Yangzhou Pinghua Wang School Water Margin: Wu Song (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Wang Litang (narrated), Guo Tiesong, Wang Hong (compiled)
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Features: The Water Margin is one of the most renowned and distinctive traditional repertoire in Yangzhou Pinghua. It is adapted from the classical 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 "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 in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Later, during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Deshan, Fan Songnian, Xue Jiahong, and others became famous for telling this story. The Yangzhou Pinghua Water Margin that has been passed down to the present dates back to the Daoguang and Xianfeng periods of the Qing Dynasty, with the most renowned being the Wang family's inherited tradition, later known as the "Wang School Water Margin." Through the continuous refinement by 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, excelled in both spirit and expression, and delivered a refined and meticulously crafted performance, earning widespread acclaim in the storytelling world. The recorded manuscripts of the four books he narrated are estimated to exceed 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 is more crisp and elegant, her language more refined, and her storytelling more humanized and modern. She is 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 "Pearls Rolling in a Bucket." Wusong, also known as Wu's Ten Chapters, tells the story of Wusong searching for his brother, passing through Jingyang Ridge to fight a tiger, and becoming the county's military commander. His sister-in-law Pan Jinlian and Xi Menqing commit adultery and poison his brother Wu Dalang. Wusong kills Pan and Xi Menqing before surrendering himself and being sent to Mengzhou. He meets Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang at the Ten Crosses Inn, makes friends with Shi En at the Heaven King Temple, and fights Jiang Mengshen in Happy Forest for justice, only to be framed by Zhang Dujian and sent to Mengzhou again. Jiang Mengshen orders his men to ambush Wusong on the way, but Wusong kills them instead and returns to Mengzhou to avenge his enemies. Later, with the help of Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang, he disguises himself as a monk and heads to Erlong Mountain. Along the way, he defeats the villains Wu Qian and Li Er Diao on Wuchong Ridge, and mistakenly hurts Kong Liang at Baihu Town, meeting Song Jiang. Eventually, he joins Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi, and others in capturing Erlong Mountain and becoming outlaws. These ten chapters—Fighting a Tiger on Jingyang Ridge, Killing His Sister-in-Law and Avenging His Brother, Fighting Xi Menqing, Attacking the Ten Crosses Inn, Drunkly Fighting Jiang Mengshen, Chaos at Feiyunpu, Killing the Governor's Mansion at Night, Running Through Wuchong Ridge at Night, Beating Baihu Town, and Intelligently Capturing Erlong Mountain—are known as "Tiger Rises, Dragon Ends." Wusong has the most complete structure in Water Margin, with the main character Wusong, and the plot is full of twists and turns. The famous writer Lao She once highly praised this book: "Wusong is a great work! Although the number of words is large, it is not difficult to read; it is captivating and hard to put down. This is truly a great work! I have no name for it, so I will call it a popular epic for now!" Some renowned 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 lectures and reviews. 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.