Four Great Classical Novels of China (Quick Read Version)

Author: Luo Guanzhong et al. (Ming Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The Water Margin takes place in the late Northern Song Dynasty, where the country is plagued by internal and external troubles: the emperor is incompetent, corrupt officials dominate, the court is corrupt, the people are impoverished, and the northern Liao Kingdom continuously invades, raiding cities, burning, killing, and looting, causing immense suffering to people of all social classes. The desperate populace, with no hope for survival, are forced to join the (Mount Liang) rebellion, resorting to desperate measures and rising in revolt. These rebels include people from all walks of life, from the lower classes like poor peasants, fishermen, beggars, jailers, soldiers, and servants, to officers, literati, nobles, and wealthy merchants. Song Jiang, a county official by birth, becomes the leader of these rebels. He is known for his chivalry and his willingness to help those in need. The world's heroes call him "Jisi" ( ), and he is elected as their leader. Under his influence, a massive rebel army, numbering tens of thousands, gathers at Mount Liang's Zongyi Hall (Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness) under the banner of "Serving Heaven with Righteousness," resisting the suppression of imperial forces, eliminating corrupt officials, aiding the poor at the expense of the rich, and upholding justice in the world, making the corrupt officials and tyrants tremble in their sleep. However, guided by the Confucian ideal of loyalty to the throne, they accept the imperial amnesty. They fight against the Liao invasion, earning merits for the state. But when they turn their swords against the Fang La rebel group, also engaged in rebellion, although they achieve a final military victory and eliminate the state's greatest threat, they suffer heavy casualties among their brothers. The remaining leaders are betrayed and executed by treacherous officials. The generation of Water Margin heroes ultimately disperses, their spirits gathering at Lao'erwa, amidst the vast waters of Mount Liang, having endured the cycles of spring and autumn, their reflections shining in the setting sun, their voices choked with unspoken sorrow.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the court was corrupt and dark, plagued by disasters, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out. In suppressing the rebellion, warlords such as Ma Teng, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Lü Bu, Liu Biao, and Sun Ce each seized territories and fought among themselves. After numerous wars and mergers, the final formation was the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu, led by Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan respectively. Cao Cao controlled the northern regions, Liu Bei occupied Western Shu, and Sun Quan ruled Eastern Wu. The three factions engaged in intellectual and military struggles, forming alliances and breaking them, with complex conflicts, but the main theme was the rivalry between Wei and Shu, vividly portrayed in the intense back-and-forth between Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi. Eventually, Zhuge Liang died from exhaustion, and Wei conquered Shu. Sima Zhao usurped the Wei throne, established the Jin Dynasty, and conquered Eastern Wu, bringing the world back under one rule.
Dream of the Red Chamber The Jia family of Jinling, inheritors of the titles of Rongguo Gong and Ningguo Gong, had been illustrious for nearly a century. At this time, a young prince named Baoyu was born, holding a jade pendant in his mouth. By the time he was thirteen or fourteen, he was already handsome, talented, and deeply loved by his grandmother, Grandmother Jia, and his mother, Lady Wang. However, Baoyu despised the worldly ways and disdainfully rejected fame and fortune. Despite his father, Jia Zheng, imposing strict discipline and beating him, Baoyu remained unchanged. His cousin, Lin Daiyu, was beautiful, intelligent, and sensitive. Orphaned at a young age, she lived alone in the Jia household and shared a deep bond with Baoyu, their affections intertwined. At the time, the sister of Lady Wang, Xue Baochai, also temporarily resided in the mansion. Her daughter, Baochai, was skilled in womanly virtues and was well-liked by all. The Jia household, in celebration of the elder daughter's visit from the imperial court as Empress Yuan, spent a fortune building the Grand Garden. Baoyu spent his days among the sisters and maids, composing poetry and holding feasts, living in great joy. However, the two households lived in luxury and excess, indulging in corruption, exploiting the people, and exercising arbitrary power, engaging in intrigue and moral decay, even disregarding human lives for personal gain. Thus, their fate declined, and misfortunes multiplied. As a result, Baoyu and Daiyu's rebellious nature and their idealistic pursuit of love stood in stark contrast to the family's values, making them unacceptable. Taking advantage of Baoyu's collapse after losing his jade pendant, his aunt, Lady Wang Xifeng, proposed the "swap-and-force" plan. Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang replaced Baoyu with Baochai, forcing him to marry her, leading to Daiyu's heartbroken death. Later, Empress Yuan passed away, the Jia family fell into disgrace, lost its titles, was confiscated, and suffered further thefts. Baoyu's close sisters and maids either married far away, died young, became nuns, or were driven away. Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang Xifeng ended their days in sorrow. "When false appears as true, true becomes false; when nothing appears as something, something becomes nothing," Baoyu thus saw through the illusions of the world and, after passing the imperial examination, followed a monk and an immortal, forever leaving the Jia household.
Journey to the West After Pan Gu separated heaven from earth, the Three Sovereigns ruled and the Five Emperors established order, dividing the world into four great continents: Dongsheng Shenzhou (East), Xiniu Heshou (West), Nanzhanbu Zhou (South), and Beijuliu Zhou (North). One day, the Buddha gathered all the Buddhas, Arhats, Jie Di, Bodhisattvas, Dhyani Buddhas, Bhikshus, and Bhikkhunis at the Thunderous Sound Temple on Lingyuan Mountain to preach the scriptures. He spoke of the virtues and vices of the people on the four continents, expressing concern particularly for the people of Nanzhanbu Zhou, who were greedy, lustful, and prone to violence, fearing they would fall into eternal damnation. He mentioned the Sutra of the Three Jewels, which could guide people toward goodness. It needed a worthy scholar to endure countless hardships and cross vast mountains and rivers to obtain it. The Tang (Tang Priest) and his disciples endured eighty-one trials to acquire the true scriptures, defeating demons and monsters along the way, ultimately achieving enlightenment.
This book vividly portrays the literary figure of Sun Wukong, a powerful and beloved deity. He battles demons and monsters, enduring immense hardships to protect the Tang Priest on his journey westward, finally achieving Buddhahood. Journey to the West is China's longest mythological epic.