Zou Run

Zou Run
Water Margin character
First appearance	Chapter 49
Nickname	"Single Horned Dragon" 獨角龍
Rank	91st, Horn Star (地角星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends
Infantry leader of Liangshan
Origin	Outlaw leader
Ancestral home / Place of origin	Laizhou, Shandong
Names
Simplified Chinese	邹润
Traditional Chinese	鄒潤
Pinyin	Zōu Rùn
Wade–Giles	Tsou Jun

Zou Run is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Single Horned Dragon", he ranks 91st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 55th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Background

The novel depicts Zou Run as odd-looking and huge-sized. He is nicknamed "Single Horned Dragon" because he has a large bump on his head. The nickname becomes even more fitting after he butted a tree in a fit of anger amid an argument and broke it.

Zou Run and his uncle Zou Yuan, who is about his age, lead a group of outlaws at Mount Dengyun (登雲山) near Laizhou. They practise the principle of robbing the rich to help the poor. The Zous are close friends of Sun Xin as well as Yang Lin, Deng Fei and Shi Yong of Liangshan Marsh.

Joining Liangshan

The Xie brothers (Xie Zhen and Xie Bao) are arrested in Dengzhou (登州; in present-day eastern Shandong) for smashing up the house of one Squire Mao who has pocketed the tiger they shot to claim the reward at the prefectural office. Yue He, a jailer in the prison and a distant relative of the Xies, takes the news to their cousin Gu Dasao, warning that the brothers could be murdered in prison. Gu's husband Sun Xin enlists the Zous to help in the rescue. Sun Xin also compels his brother Sun Li, the garrison commandant of Dengzhou, to join the plan. After they extricated the Xies from prison, the group flees to join the Liangshan Marsh.

Before going up to the stronghold, Sun Li volunteers to infiltrate the Zhu Family Manor, which Liangshan has failed to take in two offensives. As Sun Li has learnt combat from the same teacher as Luan Tingyu, the martial arts instructor of the manor, he wins the confidence of the Zhus. As soon as Sun Li gives his signal, Zou Run, together with Zou Yuan, Sun Xin, Gu Dasao, the Xie brothers and Yue He, goes on a rampage inside the manor, taking it by surprise. The fall of the Zhu Family Manor is a great contribution by the group before their acceptance into Liangshan.

Campaigns

Zou Run is appointed as one of the leaders of the Liangshan infantry 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 in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.

Zou Run is one of the few Liangshan heroes who survives the campaigns. Although conferred the title "Martial Gentleman of Grace" (武奕郎), he declines the honour and returns to his hometown where he lives as a commoner.

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. 185. 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.