List of Water Margin minor characters

The following is a list of minor characters from the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.

Liangshan heroes

Chao Gai's story

• He Tao (何淘) - the chief constable tasked with arresting the seven men who robbed the convoy of birthday gifts. He leads soldiers to attack Liangshan while pursuing Chao Gai and his companions. His army is defeated in the marsh by the seven men and he is captured. He has one of his ears sliced off and is sent back to the authorities.

• He Qing (何清) - He Tao's idle younger brother. He knows the truth behind the robbery of the birthday gifts by chance and reports it to his older brother.

• Huang An (黃安) - the naval commander who leads soldiers to attack Liangshan after He Tao's failure. He is defeated in battle and captured by Liu Tang while attempting to escape. He is brought back to Liangshan and kept as a prisoner there but died shortly afterwards due to illness.

Song Jiang's story

• Yan Poxi (閻婆惜) - Song Jiang's concubine. Her mother persuades an initially reluctant Song Jiang to marry the 18-year-old Yan Poxi after he covers the costs of the funeral arrangements for Yan Poxi's deceased father. Yan Poxi gradually comes to detest Song Jiang and begins an affair with his assistant, Zhang Wenyuan. One night, she discovers Chao Gai's letter to Song Jiang and threatens to report Song to the magistrate for being in league with outlaws if Song does not agree to three conditions. First, she wants Song Jiang to allow her to marry Zhang Wenyuan. Second, she is to retain all the clothing, ornaments, and furnishings Song has given her. Third, Song Jiang must give her the gold bars from Chao Gai. Song Jiang agrees, but he does not have with him all the gold promised in the letter; he only took one gold bar and asked Liu Tang to return the rest to Chao Gai. Yan Poxi is unwilling to give him time to raise an equivalent amount of money and threatens to accuse him in court. Song Jiang then bursts into a rage and stabs Yan Poxi to death. He then burns the letter and flees to evade arrest.

• Zhang Wenyuan (張文遠) - Song Jiang's assistant at the magistrate's office. He has an affair with Song's concubine Yan Poxi. He also repeatedly urges the magistrate to arrest Song Jiang after the latter flees from Yuncheng County.

• Shi Wenbin (時文彬) - the magistrate of Yuncheng County

• Liu Gao (劉高) - the official in charge of Qingfeng Fort. His wife is captured by the outlaws on Mount Qingfeng and almost raped by Wang Ying. Song Jiang saves her by persuading Wang Ying to give up on her and the outlaws to release her as he wants to make a good impression on the second-in-command of Qingfeng Fort, Hua Rong, who had invited him to stay. Later, Liu Gao's wife repays kindness with evil and accuses Song Jiang of being the outlaw who kidnapped her. Liu Gao believes his wife and has Song Jiang arrested and imprisoned. Liu Gao is killed along with his family after the outlaws break into the fort to rescue Song.

• Murong Yanda (幕容彥達) - the governor of Qingzhou (covering present-day Shandong). He orders the execution of Qin Ming's family after believing that Qin has joined the outlaws. Huyan Zhuo comes to Qingzhou to join him after his defeat and helps him in attacking some minor outlaw bands in Qingzhou. The Liangshan heroes capture Huyan Zhuo and persuades him to join them. Huyan Zhuo tricks Murong Yanda into opening the city gates and the outlaws break in. Murong Yanda is killed by Qin Ming after his capture.

• Cai Jiu (蔡九) - the governor of Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi) and son of the Imperial Tutor, Cai Jing. An unintelligent, greedy and corrupt official, he sentences Song Jiang and Dai Zong to death after believing Huang Wenbing's accusations that Song is planning to start a rebellion.

• Huang Wenbing (黃文炳) - a low-ranking official from Jiangzhou. Huang Wenbing is scheming by nature and desires to make his name through unscrupulous means. His chance comes when he discovers Song Jiang's poem and reports it to Cai Jiu. He detects that the letter supposedly sent back from Cai Jing was a fraud, because there is an error with the seal stamped on it. The letter was actually written by Xiao Rang as part of a scheme by Wu Yong, who originally intended to order Cai Jiu to send Song Jiang to Dongjing (present-day Kaifeng) and intercept the convoy on the way. Song Jiang and Dai Zong are arrested and sentenced to death but the outlaws storm the execution ground and rescue them. Huang Wenbing's family is killed by the outlaws later and his house set on fire. Huang Wenbing himself is later captured by Zhang Shun later and killed by Li Kui.

