Cao Zheng
Encyclopedia
Cao Zheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 81st of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 45th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Knife Wielding Demon".
. He has a reputation for being an excellent butcher and had learnt martial arts from Lin Chong
before. He travels to Shandong
to run a business but fails and ends up heavily in debt. He owes his landlord a large sum of money and cannot afford the expenses for his journey home. He runs a rented restaurant near Yellow Soil Ridge to earn some money to pay his debt.
. They are tricked and knocked out by Chao Gai
and his six friends at Yellow Soil Ridge, who rob them of the gifts. Yang Zhi deserts his men after the failed mission and wanders around in despair. He reaches Cao Zheng's restaurant and attempts to leave after having a meal without paying. Cao Zheng stops him and they fight. Although Cao Zheng uses a pole as a weapon against the bare-handed Yang Zhi, he still loses to his opponent. They are impressed with each other's skill and become friends after self-introduction.
Cao Zheng suggests to Yang Zhi to join the bandit gang on the nearby Mount Twin Dragons. They travel there and meet Lu Zhishen
along the way. Lu Zhishen tells them that Deng Long, the bandit leader, refused to let him join the gang and denied him entry to the stronghold. Cao Zheng devises a plan for the three of them to seize control of Deng Long's stronghold.
Lu Zhishen pretends to be drunk and allows Cao Zheng and Yang Zhi to tie him up and send him to Deng Long. Deng Long is pleased when he sees Lu Zhishen and wants to kill Lu. Just then, Lu Zhishen awakes and breaks free. The trio kill Deng Long and seize control over the stronghold, replacing Deng as the leaders of the gang. Cao Zheng follows the outlaws to Liangshan Marsh
for the Grand Assembly in chapter 71.
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. He is killed by a poisoned arrow in the battle of Xuanzhou
during the Fang La
campaign.
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
. He ranks 81st of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 45th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Knife Wielding Demon".
Background
Cao Zheng is from a family of butchers in KaifengKaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
. He has a reputation for being an excellent butcher and had learnt martial arts from Lin Chong
Lin Chong
Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
before. He travels to Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
to run a business but fails and ends up heavily in debt. He owes his landlord a large sum of money and cannot afford the expenses for his journey home. He runs a rented restaurant near Yellow Soil Ridge to earn some money to pay his debt.
Becoming an outlaw
Yang Zhi is appointed to lead a group of men to escort a convoy of birthday gifts for the Imperial Tutor Cai JingCai Jing
Cai Jing , style name Yuanchang , was a government official and calligrapher who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty. Cai Jing is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese...
. They are tricked and knocked out by Chao Gai
Chao Gai
Chao Gai is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is widely considered as the founding father of the Liangshan outlaws' cause to serve the nation and deliver justice on behalf of Heaven...
and his six friends at Yellow Soil Ridge, who rob them of the gifts. Yang Zhi deserts his men after the failed mission and wanders around in despair. He reaches Cao Zheng's restaurant and attempts to leave after having a meal without paying. Cao Zheng stops him and they fight. Although Cao Zheng uses a pole as a weapon against the bare-handed Yang Zhi, he still loses to his opponent. They are impressed with each other's skill and become friends after self-introduction.
Cao Zheng suggests to Yang Zhi to join the bandit gang on the nearby Mount Twin Dragons. They travel there and meet Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen
Lu Zhishen, nicknamed "Flowery Monk", or Sagacious Lu , is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he comes to epitomize loyalty, strength, justice but...
along the way. Lu Zhishen tells them that Deng Long, the bandit leader, refused to let him join the gang and denied him entry to the stronghold. Cao Zheng devises a plan for the three of them to seize control of Deng Long's stronghold.
Lu Zhishen pretends to be drunk and allows Cao Zheng and Yang Zhi to tie him up and send him to Deng Long. Deng Long is pleased when he sees Lu Zhishen and wants to kill Lu. Just then, Lu Zhishen awakes and breaks free. The trio kill Deng Long and seize control over the stronghold, replacing Deng as the leaders of the gang. Cao Zheng follows the outlaws to Liangshan Marsh
Mount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
for the Grand Assembly in chapter 71.
Campaigns and death
Cao Zheng becomes the chief butcher of Liangshan after the Grand Assembly. He is in charge of overseeing the slaughtering of cattle and poultry. He follows the Liangshan heroes on their campaigns against the LiaoLiao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. He is killed by a poisoned arrow in the battle of Xuanzhou
Xuanzhou District
Xuanzhou District is a district in Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, administered by Xuancheng City. It has a population of 840,000 and an area of .Xuanzhou District has jurisdiction over five subdistricts, sixteen towns and eighteen townships....
during the Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
campaign.