Wang Dingliu

Wang Dingliu is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Living Goddess of Lightning", he ranks 104th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 68th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Wang Dingliu
Water Margin character
First appearanceChapter 65
Nickname"Living Goddess of Lightning"
活閃婆
Rank104th, Inferior Star (地劣星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends
Scout leader of Liangshan
OriginTavern owner
Ancestral home / Place of originJiankang Prefecture (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu)
Names
Simplified Chinese王定六
Traditional Chinese王定六
PinyinWáng Dìngliù
Wade–GilesWang Ting-liu
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wang.

Background

The novel depicts Wang Dingliu as having a pointed head, sparkling eyes and skinny legs. Nicknamed "Living Goddess of Lightning",[lower-alpha 1] he could walk at a very fast pace as if he were walking in air.

A native of Jiankang Prefecture (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu), Wang Dingliu runs an inn on the bank of the Yangtze River with his father. Although he has learnt many types of martial arts, he is not skilled in any. However, he is a good swimmer.

Becoming an outlaw

Zhang Shun, on his way to Jiankang to fetch the physician An Daoquan to Liangshan to treat the severely ill Song Jiang, comes to the Yangtze and boards the boat of the pirate Zhang Wang. Midway across the river, Zhang Wang pounces on him when he is asleep, ties him up and throws him into the river. An expert swimmer, Zhang Shun frees himself underwater and gets to the opposite bank, where he finds the inn of Wang Dingliu. Wang's father provides him dry clothes and lodgings and introduces his son to him.

Zhang Shun finds An Daoquan, who agrees to go to Liangshan only after his persistent plea. That night An takes Zhang along in his visit to a prostitute called Li Qiaonu whom he is besotted with. Zhang is worried that the woman would delay their trip as An, obviously unwilling to part from her, gets into a stupour in their drinking bout. Then he discovers that Zhang Wang, apparently a frequent patron, also comes to Li. After the two disappeared into a room, Zhang Shun kills the mamasan and two servants of the brothel. Then he knocks on the door of Li's room and hacks her to death when she opens it. Zhang Wang, hearing the cry, gets away. Remembering what Wu Song did in Mengzhou, Zhang Shun writes with the blood of Li on the wall a false confession attributed to An that proclaims the physician is the killer. When An wakes up, he has no choice but to go with Zhang Shun immediately to Liangshan.

At Wang Dingliu's inn, Zhang Shun relates what has happened. Wang notices Zhang Wang is at the bank with his boat and asks him to ferry his two "relatives". When the boat is midstream, Zhang Shun, who has exchanged clothes with An Daoquan to deceive Zhang Wang, overcomes the boatman with the help of Wang Dingliu. They tie him up and dump him into the river. Zhang Shun asks Wang Dingliu to go with him to Liangshan and the young man gladly agrees. Wang brings along his father.

When Song Jiang leads a force toward Dongping Prefecture (東平府; present-day Dongping County, Shandong) to seize its food stock, Yu Baosi volunteers to go ahead first to persuade the prefect and Dong Ping, the city's military commander, to surrender of their own accord. Wang Dingliu goes along with him. However, Dong Ping suggests executing the two to strike fear among the outlaws. Not wanting to be Liangshan's mortal enemy, the prefect only has them beaten and thrown out. Liangshan captures Dongping and wins over Dong Ping.

Campaigns and death

Wang Dingliu is put in charge of an inn which acts as a lookout for Liangshan after the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly. He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces within the Song Empire following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.

In the battle of Xuanzhou (宣州; present-day Xuancheng, Anhui) in the campaign against Fang La, Wang Dingliu is killed when being hit by a poisoned arrow.

Notes
  1. Dian Mu (電母; literally "Mother of Lightning"), the lightning deity in Chinese mythology, is female. This is why Wang Dingliu is not nicknamed "Living God of Lightning".

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. 211. 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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