Zhu Tong
Encyclopedia
Zhu Tong is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 12th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Lord of the Beautiful Beard".
, Shandong
. He stands at eight chi
and four or five cun, and sports a beard a chi and five cun long. His sparkling eyes and his beard make him resemble Guan Yu
in appearance, thus earning him the nickname "Lord of the Beautiful Beard". Zhu Tong is known to be gallant and chivalrous, thus he is often held in high regard by the magistrate. Besides, he comes from a rich family but he is generous and always willing to use his wealth to help the less privileged. In his spare time, Zhu Tong befriends other men of virtue and practises martial arts.
Zhu Tong and his colleague Lei Heng
maintain a close friendship with Chao Gai
. After Chao Gai and his six companions have been revealed to be the ones responsible for robbing a convoy of birthday gifts meant for the Imperial Tutor Cai Jing
, the authorities send Zhu Tong and Lei Heng to arrest them. However, Zhu Tong and Lei Heng respect Chao Gai, and are thus unwilling to arrest him and hand him over to the authorities. They work out a plan to help Chao Gai and his friends escape. Shortly after, Song Jiang
kills Yan Poxi after she discovered his connections with the outlaws. The magistrate sends Zhu Tong to arrest Song Jiang but once again Zhu Tong and Lei Heng release Song and help him escape. Since then, Zhu Tong's civil career has undertaken a slight deviation as he is inclined to side with the outlaws instead of performing his duties as a law enforcer.
for negligence of his duty. In Cangzhou, the prefect treats Zhu Tong well and entrusts his young son to Zhu's care. The outlaws come to Zhu Tong and persuade him to join the Liangshan cause. However, Zhu Tong firmly rejects the offer. Li Kui kills the prefect's son and forces Zhu Tong to join Liangshan, in accordance to a plan devised by Liangshan's strategists to make Zhu become part of Liangshan. Zhu Tong has no choice but to join Liangshan since he will be killed by the prefect if he returns to Cangzhou.
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. He makes great contributions and is one of the few lucky survivors from Liangshan after the campaigns. He is offered an official post in recognition of his contributions and he accepts it. He joins Liu Guangshi in the subsequent war against the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty and is promoted to a higher military rank for his achievements.
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 12th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Lord of the Beautiful Beard".
Background
Zhu Tong is a constable from Yuncheng CountyYuncheng County
Yuncheng County is a county in southwest of Shandong province, China. It borders Liangshan County and Jiaxiang County to the east, Juancheng to the west and Juye and Heze to the south.-Notes and references:...
, 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...
. He stands at eight chi
Chi (unit)
The chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately equal to one foot. Its length is derived from the length of human forearm and has first appeared during the Shang Dynasty approximately 3000 years ago. Since then it has spread to and adopted by other East Asian cultures, such as...
and four or five cun, and sports a beard a chi and five cun long. His sparkling eyes and his beard make him resemble 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...
in appearance, thus earning him the nickname "Lord of the Beautiful Beard". Zhu Tong is known to be gallant and chivalrous, thus he is often held in high regard by the magistrate. Besides, he comes from a rich family but he is generous and always willing to use his wealth to help the less privileged. In his spare time, Zhu Tong befriends other men of virtue and practises martial arts.
Zhu Tong and his colleague Lei Heng
Lei Heng
Lei Heng is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 25th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Winged Tiger".-Background:...
maintain a close friendship with 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...
. After Chao Gai and his six companions have been revealed to be the ones responsible for robbing a convoy of birthday gifts meant for the Imperial Tutor Cai Jing
Cai 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...
, the authorities send Zhu Tong and Lei Heng to arrest them. However, Zhu Tong and Lei Heng respect Chao Gai, and are thus unwilling to arrest him and hand him over to the authorities. They work out a plan to help Chao Gai and his friends escape. Shortly after, 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...
kills Yan Poxi after she discovered his connections with the outlaws. The magistrate sends Zhu Tong to arrest Song Jiang but once again Zhu Tong and Lei Heng release Song and help him escape. Since then, Zhu Tong's civil career has undertaken a slight deviation as he is inclined to side with the outlaws instead of performing his duties as a law enforcer.
Becoming an outlaw
In another incident, Lei Heng kills a singer called Bai Xiuying in anger after Bai behaved rudely towards his mother. Lei Heng is arrested and sentenced to exile in Jizhou. Zhu Tong is tasked with escorting Lei Heng there but along the way, he releases Lei and helps him escape on account of their friendship. Zhu Tong returns to the county office and sentenced to exile in CangzhouCangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
for negligence of his duty. In Cangzhou, the prefect treats Zhu Tong well and entrusts his young son to Zhu's care. The outlaws come to Zhu Tong and persuade him to join the Liangshan cause. However, Zhu Tong firmly rejects the offer. Li Kui kills the prefect's son and forces Zhu Tong to join Liangshan, in accordance to a plan devised by Liangshan's strategists to make Zhu become part of Liangshan. Zhu Tong has no choice but to join Liangshan since he will be killed by the prefect if he returns to Cangzhou.
Campaigns and later life
Zhu Tong becomes one of the Eight Tiger Cubs Vanguard Generals of the Liangshan cavalry. 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 makes great contributions and is one of the few lucky survivors from Liangshan after the campaigns. He is offered an official post in recognition of his contributions and he accepts it. He joins Liu Guangshi in the subsequent war against the Jurchen-ruled Jin Dynasty and is promoted to a higher military rank for his achievements.