Sun Li (Water Margin)

Sun Li is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Sick Yuchi", he ranks 39th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 3rd among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Background

The novel describes Sun Li as eight chi tall and having a broad face with whiskers, and a pair of jet black eyes. A highly skilled warrior, he is proficient in using a range of weapons in combat. His preferred weapons are a pair of steel clubs similar to those wielded by Huyan Zhuo. Due to his physical appearance and impatient personality, he is often likened to the Tang dynasty general Yuchi Gong. However, because of his lighter complexion, he is nicknamed "Sick Yuchi" since people who look pale are often believed to be ill.

Sun Li has a younger brother, Sun Xin, who is nicknamed "Little Yuchi". Although the Sun brothers' ancestral home is in Qiongzhou (瓊州; present-day Hainan), they have been living in Dengzhou (登州; in present-day eastern Shandong) for some time because Sun Li works there as a garrison officer. Sun Xin and his wife, Gu Dasao, run a tavern in Dengzhou.

Prison raid in Dengzhou

On one occasion, Gu Dasao receives news from the jailer Yue He (Sun Li's brother-in-law) that her cousins Xie Zhen and Xie Bao, who work as hunters in the rural region of Dengzhou, have been framed, imprisoned and sentenced to death. With her husband's help, she recruits Yue He and the outlaws Zou Yuan and Zou Run to join them in staging a raid on the prison to save the Xie brothers. However, she is worried that her brother-in-law Sun Li will stand in their way so she and her husband lure Sun Li to a meeting and pressure him into joining them. Although Sun Li is initially reluctant to become an outlaw, he eventually agrees when he feels convinced that they are doing the right thing in saving the Xie brothers.

Yue He secretly helps the group by opening the prison gates and distracting the other prison guards during the raid. After saving the Xie brothers, the whole group flee to Liangshan Marsh and join the outlaw band there.

Battle against the Zhu Family Village

At the time, the Liangshan outlaws are locked in a stalemate during a battle against the Zhu Family Village. As Sun Li previously learnt martial arts from the same master as Luan Tingyu, the martial arts instructor of the village, he suggests to his fellow outlaws that he can make use of his relationship with Luan Tingyu to infiltrate the village and work as a spy for Liangshan.

After the outlaws approve, Sun Li brings along the group who followed him to Liangshan (Sun Xin, Gu Dasao, Xie Zhen, Xie Bao, Yue He, Zou Yuan and Zou Run) and makes his way to the Zhu Family Village. He lies to Luan Tingyu and the Zhus that he has heard that they are facing problems with the Liangshan outlaws, and has brought along his family and friends to provide assistance.

Although the Zhus seem to welcome Sun Li and his group, they are not completely convinced that he genuinely wants to help them. However, after Sun Li defeats and captures Liangshan's Shi Xiu in a one-on-one duel, he manages to win the Zhus' trust and confidence. (Sun Li and Shi Xiu had, in fact, secretly agreed beforehand that Shi Xiu will feign defeat and allow Sun Li to capture him.) When the opportunity arises, Sun Li and his group create chaos inside the village and let the Liangshan outlaws enter and overrun the village. The battle between Liangshan and the Zhus conclude with a total victory for Liangshan.

Campaigns and later life

Sun Li becomes one of the scouting generals of the Liangshan cavalry after 108 Stars of Destiny come together in what is called the Grand Assembly. After the Liangshan heroes receive amnesty from Emperor Huizong, Sun Li follows them on their campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces on Song territory as a form of service to the Song Empire.

By the end of the final campaign against Fang La's rebel forces, Sun Li is one of the few Liangshan heroes who manage to survive and make their way back to Dongjing (東京; present-day Kaifeng, Henan) to report their victory to the Song imperial court. To honour Sun Li for his service to the Song Empire, Emperor Huizong reinstates him as a garrison officer in Dengzhou. Sun Li then returns to Dengzhou with his brother and sister-in-law to continue living their lives as before they became outlaws.

Other appearances

In Iron Arm, Golden Sabre, Sun Li is portrayed as a fellow student of Zhou Tong and Luan Tingyu. They learn martial arts from a Shaolin martial artist called Tan Zhengfan. Zhou Tong becomes a drill instructor of the Imperial Guards and he recommends Sun Li to be a garrison major in Dengzhou.^[1]

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. 79. 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.