Water Margin Podcast: Outlaws of the Marsh

Winter is coming again for Daming Prefecture.

The bandits find themselves in trouble when a descendant of the god of war comes knocking on their door.

A daring rescue runs into the obstacle of not having Google Maps.

Lu Junyi’s jailer discovers that there IS such a thing as having too much money shoved in your face.

Lu Junyi discovers that there IS such a thing as too much feasting.

Lu Junyi decides to take a road trip, and everyone’s got a bad feeling about it, except him.

Big changes are afoot on Liangshan.

No sooner had our heroes put down one group of upstarts did they discover another group that’s just asking for it.

Hey everyone. This is a quick programming note to let you know that I recently participated in a roundtable on the Translated Chinese Fiction Podcast hosted by Angus Stewart. Angus assembled the hosts from several podcasts about Chinese literature and stories. We each shared a short story or book chapter that we like, and then we just had a good time chatting about them. Take a listen, and if you like what I'm doing, you might be interested in those other podcasts as well. So check it out. Take care.

Song Jiang flags down a passing court official and very nicely asks for a favor.

Huyan Zhuo gets another crack at the Liangshan bandits, and a whole gaggle of other outlaws.

Huyan Zhuo's simple quest for revenge turns into three side quests against leveled-up enemies.

Xu Ning chases after his lost property and actually catches up with the thief.

The outlaws run up against a formidable foe and decide they need to “recruit” some more help.

After a successful siege, the bandits in search of the man they had come to save.

A look at food and drinks during the Northern Song.

Li Kui gets put in timeout and learns a lesson about messing with Daoist priests.

Li Kui finds himself up to his neck in Daoist shenanigans.

As it turns out, iron-pledge guarantees from long-dead emperors do not count for as much as everyone thought.

The outlaws return to their tried-and-true recruitment tactics, and take it maybe just a step too far.

In a shocking twist, the ancient Chinese legal system delivers some semblance of justice and punishes constable violence, and all it took was sleeping with the magistrate.

The Xie brothers' relatives mount their jail break, and then we rejoin the Liangshan outlaws outside the Zhu Family Manor.

Some relatives embarrass you at weddings, some get into political arguments at the holiday dinner table, and some threaten to fight you to the death if you don’t help them break some cousins out of jail.

After getting a bloody nose in their initial attack, the Liangshan forces take another crack at razing the Zhu Family Manor.

Our heroes storm to the gates of the Zhu Family Manor, intent on teaching the people inside a lesson.

An act of petty theft quickly escalates into a grave insult against the Liangshan heroes, somehow.

Yang Xiong has a little heart-to-heart with his adulterous wife.

Things heat up in Yang Xiong’s house, and on the dead-end street behind it.

In between carving up pig carcasses, Shi Xiu sniffs out some shenanigans in his new household.

I recently did two interviews on other podcasts. The first is the Mandarin Slang Guide podcast, where we talked about some common Chinese expressions that had their roots in the characters and stories of the Three Kingdoms era. The second one is Journey to the West: The Podcast, where we had a long chat about classic Chinese novels and their cultural significance, including the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Water Margin, and of course, Journey to the West. Have a listen, and also check out the other episodes on those podcasts, too. If you like what I'm doing, you might be interested in those shows as well.

A street brawl turns two strangers into bosom buddies.

Don’t drink on this trip? I’ll drink as much as I please, damn the consequences. Oh, here come those consequences.

Li Kui runs the full gamut of emotions in one day as he goes home to fetch his mother.

Song Jiang gets a little divine intervention in his flight from the law.

Song Jiang’s poor choices lead him to a strange, otherworldly encounter.

Nothing says “honor” quite like killing dozens of people who had nothing to do with your predicament, taking their stuff, and burning their town.

Things get even rowdier at Song Jiang and Dai Zong’s execution.

One day you are a respected craftsman making an honest living; the next day, some shady “deacon” shows up at your door with a lucrative gig for you …

In trouble for his drunken poetry, Song Jiang is forced into a crappy scheme to save his life.

While touring historical sites and indulging in fine drink and food, Song Jiang is driven by his misfortunes to write a few words.

Dai Zong introduces Song Jiang to his good friend Li Kui. Well, friend. More of an acquaintance really. I mean, a colleague. Actually, I don't usually hang out with him. Really.

Once again, we see how far money and reputation can carry a man, even when he's on his way to prison.

Like Uber, but for boats ... and the ferryman gives you a choice of meals, too.

Caught at his home, Song Jiang is finally brought to justice ... such as it is.

Song Jiang's Liangshan-bound cohort keeps growing, until he gets an unexpected message.

With admirers like these, who needs enemies?

Song Jiang’s bandit buddies run amok, and then give an enemy general the run-around.

A local lantern festival ignites a feud between Hua Rong and his boss.

Meet the heroes of Clear Winds Mountain, who turn unsuspecting passers-by into soup and abduct and defile women on their way to visit their parents' graves.

Wu Song continues acting like the worst pretend monk ever and gets himself first into some cold water, and then into some hot water.