How many stages did the development of ancient Chinese novels go through?
The development of ancient Chinese novels had roughly gone through the following stages: Pre-Qin novels: The early novels were mainly narrations and descriptions in history books such as the Spring and Autumn Annals and Zuo Zhuan, but there were also some myths, legends, and fables. 2. Qin and Han novels: During this period, a number of important novels appeared, such as Records of the Historian and The Scholars in the Book of Han. These works mainly described the life of officialdom, the palace, and the aristocrats. 3. The novels of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties: In this period, new schools of novel creation appeared, such as the literary class's notebook novels and the tramp class's short stories. These works mainly described the legendary experiences and stories of the characters. 4. Tang and Song novels: The creation of novels in this period reached its peak, such as Song of Everlasting Sorrow and Song of Pipa, and Water Margins and Journey to the West in Song Dynasty. These works mainly consisted of character stories and myths, which had high literary and artistic value. 5 Yuan, Ming and Qing novels: The creation of novels in this period gradually matured and formed a unique literary style and genre, such as the Ming Dynasty's "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Water Margins" and the Qing Dynasty's "Journey to the West" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". These works not only reached the peak of literature, but also had high value in art and historical knowledge.