Chinese Name: Ruan Xiaoqi

Japanese Name: Katsuenra Genshōshichi 

Rank: 31st of the 108 Stars of Destiny 

Nickname: Living King Yama 

Ruan Xiaoqi lived in the village of Shijie which was located near Liangshan Marsh. He was the youngest of three brothers—the eldest being Ruan Xiao’er (plate 103) and the middle being Ruan Xiaowu (plates 20; 95). The three brothers worked as fisherman in the waters of Liangshan Marsh, but all the larger fish swam in the area of the bandit stronghold there, and the brothers feared being looted—the income from their fishing business had been severely diminished since the arrival of the bandits at Liangshan Marsh.

Wu Yong and Chao Gai (see plate 14) planned to assemble a team and rob a very valuable convoy of birthday gifts being sent to Prime Minister Cai. Wu Yong suggested recruiting the Ruan brothers because of their fearlessness and loyalty. Upon being asked to join in the venture, the three brothers unanimously agreed, knowing this would be their way out of their impoverished state. 

The robbery was a success, but one of their men was captured and confessed under torture. Chao Gai received word the authorities were searching for him and his team, so they fled to Liangshan Marsh to join the bandit stronghold there. Soon after arriving, a mutiny took place at Liangshan and Chao Gai became the new bandit leader (See plate 19 for details).

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Garrison Commander Huang An accompanied by 1000 imperial troops, had been sent by the Prefect at Jizhou to destroy Liangshan’s bandit stronghold. Huang An and his troops commandeered boats from the area, loaded onto them with their horses, and set out onto the water. They hadn’t been on the water long when Huang An saw three boats coming towards them, each boat led by one of the Ruan brothers. 

The Ruan brothers turned their boats in the opposite direction to flee, and Huang An’s forces gave chase. Huang An ordered his archers to fire, and a barrage of arrows flew through the sky which fell on the Ruan brothers’ boats like a heavy rain. The brothers pulled animal skins from the holds of their boats, held them up as shields, and continued their course. 

Huang An continued to pursue them. Hidden boats full of bandits suddenly emerged from the reeds and surrounded them on all sides. The bandits fired crossbow arrows and explosives towards the imperial troops, driving their boats into a narrow channel where Liangshan’s men emerged on the shores to finish them off. Their retreat cut off, Huang An along with 200 of his men were captured—the other 800 were dead. 

Ruan Xiaoqi is shown here shielding himself with a tiger pelt from the onslaught of arrows fired by the imperial troops led by Huang An. 

Kuniyoshi recreation