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Audiobook edition · 4 h 25 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does loyalty mean when your band is scattered, your court is corrupt, and your country faces invasion?
The heroes of Liangshan no longer stand together. Many leaders are gone, corrupt officials still hold power, and an enemy from the north threatens the Northern Song. In Chen Chen’s The Water Margin Sequel, the survivors must find their way through a country in danger. Hu Yanzhuo remains ready to defend it, while Yan Qing holds fast to comrades and principles.
Beyond China’s borders, the sea opens another path. Li Jun’s skill as a sailor helps lead the survivors toward exile and a new kingdom, while old friends gather again. Battles, voyages and reunions carry the adventure forward. Beneath them runs a harder question: how can these men remain faithful to their country and their dead friends when the court they served has failed?
What you’ll discover
- Old comrades, new dangers Follow scattered survivors as danger draws them toward one another again.
- A path across the sea Travel with Li Jun as the adventure turns toward exile and a new kingdom.
- Honour under pressure Explore what loyalty asks of men whose court no longer deserves their trust.
- Generosity among the outlaws Meet Chai Jin, whose steady character and generosity earn his companions’ respect.
- A country under threat Feel the anger at corrupt rule and the grief that run beneath the adventure.
Who will love it
Readers who love tales of outlaws, sworn brotherhood, and sudden rescues will enjoy this book, as will anyone who knows the original Water Margin and wants to meet its heroes again.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Grief brings Ruan back to Liangshan
- An insult turns mourning into rebellion
- Revenge reaches beyond the guilty
- A defeated enemy can become kin
- Carrying a letter carries a cost
- Loyalty gives trickery its purpose
- The sea opens another path
- Friendship gives destiny its heart
- Small acts shape the larger journey
Who’s who
- Ruan XiaoqiThe Living Yama, a rough fisherman hero who mourns Song Jiang and kills an insulting official, then flees with his old mother.
- Hu ChengBrother of Hu Sanniang, a returned sea trader robbed of his goods, who becomes the clever planner of the outlaws.
- Luan TingyuA master of the iron spear and a commander at Dengzhou, torn between his duty to the court and his old pupil's cause.
- Sun LiThe Sick Yuchi, a retired officer and loyal brother who is jailed for something he did not do.
- Gu DasaoThe Tigress, a fierce tavern keeper who knows the grudge against Mao Zhi and leads in the raid.
- Li YingThe Sky-Swooping Eagle, who holds the stronghold at Yinmachuan and gathers old comrades there.
- Yan QingA quick-witted wanderer and archer who plans daring rescues and speaks plainly in any company.
- Li JunThe River Dragon of Taihu Lake, a fisherman hero who dreams of Song Gongming and sails abroad to build a new home.
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The Water Margin Sequel
by Chen Chen · 1664
Ruan Xiaoqi pours wine at ruined Liangshan, and one official's insult sets the old outlaws moving again.
Challenging10–20 hours to read16 languages
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In short
What happens to a hero who has survived every war and is left with a fishing boat and a grudge? In The Water Margin Sequel, Ruan Xiaoqi, the Living Yama, rows out to the empty marsh of Liangshan to pour wine for his dead brothers.
The Water Margin Sequel at a glance
- Reading time
- About 15 h 10 min12 h fast, 18 h slow
- Length
- 216,200 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
- First published
- 1664by Chen Chen
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Ruan Xiaoqi mourns at the ruined marsh
The story opens after the great campaigns are over. Ruan Xiaoqi is stripped of his army post on a false charge of treason. He goes home to Shijie Village with his mother and takes up fishing again. One April day he drinks alone by the lake, having heard that Song Jiang and Lu Junyi died by poisoned wine.
The next morning he crosses the water with two helpers and a slaughtered pig and sheep. The Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness is a ruin, with broken weapons, a torn yellow banner, and moss over the names on the stone tablets. He lays out the offerings and calls on his dead leaders by name. He forgets to bring a knife, so the helpers tear the meat apart by hand.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1664
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2 h 50 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Chen, Chen. The Water Margin Sequel. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-margin-sequel.
Chen, C. (2026). The Water Margin sequel. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-margin-sequel (Original work published 1664)
Chen, Chen. The Water Margin Sequel. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-margin-sequel.
@book{chen2026water,
author = {Chen, Chen},
title = {The Water Margin Sequel},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-margin-sequel},
note = {First published 1664}
}
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What is The Water Margin Sequel about?
It follows the surviving heroes of Liangshan Marsh after Song Jiang's death. Scattered and hunted by corrupt ministers, they reunite, fight, outwit officials, and eventually sail overseas, where Li Jun builds a new realm on Golden Turtle Island and in Siam.
Do I need to read the original Water Margin first?
It helps, because the book begins right after the original ends and a short opening recaps the fate of Song Jiang and the 108 heroes. New readers can still follow the story, since people are introduced by name and nickname as they appear.
Who is Ruan Xiaoqi in this book?
He is the Living Yama, the hero of the opening chapters. A former commander dismissed on a false charge, he mourns his brothers at Liangshan, kills a petty official who insults him, and becomes the spark that brings the old outlaws together again.
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