Zhu Wu
Encyclopedia
Zhu Wu is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 37th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 1st of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Resourceful Strategist".
's garments and carries a fan made of crane feathers. Zhu Wu is well versed in military strategy and deployment of battle formations. He earns himself the nickname "Resourceful Strategist".
Zhu Wu is a native of Dingyuan
, Chuzhou
, Anhui
. He leads an army of outlaws on Mount Shaohua with Chen Da and Yang Chun
. Even the local government is afraid of them. Once, the outlaws are short on food supplies and decide to attack the nearby Huayin
County for resources. They have to pass by Shi Jin
's village along the way. Zhu Wu has reservations about the attack as Shi Jin has a reputation for being a powerful fighter and he may stand in their way. Chen Da ignores Zhu Wu's warning and leads his men to attack Shi Jin's village. Chen Da is defeated and captured by Shi Jin.
Zhu Wu and Yang Chun travel to Shi Jin's village and plead with him to release Chen Da. Shi Jin is moved by their strong sense of brotherhood and he releases Chen Da. The three outlaw leaders become friends with Shi Jin and they often visit and send gifts to each other. The hunter Li Ji discovers Shi Jin's relationship with the outlaws and he reports to the magistrate for a reward. The magistrate sends soldiers to surround the village and arrest the four men. Shi Jin burns down his village and joins the three outlaws in fighting their way back to Mount Shaohua.
goes to invite Shi Jin, Zhu Wu, Chen Da and Yang Chun to join the outlaw band at Liangshan Marsh
. He learns that Shi Jin has been captured by Prefect He and attempts to rescue Shi but fails and he is captured as well. Zhu Wu notifies the Liangshan outlaws who come to the rescue. After the victory, Zhu Wu, Chen Da and Yang Chun follow the outlaws back to Liangshan.
Zhu Wu becomes one of the military strategists of Liangshan after the Grand Assembly. He and Gongsun Sheng
are put in charge of managing and identifying battle formations. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. He usually accompanies Lu Junyi
as his advisor, whereas Wu Yong
accompanies Song Jiang
. He is one of the few lucky survivors after the Fang La
campaign, which took the lives of many heroes. He does not follow the survivors back to the capital city. Instead, he decides to follow Gongsun Sheng and Fan Rui to study Taoism for the rest of his life.
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 37th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 1st of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Resourceful Strategist".
Background
The Water Margin describes Zhu Wu as a handsome man with blazing eyes and a long beard. He dons a TaoistTaoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
's garments and carries a fan made of crane feathers. Zhu Wu is well versed in military strategy and deployment of battle formations. He earns himself the nickname "Resourceful Strategist".
Zhu Wu is a native of Dingyuan
Dingyuan County
Dingyuan County is a county of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Chuzhou city....
, Chuzhou
Chuzhou
Chuzhou is a prefecture-level city in eastern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the southwest, Huainan to the west, Bengbu to the northwest, Chaohu to the south, and the province of Jiangsu to the east...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
. He leads an army of outlaws on Mount Shaohua with Chen Da and Yang Chun
Yang Chun
Yang Chun is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 73rd of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 37th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "White Flower Serpent".-Background:...
. Even the local government is afraid of them. Once, the outlaws are short on food supplies and decide to attack the nearby Huayin
Huayin
Huayin is a county-level city in Weinan, Shaanxi, China. Prior to 1990, Huayin had been regarded as a county. Huayin literally means to the north of Mount Hua, because it is situated to the north of that mountain....
County for resources. They have to pass by Shi Jin
Shi Jin
Shi Jin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 23rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Nine Tattooed Dragons".-Background:...
's village along the way. Zhu Wu has reservations about the attack as Shi Jin has a reputation for being a powerful fighter and he may stand in their way. Chen Da ignores Zhu Wu's warning and leads his men to attack Shi Jin's village. Chen Da is defeated and captured by Shi Jin.
Zhu Wu and Yang Chun travel to Shi Jin's village and plead with him to release Chen Da. Shi Jin is moved by their strong sense of brotherhood and he releases Chen Da. The three outlaw leaders become friends with Shi Jin and they often visit and send gifts to each other. The hunter Li Ji discovers Shi Jin's relationship with the outlaws and he reports to the magistrate for a reward. The magistrate sends soldiers to surround the village and arrest the four men. Shi Jin burns down his village and joins the three outlaws in fighting their way back to Mount Shaohua.
Joining Liangshan
Later, Lu ZhishenLu 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...
goes to invite Shi Jin, Zhu Wu, Chen Da and Yang Chun to join the outlaw band at 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...
. He learns that Shi Jin has been captured by Prefect He and attempts to rescue Shi but fails and he is captured as well. Zhu Wu notifies the Liangshan outlaws who come to the rescue. After the victory, Zhu Wu, Chen Da and Yang Chun follow the outlaws back to Liangshan.
Zhu Wu becomes one of the military strategists of Liangshan after the Grand Assembly. He and Gongsun Sheng
Gongsun Sheng
Gongsun Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 4th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Dragon in the Clouds".-Background:...
are put in charge of managing and identifying battle formations. 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 by the emperor. He usually accompanies Lu Junyi
Lu Junyi
Lu Junyi is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 2nd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Jade Unicorn"...
as his advisor, whereas Wu Yong
Wu Yong
Wu Yong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 3rd of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Resourceful Star".-Background:...
accompanies 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...
. He is one of the few lucky survivors after 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, which took the lives of many heroes. He does not follow the survivors back to the capital city. Instead, he decides to follow Gongsun Sheng and Fan Rui to study Taoism for the rest of his life.