Lu Junyi's story

• Li Gu (李固) - Lu Junyi's housekeeper and financial manager. Li Gu has an ongoing affair with Lu Junyi's wife, but does not conspire against Lu until after Wu Yong informs him that Lu has rebelled. Li Gu also uses as evidence a poem (see Lu Junyi#Wu Yong's poem) written by Wu Yong on a wall in Lu Junyi's house, causing Lu to be arrested and imprisoned when he finally returns home. Li Gu, however, takes a further step and attempts to have Lu Junyi murdered in prison, but his plans are thwarted by Chai Jin, who bribes and threatens the executioners involved in Lu's case (Cai Qing and Cai Fu). After Lu Junyi is eventually rescued from prison by the outlaws, he returns home and kills the adulterous pair in revenge.

• Madam Jia (賈氏) - Lu Junyi's wife. She betrays her husband and has an affair with Li Gu. She is killed along with Li Gu by her husband after he is rescued by the outlaws.

Lin Chong's story

• Lin Chong's wife - She attracts the attention of Gao Yanei while praying in the temple. Gao Yanei attempts to molest her but refrains from doing so when Lin Chong shows up. Gao Yanei is unwilling to give up and collaborates with his foster father Gao Qiu and servant Lu Qian to frame Lin Chong. Lin Chong is sentenced to exile and he divorces his wife before leaving to allow her to have a chance to marry again. Lin Chong's wife remains faithful to her husband and she hangs herself after Gao Qiu repeatedly pressures her to marry his foster son.

• Jin'er (錦兒) - a maid serving Lin Chong's family

• Instructor Zhang (張教頭) - Lin Chong's father-in-law. He is also a martial arts instructor of the Imperial Guards.

• Yanei^[1] Gao (高衙內) or Gao Yanei - Gao Qiu's lecherous foster son, who is nicknamed "Tai Sui of Flowers" (花花太歲). He lusts for Lin Chong's wife to such an extent that he enlists the help of Lu Qian and Fu'an to lure Lin Chong's wife into a trap. In the plan, Lu Qian pretends to invite Lin Chong out for drinks, while Fu'an goes to Lin's house and tells Lin's wife that her husband has fallen unconscious after drinking. Lin Chong's wife follows Fu'an to find her husband but is tricked into entering Lu Qian's house, where Yanei Gao is waiting. Yanei Gao attempts to force himself on Lin Chong's wife but she puts up resistance. In the meantime, Lin Chong's maid Jin'er escapes to inform her master, and Lin Chong rushes to Lu Qian's house to save his wife, while Gao Yanei escapes after his failed plan. Yanei Gao falls ill due to his obsession with Lin Chong's wife, so Fu'an and Lu Qian conceive a plan to eliminate Lin Chong first so that Yanei can seize Lin's wife. In the scheme, Lin Chong is lured to Gao Qiu's residence after being told that the marshal wanted to see a new saber he had purchased (the saber was purposely sold to Lin Chong on Gao Qiu's instruction). However, Lin Chong is tricked into entering the White Tiger Hall instead, a place where high ranking military officials hold important meetings, and weapons are not permitted there. Lin Chong is arrested and placed on trial for "attempted assassination of a government official in the White Tiger Hall". Gao Qiu tries to pressure the magistrate of Kaifeng to put Lin Chong to death but the magistrate sentences Lin to exile in Cangzhou instead.

• Lu Qian (陸謙) - an old friend of Lin Chong. When Lin Chong first met him, he was still roaming the streets of Kaifeng, so Lin took pity on him and helped him find a job. Lu Qian becomes a yuhou (虞侯)^[2] under grand marshal Gao Qiu. He repays Lin Chong's kindness with evil by collaborating with Gao Qiu and Gao Yanei to frame Lin Chong and cause Lin to be sentenced to exile in Cangzhou. Lu Qian is sent by Gao Qiu to Cangzhou and bribe the officials there to kill Lin Chong. The plan fails and Lu Qian is slain by Lin Chong after setting fire to the fodder depot.

• Fu'an (富安) - nicknamed "Bird Head" (乾鳥頭). He is one of Gao Yanei's close associates. He travels to Cangzhou with Lu Qian to kill Lin Chong at the fodder depot. They fail in their plan and are killed by Lin.

• Magistrate Teng (滕府尹) - the magistrate of Kaifeng

• Sun Ding (孫定) - a court clerk (孔目) involved in Lin Chong's case and advisor to Magistrate Teng. He is a righteous man and is nicknamed "Buddha Sun" (孫佛兒) for his kindness and willingness to help people. He reminds the magistrate that he should not give in to pressure from Gao Qiu to put Lin Chong to death and helps to mitigate Lin's sentence.

