Chinese Name: Huyan Zhuo

Japanese Name: Sōben Koenshaku

Rank: 8th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: Double Clubs

Huyan Zhuo was a general in the Song Imperial Army. Known for his cunning and bravery, he was one of the top military men of his day. He fought with a pair of steel clubs and rode a black steed given to him by the Emperor. 

When Prefect Gao Lian was defeated and killed by Liangshan’s forces (see plate 52 for story details), his cousin, Grand Marshal Gao Qiu, decided the bandit stronghold needed to be wiped out once and for all. He called upon Huyan Zhuo to lead the offense against Liangshan’s army of bandits. They assembled a force of 5000 cavalry and 5000 infantry men and marched toward Liangshan Marsh. 

When Liangshan’s army of bandits met General Huyan Zhuo’s cavalry, the General’s men and their horses wore heavy armor and were chained together in groups of thirty. The combined power of the linked horses made them nearly unstoppable and their armor rendered Liangshan’s spears and arrows useless. Liangshan’s men were forced to retreat.

The Liangshan leaders convinced drill instructor Xu Ning (plate 59) to help them fight Huyan Zhuo. Xu Ning showed the Liangshan army how to defend against a linked-armored-cavalry using hooked spears. With this technique, Huyan Zhou’s men were caught off guard and their horses toppled. Fifteen hundred horses were killed—which Liangshan took for food—another 1500 horses captured, and 5000 men were taken prisoner.

Having been defeated, Huyan Zhuo fled, but would not return to the capital to face Grand Marshal Gao Qiu. He traveled to Qingzhou hoping his friend, the prefect Murong Yanda, would help him. Murong Yanda gave him 3000 troops to defeat the bandits of Mount Taohua, Mount Lianglong, and Mount Baihu. If successful, Murong Yanda said he would go to the Emperor and make sure Huyan Zhuo was reinstated.  

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The three bandit strongholds turned to the leaders of the Liangshan bandits for help when they realized they were no match against Huyan Zhuo. Together they devised a plan, and the general was lured to a trap where he and his horse fell into a pit. The bandits seized him and brought him to Song Jiang (plate 107), who pointed out to him that Grand Marshal Gao Qiu was a petty, mean spirited official, who would never let Huyan Zhuo’s defeat go unpunished. He suggested it would be much better for him if he were to join with the forces at Liangshan Marsh. Accepting the truth in Song Jiang’s argument, Huyan Zhuo agreed to the offer and joined with the bandits. 

Huyan Zhuo is depicted here on his black steed brandishing his steel clubs.  

Isaac Nichols original