Song Qing
Encyclopedia
Song Qing is a fictional character in the Water Margin
, one of the Four Great Classical Novels
of Chinese literature
. He ranks 76th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 40th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Iron Fan".
. In contrast with his brother (who used to be a magistrate's clerk and famous philanthropist), Song Qing is less known and leads a simpler life as a farmer.
After Song Jiang is forced to flee from home and become an outlaw, Song Qing writes a letter to his brother, telling him that their father had died. Shi Yong
helps to deliver the letter to Song Jiang on Mount Qingfeng. Song Jiang weeps after reading his brother's letter and rushes home immediately. However, he discovers later that Song Qing had lied to him and their father is still alive and well. Actually, Song Qing was following their father's instruction to write the letter, because their father misses Song Jiang and wants him to come home soon. Unfortunately, Song Jiang is arrested by the authorities after returning home. He is convicted of murdering Yan Poxi and sentenced to exile in Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
).
after escaping death in Jiangzhou. He returns to Yuncheng County to fetch his family to Liangshan with him. However, he is being watched by the government, who send soldiers to surround his house and arrest him when he returns home. Luckily, the outlaws have been following him secretly and they help him drive away the soldiers. The outlaws help to escort Song Jiang and his family safely back to Liangshan.
Song Qing is placed in charge of organising banquets at Liangshan after the Grand Assembly. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao
invaders and rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. He is one of the few survivors from Liangshan after the campaigns and the emperor offers him an official post in recognition of his contributions. However, Song Qing declines the offer and returns home to lead a simple peasant life.
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 76th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 40th of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Iron Fan".
Background
Song Qing is the younger brother of Song JiangSong 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...
. In contrast with his brother (who used to be a magistrate's clerk and famous philanthropist), Song Qing is less known and leads a simpler life as a farmer.
After Song Jiang is forced to flee from home and become an outlaw, Song Qing writes a letter to his brother, telling him that their father had died. Shi Yong
Shi Yong
Shi Yong is a fictional character in the Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. He ranks 99th of the 108 Liangshan heroes and 63rd of the 72 Earthly Fiends. He is nicknamed "Stone General".-Background:...
helps to deliver the letter to Song Jiang on Mount Qingfeng. Song Jiang weeps after reading his brother's letter and rushes home immediately. However, he discovers later that Song Qing had lied to him and their father is still alive and well. Actually, Song Qing was following their father's instruction to write the letter, because their father misses Song Jiang and wants him to come home soon. Unfortunately, Song Jiang is arrested by the authorities after returning home. He is convicted of murdering Yan Poxi and sentenced to exile in Jiangzhou (present-day Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
).
Joining Liangshan
Song Jiang joins the outlaw band at Liangshan MarshMount Liang
Mount Liang is a mountain in Liangshan County, Shandong province, China which rises to 197.9 m above sea level. It is well known as the stronghold of the 108 legendary Song Dynasty heroes of the classic Chinese novel Water Margin...
after escaping death in Jiangzhou. He returns to Yuncheng County to fetch his family to Liangshan with him. However, he is being watched by the government, who send soldiers to surround his house and arrest him when he returns home. Luckily, the outlaws have been following him secretly and they help him drive away the soldiers. The outlaws help to escort Song Jiang and his family safely back to Liangshan.
Song Qing is placed in charge of organising banquets at Liangshan after the Grand Assembly. He follows the heroes on their campaigns against the Liao
Liao 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 rebel forces after they have been granted amnesty by the emperor. He is one of the few survivors from Liangshan after the campaigns and the emperor offers him an official post in recognition of his contributions. However, Song Qing declines the offer and returns home to lead a simple peasant life.