Yangzhou Pinghua Wang School Water Margin: Wu Song - Up and Down

Author: Wang Litang (narrated) / Guo Tiesong / Wang Hong (compiled)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The Water Margin is one of the most renowned and distinctive traditional repertoire pieces in Yangzhou Pinghua. It draws its material from the classic novel Water Margin, and the entire work consists of six major parts: Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen, Wusong, Song Jiang, Shi Xiu, Lu Junyi, and Post-Water Margin, all of which are long narratives. These parts can be connected in sequence or told independently. Except for Post-Water Margin, the other parts are largely based on the relevant ten chapters of the original work, hence they were also known as the "Ten Chapters of Lin, Lu, Wu, Song, Shi, and Lu" in the past. The Pinghua Water Margin has a long history, with its earliest origins traced back to the great storyteller Liu Jingting during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Later, in the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Deshan, Fan Songnian, and Xue Jiahong were among those who excelled in telling this story. The Yangzhou Pinghua Water Margin that has been passed down to this day originated in the Daoguang and Xianfeng periods of the Qing Dynasty, with the most famous being the Wang family's generations-old tradition, later known as the "Wang School Water Margin." Through the continuous refinement by several generations of storytellers, each part of the story has been greatly expanded and developed, adding many characters and detailed descriptions, as well as revising numerous plots. The content has become richer, the characters more vivid, and the narrative style several to tens of times longer than the original. Storytellers of Water Margin regard the artistic achievements of the "Wang School Water Margin" as the highest. Wang Shaotang, the representative figure of the Wang School, combined the strengths of various schools, excelling in both spirit and expression. His storytelling was precise, meticulously crafted, and highly acclaimed in the storytelling world. The transcripts of the four books he narrated are estimated to be over five million words. His granddaughter, Wang Litang, inherited her grandfather's storytelling legacy, particularly building upon the artistic style of "sweet, sticky, sharp, and spicy" while also innovating. Her performance became more crisp and elegant, her language more refined, and her storytelling more humanized and modern. She was known for her clear pronunciation, rhythmic delivery, flexible breath control, and skillful use of different speech patterns, earning her the titles of "Elegant Mouth" and "Bucket Turning, Basin Emptying—A String of Pearls." Wusong, also known as Wu's Ten Chapters, tells the story of Wusong's search for his brother, his encounter with the tiger on Jingyang Ridge, and his appointment as the head of the county militia. His sister-in-law Pan Jinlian and Xi Menqing committed adultery and poisoned his brother Wu Dalang. Wusong killed Pan and Xi Menqing before surrendering himself and being sent to Mengzhou. He encountered Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang at the Ten Crossings Inn, met the Heavenly King Temple with a giant, and made friends with Shi En. For standing up for justice, he drunkenly fought Jiang Mengshen in the Happy Forest, only to be framed by Zhang Dujian and sent to Mengzhou again. Jiang Mengshen hired assassins to ambush Wusong, but Wusong killed them instead and returned to Mengzhou at night to avenge his enemies. Later, with the help of Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang, he disguised himself as a monk and headed to Erlong Mountain. Along the way, he defeated the villains Wu Qian and Li Er Diao on the Centipede Ridge and mistakenly fought Kong Liang at Baihu Town, meeting Song Jiang. Eventually, he joined Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi, and others in capturing Erlong Mountain and becoming outlaws. These ten chapters—Fighting the Tiger on Jingyang Ridge, Killing His Sister-in-Law and Avenging His Brother, Fighting Xi Menqing, Attacking the Ten Crossings Inn, Drunkenly Fighting Jiang Mengshen, Chaos at Feiyunpu, Killing the Supervisors at Night, Running Through the Centipede Ridge at Night, Beating Baihu Town, and Intelligently Capturing Erlong Mountain—are hailed as "Tiger Rising, Dragon Closing." Wusong has the most complete structure in Water Margin, with the main character Wusong running through the entire story, featuring dramatic and intricate plots. The renowned writer Lao She once highly praised this book: "Wusong is a great work! Though lengthy, it is easy to read; it is captivating and hard to put down. It is truly a great work! I have no name for it, so I will call it a popular epic for now!" Some famous sinologists abroad, such as Li Fuching (Russia) and Yu Rubai (France), have conducted in-depth research on Wusong and given it high praise in their presentations and critiques. The publication of this book can not only meet the reading needs of lovers of classical literature and opera but also serve as valuable reading material for professionals in the fields of traditional arts and folklore.