Chapter 98: Zhang Qing Is Betrothed to Qiong Ying; Wu Yong Plots to Poison Wu Li

CHAPTER 98: ZHANG QING IS DESTINED TO MARRY QIONGYING; WU YONG'S PLAN POISONS WULI

It is said that Commander-in-Chief Wuli let the commandery princess Qiongying serve as the vanguard, while he himself led the main army and set out afterward. That Qiongying was only sixteen years old, a maiden as beautiful as a flower, and was not originally Wuli's biological child. Her original surname was Qiu, and her father was named Qiu Shen. Their ancestral home was in Mianshang, Jiexiu County, Fenyang Prefecture. That Mianshang was the place where, during the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Wen of Jin sought Jie Zhitui but failed to find him, and granted Mianshang as his fief—this was that very place. Qiu Shen was quite wealthy, and by the age of fifty, he still had no son. Having recently lost his wife, he remarried, taking the daughter of Song Youlie from Pingyao County as his second wife, and she gave birth to Qiongying. When she was ten years old, Song Youlie died, and Song immediately went with her husband Qiu Shen to attend the funeral. Pingyao was a neighboring county to Jiexiu, about seventy li away. Because the road was long and they were in a hurry, Song left Qiongying at home, instructing the steward Ye Qing and his wife to look after and serve her. She herself, traveling with her husband, was halfway there when a band of bandits suddenly appeared. They killed Qiu Shen, scattered the farmhands, and abducted Song. The farmhands fled back and reported this to Ye Qing. Although Ye Qing was merely a steward, he had some sense of honor and was also skilled in wielding spears and clubs. His wife, An, was quite cautious. At the time, Ye Qing reported the matter to Qiu's clan relatives, notified the authorities to pursue and capture the bandits, and also buried the master's body. The Qiu clan relatives discussed it and chose a member of the same clan to inherit the family estate. Ye Qing and his wife An, the two of them, took care of the young mistress Qiongying.

After a little over a year, Tian Hu rebelled and occupied Weisheng. He sent Wuli to lead troops on a plundering raid, which came to Mianshang in Jiexiu, looting money and goods and capturing men and women. Qiu's adopted son was killed by the rebel soldiers, and Ye Qing and his wife, along with Qiongying, were all captured. Wuli had no sons either, and when he saw that Qiongying had fine features and a bright expression, he brought her to see his wife Ni. Ni had never borne children, and as soon as she saw Qiongying, she took a great liking to her, treating her as if she were her own. Qiongying had been clever since childhood, sharp and quick-witted. Figuring that she could not escape from this place, and having no relatives to turn to, she saw that Ni was fond of her, so she said to Ni, requesting that Ye Qing's wife, An, be brought into the household. Thus, An was able to stay with Qiongying, never leaving her side. As for Ye Qing, when he was captured, he thought of escaping, but then reflected: "Qiongying is young; the master and mistress have only this one flesh and blood. If I run away, I won't know whether she lives or dies. Fortunately, my wife is there. If there's a chance, we can escape this calamity together, and the master can rest in peace beneath the Nine Springs." Therefore, he had no choice but to submit to Wuli. Because of his merits in battle, Wuli returned An to Ye Qing. From then on, An could come and go freely in the commander's residence, conveying messages to Qiongying. Wuli also reported to Tian Hu and had Ye Qing appointed as a steward.