• Dong Chao (董超) and Xue Ba (薛霸) - the guards escorting Lin Chong to Cangzhou. They have been bribed by Gao Qiu to finish off Lin along the way. They mistreat and abuse Lin Chong along the way, including scalding Lin's feet with boiling water at one point, and attempt to kill him in Wild Boar Woods. Lu Zhishen appears and stops them and forces them to take care of Lin Chong all the way to Cangzhou. Later, Dong Chao and Xue Ba are chosen to escort Lu Junyi to Shamen Island. They have also been bribed by Li Gu to kill Lu Junyi along the way and they treat Lu in the same way as they did to Lin Chong years ago. They are killed by Yan Qing when they are about to murder Lu Junyi.

• Instructor Hong (洪教頭) - a martial arts instructor living in Chai Jin's residence. He is arrogant and behaves rudely towards Lin Chong, whom he sees as an inferior convict. He challenges Lin Chong to a fight and leaves in shame after being defeated by Lin.

• Wang Lun (王倫) - the first chief of Liangshan. He is described as selfish and unwilling to accept others who are better than him, for fear that they might take over his position as chief. However, he does invite Yang Zhi to join his band as soon as the two are introduced. Wang Lun initially tries to send away Lin Chong, but eventually backs down and allows Lin to stay at Liangshan. However, after Chao Gai's group is asked to leave, Lin Chong, who has been instigated by Wu Yong, reacts angrily and stabs Wang Lun through the heart with his sword.

Chai Jin's story

• Gao Lian (高廉) - a cousin of Gao Qiu. He is the governor of Gaotangzhou (present-day Gaotang County, Shandong) and a corrupt official. His relative Yin Tianxi bullies Chai Jin's uncle and tried to take over their residence but is killed by Li Kui. Gao Lian is furious and he holds Chai Jin responsible and imprisons him. The Liangshan heroes attack Gaotangzhou to rescue Chai Jin but are held off by Gao Lian's black magic. They defeat Gao Lian eventually when Gongsun Sheng arrives and breaks his sorcery. He is slain by Lei Heng after falling off his getaway cloud during his attempt to flee.

• Yin Tianxi (殷天錫) - a relative of Gao Lian. He bullies the people by abusing the privileges from his relations with Gao Lian. Once, he tries to take over Chai Jin's residence and severely beats up Chai's elderly uncle, who eventually died from his injuries. Chai Jin confronts him but Yin Tianxi shows disrespect and is killed by Li Kui in anger.

• Generals serving under Gao Lian
  • Yu Zhi (于直) - slain by Lin Chong
  • Wen Wenbao (溫文寶) - slain by Qin Ming
  • Xue Yuanhui (薛元輝) - slain by Hua Rong

Lu Zhishen's story

• Jin Cuilian (金翠蓮) - a young woman who is bullied by Butcher Zheng. Zheng is attracted by her beauty and wants to make her his concubine. After she enters Zheng's household, Zheng's wife dislikes her and drives her away. Zheng is known to be afraid of his fierce wife so he has no choice but to agree. He forces Jin Cuilian and her father to compensate him for his "losses" but Jin and her father are too poor to afford that sum of money. Zheng does not allow them to leave so Jin Cuilian and her father have to try accumulating money by street-performing in order to repay the "debt". Once, Jin Cuilian cries over her plight and draws the attention of Lu Zhishen (then Major Lu Da). After listening to her plight, Lu Da is furious and he kills Zheng in anger. Jin Cuilian and her father flee from town. She is taken in by the kindly Squire Zhao, who treats her and her father well.

• Butcher Zheng (鄭屠夫) - a butcher from Weizhou (southwest of present-day Yongshun County, Hunan) who abuses his wealth by bullying the poor. He nicknames himself "Suppressor of the West" (鎮關西). He attempts to force Jin Cuilian to marry him but fails. He forces Jin Cuilian and her father to compensate him for his "losses". When Lu Zhishen (then Major Lu Da) hears about it, he is furious and wants to deliver justice for them. Lu Da kills Zheng with three punches and flees to Mount Wutai and becomes a monk to avoid arrest.

• Squire Zhao (趙員外) - a wealthy squire who marries Jin Cuilian through matchmaking shortly after Jin and her father escape from Weizhou. Jin Cuilian's father meets Lu Da, who is on the run from the law after killing Butcher Zheng, and brings him to his son-in-law's house. Zhao enjoys befriending pugilists and he does not hesitate in accepting Lu Da. Zhao recommends Lu Da to the monastery on Mount Wutai to become a monk through his friendship with the abbot.

• Elder Zhizhen (智真長老) - the abbot of Wenshu Monastery on Mount Wutai. He is a close friend of Squire Zhao.

