All Men Are Brothers

Toward the end of Northern Song Dynasty, the government was deeply corrupted. The oppressed people finally rebelled. A hundred and eight men and women fought against the government and took their last stand in a place called Liangshan.

Song Jiang and Chao Gai met each other and developed a strong mutual respect. Gongsun Zheng instigates the Three Ruan brothers to intercept the birthday tribute. Together with Wu Yong , and and Liu Tang, they pledge brotherhood with Chao Gai to restore the tribute back to the people.

In the capital, Martial Master Lin Chong witnessed the righteous Shi Jin punishing some petty thieves. He taught him genuine skills and found out they had a mutual acquittance in Wang Jin, who has Shi Jin’s master. Sadly, he passed away before they could reunite. Lin Chong was appointed as the new military commander, but unfortunately his wife’s beauty attracted the lascivious attention of the ruling High Marshals’ son, Gao Yanni.

Shi Jin encounters Lu Da, a local officer and mistakes him for a brutish lout. Fortunately, the tavern owner explained that Lu Da was a righteous albeit coarse officer. Lu Da discovered a peasant singer lamenting how the local bully, Zheng Guan Xi, planned to seize her for his concubine and usurp their property. Enraged, Lu Da vows to intervene

Lu Da scrapped together some silver to help the peasant lady Jin pay off her debts. He then took upon himself the role to of “mediator “and subjected the bully Zheng to a humiliating three rounds of mincing pork in various difficult and almost impossible ways. Initially obliging, the butcher eventually lost his temper and his life when he came to blows with Lu Da.

Lin Chong’s woes with the magistrate, Gao Qiu continue to worsen with the unrepentant son pursuing and outraging his wife’s modesty. Lu Da must flee after killing Zheng, and heads into Wu Tai Monastery to hideout as a monk, changing his name to Lu Zhi Sheng. However, he is unable to give up his drinking and fighting and earns the ire of the other monks.

Lin Chong meets a sword peddler and in a stroke of luck, purchases a valuable sword. The High Marshal, fearing his martial prowess, pretends to cosy up to him by punishing his son, and invites him to the residence for a banquet. When Lin Chong brings his sword into the White Tiger hall, which is forbidden, he is captured and sentence to death.

In a drunken fit, Lu Zhi Sheng beat up the monks and destroyed the temple guardians. Elder Zhi Zhen accompanied him down the mountain, where a monk’s staff and knife was forged for him. The Elder then taught him the staff technique and wants him to sojourn to the Xiangguo Temple. Meanwhile, Lady Lin tries to sell off her possessions to get Lin Chong leniency. Instead of death, he was exiled to a distant prefecture .

Gao Qiu’s evil henchman, Lu Qian plots to have Lin Chong killed en route to his place of exile. He met Lu Zhi Sheng performing his staff technique and overcame with admiration, sparred with him and forged a friendship. Lu promised to look after Lady Lin. However, she had got wind of the plot for Lin Chong’s escorts to kill him and sent him to protect Lin Chong. Arriving in time to prevent the assassination, he personally escorted Lin Chong to Cangzhou.

Lin Chong survived the journey but had to suffer the indignities of prison life as he did not have enough money to bribe the guards. He managed to meet up with a friend Chai Jing in the forest outside camp, who was more than happy to help Lin Chong with his “expenses”. However, Chai’s martial arts master was jealous of Lin’s prowess and reputation and challenged him to a duel.

When Master Hong could not defeat Lin Chong on his own, he ganged up with some villagers to kill him. Lin Chong easily defeated them with his staff. All the guards and the villagers were impressed, and Lin Chong had an easier time in the camp. Meanwhile, Lu Zhi Sheng sought shelter at a dilapidated temple and found out their current state of distress was due to the machinations of an evil priest and Taoist monk. After he was rescued from near starvation by Shi Jin, he avenged himself on these two tormentors and rescued the temple’s occupants from their evil influence.

Lu Zhishen passed through Peach Blossom Village and learned that a bandit chief planned to abduct Old Master Liu’s daughter. He disguised himself as the girl, ambushed the bandit Zhou Tong, and drove him off, later forcing the Peach Blossom Mountain bandits to abandon the marriage plot when their leader Li Zhong recognized Lu Zhishen. Disdainful of Li Zhong’s greed and criminal ways, Lu Zhishen refused to join them and left. Meanwhile, at Cangzhou’s penal camp, Lin Chong was warned of a murder plot tied to Gao Yaonei. While guarding a fodder yard in a snowstorm, Lin dreamed of his wife and awoke in sorrow.

