Ruan Xiao'er
Ruan Xiao'er, also known as Ruan the Second, is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Tai Sui Who Stands His Ground", he ranks 27th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background The novel depicts Ruan Xiao'er as muscular and having a chiseled face, a wide mouth, a cold gleam in his eyes and some yellow hair on his chest. He is the elder brother of Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi. They live in Shijie Village (石碣村; in present-day Liangshan County, Shandong), where they make a living by fishing in waters around the Liangshan Marsh. All three are good swimmers and fight well in water. Of the three, Ruan Xiao'er is the only one married with children. Becoming an outlaw Wu Yong recommends involving the three Ruan brothers when Chao Gai, headman of Dongxi village in Yuncheng County, seeks his advice on whether to hijack valuables in transportation to the Grand Tuto ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tai Sui
Tai Sui is a Chinese term for the stars directly opposite the planet Jupiter ( ''Mùxīng'') during its roughly 12-year orbital cycle. Personified as deities, they are important features of Chinese astrology, Feng Shui, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism to a lesser extent. The 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac are based on divisions of the Jovian orbital cycle, rather than—as with the western zodiac—the apparent motion of the sun relative to the celestial sphere. The star thought to oppose Jupiter during each year of the cycle was personified as a Heavenly General () or Cycle God. These were believed to assist the Jade Emperor in controlling the mortal world. In the Warring States period, Tai Sui had become gods in the popular astronomy, but there is no record of worshiping the Tai Sui in the documents before the Han dynasty, with the earliest record found in Wang Chong's Lunheng. There are several legends related to it, usually about people disrespecting or ignoring Tai Sui and s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gongsun Sheng
Gongsun Sheng is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Dragon in the Clouds", he ranks fourth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background The novel depicts Gongsun Sheng as an eight ''chi'' tall Taoist priest with a noble look as his eyebrows slant apart like the Chinese character for "eight" (八) and his eyes are almond-shaped. A native of Jizhou (薊州; present-day Ji County, Tianjin), he is a master of Taoist magic who could summon the wind and the rain, ride the mist and drive the clouds. His magical craft plus his sometimes mystical behaviour earn him the nickname "Dragon in the Clouds". He carries an ancient sword made of copper which is part of his magic kit. Robbing the convoy of birthday gifts Gongsun Sheng learns that Liang Shijie, the prefect of Daming, is sending valuables to his father-in-law Grand Tutor Cai Jing in the capital Dongjing as bi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bandit Kings Of Ancient China
''Bandit Kings of Ancient China'', also known as in Japan, is a turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Koei, and released in 1989 for MSX, MS-DOS, Amiga, and Macintosh and in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1996, Koei issued a remake for the Japanese Sega Saturn and PlayStation featuring vastly improved graphics and new arrangements of the original songs. Gameplay Based on the 14th century Great Classical Novel ''Water Margin'', the game takes place in ancient China during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. The Bandit Kings of Ancient China—a band of ten bandits—engage in war against China's Minister of War Gao Qiu, an evil minister with unlimited power. The objective of the game is to build, sustain, and command an army of troops to capture Gao Qiu before the Jurchen invasion in January 1127. Players hold certain attributes such as strength, dexterity, and wisdom. Players must also deal with other situations such as taxes, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fang La
Fang La (; died 1121) was a Chinese rebel leader who led an uprising against the Song dynasty. In the classical novel ''Water Margin'', he is fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists and nemeses of the 108 Stars of Destiny. He is sometimes associated with Manichaeism but was most likely not a follower of the religion. Life Fang La was from Shezhou, which is roughly present-day She County, Anhui. However, other sources claimed that he was from Qingxi County (), which is present-day Chun'an County, Zhejiang. In 1120, he led an uprising against the Song Empire in Qixian Village (), Shezhou. Others claimed that he started the rebellion in Wannian District (), Chun'an County. Fang La's forces captured Hangzhou and subsequently took control over parts of present-day Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces, with a total of 52 counties and six prefectures. In 1121, the Song government sent a general, Wang Yuan (), to lead an army to crush the rebellion. Wang Yuan's subord ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiangsu and Shanghai to the north, Anhui to the northwest, Jiangxi to the west and Fujian to the south. To the east is the East China Sea, beyond which lies the Ryukyu Islands. The population of Zhejiang stands at 64.6 million, the 8th highest among China. It has been called 'the backbone of China' due to being a major driving force in the Chinese economy and being the birthplace of several notable persons, including the Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek and entrepreneur Jack Ma. Zhejiang consists of 90 counties (incl. county-level cities and districts). The area of Zhejiang was controlled by the Kingdom of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period. The Qin Empire later annexed it in 222 BC. Under the late Ming dynasty and the Qing ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jiande
