In the rivers and lakes of Liangshan's heroes, there is a puzzle that people can't figure out: Zhang Qing, a little man with mediocre martial arts, was able to defeat 15 heroes in Liangshan in a row! What is the secret of this? And what role did Yan Qing, this mysterious prodigal son, play in it? What kind of profound meaning did he have behind what he did? Let us walk into this confusing rivers and lakes together and uncover the veil of this puzzle.
1. The magic of Zhang Qing
In the rivers and lakes of Liangshan heroes, there is a frightening name - Zhang Qing, a feather arrow. This nickname comes from his amazing flying stone kung fu. Although Zhang Qing's martial arts are not outstanding, his flying stone skills have made countless heroes fearful.
It is said that Zhang Qing studied art under a mysterious master when he was young. This master is proficient in Qimen Dunjia, and he also has unique insights into the use of various hidden weapons. Under the careful guidance of the masters, Zhang Qing practiced the art of flying stones, and finally practiced an amazing skill.
Zhang Qing's flying stone kung fu has several unique features. First of all, he is able to launch flying stones in succession at a very fast speed, which is as dense as a shower, making it difficult for opponents to parry. Secondly, the flying stones he fired were so powerful that even a military general in heavy armor could not resist them. Moreover, Zhang Qing can control the direction and trajectory of the flying stone as he wants, so that the flying stone can hit the target accurately as if it has eyes.
It was with this stunt that Zhang Qing lost 15 heroes in a row in the battle with the heroes of Liangshan, including many first-class masters such as Hu Yanzhuo and Guan Sheng. Of these 15 heroes, some were knocked off their horses by flying stones, some were hit by vital points, and some were timid and did not dare to come forward to fight.
Zhang Qing's deeds of defeating the heroes of Liangshan soon spread in the rivers and lakes. Some people say that this is the magic of Zhang Qingfei's stone kung fu, others say that this is the result of Liangshan's heroes underestimating the enemy, and some people say that there is something hidden in this.
However, in any case, Zhang Qing's flying stone stunt has become a nightmare in the hearts of the heroes of Liangshan. Whenever Zhang Qing's name was mentioned, they would feel a burst of heart palpitations. This magical little person seems to have become an obstacle on their way to conquer the rivers and lakes, an insurmountable mountain.
And Zhang Qing has become more mysterious and awe-inspiring because of this. Although his martial arts skills are mediocre, he has left a strong mark in the rivers and lakes of Liangshan heroes with his flying stone skills. His existence seems to remind the heroes of Liangshan that there are still many unknown crises and challenges in this seemingly simple river and lake, which they need to face and overcome.
Zhang Qing's magic lies not only in his flying stone kung fu, but also in his courage and wisdom to defeat the strong with the weak. He told us that in this world, sometimes, seemingly ordinary people can create extraordinary miracles. And those heroes who are high up in the sky also need to be vigilant at all times, and they can't easily underestimate any opponent.
Second, the reaction of the heroes of Liangshan
When Zhang Qing's flying stone attack struck, although the heroes of Liangshan were all first-class martial arts masters, they were also helpless in the face of this trick that they had never encountered.
The first to bear the brunt was one of the five tiger generals of Liangshan, Thunderbolt Fire Qin Ming. Qin Ming relied on his strong martial arts skills, and he didn't pay attention to Zhang Qing's flying stone technique. He stepped forward and faced Zhang Qing, ready to use a strong internal force to shake all the flying stones into the air. However, when the dense flying stones roared in, Qin Ming found that his internal strength could not completely resist these seemingly ordinary stones. A few flying stones hit Qin Ming's vital point, so that the Five Tiger General had to be defeated.
Next, it was the turn of another general from Liangshan, the double whip Hu Yanzhuo to appear. Hu Yanzhuo is one of the best masters in Liangshan, and his double-whip skills are superb, and ordinary opponents are not his opponents at all. However, in the face of Zhang Qing's flying stone attack, Hu Yanzhuo's double whip seemed a little powerless. The speed of the flying stones was too fast, and before Hu Yanzhuo's double whip could be drawn towards Zhang Qing, he was hit by several flying stones on his wrists and shoulders. In desperation, Hu Yanzhuo could only rein in his horse and return to the formation, not daring to confront Zhang Qing head-on.
