Lin Chong, an instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards under Grand Marshal Gao Qiu, was exceptionally skilled in martial arts and earned the nickname "Leopard Head."
Gao Qiu's adopted son, Gao Yanei, spotted Lin Chong's wife, Zhang, at a temple and tried to harass her, but Lin Chong drove him off. Gao Yanei then plotted with Lu Qian and Fu An: Lu Qian lured Lin Chong to a tavern for drinks while Fu An tricked Zhang into Lu Qian's home. When Lin Chong discovered the scheme, he rushed to rescue his wife. Gao Yanei, terrified by the confrontation, fell ill from shock.
To seize Lin Chong's wife for his son, Gao Qiu conspired with Lu Qian and Fu An, devising a venomous plot to frame Lin Chong.
A few days later, Lin Chong bought a mysterious precious sword on the street. Having heard that Grand Marshal Gao Qiu's mansion also possessed a fine blade, he secretly hoped for a chance to compare them. Just then, two officers from the marshal's estate arrived, summoning Lin Chong to bring his sword to the mansion for a contest. Lin Chong followed them inside and was led into the "White Tiger Hall," where national military affairs were discussed. Gao Qiu immediately accused him, "You have entered this hall with a drawn blade, intending to murder me!" and ordered his arrest for execution. Lin Chong cried out, "I am innocent!" and was sent to Kaifeng Prefecture for trial. The prefecture sentenced him to twenty heavy strokes and exile in Cangzhou. Unrelenting, Gao Qiu bribed Lu Qian to pay off the escorts, who planned to kill Lin Chong at the Wild Boar Forest. Fortunately, Lu Zhishen arrived in time to rescue him, sparing Lin Chong's life.
After arriving in Cangzhou, Lin Chong was assigned to guard the Heavenly King Hall, settling into life as a prisoner. But Gao Qiu, determined to kill Lin Chong so his son could seize Lin Chong's wife, sent Lu Qian and Fu An to Cangzhou. They conspired with the prison warden and the head jailer to transfer Lin Chong to watch over the fodder depot. One snowy night, Lu Qian, Fu An, and the head jailer set fire to the depot, intending to burn Lin Chong alive. Overcome with rage, Lin Chong killed all three of these villainous henchmen, and was subsequently hunted by the authorities.
Driven into a corner with no way out, Lin Chong received help and guidance from the "Whirlwind" Chai Jin, leading him to seek refuge with the rebel army on Mount Liang.
Later, the idiom "Driven to Join the Liangshan Rebels" generally refers to being forced to rise up in resistance, or being compelled by circumstances to take a certain action.
Source: *Water Margin*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "逼上梁山" came to describe being forced to rise up in resistance, or being compelled by circumstances to take a certain action.