Xue Yong

Xue Yong
Water Margin character
First appearance Chapter 36
Nickname "Sick Tiger"
病大蟲
Rank 84th, Tranquil Star (地幽星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends
Infantry leader of Liangshan
Origin Medicine peddler
Ancestral home / Place of origin Luoyang, Henan
Names
Simplified Chinese 薛永
Traditional Chinese 薛永
Pinyin Xuē Yǒng
Wade–Giles Hsüeh Yung

Xue Yong is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Sick Tiger",[lower-alpha 1] he ranks 84th of the 108 Stars of Destiny and 48th of the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Background

Xue Yong is from Luoyang, Henan. A highly skilled martial artist, he specialises in staff and spear movements. He makes a living as a medicine pedlar by performing martial arts and physical feats on the streets to promote the drugs he sells. He is nicknamed "Sick Tiger".

Meeting Song Jiang

Xue Yong arrives in Jieyang Town (揭陽鎮), near the Xunyang River while roaming around. He unknowingly offends the Mu brothers (Mu Hong and Mu Chun), the most influential men in town, by failing to give them face. In retaliation, Mu Chun forbids the townsfolk from buying Xue Yong's medicine or paying him for his performance. At the time, Song Jiang, who is passing by Jieyang Town on his way to exile in Jiangzhou (江州; present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi), chances upon Xue Yong and pays him five silver taels for his performance. Mu Chun turns furious when he sees that Song Jiang is also not giving him face, and wants to beat him up. However, Xue Yong comes to Song Jiang's aid and defeats Mu Chun in a fight.

Song Jiang thanks Xue Yong for saving him and befriends him. After making arrangements to meet Song Jiang later and join him on his journey to Jiangzhou, Xue Yong returns to the inn and prepares to check out. Just as Xue Yong is about to leave, the Mu brothers and their goons show up and overpower and capture him. After tying up Xue Yong and giving him a good beating, the Mu brothers move off in pursuit of Song Jiang, who has fled from Jieyang Town upon overhearing that the Mu brothers want to take revenge against him.

In desperation, Song Jiang boards Zhang Heng's boat without knowing that Zhang Heng is actually a pirate who robs unsuspecting travellers. When the boat reaches the middle of the river, Zhang Heng wants to kill Song Jiang and rob him, but his friend Li Jun shows up in time and stops him. Li Jun then introduces Song Jiang to Zhang Heng and the Mu brothers, who are so shocked to learn of his true identity. They have heard of his reputation as a generous and chivalrous hero, and have been wanting to meet him. They apologise to Song Jiang, treat him like an honoured guest, release Xue Yong and make peace with him. All of them later see Song Jiang off on his journey to Jiangzhou.

Joining Liangshan

Song Jiang runs into trouble in Jiangzhou later and gets sentenced to death for sedition. However, the outlaws from Liangshan Marsh show up in Jiangzhou, storm the execution ground and save Song Jiang. After escaping from Jiangzhou, they head towards the riverbank, where Li Jun, the Mu brothers, Xue Yong and others are waiting for them in boats. They ferry the outlaws back to Liangshan Marsh. Xue Yong then joins the outlaw band at Liangshan.

After returning to Liangshan, Song Jiang wants to take revenge on Huang Wenbing, the petty official who framed him for sedition in Jiangzhou. Xue Yong recommends his apprentice Hou Jian, who works as a tailor in Huang Wenbing's house, to help them take revenge against Huang Wenbing. With Hou Jian's help, the outlaws break into Huang Wenbing's home, kill him and his family, and then return to Liangshan together.

Campaigns and death

Xue Yong becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry after the Grand Assembly of the 108 Stars of Destiny. 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, Xue Yong is assigned to attack Yuling Pass (昱嶺關; near present-day Zhupu Village, She County, Anhui), which is guarded by Fang La's general Pang Wanchun. He is killed by Pang Wanchun's archers during the battle along with four other Liangshan heroes.

Notes

  1. ↑ Note that 大蟲, which literally means "big bug", is used as a euphemism or literary term in place of 虎, the proper Chinese term for tiger. See the Wiktionary entry for 大蟲.

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. 169. 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.
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