Among the heroes of Liangshan, there are many people who are masters of using long weapons, such as the spear of the blue-faced beast Yang Zhi, and the big knife of the sick Suo Chai Jin. They originally thought that with the advantage of weapons, they could easily defeat Zhang Qing. However, when they rushed towards Zhang Qing, they found that the long weapon did not have any advantage in this situation. Zhang Qing's flying stones come and go like electricity, and the long weapon will not only be difficult to attack him, but will become a burden, affecting his dodge and defense.
Some heroes, such as the walker Wu Song, tried to rely on their superb fists and feet to fight Zhang Qing in hand-to-hand combat. However, Zhang Qing seemed to have anticipated their plans for a long time. Whenever a hero approached, Zhang Qing would quickly retreat, and at the same time increase the density and frequency of flying stones, so that the opponent could not get close at all.
In this way, the heroes of Liangshan took turns to fight, but they all returned with feathers. Some people were knocked off their horses by flying stones, some people were hit by the vital point, and some people were timid because of repeated setbacks, and they did not dare to come forward to fight again. Zhang Qing alone defeated fifteen heroes in Liangshan in a row, which was the first time in the history of Liangshan.
The defeat of the heroes of Liangshan made them feel very confused and frustrated. They didn't understand why their martial arts were so weak under Zhang Qing's flying stone attack. They practiced martial arts diligently on weekdays, and knew all kinds of weapons and fists and feet kung fu well, but they never thought that someone would be able to defeat them with flying stones alone.
This series of defeats also made the heroes of Liangshan realize that they may have neglected some important aspects in their usual training. They relied too much on their martial arts and weapons to take into account the fact that they might encounter all sorts of unexpected situations in actual combat. Zhang Qing's flying stone attack is a good example.
In addition, the heroes of Liangshan are also aware that they lack the experience and training to deal with this special attack. In previous battles, they rarely encountered opponents like Zhang Qing, so they did not take precautions and practice in a targeted manner. This defeat undoubtedly sounded the alarm bell for them, making them realize that there is still a lot to learn and improve in this unpredictable world.
3. Yan Qing's mysterious role
In the battle between Liangshan's heroes and Zhang Qing, there is one person whose performance is particularly eye-catching, he is Liangshan's archer, the prodigal son Yanqing.
Yan Qing is a fierce general in Liangshan, and his archery skills can be described as miraculous, with every shot. It is said that Yan Qing's archery skills were learned by him from a mysterious master. This master is not only proficient in archery, but also proficient in the art of war and strategy, and is a true stranger.
In the battle with Zhang Qing, Yan Qing shot twice, but instead of shooting Zhang Qing directly, he chose to shoot Zhang Qing's mount. This behavior can't help but raise many questions.
The first time was when Zhang Qing was at war with Hao Siwen, a good man from Liangshan. At that time, Hao Siwen was knocked off his horse by Zhang Qing's flying stone, and he was about to be killed by Zhang Qing. At this critical moment, Yan Qing suddenly shot and shot Zhang Qing's war horse with an arrow. Zhang Qing's mount fell to the ground in response, which saved Hao Siwen's life.
The second time was after Zhang Qing defeated fifteen heroes in Liangshan in a row. At that time, Zhang Qing's arrogance could be described as extremely arrogant, he rode on a horse, provocative loudly, and no one seemed to be his opponent anymore. At this moment, Yan Qing shot again, and an arrow hit the horse's hooves of Zhang Qing's deputy general Ding Desun. Ding Desun's war horse was injured and fell to the ground, and Ding Desun himself was captured alive by the Liangshan heroes Lu Fang and Guo Sheng.
Yan Qing's two shots, although they did not directly hurt Zhang Qing, reversed the trend of the battle at a critical moment. This can't help but make people wonder if Yan Qing did it intentionally and whether his archery skills have another mystery.
Some people speculate that the reason why Yan Qing didn't shoot Zhang Qing directly was because he saw the power of Zhang Qingfei's stone technique and was worried that his archery skills would not work. After all, Zhang Qing's flying stones come and go like electricity, the speed is so fast, and the direction is so weird that even masters like Hu Yanzhuo and Qin Ming are difficult to parry, and no matter how clever Yan Qing's archery skills are, I am afraid it will be difficult to hit Zhang Qing himself.
Some people also speculated that Yan Qing was deliberately saving Zhang Qing's life. He shot Zhang Qing's mount just to stop Zhang Qing's attack, not really wanting to kill Zhang Qing. The reason behind this is probably only known to Yan Qing herself.
