Name: Zheng Tianshou

Japanese name: Hakumenrōkun Teitenja

Rank: 74th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: White Faced Squire

Zheng Tianshou was originally from Suzhou and had worked as a silversmith. He is described as having a dignified appearance with a pale complexion, a goatee and a mustache, as well as a lanky build and broad shoulders. He was a skilled fighter, having practiced with the spear and the lance since childhood. 

He had taken to wandering from town to town, and one day he met Wang Ying (plate 25) and Yan Shun (plate 104) on the road.  A fight ensued between Zheng Tianshou and Wang Ying, and after fifty bouts neither man was able to gain an advantage. Wang Ying and Yan Shun led a bandit gang on Mount Qingfeng. Yan Shun had been watching the battle and was so impressed, he invited Zheng Tianshou to join their gang as third in command. 

The bandits at Mount Qingfeng had captured Song Jiang (plate 107) when he fell into a trap they’d set for wandering travelers. Their intention was to kill and eat him, until Yan Shun realized he was the famous Song Jiang. From then on they treated him as their honored guest, and Song Jiang became their sworn brother.  

As Song Jiang’s story unfolded, he was falsely accused of attempting to rape the wife of a civil magistrate while in Qingfeng Town. He was convicted and exiled to Qingzhou Prison, and the bandits at Mount Qingfeng rescued him while he was in transit (see plate 25 for story details). Back at their stronghold, Song Jiang suggested the bandits of Mount Qingfeng relocate and join with the bandits of Liangshan Marsh.  

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As the saga of the Liangshan bandits continued, they were finally granted amnesty by the Emperor, and Song Jiang was given the title of Vanguard General. To prove their merit, they were sent on a mission to quell the Liao invaders who’d been steadily advancing south into the Song Empire. The mission was a success, but when Song Jiang and his men returned, they quickly began to feel idle. 

A man named Fang La had rebelled and amassed a large army of brigands. He’d taken over several prefectures and appointed himself king of the region. Upon hearing this news, Song Jiang and his Liangshan brethren volunteered to vanquish Fang La’s forces. The Emperor was thrilled, and immediately sent them to reclaim the land for the Song Empire—the campaign however, did not go as planned.

Zheng Tianshou is shown here attempting to break through the city gates of Xuanzhou. He and several other Liangshan troops had chased a contingent of Fang La’s men there. As Liangshan’s troops tried to break through the walls, Fang La’s men threw down a grinding stone which crushed and killed Zheng Tianshou. They shot poison arrows at Liangshan’s troops, and Cao Zheng (plate 16) and Wang Dingliu (plate 87) were also killed. .  

 Kuniyoshi recreation