183 Beijing Operas - Zhu Long - Number 157

Zhu Long

Beijing Opera - "Three Attacks on the Zhu Family Village"

Zhu Long with a green broken-flower face plays a part on the opera "Three Attacks on the Zhu Family Village," an opera based on one of the most famous episodes in Outlaws of the Marsh. Zhu Chaofeng, the chief of the Zhu Family Village, is a depot who, in collaboration with government soldiers, oppresses and terrorizes the local people. He also plans to attack the outlaws on Liangshan Mountain. One day he arrests Shi Qian, one of the outlaws, when the latter is passing through the Zhu Family Village. The news infuriates the outlaws who, led by Song Jiang, attack the village. But the Zhu Family Village is a well fortified place with high walls and a deep moat.

In their first attack the outlaws, un familiar with local conditions, are repulsed and Song Jiang is nearly trapped. Drawing lessons from their initial defeat, the outlaws proceed more warily. By a clever ruse, they sow discord between the Zhu Family Village and two other villages that are also their allies, thus isolating their enemy. Next they send some of their men, disguised as villagers, into Zhu Family Village to work as inside agents. In this way, after a second and third attack they take the village and kill the village chief and his sons and henchmen. Zhu Long is the chief's eldest son. He is killed by the outlaws during their attacks.