• Squire Liu (劉太公) - the master of Peach Blossom Manor. His daughter attracts the attention of the bandit leader Zhou Tong from the nearby Mount Peach Blossom. Zhou Tong forces her to marry him. Lu Zhishen is staying with the Lius then and he decides to help them. Lu Zhishen beats up Zhou Tong in the dark and Zhou escapes back to his stronghold. Li Zhong comes to Zhou Tong's aid but he stops when he recognises Lu Zhishen. Li Zhong persuades Zhou Tong to give up marrying Squire Liu's daughter.

• Cui Daocheng (崔道成) and Qiu Xiaoyi (邱小乙) - two bandits who disguise themselves as religious men (a Buddhist monk and a Taoist priest respectively). They are nicknamed "Living Iron Buddha" (生鐵佛) and "Sky Flying Yaksha" (飛天夜叉) respectively. They raze a temple to the ground and drive away most of its occupants, except for a few elderly monks. Lu Zhishen passes by the temple on his journey to Dongjing (present-day Kaifeng) and asks the monks there for food. The monks warn him about Cui Daocheng and Qiu Xiaoyi, and Lu Zhishen is unaware of their wicked intentions initially and almost deceived by them. Lu Zhishen loses to the thugs the first time he fights with them because he is weakened by hunger. Lu Zhishen escapes and encounters Shi Jin in a nearby forest. Shi Jin gives him food and follows him back to the temple to fight Cui Daocheng and Qiu Xiaoyi. Cui Daocheng is slain by Lu Zhishen while Qiu Xiaoyi is killed by Shi Jin.

• Elder Zhiqing (智清長老) - the abbot of Daxiangguo Temple in Dongjing. He is Elder Zhizhen's junior.

• Zhang San (張三) and Li Si (李四) - nicknamed "Street Crossing Rat" (過街老鼠) and "Green Grass Snake" (青草蛇) respectively. They lead a group of 20-30 street hooligans in Dongjing. The gang depends on stealing vegetables from the garden in Daxiangguo Temple for a living. When Lu Zhishen first moved in as the new caretaker of the garden, the hooligans attempt to bully him into allowing them to take the vegetables freely, but Lu overpowers them and throws them into a pit of faeces. The hooligans are awed by Lu Zhishen's strength and decide to submit to him and become his followers in pursuit of a better life.

• Deng Long (鄧龍) - the leader of the bandits on Mount Twin Dragons. He is killed by Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi and Cao Zheng, who seize control of his stronghold.

Wu Song's story

• Wu Dalang (武大郎) - Wu Song's older brother who is nicknamed "Three-inch Nail" (三寸釘) for his short stature and ugly appearance. He is murdered by Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing.

• Pan Jinlian (潘金蓮) - Wu Dalang's wife. Once, she accidentally causes a window holder to fall off from the second floor and hit Ximen Qing, who is walking past downstairs. Ximen Qing looks up and is stunned and entranced by Pan Jinlian's beauty. With help from Granny Wang, a witty and ruthless neighbor, the pair gets together in a series of secret meetings. When Wu Dalang catches the pair in bed, Ximen Qing kicks him in the chest and causes him to be bedridden. Out of fear that Wu Dalang might tell his brother about their affair, the adulterous pair, assisted with Granny Wang, murder Wu Dalang by poisoning his medicine. Pan Jinlian even hastens Wu Dalang's death by smothering him with a blanket while he is struggling under the effect of poison. Pan Jinlian is killed by Wu Song later after he forces a confession out of her.

• Ximen Qing (西門慶) - a rich and influential merchant from Yanggu County. He has an affair with Pan Jinlian and they murder Wu Dalang together with Granny Wang's help. Wu Song confronts him at Lion Tower later and kills him after a vicious fight.

• Granny Wang (王婆) - Wu Dalang's neighbour, who runs a teahouse just opposite Wu's house. She aids Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing in their affair and plays a role in Wu Dalang's murder. Wu Song brings her to the county office after obtaining the confessions of the murder. She is convicted of abetting adultery and murder and is sentenced to execution by slow slicing.

• He Jiu (何九) - the coroner who inspects Wu Dalang's corpse. He knows that Wu Dalang was poisoned to death but he had been bribed by Ximen Qing so he remains silent. Haunted by his conscience, he keeps a blackened bone (suggesting that Wu Dalang was poisoned) from the cremated body as evidence. When approached by Wu Song later, he agrees to testify in court as a witness.

• Yunge (鄆哥) - a young street urchin who befriends Wu Dalang and makes a living by selling pears. He witnesses the adulterous affair of Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing and tells Wu Dalang. He helps Wu Song by testifying as a witness to the affair.