There is also a speculation that Yan Qing's archery may contain some special strength or skill that can restrain Zhang Qing's flying stone technique. He shoots horses but not people, maybe he is competing in the dark, testing Zhang Qing's reality and reality. Once the time is ripe, Yan Qing will defeat Zhang Qing with one arrow.
Regardless of the truth, Yan Qing's performance in this battle was undoubtedly impressive. His mysterious life experience, superb archery skills, and his genius stroke at critical moments all make people look at this Liangshan hero with admiration.
Some people say that Yan Qing is like a hole card of Liangshan, a killer hidden in the shadows. He doesn't make easy moves, but every time he makes a move, he can turn the tide and change the tide of the battle. His presence undoubtedly adds a mystery and unpredictability to Liangshan.
It is also said that Yan Qing's archery is a symbol of Liangshan. That kind of invincible power represents the spirit and will of Liangshan. Yan Qing's unknown life story symbolizes the elusiveness and mystery of Liangshan.
In any case, Yan Qing's performance in this battle undoubtedly added a touch of mystery to this story of the rivers and lakes. His arrows seem to point in a more confusing direction, a future full of unknowns and possibilities.
Fourth, the deep meaning behind it
Zhang Qing defeated fifteen heroes in Liangshan in a row, but Yan Qing shot but did not shoot Zhang Qing, behind this series of seemingly simple events, there is actually a complex power game and interest entanglement.
First of all, we must understand that the reason why Zhang Qing was able to defeat the heroes of Liangshan in a row was not entirely because of how strong his flying stone kung fu was. Of course, Zhang Qing's flying stone stunt is indeed extraordinary, but there are also many martial arts heroes in Liangshan, and if they go all out, they may not be able to defeat Zhang Qing.
The real reason may be traced back to the power struggle within Yangshan. As we all know, although the heroes of Liangshan are consistent externally, they are full of factions internally, and they are independent. Song Jiang, Lu Junyi, Wu Yong and other bigwigs, each with their own henchmen and followers, secretly wrestled for control of Liangshan.
In this battle with Zhang Qing, the performance of some heroes is intriguing. For example, Wu Yong, who was supposed to fight, escaped from the battle and defected to Song Jiang. For another example, in order to secure the top spot in Liangshan, Song Jiang deliberately arranged for Lu Junyi to deal with Zhang Qing, but at a critical moment, he sent people to support Lu Junyi. All indications show that this battle has become a microcosm of the competition between various factions in Liangshan.
And Yan Qing, as Lu Junyi's confidant, what he did is even more intriguing. Yan Qing shot arrows twice, but did not shoot Zhang Qing directly, but chose to shoot a horse. This act, ostensibly, was to rescue Hao Siwen and others, but in fact, it was to send a message to Song Jiang: Our Lu Junyi faction does not really want to defeat Zhang Qing and seize control of Liangshan. We are just cooperating with Song Jiang to complete this power game.
The rules of this game have actually reached a tacit understanding between Song Jiang and Lu Junyi and others. Song Jiang pretended to let Lu Junyi be the leader of Liangshan, but he was actually testing Lu Junyi's loyalty. And Lu Junyi's faction is using practical actions to make clear their position to Song Jiang: We are willing to assist you, not replace you.
Yan Qing shoots horses and does not shoot people, and it is in this delicate balance that she finds a just right focus. He did not directly disobey Song Jiang's wishes, but also maintained Lu Junyi's reputation, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
Of course, this power game will not be completed overnight. There are many other roles and factors that play a role in this process. For example, was Wu Yong's escape from the battle his personal decision or the result of Song Jiang's instructions? For another example, why did Gongsun Sheng and other masters stand by and watch at the critical moment and refrain from helping? I am afraid that only the parties themselves can answer these questions.
But one thing is certain: behind this seemingly simple story, there is an intricate network of interpersonal relationships and entanglements of interests. Everyone's behavior is not isolated, but closely linked to the power structure of the entire Yangsan.
This may be the truth of the rivers and lakes: the simplicity on the surface, the complexity behind it, the grievances on the bright side, and the game in the dark. In this deceptively simple world, everyone is fighting for their own interests, and everyone is playing their own game.
And we, as spectators of this story, may not be able to fully understand the mystery. But through the analysis and interpretation of these events, we can at least get a glimpse of one or two, and we can feel the intricacies of human nature and the world.
This may be the meaning of us reading Jin Yong and "Water Margin". In these deceptively simple stories, we see the complexity of human nature and the diversity of the world. And this complexity and diversity is precisely a key to understanding ourselves, understanding others, and understanding the world.