In the Water Margin
Yan Qing is the thirty-sixth hero of Liangshan, the last of the thirty-six heavenly stars, born under Tianqiao (天巧星). An orphan raised in Lu Junyi's household in Daming, he is the most accomplished young man in the book: his body is covered in fine tattoos, he sings, plays the flute and every instrument, speaks the dialects of every province, never misses with a crossbow and has no equal at wrestling. The nickname the Wanderer (浪子) suits his easy charm, though he is the most loyal servant in the novel.
When Wu Yong lures Lu Junyi away from home, Yan Qing begs him not to go. While Lu is held at Liangshan, the steward Li Gu and Lu's wife denounce him and throw Yan Qing out to beg in the streets. Yan Qing warns his master the moment he returns, and Lu, refusing to believe it, walks into his own arrest. From then on Yan Qing saves him again and again. At Liangshan his charm becomes a weapon: it is Yan Qing who reaches the emperor's ear and helps win the amnesty. After the war with Fang La he urges Lu Junyi to retire with him. Lu refuses, and Yan Qing leaves a letter for Song Jiang and vanishes.
Key episodes
Arrows in the forest. The two guards escorting Lu Junyi into exile, Dong Chao and Xue Ba, the same pair once bribed to murder Lin Chong, tie him to a tree to kill him. Two crossbow bolts from the undergrowth drop them both. Yan Qing has been following.
Li Shishi and the emperor. In the capital Yan Qing visits Li Shishi, the courtesan the emperor secretly favours, plays for her, becomes her sworn younger brother and, when the emperor arrives, tells him the outlaws long only to serve.
The match at Mount Tai. At the temple fair of Mount Tai, the giant wrestler Ren Yuan has been champion for two years. Yan Qing slips under his grip, spins him overhead and throws him off the stage. Li Kui, who tagged along, starts a riot in the crowd.