Lin Chong is framed by Grand Marshal Gao, who covets Lady Lin and schemes to have Lin Chong killed. After being transferred to guard the fodder yard, Lin Chong narrowly escapes death when it is set on fire. Hiding in the Mountain God Temple, he overhears Lu Qian and Fu An confess their plot and learns the truth. Enraged, Lin Chong kills them and becomes a wanted man. Unable to return home, he refuses Chai Jin’s shelter and heads for Liangshan. However, the jealous chieftain Wang Lun refuses to accept him.

After Du Qian and Song Wan intercede, Wang Lun agrees to accept Lin Chong only if he proves loyalty by killing someone. Lin Chong hesitates to harm innocents and finally encounters Yang Zhi, fighting him to a standstill. Yang Zhi refuses to join the outlaws and leaves. In the capital, he is rejected by Gao Qiu, kills the bully Niu Er by accident, and is exiled. Governor Liang Zhongshu pardons him, recognizes his martial skill, and retains him as a constable. After defeating several challengers and drawing with Suo Chao, Yang Zhi is entrusted with escorting a birthday tribute.

Yang Zhi agrees to escort the birthday tribute after Liang Zhongshu promises him future honors. To avoid bandits, he disguises his soldiers as merchants and tightly controls the escort, breeding resentment through harsh discipline. Chao Gai and Wu Yong plot to seize the tribute, using Bai Sheng as bait despite his unreliability as a gambler. After mishaps at a gambling den, the plan is salvaged. In extreme heat, Yang Zhi rests in a grove, where Chao Gai’s group pose as traders and Bai Sheng appears as a wine seller. Though the soldiers crave wine, Yang Zhi suspects a trap and forbids it.

Unable to endure the heat, Xie Duguang and the soldiers insist on buying wine despite Yang Zhi’s objections. Chao Gai and Wu Yong feign drinking first, luring the soldiers to buy the drugged wine, which knocks everyone unconscious. The birthday tribute is seized, and Chao Gai is acclaimed leader of the seven. Xie Duguang and the guards flee and frame Yang Zhi, who despairs but is dissuaded from suicide by Gongsun Sheng. He Tao is ordered to solve the case, arrests Bai Sheng, and under torture learns the conspirators’ names. Unaware of Song Jiang’s ties to Chao Gai, He Tao asks him to deliver the arrest warrant, allowing Song Jiang to secretly warn them to escape.

County Magistrate Shi Wenbin ordered Lei Heng and Zhu Tong to help He Tao capture Chao Gai and his men. Song Jiang secretly guided Zhu Tong to lead them along an unguarded path, allowing Chao Gai to escape. He Tao, frustrated, later attempted to capture the Ruan brothers on Liao’erwa Lake, but they used their swimming skills to subdue his troops. Chao Gai spared He Tao’s life and fled with his men to Liangshan. Wang Lun refused to harbor them, but Lin Chong, impressed by Chao Gai and Wu Yong, threatened action. During a banquet, Lin Chong killed Wang Lun and proposed Chao Gai as Liangshan’s new leader, securing everyone’s respect.

A new clerk, Zhang Wenyuan, arrives in Yuncheng, and Song Jiang kindly lends him money. On his way, he meets Yan Po and her daughter, Yan Xijiao, a talented singer who secretly admires him. Xijiao, determined to win Song Jiang, lures him to a tavern and publicly declares her love. To protect her reputation, Song Jiang reluctantly agrees to take her and her mother to the Wulong Courtyard as concubines. Though he cannot marry her, he preserves her honor by making them sworn siblings. Despite initial resistance, Xijiao complies, and they share an intimate night before Song Jiang departs for work.

Yan Xijiao grew increasingly lonely and restless while waiting for Song Jiang at the Wulong Courtyard. Despite her efforts to greet him and gain his attention, he remained preoccupied, leaving her frustrated. Over time, she noticed Zhang Wenyuan passing by and, after teasing him, eventually engaged in a secret affair with him. They devised a signal using a red silk scarf for their clandestine meetings. Meanwhile, Lei Heng, having heard rumors about Song Jiang, warned Zhang Wenyuan to be cautious, adding tension to the secret liaison. Yan Xijiao’s loneliness and desire drove her into this illicit and risky affair.

