Li Ying, the sky-fighting eagle in "Water Margin", this master is a rare martial arts strong among the heroes in Liangshan, and Song Jiang spent a lot of effort to include him under his command. What is unbelievable is that after this stunt eagle went to Liangshan, he never went into battle with a real knife or a real gun.
Speaking of Li Ying, the young owner of Lijiazhuang in Dulonggang during the Northern Song Dynasty was actually destined to be extraordinary since he was a child. The head of the Li family, who has come to have a son, has high hopes for him, hoping that he will be able to be both civil and military, and glorify his ancestors. The head of the Li family knew that the status of the businessman was low, and he didn't want his son to be looked down upon, so he sent him to the school early.
Li Ying is very intelligent, and his academic performance far exceeds that of his peers, and he is deeply loved and appreciated by gentlemen. A chance encounter in winter completely changed his fate. An elderly man with an arrow wound was rescued by him and taken care of by Li Ying and his father. After the old man recovered from his injury, he saw Li Ying's diligence and intelligence, and decided to teach him advanced martial arts. It turned out that this old man was not an ordinary vagabond, but a well-known hidden master in the rivers and lakes.
Under the guidance of the old man, Li Ying learned a good flying knife skill. Day after day, rain or shine, Li Ying's martial arts are getting better and better. In a few years, he has changed from a scholar to a martial arts master. When the old man left, he left Li Yingjiu with a flying knife, and hoped that he could make a difference in the future.
Fate made people, and Li Ying's road to the imperial examination was not smooth. There is no hope of gaining fame in the examination, coupled with the country's internal and external troubles, Li Yingjia's life is becoming more and more difficult. In this context, Li Ying chose to join Liangshan and become a member of Song Jiang's command.
Li Ying's arrival was supposed to be a great help to Liangshan, but he rarely participated in battles after he went up the mountain. This is not because he is cowardly, but because he thinks deeply about force. Li Ying knows very well that although the force is strong, it is not a long-term solution. He prefers to help Liang Shan through wisdom and strategy, rather than simply fighting by force.
This kind of thinking is very different from the style of many heroes in Liangshan. Many heroes of Liangshan were heroic and straightforward, met friends with martial arts, and won with strength, although this heroic nature is admirable, but it is inevitable that Liangshan repeatedly fell into bitter battles in the confrontation with the official army. Li Ying, on the other hand, is more of a behind-the-scenes advisor, his strategic vision and calm thinking have solved many crises for Liangshan, but he is also little known.
However, this does not mean that Li Ying did not play a role in Liangshan. In fact, he repeatedly put forward pertinent suggestions when Song Jiang was facing a decision-making dilemma. For example, in the battle against Gaotang Prefecture, it was Li Ying who proposed the strategy of night attack, which greatly reduced the casualties of the heroes of Liangshan and won them valuable time and initiative.
There is another important reason why Li Ying is reluctant to go into battle easily, and that is his respect for life. In his view, every battle can bring unnecessary sacrifices, and if bloody conflict can be avoided through wisdom, then this is undoubtedly a more intelligent choice. This kind of thinking is particularly unique among the many heroes in Liangshan who are known for their martial arts.
Li Ying has a high degree of self-control in his martial arts. He knew that once a problem was solved by force, it could become dependent, thus ignoring other possibilities for solving the problem. Although his throwing knife skills are exquisite, they are rarely displayed in front of people, and they are only used when absolutely necessary, and every time he strikes, he is precise and defeats the enemy, leaving no room for error.
Although this way of behaving caused some dissatisfaction and misunderstanding in Liangshan, Song Jiang was able to understand Li Ying's good intentions. Song Jiang knew that Li Ying's hidden character and his wisdom were Liangshan's precious wealth. At many critical moments, Li Ying's calmness and wisdom helped Liang Shan tide over the difficulties.
Li Ying, who didn't go into battle to kill the enemy, did he really get the life he wanted in Liangshan? How does his inner world balance his martial arts with his wisdom? In an environment where force is respected in Yangsan, how can Li Ying maintain his principles and beliefs?
These questions may only be answered by Li Ying himself. But what is certain is that his story offers us the possibility of another heroic image: in troubled times, it is not only through the sword, but also through wisdom and inner strength that a person can truly become a hero.
The story of Li Ying, the eagle of the sky, allows us to see a heroic image that is different from traditional heroes. In "Water Margin", an epic full of blood and gunpowder, Lee uses his wisdom and restraint to show another kind of power. His story tells us that a truly strong man is not only fearless on the battlefield, but also has persistence and principles in his heart that are not moved by the outside world.