of ‘The Four Bandits’ by the emperor but he surrendered and eliminated the other bandit leaders as atonement. Song Jiang was eventually murdered by poison and it may cause the readers to wonder which should be the retribution for the villains who maintained their identities as bandits or summited to the government. The moral issues left by Water Margin continued to the three sequels of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Shui Hu Hou Zhuan admits the loyalty of the original, but the reconciliation between Liangshan heroes and their enemies was based on the premise of double standards. While Hou Shui Hu Zhuan reversed Song Jiang’s blind loyalty, it embarrassedly doubted that the heroes and the good ministers were contrary to each other. In Dang Kou Zhi, Chen Xi-Zhen was awarded by Emperor Huizong of Song for his contribution to the destruction of the bandits on Liangshan, while the muddle-headed monarch in Water Margin suddenly becoming enlightened was full of absurdity. However, from Water Margin to Dang Kou Zhi, heroes and bandits are always placed on both ends of the mirror beyond blurred boundaries, while Wang Jin’s appearance in the three sequels hides a clue worthy of attention. |