• Inspector Zhang (張督監) - a high ranking official in Mengzhou. He collaborates with Jiang Zhong and Instructor Zhang to frame Wu Song for theft and has Wu sentenced to exile. He bribes the guards escorting Wu Song to kill him along the way but Wu kills them instead. Wu Song returns to take his revenge and kills Inspector Zhang at his residence along with his family.

• Instructor Zhang (張團練) - a close friend of Jiang Zhong. He collaborates with Jiang Zhong and Inspector Zhang to frame Wu Song for theft. They bribe the guards escorting Wu Song into exile to kill him along the way, but Wu Song survives and returns to take his revenge and kill the trio.

• Jiang Zhong (蔣忠) - a bully nicknamed "Jiang the Door God" (蔣門神) for his big stature and fighting skills. He beats up Shi En and seizes Shi's restaurant "Forest of Delight" for himself. Shi En enlists the help of Wu Song and Wu defeats Jiang Zhong in a fight. Wu Song demands that Jiang Zhong return the restaurant to Shi En and warns him never to return to Mengzhou. Jiang Zhong plots his revenge with Inspector Zhang and Instructor Zhang to frame Wu Song for theft. Wu Song survives the journey into exile and returns to take his revenge. Jiang Zhong is killed by Wu Song along with the Zhangs.

Yang Zhi's story

• Niu Er (牛二) - a bully who demands to test the valuable saber that Yang was trying to sell. His demands become unreasonable, especially after he orders Yang Zhi to kill a man to prove that the blade will not be stained with blood. Yang Zhi refuses and Niu Er tries to take away Yang's weapon by force. Yang Zhi kills him by accident during the scuffle.

• Liang Shijie (梁世傑) - Cai Jing's son-in-law, who is also the Grand Secretary and governor of Daming Prefecture (in present-day Handan). He is impressed with Yang Zhi's abilities and puts him in charge of escorting a convoy of birthday gifts, worth a large sum of money, to his father-in-law. However, the gifts are robbed by Chao Gai and his friends. Since then, Liang Shijie bears a grudge against the outlaws and he vents his anger on Lu Junyi later when Lu is arrested for being in league with Liangshan.

• Generals of Daming Prefecture serving under Grand Secretary Liang
  • Li Cheng (李成)
  • Wen Da (聞達)

Li Kui's story

• Li Gui (李鬼) - a man who pretends to be Li Kui and robs passersby in the woods in Li's name. He encounters the real Li Kui and cooks up a story to trick Li Kui into sparing his life. Li Kui eventually discovers the truth and kills him but his wife escaped.

• Li Gui's wife - she plots with her husband to capture Li Kui and send him to the authorities for a reward. Li Kui overhears their conversation and kills her husband. She escapes and arrives at Squire Cao's residence where she plots with Cao again to capture Li Kui. She is killed by Li Kui after she is knocked out.

• Squire Cao (曹太公) - a wealthy squire who collaborates with the authorities to arrest Li Kui after knowing his true identity from Li Gui's wife. He tricks Li Kui into drinking as a reward for slaying the tigers that killed Li's mother, and the latter gets drunk. When Li Kui is unconscious, he is bound and escorted to the county office by Li Yun, but Zhu Gui and Zhu Fu saves him by knocking out the group using drugged wine. Squire Cao is killed by Li Kui when he is knocked out.

• Taoist Luo (羅真人) - the teacher of Gongsun Sheng. Dai Zong and Li Kui go to find Gongsun Sheng to help them in countering Gao Lian's black magic. Taoist Luo refuses to allow Gongsun Sheng to leave with them and is apparently killed by Li Kui in anger. The next day, Luo appears to be still alive and he allows Gongsun Sheng to leave with them.

Shi Jin's story

• Wang Jin (王進) - a martial arts instructor of the 800,000 strong Imperial Guards. His father taught Gao Qiu a painful lesson when the latter was still a street ruffian. When Gao Qiu becomes an official later, he seeks revenge on Wang Jin. Wang Jin knows that Gao Qiu will not let him off so he flees together with his mother and comes to Shi Jin's home. He instructs Shi Jin in martial arts.

• Wang Sheng (王昇) - Wang Jin's father, who is also a martial arts instructor.

• Squire Shi (史太公) - Shi Jin's father. He dies of illness not too long after Wang Jin left.

