Sun Xin 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 ...

in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Little

Yuchi The Yuchi people, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American tribe based in Oklahoma. In the 16th century, Yuchi people lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee. In the late 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, G ...

", he ranks 100th 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 64th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Background

Tall and strong with shiny eyes, Sun Xin is the younger brother of Sun Li, garrison commandant of Dengzhou (登州; in present-day eastern Shandong). Sun Li is nicknamed "Sick Yuchi" as he resembles the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

general

Yuchi Gong Yuchi Gong (尉遲恭) or Yuchi Rong (尉遲融) (585 – 25 December 658), courtesy name Jingde (敬德), also known by his posthumous name Duke Zhongwu of E, was a prominent general who lived in the early Tang dynasty. Yuchi Jingde and another ...

in looks although they definitely differ in complexion as Sun's is pale, and also in that one of his favourite weapons is a steel club. That nickname spilled over to Sun Xin, who is called "Little Yuchi", The Sun brothers'

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

is in Qiongzhou (瓊州; present-day

Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...

). Sun Xin's wife is

Gu Dasao Gu Dasao (literally "Elder Sister-in-Law Gu") is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Female Tiger", she ranks 101st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 65th among the ...

, a cousin of the hunter brothers Xie Zhen and

Xie Bao Xie Bao is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Twin-tailed Scorpion", he ranks 35th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Back ...

. The couple run an inn in Dengzhou (登州; in present-day eastern Shandong), not far from the rural home of the Xies.

Prison raid in Dengzhou

Gu Dasao receives news from the jailer

Yue He Yue He is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Iron Whistle", he ranks 77th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 41st among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background The novel ...

of Dengzhou prison, whose sister is married to Sun Li, that Xie Zhen and Xie Bao have been jailed and might be murdered. The Xies have smashed up the house of one Squire Mao after failing to find a tiger they shot that had fallen into the old man's garden. In fact, the squire had sent the tiger to the prefecture office to claim reward. Gu consults with Sun Xin, who enlists the help of the outlaws

Zou Yuan Zou Yuan is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Forest Emerging Dragon", he ranks 90th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 54th among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Backgrou ...

and

Zou Run Zou Run is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Single Horned Dragon", he ranks 91st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 55th among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background ...

. Gu is worried that her brother-in-law Sun Li would stand in their way. So she pretends to be ill and gets Sun Li to visit her. When Sun appears, the couple threaten him to decide either to join them or fight them. Sun reluctantly signs on to their plan. With the help of Yue He, the group break into the prison and free the Xie brothers. They then flee to join the outlaws of

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 ...

Battle against the Zhu Family Village

Before going up to the stronghold, Sun Li volunteers to infiltrate the Zhu Family Manor, which Liangshan has failed to take in two offensives. As Sun Li has learnt combat from the same teacher as Luan Tingyu, the martial arts instructor of the village, he wins the confidence of the Zhus. Sun Xin, together with his wife, Zou Yuan, Zou Run, the Xie brothers and Yue He, goes on a rampage inside the manor, taking it by surprise, when Sun Li gives his signal. The fall of the Zhu Family Manor is a huge contribution of the group before their acceptance into Liangshan.

Campaigns and later life

Sun Xin and his wife are put in charge of an inn which acts as a lookout of Liangshan after

came together in what is called the Grand Assembly. The couple participate 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. Sun Xin and Gu Dasao survive the campaigns. Although conferred the title Martial Gentleman of Grace (), he does not want to serve the government and returns to Dengzhou with his wife and his brother, where he lives as a commoner.

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sun, Xin (Water Margin) 72 Earthly Fiends Fictional characters from Hainan