Li Gun 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 ...

'', 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 ...

of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Sky Soaring Great Sage", he ranks 65th among the

108 Stars of Destiny The 108 Heroes are the main characters of the Ming dynasty classic Chinese novel the ''Water Margin'', which was written in the 14th century and usually attributed to Shi Nai'an. The heroes are divided into the 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly ...

and 29th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Background

Li Gun fights with a sword and a shield whose front is carved with a beast head. He also carries 24 short

javelins A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with the ...

which he could throw with accuracy. Because he is a versatile warrior, Li Gun is nicknamed "Sky Soaring Great Sage" after the omnipotent Monkey King in Chinese folk lore. He and Xiang Chong are sidekicks of

Fan Rui Fan Rui is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Demon King of Chaos", he ranks 61st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 25th among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background F ...

, who leads a 3,000-strong outlaw band at Mount Mangdang (芒碭山; north of present-day

Yongcheng Yongcheng () is county-level city in Henan province, China, and is the easternmost county-level division of the province, bordering Anhui province on all sides except the northwest and due north. Yongcheng has significant coal deposits and some ins ...

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

Joining Liangshan

The three chiefs of Mount Mangdang have been boasting about wiping out the Liangshan stronghold. Their brag angers Liangshan, which sends

Shi Jin Shi Jin is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Nine-Tattoo Dragon", he ranks 23rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Backg ...

to subdue them. But Shi could not hold up against the assault of Xiang Chong and Li Gun, who bear down on his men with speed and ferocity, causing heavy casualties.

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 ...

arrives with reinforcement. The following day, when both sides face off again,

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 ...

arrays the Liangshan troops in the pattern of the Eight Trigrams Formation. Fan Rui, who knows sorcery, assists Xiang Chong and Li Gun in their attack by unsettling the other side with blasting winds and flying pebbles. But Gongsun engulfs Xiang and Li in darkness, trapping them in the formation and driving them into a pit. Meanwhile, Song Jiang's force swarms forward, beating Fan back to his base.

treats the two captives with respect and convinces them to join Liangshan. The two return to Mount Mangdang and successfully help to recruit Fan Rui.

Campaigns and death

Li Gun is appointed as one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the

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 repetit ...

territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan. In the attack on Muzhou (睦州; in present-day

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...

) 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 ...

, Xiang Chong and Li Gun encounter the enemy general

Zheng Biao The following is a list of characters in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. 108 Stars of Destiny The 108 Stars of Destiny are at the core of the plot of ''Water Margin''. Based on the Taoist concept ...

. After Zheng slayed Xiang, Li Gun pursues him, determined to avenge his comrade. However, he accidentally falls into a stream and is fatally shot by Zheng's archers.

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Gun 72 Earthly Fiends Fictional characters from Jiangsu