• Wang Si (王四) - a servant of Shi Jin's family. He has a glib tongue and knows how to tackle all kinds of situations, hence he is nicknamed "As good as Bodang" (賽伯當). Shi Jin often sends him to pass messages to the bandit leaders on Mount Shaohua. Once, he becomes drunk on his way home from the bandits' stronghold and falls asleep under a tree. The hunter Li Ji passes by, discovers a letter from the bandits addressed to Shi Jin, and brings it to the government, accusing Shi Jin of being in league with outlaws. After he recovers he realises that the letter is missing but does not sound the alarm. When the government sends soldiers to arrest Shi Jin, he confesses to his master about losing the letter. Shi Jin brings him to the backyard and kills him.

• Li Ji (李吉) - a hunter who reports Shi Jin to the government for being in league with the bandits on Mount Shaohua. Shi Jin sets fire to his home and fights his way out. Li Ji is killed by Shi Jin during the chaos.

• Prefect He (賀太守) - a corrupt official who seizes the daughter of a craftsman for himself. Shi Jin breaks into his residence to assassinate him and rescue the girl but fails and is captured. Lu Zhishen also attempts to break in to rescue Shi Jin but he fails as well and is captured too. The outlaws impersonate Marshal Su Yuanjing and lure Prefect He out of the city and kill him.

• Wang Yi (王義) - a craftsman. His daughter catches the eye of Prefect He, who seizes her for himself. Shi Jin hears about it and wants to help him rescue his daughter but fails and is captured.

• Li Ruilan (李瑞蘭) - a prostitute from Dongping Prefecture who is an acquaintance of Shi Jin. Shi Jin volunteers to sneak into the city and work as a spy for Liangshan when they are attacking the city. He hides in the brothel where Li Ruilan stays but the madam discovers him and reports him to the magistrate.

Lei Heng's story

• Bai Xiuying (白秀英) - a singer who insulted Lei Heng when he watched her performance without paying. Lei Heng hits her father in anger and is arrested and put in chains. When Lei Heng's mother goes to visit him, Bai Xiuying insults her and slaps her. Lei Heng cannot tolerate Bai Xiuying's attitude towards his mother and kills her in anger by slamming his shackles on her.

• Bai Yuqiao (白玉喬) - Bai Xiuying's father. Lei Heng goes to watch their performance but forgets to bring any money with him. Both of them pester Lei Heng to pay up and insult him. Lei Heng beats up Bai Yuqiao in anger but is arrested later since Bai has connections with the corrupt officials.

Li Jun's story

• Pugilists from Lake Tai - they become sworn brothers with Li Jun and follow him to Siam, where he becomes king.
  • Fei Bao (費保) - nicknamed "Red Whiskers Dragon" (赤鬚龍)
  • Ni Yun (倪雲) - nicknamed "Curly Haired Tiger" (捲毛虎)
  • Bo Qing (卜青) - nicknamed "Lake Tai Dragon" (太湖蛟)
  • Di Cheng (狄成) - nicknamed "Narrow-faced Bear" (瘦臉熊)

Zhang Shun's story

• Zhang Wang (張旺) - a pirate who robs Zhang Shun and binds him before throwing him into the river while the latter is on a journey to find An Daoquan. On the return journey, Zhang Shun encounters him and does the same to him for revenge.

• Li Qiaonu (李巧奴) - a prostitute and An Daoquan's lover. When Zhang Shun goes to find An Daoquan to cure Song Jiang's illness, Li Qiaonu refuses to allow An Daoquan to leave together with Zhang Shun. Zhang Shun attempts to force An Daoquan to leave so he kills Li Qiaonu and writes "An Daoquan is the killer" on the wall near the crime scene to frame An. An Daoquan has no choice but to leave with Zhang Shun and become an outlaw.

Yang Xiong's story

• Pan Qiaoyun (潘巧雲) - Yang Xiong's wife. She has an affair with Pei Ruhai and accuses Shi Xiu of molesting her after he discovers their affair. Shi Xiu kills Pei Ruhai and brings Pan Qiaoyun to Mount Cuiping. On the mountain, Yang Xiong interrogates her and forces a confession out of her before killing her.

• Pei Ruhai (裴如海) - a monk who has an adulterous affair with Pan Qiaoyun. He is killed by Shi Xiu.

• Ying'er (迎兒) - Pan Qiaoyun's servant. She is killed by Yang Xiong along with her mistress.

Xie brothers' story

• Squire Mao (毛太公) - a rich squire. The Xie brothers are sent to hunt down and kill a ferocious tiger. The tiger is wounded and rolls down the hill and lands in Mao's backyard. The Xies go to Mao's residence to claim the tiger but Mao has already sent his men with the dead tiger to the county office to collect his reward. Squire Mao frames the Xies for attempting to rob him and has them imprisoned. After a jailbreak, the Xie brothers return to take their revenge and kill Squire Mao and his family.