Song Jiang initially refused to believe the warnings about Yan Xijiao, but her secret meetings with Zhang Wenyuan became too frequent to ignore. Her mother and friends tried to intervene, and Zhu Tong and others forced Zhang Wenyuan to confess, yet Song Jiang surprisingly released him. Later, Song Jiang encountered Liu Tang, who delivered gifts and letters of thanks from Chao Gai and the outlaws; Liu Tang urged him to join them, but he refused. Confronting Yan Xijiao about her affair, she admitted it defiantly. After disputes over marriage terms escalated, Song Jiang, in a fit of rage, killed her, shocking her mother.

Amid the Wulong Monastery fire, Lady Yan framed Song Jiang for murder after he killed Zhang Wenyuan for his daughter’s adultery, leading to his exile despite his family’s protection. Lu Zhishen searched for Lin Chong but found Erlong Mountain’s bandit leader, Deng Long, who feared him. After defeating Deng Long in combat, Lu Zhishen was briefly captured through Yang Zhi’s schemes but overpowered the bandit chief. Yang Zhi proposed they jointly seize Erlong Mountain to better receive Lin Chong. Meanwhile, Song Jiang accepted punishment for peace of mind, Lei Heng and Zhu Tong secretly aided him, and Lu Zhishen prepared for future alliances.

Before his exile, Song Jiang visited his father and parted with deep emotion. Following his brother Song Qing’s advice, he visited Chai Jin, who warmly welcomed him. There, Song Jiang met Wu Song, recovering from illness, and the two quickly became sworn brothers after Song Jiang gifted him silver. While traveling through Jingyang Ridge, Wu Song drank eighteen bowls of strong tavern wine, ignoring warnings about a man-eating white tiger terrorizing the area. That night, Wu Song faced the tiger, using his immense strength and martial skill to slay it. His heroic feat spread across Yanggu County, earning him great fame.

Wu Song returned to Yanggu County as a celebrated hero after slaying the tiger. On the street, he recognized his long-lost brother, Wu Dalang, immediately kneeling and calling him “Brother,” moving Wu Dalang and the crowd. Reunited, Wu Song took over Wu Dalang’s steamed bun stall, and the brothers returned home, sharing warmth and joy. Pan Jinlian, impressed by Wu Song’s martial prowess, encouraged him to demonstrate his skills, mesmerizing neighbors and elevating Wu Dalang’s status. Though Wu Song was invited to live at the magistrate’s yamen, Pan Jinlian persuaded him to stay home, solidifying his presence and prompting further admiration from the community.

Pan Jinlian attentively cared for Wu Song, serving him tea, helping him change, and presenting new clothes, though Wu Song merely appreciated her thoughtfulness. Wu Da felt warmth seeing his family together. Ximen Qing, wealthy and lustful, was captivated by Pan Jinlian after being struck by her beauty and learned of her family from neighbor Wang Po, intensifying his desire to seduce her. Meanwhile, Wu Da aimed to find a suitable wife for Wu Song, insisting he settle down despite Pan Jinlian’s protests. Amid heavy snow, Wu Song accompanied Wu Da home, bringing gifts that delighted Pan Jinlian, who immediately tried to charm him.

Pan Jinlian provoked Wu Song by offering him her half-empty wine cup, causing him to recoil, curse her, and flee. She feigned outrage, accusing him of misconduct in front of Wu Da, who tried to calm her but remained skeptical. Meanwhile, Ximen Qing pursued Pan Jinlian, bribing Madam Wang to facilitate his seduction plan. He then offered gifts to the magistrate, arranging for Wu Song to serve as an escort to Dongjing. Wu Song, aware of potential trouble at home, visited Wu Da to caution him and subtly warned Pan Jinlian to behave, angering her. Wu Song then prepared to depart.

Wu Song bid farewell to his elder brother Wu Da, who knelt in respect, while Pan Jinlian, encouraged by Wang Po, sewed funeral garments at the teahouse. Ximen Qing arrived, praising Pan Jinlian’s skills and beauty. Wu Da, impressed by her efforts, advised her to bring a token of gratitude, which Pan Jinlian delivered to Madam Wang, who served Ximen Qing honeyed tea. Seizing the opportunity, Ximen Qing visited Wang Po’s house under the pretext of domestic troubles, flattered Pan Jinlian with compliments, and subtly touched her feet. Pan Jinlian feigned resistance but gradually yielded, and under Madam Wang’s threats, agreed to secretly meet Ximen Qing daily.

