Author
施耐庵
Shī Nài ān
施 shī to grant; to give; to bestow; to act; to carry out; (Chinese surname)
耐 nài (bound form) to bear; to endure; to withstand
庵 ān hut; small temple; nunnery
Synopsis
Outlaws of the Marsh, set in the Northern Song dynasty (c. 1120), is based on the exploits of the outlaw 宋江 Sòng Jiāng and his 108 companions, the 36 Heavenly Spirits 三十六天罡 gāng and the 72 Earthly Demons 七十二地煞 shà).
Main Character
宋江 Sòng Jiāng was a Chinese historical figure who led an armed rebellion against the ruling Song Dynasty in the early 12th century. His band marauded over a region straddling the present-day Chinese provinces of Shandong and Henan. They eventually surrendered to the Imperial Court.
Location
梁山 Liángshān Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong, China. The modern Liangshan County is located near the Beijing–Shanghai railway.
The original Mount Liang was named after the Prince of Liang (梁王), a son of Emperor Wen of the Han dynasty. The area was from prehistoric times surrounded by the largest marshland in North China, called the Daye Marsh (大野泽 dàyě zé). During the Song dynasty, the Yellow River flowed through the area. Mount Liang was located at the extreme north. Because the area was largely a wasteland on the frontiers of several administrative units, government control was minimal. It is known that outlaws and bandits were active in the area during the Song dynasty, although Song Jiang – a major character in Water Margin – was not associated with the area. Some of the bandits on Mount Liang preyed selectively upon the rich and became known as "righteous bandits" (義匪 yì fěi).
Water Margin describes Mount Liang in majestic terms, imagining its peak to be a plateau ringed by high mountains and protected by six passes and eight fortresses. The Yuan dynasty zaju "Black Whirlwind Presents Two Victories" (黑旋風雙獻[双献]功 Hēi xuànfēng shuāng xiàn gōng) envisages Mount Liang as having "72 deep rivers, garrisoned with hundreds of warships. In 36 feasting towers, there is enough food for a million soldiers and their mounts."
When the Yellow River shifted course in 1289, the marshes around Mount Liang shrank considerably. During the Ming dynasty, it had been reduced to five smaller marshlands. After the Yellow River shifted back to its northern course in 1853, the marshes were gradually filled in by sediments carried downstream by the river and human land reclamation. Today, the relatively small Dongping Lake is what remains of the great marshes.
This outline of chapters is based on a 100 chapters edition. Yang Dingjian's 120 chapters edition includes other campaigns of the outlaws on behalf of Song dynasty, while Jin Shengtan's 70 chapters edition omits the chapters on the outlaws' acceptance of amnesty and subsequent campaigns.
Chapters
1 Marshal Hong releases the 108 spirits
2 The rise of 高俅 Gāo Qiú
2–3 The story of 史进 Shǐ Jìn
3–7 The story of 鲁智深 Lǔ ZhìShēn
7–12 The story of 林冲 Lín Chōng
12–13 The story of 杨志 Yáng Zhì
13–20 The stealing of the birthday gifts by the "Original Seven"
20–22 The story of 宋江 Sòng Jiāng and 閻婆惜 Yán Póxī
23–32 The story of 武松 Wǔ Sōng
32–35 The story of 花荣 Huā Róng
36–43 Song Jiang's encounters in Jiangzhou
44–47 The story of 石秀 Shí Xiù and 杨雄 Yáng Xióng
47–50 The three assaults on the Zhu Family Village
51–52 The story of 雷横 Léi Héng and 朱仝 Zhū Tóng
53–55 The outlaws' attack on Gaotangzhou; the search for 公孙胜 GōngSūn Shèng
55–57 The first imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh led by 呼延灼 Hūyán Zhuó
57–59 The outlaws' attack on Qingzhou; Huyan Zhuo's defection to Liangshan
59–60 The outlaws, led by Gongsun Sheng, attack Mount Mangdang
60 The first assault by the outlaws on the Zeng Family Village; the death of Chao Gai
60–67 The story of 卢俊义 Lú JùnYì ; the outlaws attack Daming Prefecture; the second imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh led by 关胜 Guān Shèng
67 Guan Sheng defects to Liangshan; The third imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh led by 单廷圭 Shàn TíngGuī and 魏定国 Wèi DìngGuó
68 The second assault by the outlaws on the Zeng Family Fortress;
69–70 The outlaws attack Dongping and Dongchang prefectures
71–74 The Grand Assembly; the funny and lethal antics of 李逵 Lǐ Kuí
75–78 Emperor Huizong offers amnesty for the first time; the fourth imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Tong Guan)
78–80 The fifth imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Gao Qiu)
81–82 The outlaws are granted amnesty
83–89 The Liangshan heroes attack the Liao invaders
90–99 The Liangshan heroes attack 方臘 Fāng Là
100 The tragic dissolution of the Liangshan heroes
The extended version includes the Liangshan heroes' expeditions against the rebel leaders Tian Hu and Wang Qing prior to the campaign against Fang La. Other stories are told such as the heroes fighting the Jurchen-ruled Jin dynasty or moving to Siam.
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