Zheng Biao
| Zheng Biao | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| Also known as | "Demon Lord Zheng" (鄭魔君) |
| Grand Commandant of Fang La | |
| Origin | Constable |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Lanxi County, Wuzhou (in present-day Jinhua, Zhejiang) |
| First appearance | Chapter 97 |
| Weapon | Golden bricks |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 郑彪 |
| Traditional Chinese | 鄭彪 |
| Pinyin | Zhèng Biāo |
| Wade–Giles | Cheng Piao |
Zheng Biao, also known as "Demon Lord Zheng" (Zheng Mojun), is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He serves under Fang La, a rebel leader who established a separatist regime in southern China against the ruling Song Empire. Fang La is one of the rebel leaders that the 108 Liangshan outlaws have to defeat after they have been granted amnesty by the Song government. Zheng Biao holds the position of "Grand Commandant" in Fang La's rebel state. He is best known for killing the couple Wang Ying and Hu Sanniang.
Life
Zheng Biao is from Lanxi County (蘭溪縣), Wuzhou (婺州), which is in present-day Jinhua, Zhejiang. He used to be a constable in his early career. He joins Fang La in rebelling against the Song Empire and contributed to the establishment of Fang's separatist state in southern China. Fang La appoints him as a "Grand Commandant" (殿帥太尉) in his court. Zheng Biao is also an apprentice of Bao Daoyi, an unorthodox Taoist magician who serves as Fang La's sorcerer.
Zheng Biao is first introduced in the novel during the battle of Muzhou (睦州; in present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang) between Fang La's forces and the Liangshan forces loyal to the Song Empire. He engages Liangshan's Wang Ying and Hu Sanniang in battle. During the fight, he uses magic to summon a knight in golden armour to distract Wang Ying, and then seizes the opportunity to kill him. Hu Sanniang attempts to avenge her husband but Zheng Biao manages to dodge her attacks and smash his magic golden bricks into her face and kill her.
In the next round, Li Kui, who is flanked by Xiang Chong and Li Gun, challenges Zheng Biao to a one-on-one fight. Zheng Biao retreats back to his army formation, where he uses magic to darken the sky and conjure windstorms to confuse the enemy. Xiang Chong and Li Gun lose their way in the darkness and are eventually killed by Fang La's soldiers. Li Kui survives because Hua Rong, Qin Ming and Fan Rui show up and save him.
In a later battle, Zheng Biao faces Liangshan's Guan Sheng in a duel. He is no match for Guan Sheng so Bao Daoyi summons a golden armoured knight to help him, but the knight is defeated by a more powerful magic warrior summoned by Fan Rui. Zheng Biao is eventually killed by Guan Sheng.
References
- (Chinese) Li, Mengxia. 108 Heroes from the Water Margin, page 217. EPB Publishers Pte Ltd, 1992. ISBN 9971-0-0252-3.
- Buck, Pearl. All Men are Brothers. Moyer Bell Ltd, 2006. ISBN 9781559213035.
- Zhang, Lin Ching. Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House, 2009. ISBN 978-7506344784.
- Keffer, David. Outlaws of the Marsh.
- Miyamotois, Yoko. Water Margin: Chinese Robin Hood and His Bandits.
- (Japanese) Ichisada, Miyazaki. Suikoden: Kyoko no naka no Shijitsu. Chuo Koronsha, 1993. ISBN 978-4122020559.
- Shibusawa, Kou. Bandit Kings of Ancient China. KOEI, 1989.