I think this would've more potential if a person not from china wrote it, I'm not criticizing the novel because it's good, i read it too, but that's all it have, it's good for what it is nothing more nothing less. If the author added a little just a 'little' bit of foreign influence like in his poems, speeches, etc... Then this novel would've been godly. Foreign countries doesn't lack famous historical figures that's in a whole new level than china's historical figures. For example: Arthur, Plato, William Shakespeare, Da vinci, Napoleon, Charles, Einstein, Alexander the Great, Lincoln, etc etc... There's so many famous historical figure that china can't even compare. Instead of the author using it to his advantage, instead he place heavy emphasis on his own opinion and biases wich in turn ruin a perfectly good novel.