Huyan Zhuo
| Huyan Zhuo | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
 An illustration of Huyan Zhuo by Chen Hongshou | |
| First appearance | Chapter 54 |
| Nickname | "Double Clubs" 雙鞭 |
| Rank | 8th, "Heavenly Force Star" (天威星) of the 36 Heavenly Spirits |
| Rear General of the Five Tiger Generals of Liangshan | |
| Origin | Imperial general |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Taiyuan, Shanxi |
| Weapon | Pair of steel clubs |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 呼延灼 |
| Traditional Chinese | 呼延灼 |
| Pinyin | Hūyán Zhuó |
| Wade–Giles | Hu-yen Cho |
Template:Chinese-name Huyan Zhuo is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Double Clubs", he ranks 8th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
Background
Huyan Zhuo is a descendant of the early Song dynasty general Huyan Zan. Like his ancestor, he serves as a general in the Song imperial army, and holds a reputation for his courage in battle and his excellent combat skills. His weapons of choice are a pair of steel clubs, which earn him the nickname "Double Clubs". On the battlefield, he uses a black war flag and rides a black stallion bestowed upon him by Emperor Huizong.
Chain-linked armoured cavalry formation
Huyan Zhuo makes his first appearance in the novel when the officials in the Song imperial court are discussing how to deal with the threat posed by the outlaws from Liangshan Marsh. After Grand Marshal Gao Qiu recommends Huyan Zhuo to lead government forces to eliminate the outlaws, Emperor Huizong summons Huyan Zhuo from his post at Running Commandery (present-day Runan County, Henan) to the imperial capital Dongjing (東京; present-day Kaifeng, Henan). The emperor then assigns Huyan Zhuo, with Han Tao, Peng Qi and Ling Zhen assisting him, to lead an army to attack the outlaws.
With the aid of his chain-linked armoured cavalry formation, Huyan Zhuo emerges victorious in the initial battles against the Liangshan outlaws. However, the tide turns against him after Peng Qi and Ling Zhen defect to the Liangshan side, and after the outlaws recruit Xu Ning to train the Liangshan infantry in using the hooked lance to counter the cavalry formation.
Battle of Qingzhou
After losing to the outlaws in battle, Huyan Zhuo does not dare to return to Dongjing and hopes to redeem himself later. He travels alone to Qingzhou (in present-day Shandong) and takes shelter under the local governor Murong Yanda. When the outlaws from Mount Peach Blossom steal his horse while he was en route to Qingzhou, he seeks permission from Murong Yanda to lead troops from Qingzhou to attack the outlaws. The governor eagerly agrees and even allows Huyan Zhuo to lead his troops to attack the other outlaw bands based on Mount White Tiger and Mount Twin Dragons.
Unable to withstand Huyan Zhuo's attacks, the outlaws from all three mountains turn to their fellow outlaws at Liangshan Marsh for help. All the outlaws combine forces to hold off the government forces, and manage to lure Huyan Zhuo into an ambush and capture him. Song Jiang, the field commander of the Liangshan forces, treats Huyan Zhuo respectfully and successfully convinces him to surrender and join the Liangshan outlaw band. Huyan Zhuo then proves his allegiance to Liangshan by helping the outlaws trick Murong Yanda into opening Qingzhou's gates. The outlaws then swarm in, kill the corrupt governor, and take over the city.
Life at Liangshan
When the Liangshan outlaws are at war with government forces led by Guan Sheng, Huyan Zhuo pretends to be a turncoat and manages to lure Guan Sheng into a trap, where the general gets captured. Guan Sheng also surrenders and joins Liangshan after Song Jiang convinces him to do so. Following the Grand Assembly of the 108 Stars of Destiny, Huyan Zhuo is appointed as one of the Five Tiger Generals of the Liangshan cavalry.
After the Liangshan outlaws received amnesty from Emperor Huizong, Huyan Zhuo follows them on their campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces on Song territory as a form of service to the Song Empire. He is one of the few Liangshan heroes who survive all the campaigns. As a reward for Huyan Zhuo's contributions during the campaigns, Emperor Huizong restores him to his former position as a general of the Song imperial army. Huyan Zhuo continues to serve the Song Empire until he dies in battle later during the wars between the Song and Jin Empires.
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. 17. 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.