Ruan Xiaoqi, also known as Ruan the Seventh, is a fictional character in ''

Water Margin ''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 s ...

'', 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 t ...

in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Living

King Yama Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. ...

", 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 religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Much of t ...

, he is nicknamed "Living

". Ruan Xiaoqi is the youngest of the three Ruan brothers (his seniors being

Ruan Xiaoer 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 f ...

and

Ruan Xiaowu Ruan may refer to: Buildings *Ruan Center, office building in Des Moines, Iowa *John Ruan House, historic mansion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Places *Ruan, County Clare, Ireland *Ruan, Loiret, France *Mont Ruan, Switzerland *Ruan Major and Ru ...

). They live in Shijie Village (石碣村; in present-day

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 ...

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

), where they make a living by fishing in waters near the

Liangshan Marsh Mount Liang (, often referred to in Chinese as ) is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong, China which rises to 197.9 metres above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 Heroes in the classic Chinese novel ''Water Margin ...

. Like his brothers, Ruan Xiaoqi is a good swimmer and fights well under water.

Becoming an outlaw

Wu Yong Wu Yong is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Knowledgeable Star", he ranks third among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Backg ...

recommends involving the three Ruan brothers when

Chao Gai Chao Gai, nicknamed "Pagoda-Shifting Heavenly King", is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is not one of the 108 Stars of Destiny because he dies before the Grand Assembly o ...

, headman of Dongxi village in

Yuncheng County Yuncheng () is a county in the southwest of Shandong province, China. It is the northernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Heze. It borders the Yellow River and Henan (Taiqian County and Fan County) to the north, Liangshan ...

, seeks his advice on whether to hijack valuables in transportation to the Grand Tutor

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 G ...

in the imperial capital Dongjing. Visiting the Ruans in Shijie Village, Wu claims that he has come to buy some fish before proceeding to find out whether they are receptive to the bold proposal. Ruan Xiaoer, the oldest of the three, senses Wu is up to something else while the other two brothers, being less astute, are not suspicious. Nevertheless all three are unhappy with their poverty and resent being bullied by officials. So when Wu Yong comes to his point, they unanimously accept the invitation. The robbers, numbering seven including

Liu Tang Liu Tang is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Red Haired Devil", he ranks 21st among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Backgrou ...

and

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 Destin ...

and with the help of

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 ...

, who poses as a wine seller, succeed in seizing the valuables at the Yellow Mud Ridge by drugging the escorts of the gifts led by Yang Zhi. But the authorities soon track down essential clues and an arrest party is sent to seize Chao Gai at his house. Chao, Wu Yong, Gongsun Sheng and Liu Tang flee to Shijie village. The Ruan brothers, familiar with the surrounding waters, lure the soldiers who have come for them into the waterways and wipe them out. The seven men then seek refuge in the bandit stronghold of Liangshan Marsh.

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-ta ...

, the leader of Liangshan, tries to send them away with gifts fearing that they might usurp his position. Wu Yong, sensing

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 ...

's unhappiness with Wang, instigates him to kill the leader. Chao Gai is then elected the new chief of Liangshan, with Ruan Xiaoqi taking the eighth position. The Ruan brothers are appointed commanders of the Liangshan flotilla. When

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. Backgrou ...

leads an imperial force to attack Liangshan,

Zhang Heng Zhang Heng (; AD 78–139), formerly romanized as Chang Heng, was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman who lived during the Han dynasty. Educated in the capital cities of Luoyang and Chang'an, he achieved success as an astronomer, ma ...

launches a raid on his camp with a small band without informing any of the chieftains except Ruan Xiaoqi. He is ambushed and captured. Ruan takes some men to rescue him but is also seized. Both are freed after Guan Sheng defects to Liangshan.

Campaigns and death

Ruan Xiaoqi is appointed as one of the commanders of Liangshan's flotilla after the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly. He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces in

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan. Ruan Xiaoqi's two elder brothers are killed in the campaign against

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 sometime ...

. When Fang's palace falls, Ruan Xiaoqi finds the crown and the dragon robe of the rebel leader, which are symbols of an emperor, and puts them on out of mischief. He is reprimanded by

Song Jiang A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

for the

lese majeste Lese may refer to: People * Grigore Leșe (born 1954), Romanian musician Places * Leše, Litija, Slovenia * Leše, Prevalje, Slovenia * Leše, Tržič, Slovenia * Lese River, Democratic Republic of the Congo Other * Lese language See also * ...

offence. Back in Dongjing the remaining Liangshan heroes are each conferred a position. When it comes Ruan Xiaoqi's turn, Grand Marshal

Gao Qiu Gao Qiu (1076?–1126) was a government official who lived during the Song dynasty of China and served in the court of Emperor Huizong. In the classical novel ''Water Margin'', he is fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists and a nemesis ...

and Grand Tutor

raise objection citing his offence of putting on Fang La‘s "illegal" articles. Although Ruan Xiaoqi is let off on account of his service, he receives no reward. He goes back to Shijie Village where he lives happily to the age of 70. In

Peking Opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became fully developed and recognize ...

''A Fisherman Kills A Family'', part of ''

The Qing Ding Pearl ''The Qing Ding Pearl'' (《慶頂珠》, simplified 庆顶珠) is a Chinese play. It dates to the Song Dynasty and is still performed in adapted forms in the Beijing Opera. The play is known by other titles: Two sections ( 折 zhe) of the main ...

'' routine, Ruan Xiaoqi moved to the region of

Lake Tai Taihu (), also known as Lake Tai or Lake Taihu, is a lake in the Yangtze Delta and one of the largest freshwater lakes in China. The lake is in Jiangsu province and a significant part of its southern shore forms its border with Zhejiang. With ...

upon retirement from his military career, adopting the name Xiao En to avoid detection by his former enemies. Xiao En and his daughter became involved in a conflict against a local mafia boss; the father-daughter duo killed the mafia boss and went once again into pseudonymous exile.

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruan, Xiaoqi 36 Heavenly Spirits Fictional fishers