Chinese Name: Ding Desun

Japanese Name: Chūsenko Teitokuson 

Rank: 79th of the 108 Stars of Destiny 

Nickname: Arrow Struck Tiger 

Ding Desun and Gong Wang (plate 90) were the military aids of general Zhang Qing (plate 89) in Dongcheng Prefecture. All three were excellent horsemen and fought as a team. Zhang Qing took the lead and was deadly with throwing rocks; Gong Wang was a master with his spear; and Ding Desun was equally skilled with a three pronged trident. In the novel, Ding Desun is described as having heavy scars on his face and neck, though Kuniyoshi did not illustrate him as such. 

The Liangshan stronghold was in need of rice and decided to borrow some from the neighboring prefecture of Dongcheng. The people of Dongcheng were not willing to relinquish any grain, so Lu Junyi (plate 68) led a brigade of Liangshan troops to take it by force. Lu Junyi was met by Zhang Qing and the Dongcheng army. Zhang Qing proved to be the superior strategist and fighter, and Lu Junyi and his soldiers were twice defeated. When Song Jiang received news of Lu Junyi’s troubles, he immediately took a relief force to Dongcheng to aid his comrade in battle. 

With the arrival of Song Jiang and his troops, the Liangshan bandits were able to capture Zhang Qing’s two aids. This greatly hindered Zhang Qing’s fighting abilities. Soon after, Zhang Qing was captured as well. 

Song Jiang met his captives and saluted them. He told them the conflict was unintentional—they merely wanted to borrow rice— and he asked Zhang Qing for his forgiveness. Zhang Qing was so moved that Song Jiang would show such respect for his defeated enemy, he, his men, and his aids Ding Desun and Gong Wang, all joined with the bandits of Liangshan Marsh. 

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As the saga of the Liangshan bandits continued, Song Jiang and his legions were granted amnesty by the Emperor. To prove their merit they were sent to battle the rebel leader Fang La; he had amassed his own large bandit army and taken control of several prefectures, appointing himself king of the region. 

Ding Desun was among a contingent of Liangshan soldiers who were chasing Fang La’s retreating men along a mountain path. While in pursuit, he was bitten on the foot by a snake. The poison traveled throughout his body and he died along the trail. 

Ding Desun is shown here battling a giant snake before being fatally bitten. In the novel though, the snake is not described as being abnormally large, and no fight between Ding Desun and the snake takes place. 

Kuniyoshi recreation