Li Ying (Water Margin)

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Li Ying
Water Margin character
Liying.jpg
An illustration of Li Ying by Chen Hongshou.
First appearanceChapter 47
Nickname"Striking Hawk"
撲天雕
Rank11th, Wealth Star (天富星) of the 36 Heavenly Spirits
Chief accountant of Liangshan
OriginMaster of the Li Family Village
Ancestral home / Place of originYunzhou, Zhongshan Prefecture (around present-day Dongping County, Shandong)
WeaponSteel alloy spear (渾鐵點鋼槍); flying daggers (飛刀)
Names
Simplified Chinese 李应
Traditional Chinese 李應
Pinyin Lǐ Yìng
Wade–Giles Li Ying

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.

Contents

Background

The novel depicts Li Ying as unique-looking with eyes like those of a hawk, a head like that of a tiger, arms like those of an ape and a waist like that of a wolf. In battles he dons a red robe, rides a white stallion and wields a steel spear. He is known for his deadly accuracy in throwing daggers, for which he is nicknamed "Striking Hawk".

Li Ying is the master of the Li Family Manor, which stands with the Zhu and Hu Family Manors on the Lone Dragon Ridge (獨龍崗) located in Yunzhou (鄆州) (Zhongshan Prefecture (中山府) in present-day Dongping County, Shandong province). Wealthy and in command of a militia force, Li Ying is generous and likes to make friends with chivalrous men.

Battle of the Zhu Family Village

Shi Qian is seized by the Zhu Family Manor after he stole the only rooster of an inn under the Zhus and cooked it for meal. His companions Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu, who are travelling with him to join the Liangshan outlaws, stumble into the neighbouring Li Family Manor pursued by men of the Zhu family. They run into Li Ying's steward Du Xing, who has once received help from Yang Xiong in Jizhou when Yang was a chief warden. Du brings them to his master Li Ying, who thinks the incident could be easily resolved. He writes a letter to the Zhus, politely asking them to release Shi Qian. His request rejected, Li writes a second letter and sends Du Xing to deliver it to show he is earnest about the matter. This time the Zhus malign him, alleging that he is linked to Liangshan. Infuriated, Li leads some men to the Zhu Manor to avenge the insult. Zhu Biao hits Li Ying with an arrow, causing him to fall off his horse. Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu rush forth to pull him to safety.

Joining Liangshan

Yang Xiong and Shi Xiu reach Liangshan Marsh, their only hope to save Shi Qian. Chao Gai, the chief of Liangshan, sends Song Jiang to lead a military attack on the Zhu Family Manor. It is a tough fight that takes the outlaws three offensives to finally overrun the place. Li Ying did not participate in the battles because he wanted no association with the outlaws. Besides he was nursing his injured arm.

Song Jiang, however, wants to recruit Li Ying into his band. After finishing off the Zhus, he sends men to the Li Family Manor disguised as constables to "arrest" Li Ying and Du Xing for collaboration with outlaws. As the two are being "escorted" to the prefecture office, some Liangshan outlaws "rescue" them. When Li Ying realises he has been duped, he has no choice but to join the stronghold.

Campaigns and later life

Li Ying is placed in charge of Liangshan's accounts with Chai Jin 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.

Li Ying is one of the few Liangshan heroes who survive the campaigns. He is appointed an official in recognition of his contributions. Six months into his job, Li Ying learns that Chai Jin has resigned and returned home. He too feigns illness and quits his post. He and Du Xing go back to their manor at Lone Dragon Ridge and live in comfort for the rest of their lives.

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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.

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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.

<i>All Men Are Brothers</i> (TV series)

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.

<i>Outlaws of the Marsh</i> (TV series)

Outlaws of the Marsh is a Chinese television series adapted from Shi Nai'an's classical 14th century novel Water Margin. It was first broadcast on Shandong TV in China in 1983, and was not completed until 1986. The series was one of the earliest television dramas with an ancient China setting to be produced in mainland China. It was divided into different parts, each focusing on the story line of a certain character. Widely regarded as a classic in mainland China, the series won a Golden Eagle Award.

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