Zhu Family Village

• Zhu Chaofeng (祝朝奉) - the headman of the village. He has connections with the local government and abuses his authority and wealth by oppressing the people. He provokes Liangshan through insulting messages, proclaiming that he will destroy Liangshan and capture its leaders. His actions harden the outlaws' decision to attack his village. After the village falls, he tries to escape but runs into Shi Xiu, who beheads him on sight.

• Zhu Long (祝龍) - Zhu Chaofeng's oldest son. He is killed by Lin Chong during his escape attempt.

• Zhu Hu (祝虎) - Zhu Chaofeng's second son. He is killed by Lü Fang and Guo Sheng, who skewer him with their spears and drag him together with his steed to the ground.

• Zhu Biao (祝彪) - Zhu Chaofeng's youngest son. He is originally engaged to Hu Sanniang of the neighbouring Hu Family Village. After the Zhu Family Village falls, he flees to the Hu Family Village, hoping that he will be accepted. However, Hu Cheng binds him and sends him to Liangshan in exchange for his sister. Zhu Biao is killed by Li Kui while being escorted to the Liangshan camp.

• Luan Tingyu (栾廷玉) - a martial arts instructor in the village and advisor to Zhu Chaofeng. He is a fellow student of Sun Li. Sun Li uses their relationship to infiltrate the village and work as a spy for Liangshan. Luan Tingyu's eventual fate is not mentioned in the novel as he disappears after the village fell, but he is purportedly killed in battle.

• Zhongli Old Man (鐘離老人) - an old man who instructs Shi Xiu on how to exit the labyrinthine village. Shi Xiu rescues him later when the village falls to the outlaws.

Zeng Family Fortress

• Zeng Nong (曾弄) - the headman of the fortress. He is originally at odds with Liangshan but regrets after losing two of his sons. He tries to reconcile and come to a truce with Liangshan but fails. He commits suicide by hanging himself after the village falls.

• Zeng Tu (曾涂) - Zeng Nong's oldest son. He fights with Lü Fang and Guo Sheng and tries to kill them when their spears become entangled. Hua Rong wounds him with an arrow and Lü Fang and Guo Sheng seize the opportunity to spear him together after he is down.

• Zeng Mi (曾密) - Zeng Nong's second son. He is killed by Zhu Tong when the outlaws overrun the fortress.

• Zeng Suo (曾索) - Zeng Nong's third son. He is killed in an ambush while attempting to launch a sneak attack on the Liangshan camp.

• Zeng Kui (曾魁) - Zeng Nong's fourth son. He is killed by Lu Zhishen and Wu Song when the fortress is overrun by the outlaws.

• Zeng Sheng (曾升) - Zeng Nong's youngest son. He is sent as a hostage to the Liangshan camp during the negotiations for a truce between Liangshan and the fortress. He is killed by the outlaws after the fortress falls.

• Shi Wengong (史文恭) - a martial arts instructor in the fortress and advisor to Zeng Nong. He is responsible for killing Liangshan's chief Chao Gai with a poisoned arrow and becomes a sworn enemy of Liangshan. "Whoever captures Shi Wengong will be the leader of Liangshan" were the dying words of Chao Gai. He is very skilled in battle, capable of battling multiple opponents at once. However after the village has been taken by the outlaws, he is captured by Lu Junyi during his escape attempt and executed as a sacrifice to Chao Gai. Some non-Water Margin sources claim that he is also a student of the archer Zhou Tong, just like Liangshan's Lu Junyi, Lin Chong and Wu Song.

Emperors

• Emperor Renzong (宋仁宗) - the fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty

• Emperor Yingzong (宋英宗) - Renzong's successor

• Emperor Shenzong (宋神宗) - Yingzong's son and successor

• Emperor Zhezong (宋哲宗) - Shenzong's son and successor

• Emperor Huizong (宋徽宗) - Shenzong's son and Zhezong's younger brother. Before his ascension to the throne after the death of Zhezong, he was known as Prince Duan (端王). He had a keen interest in qiqiu (氣毬; a sport similar to modern football), and got to know Gao Qiu through their shared hobby.

Nobles and imperial court officials

Before Emperor Huizong's time

• Ye Zhong (葉中) - served as banbu (班部) in Emperor Renzong's time

• Zhao Zhe (趙哲) - served as chancellor (宰相) in Emperor Renzong's time

• Wen Yanbo (文彥博) - served as canzheng (參政) in Emperor Renzong's time

• Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹) - served as vice chancellor (參知政事) in Emperor Renzong's time

• Hong Xin (洪信) - a marshal (太尉) sent by Emperor Renzong to seek Celestial Master Zhang to help them in combating a plague. After completing his mission and before returning to the capital, he visits the temple near where the Master resides and unsuspecting releases 108 demons trapped in a secret chamber for centuries. The demons spread out throughout the land after their release and are incarnated as the 108 Liangshan heroes in Emperor Huizong's time. As if Hong Xin's actions are predestined, a stone tablet that stands on the location where the demons are imprisoned has the words "Opens when Hong arrives" (遇洪而開) carved on it.

