Yang Xiong
Encyclopedia
Yang Xiong is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 32nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Sick Guan Suo".
, the third son of Guan Yu
. However, he has a paler complexion and is thus nicknamed "Sick Guan Suo" as people then believe that those with pale complexions are ill. He is a native of Henan
and works as a prison warden and executioner in Jizhou (present-day Ji County, Tianjin
).
appears in the nick of time and he helps Yang Xiong drive away the hooligans. Yang Xiong feels that he has a special affinity with Shi Xiu and they become sworn brothers.
Yang Xiong brings Shi Xiu home and lets Shi work in his butcher stall. Shi Xiu discovers Yang Xiong's wife, Pan Qiaoyun, having affair with a monk called Pei Ruhai and he informs Yang about the incident. Pan Qiaoyun accuses Shi Xiu of molesting her when her husband asks her about the affair. Yang Xiong believes his wife instead and he drives Shi Xiu away in anger. Shi Xiu is unhappy and is determined to reveal the truth to his sworn brother.
Shi Xiu ambushes Pei Ruhai and kills him. He shows the monk's body to Yang Xiong. Yang Xiong brings his wife to Mount Cuiping and interrogates her. Pan Qiaoyun confesses her extramarital affair when she sees that her lover is dead. Yang Xiong kills her in anger along with her servant Ying'er.
for refuge after that. They meet Shi Qian
along the way and he joins them. They pass by the Zhu Family Village and run into some trouble there. Shi Qian steals the innkeeper's hen and falls into a trap and is captured. Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu manage to flee and they seek help from Li Ying. Li Ying writes an apology letter to the Zhus on behalf of the trio and requests that they release Shi Qian. The Zhus refuse and insult Li Ying instead. Li Ying is furious and he confronts the Zhus in battle. He is wounded and rescued by Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu. Yang Xiong and Shi XIu make their long journey to Liangshan to seek help. The outlaws on Liangshan succeed in capturing the Zhu Family Village under the leadership of Song Jiang
in three offensives. Shi Qian is rescued.
Yang Xiong becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the Grand Assembly. He follows the outlaws on their campaigns against the Liao
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. He makes great contributions to his nation during the campaigns and is lucky to survive the final Fang La
campaign, which took the lives of many Liangshan heroes. However, he dies from a tumor on his back while on the way back to the capital.
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 32nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Sick Guan Suo".
Background
The Water Margin describes Yang Xiong as a good looking man with flowery tattoos all over his body. He has thick eyebrows, eyes like those of a phoenix and a few strands of beard on his chin. He bears a resemblance to Guan SuoGuan Suo
Guan Suo is a fictional person of the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was said to be the third son of Guan Yu, and served as a military general in the state of Shu Han. In some stories, he had a wife called Bao Sanniang or even Hua Man....
, the third son of Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
. However, he has a paler complexion and is thus nicknamed "Sick Guan Suo" as people then believe that those with pale complexions are ill. He is a native of Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
and works as a prison warden and executioner in Jizhou (present-day Ji County, Tianjin
Ji County, Tianjin
Ji County is a county in the far north of Tianjin municipality, China of cultural and historical significance . The administration of the county was transferred from Hebei province to Tianjin in 1973...
).
Killing his adulterous wife
One day, Yang Xiong receives gifts from the locals after performing an execution on a criminal. On the way back, he runs into a group of hooligans seeking trouble and fights with them. Shi XiuShi Xiu
Shi Xiu is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 33rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother".-Background:...
appears in the nick of time and he helps Yang Xiong drive away the hooligans. Yang Xiong feels that he has a special affinity with Shi Xiu and they become sworn brothers.
Yang Xiong brings Shi Xiu home and lets Shi work in his butcher stall. Shi Xiu discovers Yang Xiong's wife, Pan Qiaoyun, having affair with a monk called Pei Ruhai and he informs Yang about the incident. Pan Qiaoyun accuses Shi Xiu of molesting her when her husband asks her about the affair. Yang Xiong believes his wife instead and he drives Shi Xiu away in anger. Shi Xiu is unhappy and is determined to reveal the truth to his sworn brother.
Shi Xiu ambushes Pei Ruhai and kills him. He shows the monk's body to Yang Xiong. Yang Xiong brings his wife to Mount Cuiping and interrogates her. Pan Qiaoyun confesses her extramarital affair when she sees that her lover is dead. Yang Xiong kills her in anger along with her servant Ying'er.
Becoming an outlaw
Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu decide to go to Liangshan MarshMount 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 refuge after that. They meet Shi Qian
Shi Qian
Shi Qian is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 107th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 71st of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Flea on a Drum".-Background:...
along the way and he joins them. They pass by the Zhu Family Village and run into some trouble there. Shi Qian steals the innkeeper's hen and falls into a trap and is captured. Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu manage to flee and they seek help from Li Ying. Li Ying writes an apology letter to the Zhus on behalf of the trio and requests that they release Shi Qian. The Zhus refuse and insult Li Ying instead. Li Ying is furious and he confronts the Zhus in battle. He is wounded and rescued by Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu. Yang Xiong and Shi XIu make their long journey to Liangshan to seek help. The outlaws on Liangshan succeed in capturing the Zhu Family Village under the leadership of 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...
in three offensives. Shi Qian is rescued.
Yang Xiong becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the Grand Assembly. He follows the outlaws 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 by the emperor. He makes great contributions to his nation during the campaigns and is lucky to survive the final 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, which took the lives of many Liangshan heroes. However, he dies from a tumor on his back while on the way back to the capital.
See also
- List of Water Margin minor characters#Yang Xiong's story for a list of supporting minor characters from Yang Xiong's story.