Song Jiang
Song Jiang is the number one figure in the entire "Water Margin" and, as a literary character, also the most full-bodied, three-dimensional, complex, and artistically charming individual.
In "Water Margin," Song Jiang was originally a minor scribe in Yuncheng County, Shandong Province. His courtesy name was Gongming, and his nickname was Hu Bao Yi. He had a dark complexion, was of short stature, and was known for being righteous and generous with money. He enjoyed making friends and was famous across the land as "Timely Rain." When the incident of Cao Gai's group robbing the convoy of birthday gifts on Yellow Mud Slope came to light, Song Jiang informed Cao Gai about the impending pursuit by the imperial army. After Cao Gai and his group reached Liangshan, they sent Liu Tang with a letter of gratitude (a decorated pouch) and fifty taels of gold as a token of appreciation. Unfortunately, this letter fell into the hands of his concubine Yan Bobo. In desperation, Song Jiang angrily killed Yan Bobo and was exiled to Jiangzhou, where he met Li Kui and others. Later, due to writing rebellious poetry at Xunyang Tower, he was sentenced to death. Fortunately, the heroes of Liangshan rescued him from the execution ground, and he became the deputy leader. Later, during the attack on Zengtou City, Cao Gai was killed by a poisoned arrow, and Song Jiang became the chief leader. Subsequently, Song Jiang led the group to accept amnesty from the court. During various campaigns against other rebel armies, many of the Liangshan heroes were killed or injured, and Song Jiang himself was eventually poisoned to death by the imperial wine granted to him.
Song Jiang ranks first among the 108 Heroes of Liangshan and is the leading star of the Thirty-Six Tian Gang Stars, known as the Heavenly Chief Star.
Historical Song Jiang
Unlike some fictional characters created in "Water Margin," there was indeed a historical Song Jiang. Many historical records and writings by scholars have recorded scattered details about Song Jiang. The "History of the Song Dynasty" records that in the third year of Emperor Huizong's Xuanhe era (1122 AD), "the bandit Song Jiang and others invaded Huaiyang Army. Generals were dispatched to pursue and capture them. They then invaded areas under the jurisdiction of the East China Circuit (modern-day Shandong), Jiangbei, and entered the boundaries of Chu and Haizhou. The governor Zhang Shuye was ordered to recruit their surrender." The "Dongdu Shilue" also mentions an official named Hou Meng who once submitted a memorial suggesting, "Song Jiang leads a rebellion in the East China Circuit. Meng submitted a memorial stating that Song Jiang, with thirty-six men, rampaged through Qi and Wei, and no one among the tens of thousands of government troops dared to confront them. It would be better to pardon Song Jiang and let him redeem himself by attacking Fang La, which might be sufficient to pacify the disorder in the southeast."
There was indeed a historical Song Jiang uprising, clearly documented in the "History of the Song Dynasty." From the records in the "History of the Song Dynasty," it is known that the Song Jiang uprising occurred between the first and third years of the Xuanhe era. The main areas involved in the uprising were around the Taihang Mountains, Shandong, and northern Jiangsu, "rampaging through the Hebei region and raiding ten counties." The leader of the uprising was Song Jiang. The uprising had characteristics of roving bandits and may not have had a fixed base. The outcome of the uprising was a surrender after suffering serious setbacks. Although the scale of the uprising was not very large, its fighting power was exceptionally strong, "tens of thousands of government troops dared not confront them." The influence of the uprising was significant; the center of the uprising, Liangshan Marsh, was only about a hundred kilometers from Dongjing (modern-day Kaifeng), posing a serious threat to the safety of the capital. The regions involved in the uprising were relatively developed during the Northern Song Dynasty. Liangshan Marsh, during the Xuanhe period, was a lake in the middle reaches of the Guangji River, whose upper reaches flowed directly out of Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Guangji River was also an important water transport channel in the East China Circuit. Occupying Liangshan Marsh in the middle of the Guangji River posed an unimaginable political, economic, and military threat to the Northern Song court. The story of the Song Jiang uprising being recorded in the history of the Song Dynasty and widely spread among the common people is enough to demonstrate its influence.