Shi Xiu

Shi Xiu is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother", he ranks 33rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

Background

Shi Xiu's ancestral home is Jiankang Prefecture, which is present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu. He started out by travelling around with his uncle to do business. After his uncle died, he made huge losses and did not have enough money to make his journey home. He wanders around and ends up in Jizhou (薊州; present-day Ji County, Tianjin), where he earns a living by selling firewood. As a child, Shi Xiu has been well-trained in martial arts. He is brave and has a strong sense of righteousness. He always helps those who are oppressed or in need, often gallantly putting his life on the line. He is thus nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother".

Meeting Yang Xiong

One day, while selling firewood on the streets, Shi Xiu sees Yang Xiong being attacked by a group of hooligans and decides to intervene because he cannot stand seeing an unequal fight. He helps Yang Xiong fend off and drive away the hooligans. Yang Xiong feels so grateful to Shi Xiu, a stranger, for helping him and becomes sworn brothers with him.

Yang Xiong allows Shi Xiu to live with him and help him run a butcher side as a side business. When Shi Xiu later discovers that Yang Xiong's wife Pan Qiaoyun has a secret affair with the monk Pei Ruhai, he informs Yang Xiong about it. However, Pan Qiaoyun denies any wrongdoing and accuses Shi Xiu of fabricating a lie to cover up his attempt to molest her. Yang Xiong believes his wife, and breaks ties with Shi Xiu and throws him out of his house. Feeling wronged and indignant, Shi Xiu becomes even more determined to prove to Yang Xiong that he is telling the truth.

One night, Shi Xiu ambushes Pei Ruhai outside Yang Xiong's house and kills him. He then takes the monk's possessions and shows them to Yang Xiong. Feeling sceptical, Yang Xiong asks Pan Qiaoyun to meet him at Mount Cuiping (翠屏山; in present-day Jizhou, Hebei) under the pretext of visiting his ancestors' graves. At Mount Cuiping, he shows her Pei Ruhai's possessions and demands the truth from her. Seeing that her lover is dead, Pan Qiaoyun feels so heartbroken that she confesses her affair and admits that she made a false accusation against Shi Xiu. Yang Xiong then kills her in anger, and apologises to Shi Xiu and becomes sworn brothers with him again.

Becoming an outlaw

Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu decide to go to the outlaw stronghold at Liangshan Marsh for refuge. Shi Qian, who witnessed Yang Xiong killing Pan Qiaoyun, requests to join them. Along the way, they rest in an inn run by the Zhu Family Village. Shi Qian steals the inn's rooster and sparks off a conflict between them and the Zhus. After the Zhus capture Shi Qian in a trap, Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu flee from the village and encounter Du Xing, who leads them to his master Li Ying. Li Ying agrees to help them by writing an apology letter on their behalf and asking the Zhus to release Shi Qian. However, the Zhus not only refuse to release Shi Qian, but also hurl insults at Li Ying's messenger. When Li Ying goes to confront them, Zhu Biao fires an arrow and injures him. Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu then travel to Liangshan to seek help.

After some deliberation, the Liangshan outlaws decide to rescue Shi Qian and go to war with the Zhus, who have already been provoking Liangshan for some time. During the battle, Shi Xiu infiltrates the village and helps the Liangshan outlaws gather intelligence about the local terrain and layout of traps and obstacles. He also feigns defeat and allows Sun Li, Liangshan's spy in the village, to capture him in order to gain the Zhus' trust. When the Zhus lower their guard, the Liangshan outlaws launch an attack and succeed in defeating the Zhu forces and taking the village.

Attempt to save Lu Junyi

When Lu Junyi is arrested and sentenced to death in Daming Prefecture, his loyal servant Yan Qing encounters Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong and tells them what happened to their master. While Yan Qing and Yang Xiong rush to Liangshan to seek help, Shi Xiu goes to Daming Prefecture alone in an attempt to save Lu Junyi. Just as Lu Junyi is about to be beheaded, Shi Xiu leaps off the second floor of a nearby building and shouts "The Liangshan heroes are here!" Everyone at the scene starts panicking. During the chaos, Shi Xiu frees Lu Junyi and tries to escape with him but they are ultimately outnumbered and captured by the soldiers.

When Shi Xiu is brought before Grand Secretary Liang Shijie, the governor of Daming Prefecture, he berates the high-ranking official and calls him "a slave to a slave's slave". Feeling intimidated, Liang Shijie decides to keep Shi Xiu and Lu Junyi alive until the situation becomes clearer. The Liangshan outlaws eventually stage an assault on Daming Prefecture, defeat the government forces, and succeed in rescuing Shi Xiu and Lu Junyi.

Death

Shi Xiu becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the 108 Stars of Destiny come together in what is called the Grand Assembly. He follows the 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, Shi Xiu is killed in an ambush at Yuling Pass (昱嶺關; near present-day Zhupu Village, She County, Anhui) by Pang Wanchun's archers.

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. 67. 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, p. 70
• Zhang, Lin Ching (2009). Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House. ISBN 978-7506344784.