I don’t know when it started, but people have become increasingly fond of linking literary works with moral standards, and so many classic masterpieces have suddenly changed in tone. For instance, the heroine of "Anna Karenina," one of the top ten globally renowned masterpieces, has shifted from a warrior to the spokesperson for a "green tea."
As for domestic classics.
Let’s talk about another of the Four Great Classical Novels, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
There is a hunter named Liu An in the book, who wanted to entertain Liu Bei but found there was no food at home, so he used his wife to prepare a dish for Liu Bei. This breaches the bottom line of many people.
And "Water Margin," that ancient tale of outlaws, is a hotbed of controversy.
The most debated topic is whether the 108 heroes of Mount Liang truly deserve the title of "real heroes."
Should this book indeed be listed among the Four Great Classical Novels?
After all, besides characters like Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, and Wu Song, many so-called heroes actually commit devilish deeds, killing without blinking an eye...
However, Lin Yuan prefers to view the issues from another perspective.
If someone is bullied at work but is too meek to resist, they might especially understand Lin Chong’s feelings.
Unfortunately, not everyone knows a big supporter like Lu Zhishen.
Li Kui wouldn’t be like that; his thoughts are relatively straightforward:
I’ve worked, so you need to pay me; I’ve abided by the laws, so I should be able to live.
If you don’t let me live, then go to hell.
His thoughts are so simple and blunt that one can only sigh. Such a person going to Mount Liang makes perfect sense.
However, it has to be said:
The existence of someone like Li Kui makes some villains hesitant when they want to bully honest people.
If I keep exploiting him, won’t he come at me with a knife?
Even if he doesn’t stab me, what if he reports me?
If he doesn’t report me, he might cause a scene by bringing people to protest with a banner.
You can’t bully honest people too severely.
Pay the wages to be paid, give the overtime pay to be given—it’s not worth it to push honest people so hard that they would fight desperately with me. Isn’t a steak more appealing, or isn’t a beautiful woman more appealing? Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on N0veI.Fiɾe.net
People like Li Kui have protected many honest folk.
Though many honest people often do not realize this.
There are many novels depicting a life of peaceful years, creating seemingly imperfect but actually perfect worlds for people. For instance, many heroes can casually give the waiter a silver peso after eating, but the author won’t tell you where the money comes from, clearly they don’t work...
You can say that the characters’ morals are incorrect, but you can’t say the author’s morals are incorrect.
An author creates a murderer in their work, you can’t claim the author has an unhealthy mind just because the writing is vivid.
Shi Nai’an did not solely extol Mount Liang, as there are many instances critiquing their wicked deeds throughout the work. After all, the author opens with "108 Demon Lords," making it clear that not all the people of Mount Liang were good.
Later, in the story of Daocun, the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens directly states that Song Jiang’s demonic nature isn’t cut off.
In fact, many were villains initially, but within the story’s setting, these 108 individuals gradually improved.
For example, starting from the Zhu Family Manor, they began efforts like aiding the needy.
A bunch of good deeds alongside a bunch of bad deeds highlights the reality; things have always been complex.
Not to mention, later on, Song Jiang indeed led Mount Liang Marsh to protect the country and battle Fang La.
The rampant killing of entire families in the book isn’t a problem with the author’s morals.
It reflects the value system of people of that era.
In many dynasties, involving family members was normal, even servants couldn’t be exempt.
For instance, the law demanded implicating nine generations, and the wife being registered in officialdom was a legal requirement. Criticism is undoubtedly due, but let’s not forget the historical context.
CCTV’s summary is quite relevant:
"It is not that people were glorifying violence, but it reflects a massive inner yearning for fairness and justice."
And during that special era.
Chen Duxiu also said: "The ideal of ’Water Margin’ is just so-so, but why do people love reading it so much?"
It’s solely for survival and making a living.
It’s as if it can’t compare with the grandeur of the Three Kingdoms.
The others have the ambition to help the world.
Then Chen Duxiu provides what he believes is the answer:
"Because the characteristic of literature lies in technique, not ideals. Ideals are the concern of philosophers; the mission of litterateurs is not to create ideals but to use exquisite technique to depict the ideals of the time, providing people with a higher level of enjoyment!"
Apparently, Chen Duxiu really loved "Water Margin."
He even wrote poems for different characters and said that "Water Margin" possessed elements lacking in the history of Chinese literature.
Lin Yuan believes the master’s perspective is about evaluating literary works based on the standards of literature.
This is also Lin Yuan’s view.
However, compared to Chen Duxiu, that great man’s commentary on "Water Margin" is more exciting.
Those interested can look it up.
It can only be said that the perspective from which you read a book is crucial. By understanding the history of China’s peasant movements, including the period before "Water Margin" like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang to Zhu Yuanzhang, and the period after it was compiled like Zhang Xianzhong’s massacre in Sichuan and Li Zicheng’s Bash Fulfillment, along with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom incident at the end of the Qing Dynasty, and so on, you can largely grasp the various limitations and deficiencies within the "peasant movement." Sometimes, their actions towards enemies, civilians, and even themselves, were extremely cruel and even brutal.
Indeed, all of them had "incorrect morals."
Yet Lin Yuan, being modern, similar to Blue Star’s readers, was born in a civilized society, so the system is quite intelligent. Although it hasn’t altered much about the characters from the original work, it has made additions and removals, and adjustments to certain scenarios imposed by the author’s era-limitation, hence enhancing the overall reading experience.
Perhaps it’s due to writing so much over the years, or maybe Lin Yuan’s piano skills are too skilled, so his hands move really fast.
In just a few days’ work, Lin Yuan, staying alone at home, wrote nearly 200,000 words.
He couldn’t write after three days.
Because Yang Zhongming’s concert was about to begin.
At the entrance of the Golden Hall.
The red carpet was bustling with heads, and the surroundings were also thronged with people.
Lin Yuan arrived nearby in the driver’s car and glanced at the frenzied crowd, feeling it was quite fascinating.
After many days, coming back here, he was now attending someone else’s concert.
Assistant Lil Goodoong who came with Lin Yuan laughed and said, "You don’t have to walk the red carpet; there’s a back door here."
Lil Goodoong knew Lin Yuan’s character, not fond of crowds.
But Lin Yuan smiled slightly; of course, he knew there was a back door here.
He remembered the first time he came to the Golden Hall, Yang Zhongming and Zheng Jing took him in through the back door.
But today was different.
He pushed the car door open, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile: "I want to enter through the main entrance and attend my teacher’s concert."
Lin Yuan appeared within the camera’s range.
The entire array of reporters and crowd became instantly excited, even the various figures who had already stepped onto the red carpet couldn’t help but turn around to look.
Gu Dong clicked his tongue silently.
It was like the most magnificent opening scene of a movie.
The young protagonist stepped onto the red carpet, faintly smiling amidst the world’s frenzy and shouting.
Gu Dong found it increasingly difficult to accurately assess just how terrifying Xian Yu’s popularity or influence has become.
PS: I didn’t expect the criticism of "Water Margin" to be so fierce nowadays. So here’s a rational analysis for everyone. Leaving aside the halo of the Four Great Classical Novels, I personally book very much and never feel it’s "low." However, there’s no need to argue about it; everyone has their views, and it would be better to spend this energy cheering for the fight against the pandemic.