Chinese Name: Zhang Shun 

Japanese Name: Rōrihakuchō Chōjun

Rank: 30th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: White Streak in the Waves 

Zhang Shun was well over six feet tall and of a large build; he had very pale skin, black hair, a goatee, and a mustache. He was an excellent fighter, especially under water. He was able to swim for 15 miles non stop and could stay underwater for seven days and seven nights. He and his older brother, Zhang Heng (plate 102), robbed travelers crossing the Xunyang River. Later, they took to smuggling goods along the river instead, and Zhang Shun became a fish monger as well.  

Song Jiang (plate 107) was serving his sentence at Jiangzhou Prison for the murder of his mistress Yan Poxi. While there he met and befriended the warden, Dai Zong (plate 97), who allowed Song Jiang to come and go from the prison as he pleased. Zhang Shun was selling fish at the docks in Jiangzhou, and Song Jiang met and befriended him as well. One day Song Jiang was caught writing a seditious poem on the wall of a restaurant, and was sentenced to death. Zhang Shun was among many of Song Jiang’s comrades who helped rescue him. After the rescue, they all fled to Liangshan’s stronghold and Zhang Shun joined the forces of Liangshan’s bandits.

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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 soon 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 against Fang La proved to be Liangshan’s most difficult, and they lost many of their 108 chieftains. After the deaths of Xu Ning (plate 59) and Hao Siwen (plate 74), Song Jiang became trepidatious about sending more of his men to fight Fang La. After two weeks of inactivity, Zhang Shun decided he would swim across the lake and sneak into the enemy occupied city of Hangzhou through its water gate. Once inside he would set fires to signal the rest of Liangshan’s troops to attack. While trying to get through the gate, Zhang Shun jostled hanging alarm bells and alerted the guards. They released a flurry of arrows, killing him in the waterway.  

Zhang Shun is depicted here trying to get through the water gate moments before his death. 

Kuniyoshi recreation.