is a county-level city of Zhejiang Province, East China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Hangzhou. History During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jiande was the capital of Yanzhou Prefecture. On account of this, Jiande was often referred to as Yanzhou Fu (). A transcription commonly seen in both French and English writing of the time was Yen-tcheou-fou, derived from French missionary writing. Administrative divisions Subdistricts: *Yangxi Subdistrict (洋溪街道), Genglou Subdistrict (更楼街道), Xin'anjiang Subdistrict (新安江街道) Towns: * Meicheng (梅城镇), Xiaya (下涯镇), Yangcunqiao (杨村桥镇), Qiantan (乾潭镇), Sandu (三都镇), Shouchang (寿昌镇), Datong (大同镇), Hangtou (航头镇), Lijia (李家镇), Dayang (大洋镇), Lianhua (莲花镇), Daciyan (大慈岩镇) The only township is Qintang Township (钦堂乡) Climate Transportation Direct trains for freight link Jiande with Yiwu and Jinhua See ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Emperor Huizong Of Song
Emperor Huizong of Song (7 June 1082 – 4 June 1135), personal name Zhao Ji, was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty of China. He was also a very well-known calligrapher. Born as the 11th son of Emperor Shenzong, he ascended the throne in 1100 upon the death of his elder brother and predecessor, Emperor Zhezong, because Emperor Zhezong's only son died prematurely. He lived in luxury, sophistication and art in the first half of his life. In 1126, when the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty invaded the Song dynasty during the Jin–Song Wars, Emperor Huizong abdicated and passed on his throne to his eldest son, Zhao Huan who assumed the title Emperor Qinzong while Huizong assumed the honorary title of ''Taishang Huang'' (or "Retired Emperor"). The following year, the Song capital, Bianjing, was conquered by Jin forces in an event historically known as the Jingkang Incident. Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong and the rest of their family were taken captive by the Jurchens ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Liao Dynasty
The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people. Founded around the time of the collapse of the Tang dynasty, at its greatest extent it ruled over Northeast China, the Mongolian Plateau, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, southern portions of the Russian Far East, and the northern tip of the North China Plain. The dynasty had a history of territorial expansion. The most important early gains was the Sixteen Prefectures (including present-day Beijing and part of Hebei) by fueling a proxy war that led to the collapse of the Later Tang dynasty (923–936). In 1004, the Liao dynasty launched an imperial expedition against the Northern Song dynasty. After heavy fighting and large casualties between the two empires, both sides worked out the Chanyuan Trea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song often came into conflict with the contemporaneous Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties in northern China. After retreating to southern China, the Song was eventually conquered by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The dynasty is divided into two periods: Northern Song and Southern Song. During the Northern Song (; 960–1127), the capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) and the dynasty controlled most of what is now Eastern China. The Southern Song (; 1127–1279) refers to the period after the Song lost control of its northern half to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in the Jin–Song Wars. At that time, the Song court retreated south of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Huyan Zhuo
Huyan Zhuo is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Double Clubs", hə ranks eighth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits (天罡), the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background Huyan Zhuo is descended from Huyan Zan, a general in the early years of the Song dynasty famous for guarding the northern frontier from Liao. Like his ancestor, Huyan Zhuo is a brave and smart warrior in the Song imperial army. His weapon is a pair of hefty steel clubs, which earn him the nickname "Double Clubs". In battles he flies a black war flag and rides a black stallion, a gift from Emperor Huizong. Chain-linked armoured cavalry formation Huyan Zhuo‘s name is brought up when the Song imperial court discusses how to quell the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh after they defeated and killed Gao Lian, the prefect of Gaotangzhou. Grand Marshal Gao Qiu, who is the cousin of Gao Lian, recommends Huyan to Emperor Huizong, saying ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ling Zhen
Ling Zhen is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Heaven Shaking Thunder", he ranks 52nd among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 16th among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Ling Zhen thisn, a native of Yanling (燕陵; believed to be present-day Yanling County, Henan), is good in archery and fights well. But he is better known for his skill in the making and firing of cannons. The top cannoneer in the Song Empire during his time, he serves as an artillery officer in the imperial capital Dongjing. Becoming an outlaw Emperor Huizong appoints Huyan Zhuo to exterminate the bandits of Liangshan Marsh, at the recommendation of Grand Marshal Gao Qiu, whose cousin Gao Lian, governor of Gaotangzhou, was defeated and killed by the outlaws. In his first encounter with Liangshan, Huyan is shaken by the capture of Peng Qi, one of his two lieutenants, by the bandits. But he gains the upper hand with his cavalry consisting of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lin Chong
Lin Chong is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels Classic Chinese Novels () are the best-known novels of pre-modern Chinese literature. These are among the world's longest and oldest novels. They represented a new complexity in structure and sophistication in language that helped to establish ... in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Panther Head", he ranks sixth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits. In some folk tales derived from the novel, he is said to have learnt martial arts from Zhou Tong (archer), Zhou Tong, who purportedly trained the Song dynasty general Yue Fei in archery. Background Lin Chong resembles Zhang Fei, a general of the Three Kingdoms era, in appearance. Over six ''Chi (unit), chi'' tall, he has piercing eyes and a head like that of a panther, which earns him the nickname "Panther Head". He is a martial arts instructor of the Imperial Guards in Dongjing (東京; present-day Kaifeng, Henan), the imperial capital of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |