Fang La - in Fiction

In Fiction

The classical novel Water Margin presents a semi-fictional account of Fang La and his battle with the Liangshan outlaws. The outlaws are granted amnesty by Emperor Huizong of Song after defeating the imperial army five times. The emperor sends the Liangshan heroes on military campaigns to suppress rebel forces within the empire and defeat the Liao Dynasty in the north. Fang La is one of the rebel leaders based in the Jiangnan region.

Whilst the Liangshan forces suffered hardly any casualties in the campaigns against the Liao Dynasty, Tian Hu and Wang Qing, the campaign against Fang La proved to be calamitous. 59 of the original 108 heroes were killed in action, mostly by Fang's warriors, whose combat skills and abilities rival the best of Liangshan. Unlike the other rebels who do not have good leadership and experience, Fang La has rebelled for a long time and rivals the power of the Liangshan heroes.

Fang La is eventually captured by the Liangshan heroes after an elaborate infiltration scheme involving Chai Jin and Yan Qing. During his escape attempt, he is defeated by Lu Zhishen and escorted back to the capital by imperial troops under the command of Tong Guan. Four months later, Fang La is found guilty of treason and executed by slow slicing in Kaifeng.