| Shi Qian | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| First appearance | Chapter 46 |
| Nickname | "Flea on a Drum" 鼓上蚤 |
| Rank | 107th, Thief Star (地賊星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends |
| Scout leader of Liangshan | |
| Origin | Thief, tomb raider |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Gaotangzhou (present-day Gaotang County, Shandong) |
| Weapon | Pudao |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 时迁 |
| Traditional Chinese | 時遷 |
| Pinyin | Shí Qiān |
| Wade–Giles | Shih Ch'ien |
Shi Qian is a fictional character in Water Margin , one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Flea on a Drum", he ranks 107th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 71st among the 72 Earthly Fiends.
Shi Qian is a native of Gaotangzhou (高唐州; present-day Gaotang County, Shandong). He a masterful burglar who, with his slimness and small size, could nimbly scale walls and move on rooftops to get into premises. Nicknamed "Flea on a Drum" for his agility, Shi Qian lives in Jizhou (蓟州; present-day Ji County, Tianjin) and targets the homes there. He once ran into trouble with the authorities but got out of it helped by chief warden Yang Xiong.
One day, while stealing valuables from graves on Mount Cuiping, Shi Qian comes upon, undetected, Yang Xiong killing his infidel wife Pan Qiaoyun. Upon hearing Yang discussing with Shi Xiu about joining the outlaw band of Liangshan Marsh, he shows himself and asks them to take him along. On the way, the three stop to eat in an inn of the Zhu Family Manor.
A row breaks out between the trio and the innkeeper after Shi Qian stole the rooster of the inn and cooked it for meal as the place has no palatable food. After burning down the inn, they flee chased by dozens of men fetched by the innkeeper. But Shi Qian falls into a trap and is captured. Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu stumble into the neighbouring Li Family Manor, where they run into Du Xing, who has once received help from Yang at Jizhou. Du takes them to his master Li Ying, who writes two successive letters requesting the Zhus to release Shi Qian. But the Zhus refuse. Li Ying is injured by an arrow when he goes to confront them. Reaching Liangshan, Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu ask for its help to rescue Shi Qian. Shi is freed when Liangshan overruns the Zhu Family Manor in its third offensive.
Shi Qian makes major contributions when at Liangshan, the most notable being his role in duping Xu Ning, an imperial guard instructor, to join the band. The plan, devised by Xu's cousin Tang Long, requires Shi Qian to break into Xu's house in the imperial capital Dongjing to steal a precious heirloom of the instructor - an impenetrable lightweight armoured vest. Shi easily steals into Xu's house after nightfall and slithers onto the rafter on which the box containing the vest is kept. He stays there till daybreak before sneaking away with the box. Then Tang visits Xu, who is greatly upset over the loss, and claims that he has seen a man carrying a box fitting Xu's description. So Xu goes on a long chase after Shi Qian, accompanied by Tang, which leads him to the vicinity of Liangshan. He is then being drugged and taken up to the stronghold. Finding himself trapped, Xu has no choice but to join the band. Xu is needed by Liangshan for his skill in using the hooked lance -- a weapon that could fell the chain-linked armoured cavalry of the imperial general Huyan Zhuo, who is laying siege to the stronghold. Huyan's army is routed when his cavalry collapses pulled down by the hooked lance squad of Liangshan.
Shi Qian also plays a key role in rescuing Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu from the prison in Daming Prefecture. Wu Yong sends a number of chieftains to infiltrate Daming on the night of the Lantern Festival by mingling in the festive crowd. Shi Qian is assigned to set fire to the Jade Cloud Tower, a prominent landmark in the city, as a signal to them to launch a simultaneous rampage across the city. With the authorities thrown into panic and confusion, Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu are easily extracted from prison.
Shi Qian is appointed as one of the scout leaders of Liangshan after the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly. He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.
Shi Qian dies from an intestinal disease soon after the Liangshan force stamped out the rebellion of Fang La.
Song Jiang was the leader of a band of robbers who marauded over a region straddling the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan some time in the middle period of the Song dynasty. They finally surrendered to the government. The historical Song Jiang was turned into a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature, in which he is depicted as the leader of the 108 Stars of Destiny, who gather as bandits in Shandong's Liangshan Marsh.
Wu Yong is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Knowledgeable Star", he ranks third among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
Xu Ning is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Gold Lancer", he ranks 18th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
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Yan Qing is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Langzi", he ranks last among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
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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.
Li Ying is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Striking Hawk", he ranks 11th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
Yang Xiong is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Sick Guan Suo", he ranks 32nd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
Shi Xiu is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Daredevil Third Brother", he ranks 33rd among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
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Cai Fu is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Iron Arm", he ranks 94th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 58th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.
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The Water Margin, also known Outlaws of the Marsh and Seven Blows Of The Dragon, is a 1972 Hong Kong film adapted from the Chinese classical 14th-century novel Water Margin. It was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang Cheh.
The Water Margin is a 1998 Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's classical 14th-century novel of the same title. It was produced by CCTV with Zhang Jizhong as producer. It was first broadcast in China in January 1998. The series also featured action choreography by Yuen Woo-ping.
All Men Are Brothers is a 2011 Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's 14th century novel Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. The series is directed by Kuk Kwok-leung and features cast members from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The series was first broadcast on 8TV in March 2011 in Malaysia.