Why wasn't 'The Scholars' one of the Four Great Masterpieces?

The Scholars was not one of the Four Great Masterpieces because the Four Great Masterpieces referred to the four classic works of Chinese classical novels. They were Dream of the Red Chamber, Journey to the West, Water Margins, and The Scholars. Although The Scholars was an excellent novel, it was not included in the "Four Great Masterpieces" because its literary value and influence were not as good as the other three works. Although The Scholars had a profound influence on Chinese literature and culture, it did not gain widespread recognition and admiration, nor did it become one of the representative works of Chinese classical novels.