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Ruan Xiaoqi
Ruan Xiaoqi, also known as Ruan the Seventh, is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Living King Yama", he ranks 31st among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background The novel depicts Ruan Xiaoqi as having bulging eyes, pale yellow whiskers and dark patches on his skin, which make him look like a fearsome bronze statue. As this image is similar to that of the ruler of Hell in Chinese mythology, he is nicknamed "Living King Yama". Ruan Xiaoqi is the youngest of the three Ruan brothers (his seniors being Ruan Xiaoer and Ruan Xiaowu). They live in Shijie Village (石碣村; in present-day Liangshan County, Shandong), where they make a living by fishing in waters near the Liangshan Marsh. Like his brothers, Ruan Xiaoqi is a good swimmer and fights well under water. Becoming an outlaw Wu Yong recommends involving the three Ruan brothers when Chao Gai, headman of Don ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liangshan County
Liangshan County () is a county situated in the southwest of Shandong province, China. It is administered by the prefecture-level city of Jining. Geography Liangshan County is situated north west of Jining in the south west of Shandong province. To the east it borders the prefecture-level cities of Tai'an, Heze to the west. To the north, the Yellow River separates Liangshan from Puyang, in Henan province. Climate History The area was from prehistoric times surrounded by the largest marshland in north China, called the Daye Marsh and later the Liangshan Marsh. Because the area was largely a wasteland on the frontiers of several administrative units, government control was minimal, and bandit chiefs were active in the area. During the Song Dynasty Liang Shan (Mount Liang) became known as the "eight hundred li moorage of Mount Liang" and located at the extreme north of the Yellow River which passed through the area. When the Yellow River shifted course in 1289, the marshes o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cai Jing
Cai Jing (1047–1126), courtesy name Yuanchang (), was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived during the Northern Song dynasty of China. He is also fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Life Cai Jing was from Xianyou, Xinghua (present-day Putian, Fujian). In 1070, he participated in the imperial examination and was a ''jinshi'' (a successful candidate). He served as a civil official in Qiantang before moving on to work in the Grand Secretary's office. In 1086, Cai Jing was posted to the administrative office in Kaifeng, the capital. He supported the conservative faction in the imperial court, headed by Sima Guang, and won the praise of Sima. In 1094, Cai Jing became the Minister for Revenue. He helped Zhang Dun () revive the New Policies of reformist chancellor Wang Anshi, although he set out on a campaign of attrition to destroy or radically alter the written work of hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
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] |
Zhang Heng (Water Margin)
Zhang Heng is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Boatman", he ranks 28th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background The novel depicts Zhang Heng as seven ''chi'' tall and having triangle-shaped crimson eyes, yellow whiskers and red hair. He is an excellent swimmer who can survive under water in all weathers. Nicknamed "Boatman" , he preys on travellers who take his boat thinking he is just a simple ferryman. Zhang Heng and his younger brother Zhang Shun live at Jieyang Ridge (揭陽嶺; believed to be in present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi) near the Xunyang River. They use a trick to rob their boat passengers without taking lives. Zhang Shun would disguise himself as a passenger whom Zhang Heng would throw overboard when he pretends to defend his valuables. Zhang Shun would make it to shore while the other travellers are so frightened that they surrender all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guan Sheng
Guan Sheng is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Great Blade", he ranks fifth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background A descendant of Guan Yu, Guan Sheng resembles his famous ancestor of the Three Kingdoms era. His height of eight ''chi'' and five/six '' cun,'' his flowing beard, his long eyebrows and his eyes which are like those of a fenghuang are features of Guan Yu. Guan Sheng's weapon is a guandao, just like his ancestor's, which earns him the nickname "Great Blade". His horse and that of Guan Yu are also similarly named "Red Rabbit". Though a skilled and talented warrior, Guan Sheng serves as a minor military inspector in a town east of Puzhou (蒲州; present-day Yuncheng, Shanxi). Battle against Liangshan When the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh attack Daming (present-day Daming County, Hebei) to rescue Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu, the Grand Tutor Cai Jin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Wang Lun
Wang Lun (; died 1 November 1774) was the leader of the White Lotus sect in Shandong province, China in the 1770s. He preached a millenarian philosophy, emphasizing the imminent coming of the Buddha Maitreya. A martial arts master and self-taught physician, Wang taught his followers yoga, meditation, and the ability to fast for very long periods by drinking purified water. His group became known as the "Pure Water Sect", and by 1774 numbered several thousand. Having told the sect that he was the reincarnation of Maitreya and was destined to become Emperor of China, he mobilized his followers and marched on the city of Shouzhang on 3 October 1774. With the help of confederates inside the city gates, the rebels quickly seized the city and ransacked the treasury and granary. They held the city for a few days only, before abandoning it to attack the city of Yangku. Yangku was easily captured, as the local garrison was marching to relieve Shouzhang, which the local authorities be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
水滸傳
''Water Margin'' (''Shuihu zhuan'') is one of the earliest Chinese novels written in vernacular Mandarin, and is attributed to Shi Nai'an. It is also translated as ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' and ''All Men Are Brothers''. The story, which is set in the Northern Song dynasty (around 1120), tells of how a group of 108 outlaws gather at Mount Liang (or ''Liangshan'' Marsh) to rebel against the government. Later they are granted amnesty and enlisted by the government to resist the nomadic conquest of the Liao dynasty and other rebels. While the book's authorship is traditionally attributed to Shi Nai'an (1296–1372), the first external reference to the novel only appeared in 1524 during the Jiajing reign of the Ming dynasty, sparking a long-lasting academic debate on when it was actually written and which historical events the author had witnessed that inspired him to write the book. It is considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Yenna Wu, "Full-Le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yang Zhi (Water Margin)
Yang Zhi is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Blue Faced Beast", he ranks 17th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Background Yang Zhi is descended from Yang Ye, a general in history made famous by the folk story Generals of the Yang Family -- a saga of the family's patriotism stretching from him to his great-grand child. Seven ''chi'' tall, Yang Zhi has red whiskers on his chin and a blue birthmark on his face, which earns him the nickname "Blue Faced Beast". A highly skilled fighter and archer, he combats with either a long sabre or a spear. He serves as a middle-ranking officer under Grand Marshal Gao Qiu in Dongjing (東京; present-day Kaifeng, Henan), the imperial capital of the Song Empire. Gao Qiu sends Yang Zhi and several officers to escort rare minerals and plants, known as ''huashigang'' (花石綱), to Dongjing for the decoration of a park of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bai Sheng
Bai Sheng is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Daylight Rat", he ranks 106th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 70th among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background Bai Sheng, who lives with his wife in Anle Village () in Yuncheng prefecture, Shandong, is nicknamed "Daylight Rat" because he is a do-nothing who spends most of his time on gambling. Robbing the birthday gifts Bai Sheng once received help from Chao Gai, the headman of Dongxi Village in Yuncheng County. When Chao and his six confederates plan to seize valuables in transportation to Grand Tutor Cai Jing in the imperial capital Dongjing, Chao suggests using Bai's home as their base as it is not far from Yellow Mud Ridge, where they would stage the hijack. Wu Yong, the strategist of the gang, suggests roping Bai into their plan. In fact, Bai Sheng assumes a central role as a fake wine seller. The plan is to beguile the escorts of the valuables ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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