Qin Ming

Qin Ming
Water Margin character
An illustration of Qin Ming by Chen Hongshou
First appearance	Chapter 34
Nickname	"Fiery Thunderbolt" 霹靂火
Rank	7th, Fierce Star (天猛星) of 36 Heavenly Spirits
Vanguard General of the Five Tiger Generals of Liangshan
Origin	Imperial general
Ancestral home / Place of origin	Kaizhou (present-day Fengcheng, Liaoning)
Weapon	Wolf-toothed mace
Names
Simplified Chinese	秦明
Traditional Chinese	秦明
Pinyin	Qín Míng
Wade–Giles	Ch'in Ming

Qin Ming is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Fiery Thunderbolt", he ranks seventh among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.

Background

Qin Ming is a high-ranking military commander serving in Qingzhou (青州; in present-day Shandong). His ancestral hometown is Kaizhou (開州; present-day Fengcheng, Liaoning). He is nicknamed "Fiery Thunderbolt" because of his thunderous voice and fiery temper, which make him a fearsome warrior. His weapon is a sort of spiked club commonly known as "wolf's teeth mace" (狼牙棒).

Conflict with the bandits of Mount Qingfeng

When Murong Yanda, the governor of Qingzhou, learns that Hua Rong, the garrison commander of Qingfeng Fort (清風寨; in present-day Qingzhou, Shandong), which is part of his jurisdiction, has joined the outlaws on nearby Mount Qingfeng (清風山), he orders Qin Ming to lead a force to eliminate them.

Qin Ming engages Hua Rong in a one-on-one combat on horseback but neither wins. Hua Rong then feigns defeat and flees. Taunting Qin knowing that he easily loses his cool, Hua lures the latter to gallop round the hill. Finally, madly enraged and tired, Qin falls into a dug pit. He is taken to Song Jiang, who unties him and tries to win him over. Although Qin Ming turns down Song's plea, he agrees to rest overnight at Mount Qingfeng.

Becoming an outlaw

The following day, when Qin Ming returns to Qingzhou, he finds the suburb razed, with the residents killed and the houses burnt down. When he reaches the wall of Qingzhou, Murong Yanda bars his entry and accuses him from the top of the gate of joining the outlaws and leading them to attack the suburb on the previous night. To punish Qin, Murong has executed his entire family, including his wife. Qin Ming tries to force his way into Qingzhou, but gives up under a shower of arrows.

Angry and sorrowful, Qin Ming wanders around aimlessly and runs into Song Jiang and the other outlaws. Song discloses that the pillage was their work during the night when he was asleep at the stronghold. Qin is extremely angry but controls his rage seeing that he is outnumbered. He is finally placated when Song Jiang gives Hua Rong's younger sister to him as wife to "compensate" his loss.

Qin Ming then goes to Qingfeng Fort, where he convinces Huang Xin, his martial arts student, to join the outlaws as well. Huang Xin lets in the outlaws, who slaughter the family of the fort's governor Liu Gao, including Liu‘s wife whose unwarranted accusation of Song Jiang triggered the frictions and the military clash. Taking Song Jiang's proposal, the outlaws abandon Mount Qingfeng to join the Liangshan Marsh.

Life at Liangshan

Later during Liangshan's battle at Qingzhou, Qin Ming avenges the killing of his family. That comes after Huyan Zhuo defected to the Liangshan side following his capture. Huyan tricked Murong Yanda to open the gate of Qingzhou. Once the governor appears at the gate, Qin Ming rides forth and smashes him to death.

After the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly, Qin Ming is appointed one of the Five Tiger Generals of the Liangshan cavalry. He participates in most of Liangshan's battles. He nearly loses his life a few times in a fit of impatient rage.

Death

Following amnesty from Emperor Huizong, the Liangshan heroes are sent to fight the Liao invaders and put down rebel forces in the Song territory. In the attack of Qingxi County (清溪縣; present-day Chun'an County, Zhejiang) in the campaign against the rebel Fang La, Qin Ming comes to fight Fang Jie on horseback. Fang's deputy Du Wei hurls his daggers at Qin Ming. Qin Ming dodges them but Fang Jie seizes the chance to spear him to death.

References

• Buck, Pearl S. (2006). All Men are Brothers. Moyer Bell. ISBN 9781559213035.
• Miyazaki, Ichisada (1993). Suikoden: Kyoko no naka no Shijitsu (in Japanese). Chuo Koronsha. ISBN 978-4122020559.
• Keffer, David. "Outlaws of the Marsh: A Somewhat Less Than Critical Commentary". Poison Pie Publishing House. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
• Li, Mengxia (1992). 108 Heroes from the Water Margin (in Chinese). EPB Publishers. p. 15. ISBN 9971-0-0252-3.
• Miyamoto, Yoko (2011). "Water Margin: Chinese Robin Hood and His Bandits". Demystifying Confucianism. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
• Shibusawa, Kou (1989), Bandit Kings of Ancient China, Koei, pp. 64, 91
• Zhang, Lin Ching (2009). Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House. ISBN 978-7506344784.