在天道循環與人事際遇之間－論《水滸傳》敘事的後設命題及其話語構成

The creation of ”Water Margin” (”Shui Hu Zhuan”) is substantially about rewriting history, not recovering history. The whole discursive formation has its special moral norms and aesthetics consideration on the performance of producing the meaning. Observing the narrative design from ”Water Margin”, Tian-ming (the decree of fate) as the meta-proposition has its restricting function, also has its indicating function. In the closed narrative frame of mythology indication, the author of ”Water Margin” focuses on the 108 real men of Mount Liang (”Liangshanpo”) coming into the world and the destiny of their gathering as a direction to proceed political writing. The discourse of novel emphasize a fact that the 108 real men come into the troubled times of political circumstances has its historical inevitability. Moreover, when Song Jiang becomes the third leader of the Mount Liang, Shui Hu heroes raises the flag high on Tao of Heaven to enforce justice, awaiting for the dynasty to recruit them to practice the ethic of loyalty to the emperor. This strongly reflects a pattern of the society from chaotic to orderly condition as the political regards of the author's attitude. In between the political anxiety of ”a neglected scholar” and political expectations of ”losing with the ritual strives for various wild,” the whole discursive practice actually implied a political ethic metaphor of ”choice procedure.” Therefore, from the view of political writing, the ethic of loyalty to the emperor is thought to be a political appeal. The discursive formation itself is the dialect of ethics, and the choice of values. Nonetheless, the political thought faded away with the seclusion and death of the 108 real men. This kind of writing style has no doubt conveys the author's deep sarcasm and accusation of political reality. It is also a sigh of the impractical idealism in politics towards imperial rule. On the performance of producing the meaning, the whole discursive formation leads the readers to deep thoughts.