Lü Fang

Lü Fang is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Little Marquis of Wen", he ranks 54th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 18th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Lü Fang
Water Margin character
First appearanceChapter 35
Nickname"Little Marquis of Wen"
小溫侯
Rank54th, Aid Star (地佐星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends
Central Camp Defendant General of Liangshan
OriginBandit leader
Ancestral home / Place of originTanzhou (around present-day Changsha, Hunan)
Weapon"Sky Piercer" (方天畫戟)
Names
Simplified Chinese吕方
Traditional Chinese呂方
PinyinLǚ Fāng
Wade–GilesLü Fang

Background

A native of Tanzhou (around present-day Changsha, Hunan), Lü Fang usually wears a suit of red armour over a flowery robe girded by a silk belt and a knot-like headdress topped with a long feather. He rides a red horse and fights with a ji, just like Lü Bu of the Three Kingdoms era whose stallion is named Red Hare and long sabre is called the "Sky Piercer" (方天畫戟). Due to his many similarities to Lü Bu, Lü Fang is nicknamed "Little Marquis of Wen",[lower-alpha 1] the Marquis of Wen being the highest official title of Lü Bu.

A trader in medicine, Lü Fang suffers losses while doing business in Shandong and could not afford the journey home. He becomes a bandit chief at one of the two facing hills of Mount Duiying (對影山) or Mount Mirror Image. He builds up a reputation in the region after defeating many who come to duel with him. When Guo Sheng, who also fights with a ji, hears of Lü Fang, he comes to Mount Duiying to demand a fight to determine who is more worthy of the weapon. Neither can beat the other after jousting for days.

Joining Liangshan

Song Jiang, Hua Rong and the outlaws of Mount Qingfeng pass by Mount Duiying as they head to join Liangshan Marsh after causing rows at Qingzhou including battling with and defeating a government force. They come upon the duel between Guo Sheng and Lü Fang. By and by, the tassels of the two ji get tangled together. The two fighters struggle but could not free their weapons. Seeing that, Hua Rong fires an arrow that hits the tangled point and separates the weapons. Everyone present cheers. Guo Sheng and Lü Fang stop their fight and come to greet Hua and his group. Upon learning that the group is going to Liangshan, both ask to join in and are accepted.

Campaigns and death

After the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly, Lü Fang, together with Guo Sheng, is appointed as the guardian of the central camp, which in effect means he is a bodyguard of Song Jiang. Lü Fang participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces in Song territory following amnesty by Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.

In the battle of Black Dragon Ridge (烏龍嶺; northeast of present-day Meicheng Town, Jiande, Zhejiang) in the campaign against Fang La, Lü Fang encounters an enemy officer Bai Qin, one of Fang's better warriors. After an inconclusive fight, they discard their weapons and grapple with each other on horseback. Both fall off a cliff to their deaths.

Notes

  1. Lü Bu held the peerage "Marquis of Wen" (溫侯).

References

  • Buck, Pearl S. (2006). All Men are Brothers. Moyer Bell. ISBN 9781559213035.
  • Miyazaki, Ichisada (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. 109. 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. 91
  • Zhang, Lin Ching (2009). Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House. ISBN 978-7506344784.
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