Hao Siwen is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Wood Dog of Well", he ranks 41st among the 108 Stars of Destiny and fifth among the 72 Earthly Fiends. Background After dreaming of the "Wood Dog of Well" (a stellar deity who resides in the constellation of Gemini) entering her body, Hao Siwen's mother becomes pregnant and gives birth to him. Believed to be an incarnation of the divinity, Hao is nicknamed the "Wood Dog of Well". Although a skilled warrior, he holds a minor military position in Pudong County (蒲東縣; in present-day Dezhou, Shandong). Becoming an outlaw When the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh attack Daming Prefecture to rescue Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu, Grand Secretary Liang Shijie, the governor of Daming, seeks help from the Imperial Tutor Cai Jing, his father-in-law, in the Song imperial capital Dongjing. Xuan Zan, a minor officer under Cai, recommends his friend Guan Sheng, a military inspector in Pudong County, as cut out for the job. With the assent of Cao, Xuan rushes to Pudong, where he finds Guan in his office discussing the rise and fall of past dynasties with his sworn brother Hao Siwen. Guan takes Hao along to the imperial court, where he is tasked with saving Daming and the latter appointed his lieutenant together with Xuan Zan. Guan Sheng adopts the strategy of attacking Liangshan to force Song Jiang to lift the siege on Daming. Things develop as he has expected. But, in face of many good fighters, Guan finds it a daunting task to squash Liangshan. Huyan Zhuo, a former imperial general who has gone over to Liangshan after failing to conquer the stronghold, comes to Guan one night alone, claiming that his capitulation to the outlaws is a sham. Guan is duped by Huyan to conduct a night raid on the camp of Song Jiang. When he gets there, he is pulled off his horse by hook wielders waiting in ambush and captured. Meanwhile, Xuan Zan is no match for Qin Ming and is seized too. Hao Siwen takes flight facing the formidable Lin Chong and Hua Rong. Hu Sanniang catches up with him, catches him with her lasso and pulls him off his horse. Moved by the warm and kind treatment of Song Jiang, the three transfer their allegiance to Liangshan. Informed of Guan Sheng's defection,