List of Water Margin Minor Characters - Lu Zhishen's Story

Lu Zhishen's Story

• Jin Cuilian (traditional Chinese: 金翠蓮; simplified Chinese: 金翠莲; pinyin: Jīn Cuìlián) is 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 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 and her father have to try to accumulate money by street-performing in order to pay the "debt". Once, Jin cries over her plight and draws the attention of Lu Zhishen (then Major Lu Da). After listening to her plight, Lu is furious and he goes to confront Zheng and ends up killing the latter in a fit of anger. Jin and her father flee from town after that incident and are eventually taken in by the kindly Squire Zhao.

• Butcher Zheng (traditional Chinese: 鄭屠夫; simplified Chinese: 郑屠夫; pinyin: Zhèng Túfū) is 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" (traditional Chinese: 鎮關西; simplified Chinese: 镇关西; pinyin: Zhèn Guānxī). He attempts to force Jin Cuilian to marry him but fails. He forces Jin 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 goes to confront Zheng and ends up killing the latter with merely three punches to the head.

• Squire Zhao (traditional Chinese: 趙員外; simplified Chinese: 赵员外; pinyin: Zhào Yuánwài) is a wealthy squire who marries Jin Cuilian through matchmaking shortly after Jin and her father escape from Weizhou. Jin'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 jianghu figures 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 (traditional Chinese: 智真長老; simplified Chinese: 智真长老; pinyin: Zhìzhēn Zhánglǎo) is the abbot of Wenshu Monastery on Mount Wutai. He is a close friend of Squire Zhao.

• Squire Liu (traditional Chinese: 劉太公; simplified Chinese: 刘太公; pinyin: Líu Tàigōng) is the master of Peach Blossom Manor. His daughter attracts the attention of the bandit chief Zhou Tong from the nearby Mount Peach Blossom. Zhou forces Liu's daughter to marry him. Lu Zhishen is staying with the Lius then and he decides to help them. He beats up Zhou in the dark and the latter escapes back to his stronghold. Li Zhong comes to Zhou'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 (Chinese: 崔道成; pinyin: Cuī Dàochéng) and Qiu Xiaoyi (Chinese: 邱小乙; pinyin: Qīu Xiǎoyì) are two bandits who disguise themselves as religious men (a Buddhist monk and a Taoist priest respectively). They are nicknamed "Living Iron Buddha" (traditional Chinese: 生鐵佛; simplified Chinese: 生铁佛; pinyin: Shēngtiě Fó) and "Sky Flying Yaksha" (traditional Chinese: 飛天夜叉; simplified Chinese: 飞天夜叉; pinyin: Fēitiān Yèchā) 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 and Qiu, and Lu is unaware of their wicked intentions initially and almost deceived by them. Lu loses to the thugs the first time he fights with them because he is weakened by hunger. He escapes and encounters Shi Jin in a nearby forest. Shi gives him food and helps him defeat and slay the two bandits.

• Elder Zhiqing (traditional Chinese: 智清長老; simplified Chinese: 智清长老; pinyin: Zhìqīng Zhánglǎo) is the abbot of Daxiangguo Temple in Dongjing. He is Elder Zhizhen's junior.

• Zhang San (traditional Chinese: 張三; simplified Chinese: 张三; pinyin: Zhāng Sān) and Li Si (Chinese: 李四; pinyin: Lǐ Sì) are nicknamed "Street Crossing Rat" (traditional Chinese: 過街老鼠; simplified Chinese: 过街老鼠; pinyin: Guòjiē Láoshǔ) and "Green Grass Snake" (Chinese: 青草蛇; pinyin: Qīngcǎo Shé) 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 become his followers.

• Deng Long (traditional Chinese: 鄧龍; simplified Chinese: 邓龙; pinyin: Dèng Lóng) is the chief of a bandit gang on Mount Twin Dragons. He is killed by Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi and Cao Zheng, who seize control of his stronghold.