Chinese Name: Wei Dingguo 

Japanese Name: Shinkashō Giteikoku 

Rank: 45th of the 108 Stars of Destiny

Nickname: General of Holy Fire 

Wei Dingguo was a military instructor in the town of Lingzhou. He was known for riding a red steed, fighting with a long saber, and using fire tactics against his enemies. 

In retaliation for the Liangshan army laying waste to the city of Daming (see plate 68 for story details), the Prime Minister assigned a large army, led by colonels Wei Dingguo and Shan Tinggui (plate 83) from Lingzhou, to eradicate the Liangshan bandits and their stronghold. A spy had reported this to the leaders at Liangshan, and Guan Sheng (plate 70) volunteered to meet them in battle as he had once served with the two colonels and knew them quite well.

Guan Sheng and his men arrived at Lingzhou, and Wei Dingguo, Shan Tinggui, and their soldiers, met them outside the city. Shan Tinggui rode out to fight Guan Sheng one on one. Guan Sheng got the upper hand and knocked him from his horse, but instead of killing him, expressed his respect for Shan Tinggui, and soon convinced him to join the legions at Liangshan Marsh.

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Wei Dingguo saw his comrade defect and was furious. He called out 500 fire soldiers from Lingzhou who charged out hurling all manner of incendiary weapons at Liangshan’s troops. Many of Liangshan’s men were severely burned or killed, and the remaining troops retreated. 

Wei Dingguo, pleased with the success of the battle, called his troops to return to Lingzhou; it was then he saw the city in flames. While he’d been preoccupied with Guan Sheng’s forces, Li Kui (plates 36; 81; 107) had led the Mount Kushu bandits (see plate 82) into Lingzhou and set it ablaze.

Wei Dingguo dared not return to Lingzhou and retreated to the nearby town of Zhongling. Guan Sheng went into Zhongling to try and persuade him to join with Liangshan. It was not long before he had won him over and convinced him to join forces with them.  

Wei Dingguo is shown here as he is about to dispatch a Liangshan soldier who’d been set ablaze by his fire soldiers, when he realizes that his own town of Lingzhou had been attacked and engulfed in flames. 

Isaac Nichols original