Deng Fei
| Deng Fei | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| First appearance | Chapter 44 |
| Nickname |
"Fiery Eyed Suan-ni" 火眼狻猊 |
| Rank | 49th, Whole Star (地闔星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends |
| Tiger Cub Scouting General of Liangshan | |
| Origin | Bandit leader |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Xiangyang, Hubei |
| Weapon | Iron chain with spikes |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 邓飞 |
| Traditional Chinese | 鄧飛 |
| Pinyin | Dèng Fēi |
| Wade–Giles | Teng Fei |
Deng Fei is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Fiery Eyed Suan-ni",[lower-alpha 1] he ranks 49th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 13th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.
Background
Originally from Xiangyang, Deng Feng is one of the three leaders of a bandit gang active in the areas around Yinma River (飲馬川; in present-day Ji County, Tianjin); his co-leaders are Pei Xuan and Meng Kang. He has a pair of fiery red eyes, which earn him the nickname "Fiery Eyed Suan-ni".[lower-alpha 1] His weapon of choice is a long iron chain with spikes.
Joining Liangshan
Deng Fei is a close friend of Yang Lin. On one occasion, when Yang Lin and Dai Zong pass by Yinma River, they meet Deng Fei, Pei Xuan and Meng Kang and befriend them. After accepting Dai Zong's invitation to join the outlaw band at Liangshan Marsh, the three bandit leaders and their followers disguise themselves as soldiers and make their way to Liangshan.
Campaigns and death
Deng Fei becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry after the Grand Assembly of the 108 Stars of Destiny. He follows the Liangshan heroes on their campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces on Song territory after they received amnesty from Emperor Huizong.
During the campaign against Fang La's rebel forces, Deng Fei joins Lu Junyi in attacking the enemy position at Dusong Pass (獨松關; located south of present-day Anji County, Zhejiang). Before the battle, Deng Fei, Ou Peng, Li Zhong and Zhou Tong lead a small team to scout the area around the pass. During their mission, the pass suddenly opens and enemy forces dash out and kill a distracted Zhou Tong. Deng Fei and the others barely escape with their lives. The Liangshan forces later defeat Fang La's forces and occupy Dusong Pass.
In the final stages of the campaign, Lu Junyi's army merges with Song Jiang's to launch a coordinated strike on Hangzhou. During the battle, Deng Fei, Suo Chao and others are assigned to lead the attack on the northern part of the city. After Suo Chao is slain by the enemy warrior Shi Bao, Deng Fei tries to avenge his fallen comrade but fails and ends up being sliced into two by Shi Bao.
Notes
- 1 2 The Suan-ni (狻猊) is a lion-like creature in Chinese mythology. It is one of the nine descendants of the Dragon.
References
- Buck, Pearl S. (2006). All Men are Brothers. Moyer Bell. ISBN 9781559213035.
- Ichisada, Miyazaki (1993). Suikoden: Kyoko no naka no Shijitsu (in Japanese). Chuo Koronsha. ISBN 978-4122020559.
- Keffer, David. "Outlaws of the Marsh: A Somewhat Less Than Critical Commentary". Poison Pie Publishing House. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- Li, Mengxia (1992). 108 Heroes from the Water Margin (in Chinese). EPB Publishers. p. 99. ISBN 9971-0-0252-3.
- Miyamoto, Yoko (2011). "Water Margin: Chinese Robin Hood and His Bandits". Demystifying Confucianism. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- Shibusawa, Kou (1989), Bandit Kings of Ancient China, Koei
- Zhang, Lin Ching (2009). Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House. ISBN 978-7506344784.