As one of the classics of Chinese literature, Water Margin is often regarded as one of the four masterpieces, but it seems to be different from the other three. "Dream of Red Mansions" is self-evident and is regarded as a classic among classics, and even gave birth to the profession of "Red Studies", which is helpful for modern research on the architectural style and living habits of the Ming and Qing dynasties. "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" delicately integrates history and fiction, and vividly restores the pride and ambition of the Three Kingdoms period through artistic techniques. As for "Journey to the West", its plot design is ingenious, based on "The Tang Dynasty's Tale of the Western Regions", combining traditional Chinese mythology with historical events to create an oriental fantasy masterpiece.
But "Water Margin" is not the same as the previous works, and people may feel an indescribable awkwardness when they first read this book. In our minds, good men in the rivers and lakes should be righteous and thin, such as those righteous people in Jin Yong's country. However, the characters in "Water Margin" seem to be involved in a series of criminal activities, including robbery, killing, plunder, etc., using heinous methods. For example, the Jade Qilin Lu Junyi's family was wiped out by the whole house, while Hu Sanniang lost her family estate, her fiancé died early, and she was forced to marry Wang Ying. We can't help but wonder, how did these people with deep hatred come together?
However, it is worth pointing out that "Water Margin" is closer to real social life, vividly depicting the life of the city at the bottom, showing a fairly real side. Even if Liangshan's good man appears to be arrogant and dry on the surface, he is essentially a "rebel" who has a negative impact on social stability, especially Liangshan's leader, Song Jiang, and it is difficult to see him as a positive figure. In fact, there is a strong irony throughout the book.
So, why was "Water Margin" not banned during the Ming Dynasty? Why did the Qianlong Emperor forbid its translation into Manchu during the Qing Dynasty? The answer is actually very simple, there is a hidden dark line, that is, four good men surnamed Zhu - Zhu Wu, the master of the Shaohua cottage, Zhu Gui and Zhu Fu, the original elders of Liangshan, and Zhu Tong, the "Tianman Star". If you read their names together, you will understand it, forming the homonym of "Zhu Wutong (仝) Fugui". The Ming royal family name is Zhu, and Zhu Yuanzhang's year name is Hongwu, and the "Zhu Wu" here also has a deep meaning, conveying the meaning of common prosperity during Zhu Yuanzhang's establishment of the Ming Dynasty.
On the other hand, although Zhu Yuanzhang himself overthrew tyranny through peasant uprisings, once he became ruler, he did not want to see others overthrow his rule. Therefore, Shi Nai-an will not write these four good men surnamed Zhu as protagonists, and must arrange the plot of their acceptance of Zhao'an to show that they do not oppose the rule. It can be seen that Zhu Tong eventually successfully joined the officialdom and even rose to the rank of Taiping Army's envoy, which reflects Shi Nai-an's hidden attitude in his works.