Bao Xu

Last updated
Bao Xu
Water Margin character
First appearanceChapter 67
Nickname"God of Death"
(喪門神)
Rank60th, Savage Star (地暴星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends
Infantry leader of Liangshan
OriginBandit leader
Ancestral home / Place of originKouzhou (believed to be present-day Guan County, Shandong)
WeaponBroad Blade Sword (闊刃劍)
Names
Simplified Chinese 鲍旭
Traditional Chinese 鮑旭
Pinyin Bào Xù
Wade–Giles Pao Hsü

Bao Xu is a fictional character in Water Margin , one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "God of Death", he ranks 60th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 24th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Contents

Background

Bao Xu is ugly-looking with a face shaped and coloured like the bottom of a wok, fierce bulging eyes and lips like those of a wolf. His voice is thunderous and terrifying. Bao, a skilled fighter who uses a broad-bladed sword, is nicknamed "God of Death" as he likes to kill and plunder. He leads a bandit gang on Mount Deadwood (枯樹山) in Kouzhou (寇州; believed to be present-day Guan County, Shandong).

Joining Liangshan

The imperial military officers Shan Tinggui and Wei Dingguo capture Liangshan's Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen at Lingzhou (凌州; present-day Ling County, Shandong), who have come with Guan Sheng to head them off before they set out on the mission to exterminate their stronghold by order of the Song court. Shan and Wei send the two captives to the imperial capital Dongjing (東京; present-day Kaifeng, Henan) for punishment.

Meanwhile, Li Kui has secretly left for Lingzhou after Song Jiang forbade him from being part of Guan Sheng's expedition. He gets into a fight with Jiao Ting on the way after accusing the other of staring at him. Jiao, who is a skilled wrestler, easily floors him twice. However, he is glad to learn that the dark fellow is Li Kui. Jiao, who is heading to Mount Deadwood to join Bao Xu's band, invites Li to go with him, suggesting that they could work out something with Bao about Lingzhou.

At Mount Deadwood, Bao Xu welcomes Li's invitation to join Liangshan. Just then the troops escorting Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen come past the hill and are set upon by Bao and his men. After rescuing the two, Li Kui leads an attack on a gate of Lingzhou, breaking into it, when Wei Dingguo is battling with Guan Sheng outside the city. Earlier, Guan has captured and won over Shan Tinggui. After Wei also surrendered, Guan takes the group, including Bao Xu, back to Liangshan.

Campaigns and death

Bao Xu 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.

In the battle of Hangzhou in the campaign against Fang La, Bao Xu and Li Kui are assigned to attack the city's north gate. After slaying the enemy officer Lian Ming, Bao Xu charges into the city where he finds himself surrounded by hiding troops. He is sliced in two by the enemy general Shi Bao.

Related Research Articles

The Five Tiger Generals is a popular appellation in Chinese culture for the top five military commanders serving under one lord. Although the term does not appear in Chinese historical records and is not used officially, it has been heavily used in literature texts, folklore, as well as popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xu Ning</span> Water Margin character

Xu Ning is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Gold Lancer", he ranks 18th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huyan Zhuo</span> Fictional character in Chinese literature

Huyan Zhuo is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Double Clubs", he ranked eighth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits (天罡), the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guan Sheng</span> Chinese novel Water Margin fictional character

Guan Sheng is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Great Blade", he ranks fifth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhang Qing (Featherless Arrow)</span> Fictional character in Water Margin

Zhang Qing is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Featherless Arrow", he ranks 16th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gongsun Sheng</span> Water Margin character

Gongsun Sheng is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Dragon in the Clouds", he ranks fourth among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xuan Zan</span> Water Margin character

Xuan Zan is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Ugly Prince Consort", he ranks 40th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and fourth among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hao Siwen</span> Fictional human

Hao Siwen is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Wood Dog of Well", he ranks 41st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and fifth among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhu Tong</span> Water Margin character

Zhu Tong is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Lord of the Beautiful Beard", he ranks 12th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dai Zong</span> Water Margin character

Dai Zong is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Magic Traveller", he ranks 20th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

Wei Dingguo is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "General of Holy Fire", he ranks 45th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and ninth among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Shan Tinggui is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "General of Sacred Water", he ranks 44th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and eighth among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yang Lin (Water Margin)</span> Water Margin character

Yang Lin is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Sleek Leopard", he ranks 51st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 15th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

Jiao Ting is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Faceless", he ranks 98th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 62nd among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tang Long (Water Margin)</span> Water Margin character

Tang Long is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Gold Coin Spotted Leopard", he ranks 88th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 52nd among the 72 Earthly Fiends.

<i>Three Kingdoms</i> (TV series) 2010 Chinese historical series

Three Kingdoms is a 2010 Chinese television series based on the events in the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The plot is adapted from the 14th century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other stories about the Three Kingdoms period. Directed by Gao Xixi, the series had a budget of over 160 million RMB and took five years of pre-production work. Shooting of the series commenced in October 2008, and it was released in China in May 2010.

<i>The Water Margin</i> (1998 TV series) Chinese TV series or program

The Water Margin is a 1998 Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's classical 14th-century novel of the same title. It was produced by CCTV with Zhang Jizhong as producer. It was first broadcast in China in January 1998. The series also featured action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping.

<i>All Men Are Brothers</i> (TV series) 2011 Chinese television series

All Men Are Brothers is a 2011 Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's 14th century novel Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. The series is directed by Kuk Kwok-leung and features cast members from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The series was first broadcast on 8TV in March 2011 in Malaysia.

<i>Outlaws of the Marsh</i> (TV series) Chinese TV series or program

Outlaws of the Marsh is a Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's classical 14th century novel Water Margin. It was first broadcast on Shandong TV in China in 1983, and was not completed until 1986. The series was one of the earliest television dramas with an ancient China setting to be produced in mainland China. It was divided into different parts, each focusing on the story line of a certain character. Widely regarded, as a classic in mainland China, the series won a Golden Eagle Award.

References