▁are ▁p ardon ed ▁by ▁Imperial ▁ed ict , ▁and ▁are ▁put ▁in ▁service ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Jin ' s ▁version , ▁by ▁contrast , ▁has ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁band its ▁captured ▁and ▁executed . ▁ ▁He ▁follows ▁this ▁ending ▁with ▁eight ▁reasons ▁why ▁out law ry ▁can ▁never ▁be ▁toler ated . ▁ ▁Later ▁readers ▁of ▁Jin ▁have ▁advanced ▁two ▁main ▁theories ▁for ▁his ▁diver gent ▁positions ▁of ▁adm iring ▁the ▁band its ▁and ▁yet ▁den oun cing ▁them ▁as ▁a ▁group . ▁ ▁Hu ▁Sh ih ▁arg ues ▁that ▁China ▁during ▁Jin ' s ▁life ▁was ▁being ▁torn ▁apart ▁by ▁two ▁bands ▁of ▁out la ws , ▁so ▁Jin ▁did ▁not ▁believe ▁that ▁band it ry ▁should ▁be ▁gl or ified ▁in ▁fiction . ▁ ▁This ▁agre es ▁well ▁with ▁Jin ' s ▁philosophy . ▁ ▁His ▁Buddh ist ▁and ▁T ao ist ▁belief s ▁advoc ated ▁natural ▁development ▁for ▁every ▁individual ▁in ▁society , ▁while ▁the ▁Conf u cian ▁part ▁of ▁him ▁respect ed ▁the ▁em peror ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁as ▁the ▁ult imate ▁authority . ▁ ▁The ▁other ▁possibility ▁is ▁that ▁Jin ' s ▁attempt ▁to ▁re image ▁the ▁novel ▁into ▁a ▁condem n ation ▁of ▁the ▁band its ▁was ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁novel ▁after ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁b anned ▁by ▁the ▁Ch ong z hen ▁Emperor . ▁ ▁This ▁second ▁theory ▁is ▁far - fetch ed , ▁as ▁the ▁em peror ' s ▁dec ree ▁b anning ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁not ▁prom ul g ated ▁until