Suo Chao 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 "Impatient Vanguard", he ranks 19th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of 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 F ...

Background

The novel depicts Suo Chao as seven ''chi'' tall and striking in appearance with a round face, big ears, squarish mouth and a beard which nearly obscures his face. He is a senior military officer under the prefect Governor Liang Shijie of Daming Prefecture (present-day

Daming County Daming County is a county under the jurisdiction of Handan City in far southern Hebei Province, China. It was formerly one of the capitals of the Northern Song. History left, 150px, Song China It was formerly known as Beijing under the Norther ...

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

). As he is impatient in battles, often charging ahead of his men, he is nicknamed "Impatient Vanguard". His combat weapon is a large glazed

battle axe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-ha ...

Contest with Yang Zhi

Yang Zhi, exiled to Daming prefecture as a mitigated sentence for killing a street nuisance in the imperial capital Dopngjing, catches the attention of Liang Shijie. Liang knows he is a good warrior and wants to tap his service. He arranges for Yang to joust with Zhou Jin, one of his better officers, confident that Yang would prove himself deserving of a post in front of all his military men. As expected, Yang beats Zhou Jin easily. Feeling humiliated by the outright defeat of his martial arts student, Suo Chao steps forward and challenges Yang Zhi to a duel. Liang approves the fight. Neither Suo nor Yang could beat the other in the horseback contest. Impressed by their dazzling fight, Liang promotes them to the same rank. Suo and Yang become good friends.

Becoming an outlaw

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 ...

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 ...

leads a military attack on Daming to rescue

Lu Junyi Lu Junyi is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels, four great classical novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Jade Qilin", he ranks second among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 S ...

and

Shi Xiu Shi Xiu is a fictional character in ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother", he ranks 33rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny. ...

, who are imprisoned by Liang Shijie. Suo Chao comes out to battle with Liangshan's

Qin Ming Qin may refer to: Dynasties and states * Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China * Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC * Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...

on horseback.

Han Tao Han Tao is a fictional character in '' Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "General of Hundred Victories", he ranks 42nd among the 108 Stars of Destiny and sixth among the 72 Earthly Fiends. ...

fires an arrow, injuring Suo in his left arm and forcing him to retreat into the city. The Liangshan force returns to the marsh for some time as Song Jiang has fallen critically ill. Upon recovery, Song returns with his troops for a second attack. It is winter and has been snowing hard. Song comes out of his camp, pretending to survey the enemy's fortification work. Seeing that Song is thinly protected, Suo Chao charges out of the city and chases after him. The pursuit leads him to a pit covered with snow. Suo falls into it and is captured. Song Jiang treats him with his respect, convincing him to join Liangshan.

Campaigns and death

Suo Chao is appointed as one of the Eight Tiger Cub Vanguard Generals of the Liangshan cavalry 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 repetitio ...

territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan. In the battle of Hangzhou 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 ...

, Suo Chao attacks the city‘s north gate, where he runs into the enemy general Shi Bao. Feigning defeat, Shi lures Suo to chase him. Then he suddenly turns back and kills Suo Chao, who is caught off guard. After Fang's rebellion is snuffed out, Suo Chao is awarded the

posthumous title A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...

"Martial Gentleman of Loyalty" ().

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Suo, Chao 36 Heavenly Spirits Fictional characters from Hebei