Pan Jinlian secretly met with Ximen Qing, neglecting her husband Wu Da, who returned home to an empty house. Street vendor Yuan Ge discovered their affair and informed Wu Da, who stormed Wang Po’s teahouse. Ximen Qing fled, while Wu Da confronted Pan Jinlian at home, threatening to tell Wu Song. Terrified, Pan Jinlian complied with Madam Wang’s scheming plan: under Ximen Qing’s persuasion, she poisoned Wu Da’s medicine with arsenic. Despite his protests at the bitter taste, Pan Jinlian forced him to drink it. Wu Da died instantly, leaving Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing free to pursue their illicit relationship.

Wu Song returned home to find his brother Wu Da dead and learned from Pan Jinlian’s lies that he supposedly died of a heart ailment. Skeptical, Wu Song investigated with coroner He Jiushu, uncovering that Wu Da had been poisoned by Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing. When the magistrate refused to take the case, Wu Song took matters into his own hands, interrogating Pan Jinlian at home until she confessed. Enraged, Wu Song personally executed both Pan Jinlian’s accomplice and Ximen Qing. Honoring his fallen brother, he paid tribute at Wu Da’s altar. The magistrate, acknowledging the circumstances, exiled Wu Song to Mengzhou.

Wu Song traveled with escort officers who treated him as a brother. At Crossroads Hill, a passerby warned them against staying at Zhang Family Inn, claiming its proprietress, Sun Erniang, drugged and killed guests to make meat buns. Skeptical, Wu Song insisted on lodging there, hiding rocks in their luggage as fake valuables. Sun Erniang, beautiful and strong, attempted to drug Wu Song and his companions, but her husband Zhang Qing accidentally spoiled her first attempt. Undeterred, Sun Erniang tried again, but Wu Song feigned unconsciousness and thwarted her. A fierce fight broke out, with Zhang Qing defending both Wu Song and his wife, revealing Sun Erniang’s tragic past.

Wu Song encountered Sun Erniang’s inn, where she and her husband Zhang Qing initially planned to rob and kill him. Seeing through their scheme, Wu Song tested their character, and discovering their true loyalty and righteousness, he proposed a sworn brotherhood. The three bonded warmly, and Zhang Qing offered to kill the constables or introduce Wu Song to bandit life, but Wu Song refused, valuing the kindness shown by the officers. Later, at Mengzhou Prison, Wu Song antagonized guards despite warnings, but Shi En, the junior warden, intervened, providing him with fine meals while keeping his identity secret. Wu Song’s insistence eventually prompted Shi En to begin revealing the truth.

Shi En told Wu Song that his thriving shop near the Joyous Grove had been seized by Jiang Menshen, who had also beaten Shi En. Furious, Wu Song vowed revenge. To avoid alerting Jiang prematurely, Shi En introduced Wu Song to his father, the Garrison Commander, who asked Wu Song to become his sworn elder brother. Wu Song accepted, and they celebrated with wine. Using a clever ruse, Wu Song feigned excessive drinking to ease tension before confronting Jiang Menshen at the Pleasure Grove. Wu Song defeated Jiang, imposed three conditions, and released him. Later, the Deputy Commander of Mengzhou hosted

At a banquet, Inspector Zhang forcibly betrothed Yulan to Wu Song despite his refusals, later framing Wu Song and having him imprisoned on death row. Shi En, alarmed, discovered Jiang Menshen was still in Mengzhou and had conspired with Zhang Dujian to trap Wu Song. He enlisted Kang Jieji and Ye Kongmu to aid in Wu Song’s case. Yulan tried to help but was imprisoned. Bribes and interventions led to Wu Song’s sentence being reduced to hard labor in Enzhou. During his journey, Wu Song killed two assassins sent by Jiang Menshen and Inspector Zhang, who, meanwhile, celebrated at the Mandarin Duck Pavilion, expecting Wu Song’s death.

After slaughtering Jiang Menshen and his accomplices at Mandarin Duck Pavilion, Wu Song openly signed his name, prompting officials to hunt him down. Captured by Zhang Qing’s men, he was secretly protected by Zhang Qing and Sun Erniang, who admired his righteousness and helped him flee disguised as a monk toward Erlong Mountain. Along the way, Wu Song killed a corrupt Taoist priest committing rape and aided the victim. At an inn, he clashed with Kong Liang over unfair treatment, defeated him, and calmly endured severe beatings ordered by Kong Ming until Song Jiang arrived and stopped the violence.

