演义 is a Ming/Qing genre that turns chronicles into fiction with embellished dialogue, battles, and characters. The big four are 三国演义 (Three Kingdoms), 隋唐演义 (Sui-Tang), 封神演义 (Investiture of the Gods), and 东周列国志.
memory
演 = perform, 义 = meaning/principle. To 'perform the meaning' of history — i.e. dramatize it.
