▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁Jin ' s ▁comment ary . ▁Jin ' s ▁views ▁on ▁the ▁characters ▁aside , ▁he ▁has ▁un cond itional ▁pra ise ▁for ▁the ▁novel ▁as ▁a ▁work ▁of ▁art . ▁ ▁He ▁pra ises ▁the ▁v ivid ▁and ▁l ively ▁characters ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁saying , ▁" Sh ui - hu ▁tells ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁ 1 0 8 ▁men : ▁yet ▁each ▁has ▁his ▁own ▁nature , ▁his ▁own ▁temper ament , ▁his ▁own ▁out ward ▁appearance , ▁and ▁his ▁own ▁voice ". ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁pra ises ▁the ▁work ' s ▁v ivid ▁description ▁of ▁events , ▁frequently ▁remark ing ▁that ▁the ▁pro se ▁is ▁" like ▁a ▁picture ". ▁ ▁Finally , ▁Jin ▁appreci ates ▁the ▁technical ▁virt u os ity ▁of ▁the ▁author , ▁and ▁names ▁ 1 5 ▁separate ▁techniques ▁used ▁by ▁Sh i ▁Na ian . ▁ ▁X ix i ang ▁Ji ▁comment ary ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 5 6 , ▁Jin ▁completed ▁his ▁second ▁major ▁comment ary , ▁written ▁on ▁X ix i ang ▁Ji , ▁a ▁ 1 3 th - century ▁Y uan ▁D ynast y ▁play ▁known ▁in ▁English ▁as ▁Rom ance ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Chamber . ▁ ▁This ▁comment ary ▁follows ▁a ▁structure ▁very ▁similar ▁to ▁Jin ' s ▁earlier ▁Sh ui hu ▁Z hu an ▁comment ary . ▁ ▁It ▁begins ▁with ▁two ▁pre faces ▁out lin ing ▁Jin ' s ▁reasons ▁for ▁writing ▁the ▁comment ary ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁third ▁with