Guo Sheng
Encyclopedia
Guo Sheng is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 55th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 19th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Comparable to Rengui
".
, Sichuan
. He dons a suit of silvery white armour over a white robe, along with a silver belt and a headdress. He rides on a snow white steed and wields a halberd
similar to Lü Fang
's "Sky Piercer" (方天畫戟).
Guo Sheng used to be a trader but he lost his goods in the river during a storm. He was stranded and had no money to make his journey home. He learnt martial arts and the use of the halberd from a military officer in Jialing before and becomes an expert after years of training. He is nicknamed "Comparable to Rengui" as his skills are comparable to those of the Tang Dynasty
general Xue Rengui
.
and Hua Rong
pass by and see the warriors engaged in a duel with their weapons locked together. Hua Rong fires an arrow to separate the weapons and draws cheers from the crowd. Guo Sheng and Lü Fang stop dueling and greet Song Jiang, who succeeds in persuading them to join the outlaw band at Liangshan
.
Guo Sheng follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. During the Fang La
campaign, Guo Sheng is assigned to attack the enemy territory of Black Dragon Ridge. He takes the lead in charging up the slope towards the enemy and is killed by boulders rolled down by the enemy.
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
. He ranks 55th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 19th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Comparable to Rengui
Xue rengui
Xue Ren'gui , formal name Xue Li but went by the courtesy name of Rengui, was one of the most famous Chinese generals during the early Tang Dynasty, due to references to him in popular literature...
".
Background
Guo Sheng is from JialingJialing District
Jialing District is a district of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of Nanchong city....
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
. He dons a suit of silvery white armour over a white robe, along with a silver belt and a headdress. He rides on a snow white steed and wields a halberd
Ji (halberd)
The ji , the Chinese halberd, was used as a military weapon in one form or another from at least as early as the Shang dynasty until the end of the Qing dynasty. They are still used for training purposes by many Chinese martial arts...
similar to Lü Fang
Lu Fang
Lü Fang is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 54th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 18th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Little Marquis of Wen".-Background:...
's "Sky Piercer" (方天畫戟).
Guo Sheng used to be a trader but he lost his goods in the river during a storm. He was stranded and had no money to make his journey home. He learnt martial arts and the use of the halberd from a military officer in Jialing before and becomes an expert after years of training. He is nicknamed "Comparable to Rengui" as his skills are comparable to those of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
general Xue Rengui
Xue rengui
Xue Ren'gui , formal name Xue Li but went by the courtesy name of Rengui, was one of the most famous Chinese generals during the early Tang Dynasty, due to references to him in popular literature...
.
Joining Liangshan
Guo Sheng hears of Lü Fang's reputation as a mighty warrior and challenges Lü to a fight. Both of them duel for more than ten days but neither emerges as the victor. Song JiangSong Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
and Hua Rong
Hua Rong
Hua Rong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 9th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Little Li Guang".-Background:...
pass by and see the warriors engaged in a duel with their weapons locked together. Hua Rong fires an arrow to separate the weapons and draws cheers from the crowd. Guo Sheng and Lü Fang stop dueling and greet Song Jiang, who succeeds in persuading them to join the outlaw band at Liangshan
Mount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
.
Campaigns and death
Guo Sheng becomes one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry and one of the Central Camp Defendant Generals. Together with Lü Fang, he is in charge of the commander-in-chief's safety during battle. They protect Song Jiang from danger several times during the battles with Liangshan's enemies.Guo Sheng follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. During the Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
campaign, Guo Sheng is assigned to attack the enemy territory of Black Dragon Ridge. He takes the lead in charging up the slope towards the enemy and is killed by boulders rolled down by the enemy.
Other appearances
- In Louis Cha's wuxiaWuxiaWuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...
novel The Legend of the Condor HeroesThe Legend of the Condor HeroesThe Legend of Condor Heroes is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong, and the first part of the Condor Trilogy. It was first serialized between January 1, 1957 and May 19, 1959 in Hong Kong Commercial Daily...
, Guo Sheng is said to be the ancestor of the protagonist Guo JingGuo JingGuo Jing is the fictional protagonist of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. He plays a supporting role in the sequel novel The Return of the Condor Heroes as well...
.