exiled convict; penal soldier
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
exiled convict sentenced to military service; penal colony soldier
archaicPrimarily found in early vernacular Chinese (e.g., Ming and Qing dynasty novels such as *Water Margin*). The term refers to criminals who were tattooed (刺字), exiled to remote border regions, and forced to serve as garrison soldiers.
Tā他
yīn因
zuì罪
bèi被
pàn判
chōng充
jūn军
，
chéng成
wéi为
yī一
míng名
pèi配
jūn军
，
fā发
pèi配
dào到
cāng沧
zhōu州
。
He was sentenced to military exile for his crimes and became a penal soldier, banished to Cangzhou.
《
shuǐ水
hǔ浒
zhuàn传
》
zhōng中
，
lín林
chōng冲
biàn便
shì是
bèi被
gāo高
qiú俅
xiàn陷
hài害
，
cì刺
pèi配
cāng沧
zhōu州
dào道
de的
pèi配
jūn军
。
In *Water Margin*, Lin Chong was framed by Gao Qiu and became a tattooed exile banished to Cangzhou.
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Zhè这
xiē些
pèi配
jūn军
zài在
biān边
jiāng疆
xiū修
zhù筑
chéng城
qiáng墙
，
shù戍
shǒu守
yào要
sài塞
，
kǔ苦
bù不
kān堪
yán言
。
These penal soldiers built city walls and guarded fortresses at the frontier, suffering unbearable hardships.