Song Jiang recognized Wu Song and freed him, introducing him to Kong Ming and Kong Liang. A misunderstanding at the inn was resolved when the innkeeper proved to be Kong Taigong, prompting laughter and reconciliation. Wu Song chose to head for Erlong Mountain, declining Song Jiang’s invitation to Qingfeng Fortress. On the way, Song Jiang was captured by Yan Shun and Wang Ying, who treated him respectfully after learning his identity. Song Jiang rescued Commander Liu’s wife from Wang Ying’s advances, forced her release, and later reached Qingfeng Fortress, where Hua Rong harbored hidden hostility toward Liu Zhizhai.

During the Lantern Festival, Song Jiang was falsely accused by Liu Zhizhai and his ungrateful wife and sent for punishment despite having rescued her earlier. Hua Rong attempted a rescue but was trapped, and both were imprisoned. Wang Ying led Qingfeng Mountain outlaws to rescue them, killing Liu Zhizhai. The prefect sent Qin Ming to suppress the bandits, but he was captured through strategy. Treated honorably, Qin Ming refused to defect out of loyalty to the court and returned home, only to find his household in distress, foreshadowing his tragic fate.

Qin Ming was barred from the city and learned his entire family had been executed, driving him back to Qingfeng Mountain seeking vengeance. Wang Ying and Liu Tang revealed they had impersonated him to force his defection, unintentionally causing the tragedy. Though enraged, Song Jiang spared them after Qin Ming pleaded mercy. Qin Ming joined the band and married Hua Rong’s sister. The heroes attacked Qingfeng Fortress, then resolved to flee to Liangshan. Song Jiang insisted on accepting exile to Jiangzhou but was intercepted and invited to Liangshan, where new heroes joined before he departed.

Song Jiang and Xue Yong escaped Mu Chun by boarding Zhang Heng’s boat but fell into another trap until Li Jun rescued them, after which the river heroes acknowledged Song Jiang as their leader. In Jiangzhou, Song Jiang befriended Dai Zong and met the unruly Li Kui, whose impulsive behavior Song Jiang repeatedly resolved with generosity and calm authority. A gambling incident and a fish-market brawl led to Li Kui’s near drowning by Zhang Shun, later revealed as Zhang Heng’s brother. The misunderstanding cleared, the four men drank together and became sworn brothers, deepening Song Jiang’s growing influence.

Lin Chong and Wu Yong visited Erlong Mountain to invite its heroes to join Liangshan, but Lu Zhishen and the others refused, distrusting Chao Gai’s cause and insisting only Song Jiang could unite them. Lu Zhishen revealed his past tragedy and vengeance, urging Lin Chong to stay, but Lin Chong chose to return to Liangshan. Meanwhile in Jiangzhou, Song Jiang lived freely despite his exile, yet felt deeply conflicted. Drinking alone, he reflected on his unfulfilled ambitions, lost direction, and uncertain reputation, torn between sorrow, hope, and restless longing as intoxication clouded his mind.

After drunkenly composing a poem hinting at rebellion, Song Jiang was reported by Huang Wenbing to Prefect Cai Jiu and arrested. Dai Zong warned Song Jiang and advised him to feign madness, which Song Jiang did convincingly, even enduring extreme humiliation. Though Cai Jiu was nearly deceived, Huang Wenbing accused Song Jiang of pretending, leading to renewed interrogation, brutal torture, and imprisonment in a death cell. Cai Jiu sent Dai Zong to deliver a report to the capital. En route, Dai Zong was captured near Liangshan, the letter seized, and Wu Yong devised a plan to intercept the reply and rescue Song Jiang.

Dai Zong brought Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian to Liangshan, where they were forced to join the band and forged a letter in Cai Jing’s name to save Song Jiang. Though the plan nearly succeeded, Huang Wenbing exposed the forged seal, and Dai Zong was imprisoned with Song Jiang. Cai Jiu ordered both executed. As panic spread, Liangshan heroes and Jiangzhou allies prepared a rescue. On the execution day, the heroes infiltrated the crowd in disguise. Li Kui struck first, killing the executioner and causing chaos, allowing Song Jiang and Dai Zong to be rescued and escape by water.