The emperor appoints him the chief commander of the mission, with Han Tao and Peng Qi as his lieutenants.

In his first encounter with Liangshan, Huyan Zhuo lost Peng Qi, who was captured by Hu Sanniang and won over by Song Jiang.

Meanwhile, Huyan requested the court to send Ling Zhen, an artillery officer and cannon maker, over to shell Liangshan.

Ling's cannons hit the far shores of the marsh, striking fear among the outlaws.

Tang Long suggested to Song Jiang that his cousin Xu Ning, a infantry lance instructor in Dongjing, could annihilate Huyan's cavalry.

He headed to Qingzhou (in present-day Shandong) alone, hoping to redeem himself under the local governor Murong Yanda.

Reaching Qingzhou (or Qing prefecture, 青州), he gets Murong's approval to attack Mount Peach Blossom, whose chieftains are Li Zhong and Zhou Tong.

Twin Dragons‘ Lu Zhishen, Yang Zhi and Wu Song are formidable fighters, but the other two strongholds were easily beaten.

He participated in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.

Huyan's death in the hands of Wuzhu, a Jurchen prince, is portrayed in the novel General Yue Fei.