Is “Zhang Shun was shot to death by a volley of arrows while attacking Yongjin Gate in Hangzhou, and after death, his spirit possessed his brother Zhang Heng to slay Fang Tianding.” true?
According to the 《宋史》, the Fang La rebellion was suppressed by the main force of the imperial regular army led by Tong Guan, Han Shizhong, and others. Even if Song Jiang's rebel army participated in the suppression, they were by no means the main force, and the specific locations and details of the deaths of his generals are even more impossible to verify. Chapter 114 of the 《Water Margin》 writes: "可怜张顺英雄,就涌金门外水池中身死!" The plot of his death at Yongjin Gate and his posthumous appearance to split Fang Tianding in half is not only unsubstantiated but also carries folk superstition, being a fictional creation in the style of supernatural tales.
The Ghost of the White Stripe in the Waves at Yongjin Gate
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