Qin Ming
Encyclopedia
Qin Ming is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 7th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Fiery Thunderbolt".
). He earns his nickname "Fiery Thunderbolt" for his almost barbaric temper, which is continuously emphasized in the novel, and his thunderous voice. Qin Ming is peerless in the use of his wolf-toothed mace. The Water Margin describes him as having a physical appearance and characteristics almost similar to Zhang Fei.
In the early chapters of the novel, Qin Ming hears that Hua Rong
of Qingfeng Fort has rebelled and become an outlaw. He is furious and volunteers to lead an army from Qingzhou to eliminate the outlaws on Mount Qingfeng. He engages Hua Rong in a duel but neither emerges the victor. Hua Rong feigns defeat and retreats to lure Qin Ming into an ambush. Qin Ming falls in the trap and is captured the outlaws. Song Jiang
tries to persuade Qin Ming to join them but Qin refuses and stays overnight at the stronghold on Mount Qingfeng.
Qin Ming is determined to devote the rest of his life to the Liangshan cause. He rides alone to Qingfeng Fort and succeeds in persuading Huang Xin
to join the outlaw band. Huang Xin opens the gates of the fort and allows the outlaws to enter and capture the fort. Ranked one place above Lin Chong
, Qin Ming later becomes one of the Five Tiger Generals
of the Liangshan cavalry and plays an important role in the battles against Liangshan's enemies. In a later chapter after the battle of Qingzhou, he kills Murong Yanda to avenge his family.
invaders and the rebel forces of Tian Hu
, Wang Qing
and Fang La
, making great contributions to the nation. During the calamitous Fang La campaign, Qin Ming is assigned to lead an attack on Qingxi County. He encounters the enemy general Fang Jie
and they engage in a man-on-man duel. Du Wei
hurls his flying daggers at Qin Ming to distract him during the duel. Qin Ming is successful in dodging the daggers but he is distracted and Fang Jie seizes the opportunity to spear him. Qin Ming falls off his horse and dies.
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
Four Great Classical Novels
The Four Great Classical Novels, or the Four Major Classical Novels of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly regarded by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well known to most Chinese readers...
of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
. He ranks 7th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Fiery Thunderbolt".
Background
Qin Ming is an imperial general serving in Qingzhou (in present-day ShandongShandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
). He earns his nickname "Fiery Thunderbolt" for his almost barbaric temper, which is continuously emphasized in the novel, and his thunderous voice. Qin Ming is peerless in the use of his wolf-toothed mace. The Water Margin describes him as having a physical appearance and characteristics almost similar to Zhang Fei.
In the early chapters of the novel, Qin Ming hears that Hua Rong
Hua Rong
Hua Rong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 9th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Little Li Guang".-Background:...
of Qingfeng Fort has rebelled and become an outlaw. He is furious and volunteers to lead an army from Qingzhou to eliminate the outlaws on Mount Qingfeng. He engages Hua Rong in a duel but neither emerges the victor. Hua Rong feigns defeat and retreats to lure Qin Ming into an ambush. Qin Ming falls in the trap and is captured the outlaws. Song Jiang
Song Jiang
Song Jiang was the leader of a group of outlaws who lived during the Song Dynasty. The outlaws were active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan before their eventual surrender to the government. Song Jiang is also featured as a character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great...
tries to persuade Qin Ming to join them but Qin refuses and stays overnight at the stronghold on Mount Qingfeng.
Becoming an outlaw
The next day when Qin Ming returns to Qingzhou, he grows suspicious after seeing smoke but no travelers. When he reaches the outskirts of town, he finds that a village that was previously home to hundreds had been completely devastated by fire; the ground is littered with rubble and hundreds of scorched corpses. Upon reaching the city gates, Qin Ming, to his surprise, is reprimanded and denounced as a traitor by Qingzhou's governor Murong Yanda. Believing that Qin Ming had rebelled against him, Murong Yanda had Qin's entire family executed. Qin Ming is then driven back by a volley of arrows. Now seething with anger, Qin Ming meets Song Jiang and a few other outlaws on the road. They escort him back to Liangshan and explain how they disguised themselves as him and his troops and attacked Qingzhou the previous night while he was asleep. Initially furious, Qin Ming eventually comes to accept that his misfortune was predestined, and he is moved by the outlaws' courteous treatment towards him. His anger abates entirely after Song Jiang arranges for a marriage between Qin Ming and Hua Rong's younger sister as an act of "compensation" for Qin's losses.Qin Ming is determined to devote the rest of his life to the Liangshan cause. He rides alone to Qingfeng Fort and succeeds in persuading Huang Xin
Huang Xin
Huang Xin is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 38th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 2nd of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Guardian of Three Mountains".-Background:...
to join the outlaw band. Huang Xin opens the gates of the fort and allows the outlaws to enter and capture the fort. Ranked one place above Lin Chong
Lin Chong
Lin Chong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 6th of the 36 Heavenly Spirits of the 108 Liangshan heroes and is nicknamed "Panther Head"...
, Qin Ming later becomes one of the Five Tiger Generals
Five Tiger Generals
The Five Tiger Generals is a popular appellation in Chinese culture for any five military generals serving under a ruler. This term is used in literature texts, plays and popular culture. In the historical context, "Five Tiger Generals" usually refers to the five best military generals serving...
of the Liangshan cavalry and plays an important role in the battles against Liangshan's enemies. In a later chapter after the battle of Qingzhou, he kills Murong Yanda to avenge his family.
Death
After the Liangshan outlaws have been granted amnesty by the emperor, Qin Ming follows them on their campaigns against the LiaoLiao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
invaders and the rebel forces of Tian Hu
Tian Hu
Tian Hu is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Tian Hu is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Wang Qing, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Biography:Tian...
, Wang Qing
Wang Qing
Wang Qing is one of the antagonists in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Wang Qing is one of the three rebel leaders in China, together with Fang La and Tian Hu, that the Liangshan heroes have to defeat in the final chapters of the novel.-Early life:The...
and Fang La
Fang La
Fang La was a rebel leader who lived during the Song Dynasty. He is also featured as one of the antagonists and nemesis of the 108 Liangshan heroes in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.-Biography:...
, making great contributions to the nation. During the calamitous Fang La campaign, Qin Ming is assigned to lead an attack on Qingxi County. He encounters the enemy general Fang Jie
Fang Jie
Fang Jie is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Fang Jie is the nephew of the rebel leader, Fang La, one of the antagonists and enemy of the 108 Liangshan outlaws. He is best known for slaying Liangshan's Qin Ming in a duel with...
and they engage in a man-on-man duel. Du Wei
Du Wei (Water Margin)
Du Wei is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. Du Wei is a general of the rebel leader, Fang La, one of the antagonists and enemy of the 108 Liangshan outlaws...
hurls his flying daggers at Qin Ming to distract him during the duel. Qin Ming is successful in dodging the daggers but he is distracted and Fang Jie seizes the opportunity to spear him. Qin Ming falls off his horse and dies.