During Emperor Huizong's time

• "Little Su the Scholar" (小蘇學士) - an imperial academic who recommends Gao Qiu (before he rose to power) to Wang Shen. His true identity is not specified and has been a topic for debate. Some people believe him to be Su Shi (Su Dongpo) or a member of Su Shi's family.

• Wang Shen (王詵) - a prince consort who is the husband of a younger sister of Emperor Zhezong. He is referred to as Wang Jinqing (王晉卿) in the novel. Before Gao Qiu rose to power, he was briefly a servant in Wang Jinqing's residence. Once, Wang Jinqing tasked him with sending gifts to Prince Duan and Gao Qiu interrupted the prince's qiqiu game by coincidence. Prince Duan is impressed with Gao Qiu's skill and asks Wang Jinqing to allow Gao to serve him, and Wang agrees.

• Su Yuanjing (宿元景) - a grand marshal. He is known to be an honest and incorrupt official. The heroes want to convey their grievances of being forced to become outlaws due to corruption in the government, as well as express their desire to serve the nation after being granted amnesty. Su Yuanjing succeeds in helping the heroes persuade the emperor into granting them amnesty.

• Chen Zongshan (陳宗善) - a grand marshal sent by Emperor Huizong to grant amnesty to the Liangshan outlaws. However his mission turns out to be a failure because majority of the outlaws are reluctant to accept amnesty, and Li Kui tears up the imperial decree.

• Liu Menglong (劉夢龍) - an imperial general specializing in naval warfare. He is appointed by Gao Qiu to lead the imperial navy to attack Liangshan Marsh. His complacency results in him falling into an ambush in the marsh, where his entire fleet is destroyed and he is captured by the outlaws. He is sent back to Gao Qiu after his defeat and promptly executed on Gao's orders for his failure.

Others

• Celestial Master Zhang (張天師) - a descendant of the Zhang Daoling lineage. He is also known as Celestial Master Xujing (虛靖天師). Emperor Shenzong sends marshal Hong Xin in search of him to help in combating a plague. Hong Xin reaches Mount Dragon Tiger (龍虎山) in Xinzhou (信州), Jiangxi, where the Master resides. The priests at the temple tell Hong Xin that he must travel up the mountain alone to find the Master, as a test of courage and faith. Hong Xin meets a cowherd boy, who tells him that the Master already knows about the plague and is on his way to the capital. Upon returning to the temple, the priests tell Hong Xin that the boy he met is actually the Master.

• State Tutor Dongxuan (洞玄國師) - a Taoist magician who lived during the Tang Dynasty. He was the one who subdued the 108 demons and imprisoned them in a secret chamber in the temple on Mount Dragon Tiger. Centuries later the demons are released accidentally by Marshal Hong Xin and later incarnated as the 108 Liangshan heroes.

• Liu Shiquan (柳世權) - a man who runs a gambling house. He likes to accept idlers and provide for their living. He lets Gao Qiu stay with him when the latter was still wandering the streets. He later sends Gao Qiu to his relative Dong Jiangshi.

• Dong Jiangshi (董將士) - a relative of Liu Shiquan who runs a pharmacy near the Jinliang Bridge in Kaifeng. He accepts Gao Qiu and lets the latter stay with him for a while, but does not really like him. He is afraid that Gao Qiu might have a negative influence on his children so he sends Gao away to "Little Su the Scholar"'s residence.

• Hu Cheng (扈成) - Hu Sanniang's older brother. He pleads with the Liangshan heroes to release his sister after she is captured by them. Song Jiang agrees on the condition that Hu Cheng brings one of the three Zhu brothers in exchange for her. When Zhu Biao flees to Hu Cheng's village after his defeat, Hu Cheng has him bound and escorted to the Liangshan camp. Along the way, they meet Li Kui, who decapitates Zhu Biao after recognizing him.

• Li Shishi (李師師) - a prostitute in the capital. The emperor is one of her regular clients. She helps the Liangshan heroes in obtaining amnesty from the emperor.

References

• (Chinese) Li, Mengxia. 108 Heroes from the Water Margin. EPB Publishers Pte Ltd, 1992. ISBN 9971-0-0252-3.