Chinese Name: Bai Sheng

Japanese Name: Hakujisso Hakushō

Rank: 106th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: Daylight Rat

Bai Sheng got his nickname, “The Daylight Rat”, because he was a man of little prospects with a propensity for gambling. He was the final member added to Chao Gai and Wu Yong’s team of thieves planning to rob the convoy of birthday gifts for Prime Minister Cai (see plate 14 for details). 

The plan was a success, but Bai Sheng’s involvement was suspected by the authorities. He and his wife were taken to Jizhou Prison where they were questioned and tortured. He initially denied everything but eventually broke under torture, and implicated Chao Gai and the rest of the team. Word quickly reached Chao Gai that authorities were searching for them, so he and the rest of the team fled to the stronghold of the Liangshan Marsh bandits led by Wang Lun. 

Not long after the team of thieves had arrived at Liangshan’s stronghold, a mutiny occurred—Lin Chong (plate 19) killed Liangshan’s original leader, Wang Lun, and Chao Gai was elected as the new leader. Once he assumed the roll as first in command, Chao Gai sent men to bribe the guards at Jizhou Prison to allow Bai Sheng to escape. Bai Sheng, along with his wife, fled to Liangshan where they were welcomed as members. 

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Later in the story, Song Jiang (plate 107) was sentenced to death at Jiangzhou Prison for writing a seditious poem on the wall of a restaurant. Dai Zong (plate 97), the chief warden at Jiangzhou, was to be executed at the same time for attempting to aid Song Jiang in an escape. Bai Sheng was part of the rescue party organized by Chao Gai to save the two men. Disguised as various merchants, the Liangshan bandits were able to gain admission to the execution. Moments before Song Jiang’s beheading, the bandits drew their weapons from under their disguises and charged the soldiers guarding the execution grounds. Aided by a mysterious stranger who killed the executioners (see plate 36 for details), Song Jiang and Dai Zong were rescued and they all made a swift escape to Liangshan Marsh. 

Bai Sheng, disguised as a snake charmer during the rescue, is shown here battling one of the village soldiers using his box of snakes as a weapon.   

Kuniyoshi recreation