Chinese Name: Tong Meng

Japanese Name: Honkōshin Dōmō 

Rank: 69th of the 108 Stars of Destiny 

Nickname: River Churning Clam

Tong Meng, and his older brother Tong Wei (plate 32) were salt smugglers on the Xunyang River. They also assisted Li Jun (plate 61) on the boat he captained on the Yangtze River. Tong Meng and Tong Wei were both excellent swimmers and were known for their ability to fight underwater. 

Song Jiang (plate 107) and his military escorts were on their way to Jingzhou Prison and stopped at an inn where they were drugged and nearly murdered. Tong Meng, Li Jun, and Tong Wei, had been looking for Song Jiang, and had arrived at the inn just in time to prevent him and his escorts from being killed (see plate 31 for story details). Once the three men had been revived, introductions were made and the innkeeper offered his apologies. Feasting and storytelling ensued and the men soon became sworn brothers. 

Later, when Song Jiang was sentenced to death for writing a seditious poem on the wall of a restaurant, the bandits at Liangshan Marsh as well as a group led by Li Jun—including Tong Meng—mounted a rescue. After Song Jiang was saved, and he and his rescuers were back at the Liangshan stronghold, Tong Meng, and all the members of the rescue party were invited to join with Liangshan’s forces. 

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After government forces had failed many attempts to defeat the Liangshan bandits, Grand Marshal Gao Qiu himself volunteered to lead an army to destroy the bandits. The Emperor was pleased and agreed to Gao Qiu’s proposal. Gao Qiu was assigned ten high ranking commandants and a force of 130,000 men. 

Between Marshal Gao Qiu’s military incompetence, his commandants’ overconfidence, and the Liangshan bandits’ superior tactical and fighting abilities, Song Jiang and his men were able to keep the government forces at bay—it seemed Liangshan’s bandits could not be stopped. 

Gao Qiu’s first attack on Liangshan failed, and he and his troops retreated to regroup. On his second attack, three of his top commanders led the charge, and his naval contingent once again made way to the bandits’ island stronghold across the marsh. As they reached the island, they were ambushed by cannon fire, arrows, and swarms of Liangshan soldiers. The sorcerer, Gongsun Sheng (plate 15), raised a storm that blinded the advancing government forces, and small Liangshan boats intercepted the government ships, killing and capturing the imperial soldiers. Liangshan bandits were also waiting in the water to capture or kill those who tried to escape by jumping overboard, and over half the imperial soldiers were killed in the battle. Of the three commanders, one was killed by arrows, and the other two were captured and beheaded. 

Tong Meng is shown here wading through the reeds to kill fleeing enemy soldiers. 

Isaac Nichols original