Li Li is a fictional character in the Water Margin

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 96th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 60th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Life Taking Judge".

Background

The Water Margin describes Li Li as a man with a red beard and fiery round eyes like those of a tiger's. He is nicknamed "Life Taking Judge". Li Li runs a tavern and trades for a living in Jieyang

Jieyang

Jieyang is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It borders Shantou to the east, Chaozhou to the northeast, Meizhou to the north, Shanwei to the west, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south.-Administration:...

, Guangdong

Guangdong

Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...

. He is a younger brother of Li Jun, and a close friend of Zhang Heng

Zhang Heng (Water Margin)

Zhang Heng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 28th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Boatman".-Background:...

 and the Tong brothers (Tong Wei

Tong Wei

Tong Wei is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 68th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 32nd of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Cave Emerging Dragon".-Background:...

 and Tong Meng

Tong Meng

Tong Meng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 69th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 33rd of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "River Churning Clam".-Background:...

).

Song Jiang

Song Jiang

Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...

 passes by Li Li's tavern on his way to exile in Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi

Jiangxi

' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...

) and takes a break there. Li Li knocks Song Jiang out by adding drugs into his food and wine and he attempts to rob and kill Song. Li Jun appears in the nick of time and stops Li Li. Song Jiang regains consciousness and Li Jun introduces him to Li Li. Li Li is shocked to learn that the man he attempted to rob and kill is actually the famous philanthropist. Li Li apologises to Song Jiang and they become friends. Li Li tries to persuade Song Jiang to stay with them but Song declines and moves on to Jiangzhou.

Joining Liangshan

Song Jiang runs into some trouble later in Jiangzhou and he is almost executed. The outlaws from 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...

 storm the execution ground in time and rescue him. They fight their way out of Jiangzhou and arrive at White Dragon Temple on the riverbank. At the critical moment, Li Jun and his friends arrive on boats and they ferry the outlaws back to Liangshan safely. Li Li then joins the Liangshan band.

Campaigns and death

Li Li becomes one of the scout leaders of Liangshan after the Grand Assembly and stationed in the tavern north of Liangshan. He is tasked with making preparations to receive the imperial envoy from the emperor, who grants the outlaws amnesty. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao

Liao 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. 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, he is severely wounded in the battle of Qingxi County and dies from his wounds after the battle.