Later, Ye Qing was sent by Wuli to Mount Shishi to quarry stone and wood. Some soldiers under his command pointed down from the ridge and said: "There is a beautiful stone here, white as frost or snow, without a single flaw. The locals wanted to quarry it, but a sudden thunderclap scared several stonecutters to death, and they only revived after a long time. That's why everyone bites their fingers and warns each other, not daring to go near it." Upon hearing this, Ye Qing went with the soldiers to look down from the ridge. The crowd shouted, all crying out: "Strange! Just now it was a white stone, but how has it turned into a woman's corpse!" Ye Qing stepped forward and looked carefully. It was indeed strange—it was the corpse of his former mistress, Song. Her face still looked as if she were alive, but the wounds on her head and face seemed to be from falling off the ridge and dashing herself to death. Ye Qing, astonished and weeping, did not know what to do. Just then, a soldier from his unit, who had originally been a groom under Tian Hu, explained in detail the whole story of how Song had been captured and died: "In the early days when the Great King first raised his troops, in the Jiexiu area, he captured this woman and wanted to make her his lady of the stronghold. The woman tricked the Great King into untying her bonds, then came to this place, where she leaped off the high ridge and dashed herself to death. When the Great King saw she had killed herself, he ordered me to go down the ridge and strip off her clothes and jewelry. I was the one who helped her onto the horse, and I was the one who stripped her clothes. I recognized her face clearly; it is absolutely and unmistakably her. Now more than three years have passed, so how can the corpse still be intact?" When Ye Qing heard this, he swallowed his boundless tears and said to the soldiers: "I recognize her too—she was the daughter of my old neighbor, Old Song." Ye Qing ordered the soldiers to carry earth to bury her, but when he went forward to look, it was still a white stone. Everyone was extremely astonished and sighed, then went back to their stone-quarrying work. When the work was done, Ye Qing returned to Weisheng and had An secretly inform Qiongying of the whole affair: how Tian Hu had killed Qiu Shen, abducted Song, and how Song had died chaste by dashing herself against the ridge.

When Qiongying learned this news, it felt like ten thousand arrows piercing her heart. Day and night she swallowed her sobs and wept in secret, thinking constantly of avenging her parents, never forgetting it for a moment. From then on, every night when she closed her eyes, she would see a divine being say: "You want to avenge your parents. Wait, and I will teach you martial arts." Qiongying was clever and quick of mind. Whenever she woke, she remembered everything, and she would secretly take a staff, bolt her door, and practice in her room. As time went on, her martial skills became very refined, and before she knew it, the last winter month of the fourth year of the Xuanhe era arrived. One evening, Qiongying happened to doze off, leaning on a small table. Suddenly she heard a gust of wind, and a strange fragrance assailed her nostrils. Then she saw a refined scholar, wearing a folded-corner headdress, leading a young general in a green robe. He came to teach Qiongying how to strike with flying stones. The refined scholar also said to Qiongying: "I have specially gone to Gaoping to invite the 'Heavenly Swift Star' here to teach you this extraordinary skill, to rescue you from the tiger's lair, and to avenge your parents. This general is also your predestined match from a former life." When Qiongying heard the words "predestined match from a former life," she was so ashamed she wished she could sink into the ground, and quickly covered her face with her sleeve. As she moved, she knocked over the scissors on the table, which clattered loudly. She woke with a start. The cold moon and the dying lamp were still before her eyes—it was like a dream, yet not a dream. Qiongying sat alone, dazed for a long time, before she finally rested.

The next day, Qiongying still remembered the method for throwing stones. She picked up a round stone about the size of an egg from beside the wall and, without thinking of the consequences, tried throwing it at the chiwei ornament on the ridge of her bedroom roof. She hit it square on, and with a loud crack, the chiwei shattered into pieces, scattering down to the ground. This startled Ni, who hurried over to ask what had happened. Qiongying covered it up with a clever excuse: "Last night I dreamed of a divine being who said: 'Your father is destined to be a prince or marquis, so I have come specially to teach you extraordinary skills and martial arts to help your father succeed.' Just now I tried throwing a stone, and I accidentally hit the chiwei." Ni was astonished and reported this to Wuli. Wuli naturally did not believe it, so he immediately summoned Qiongying to question her. He then had her try out spears, sabers, swords, halberds, clubs, staves, forks, and rakes, and indeed she was skilled with every one. Moreover, her skill with throwing stones hit the mark every time. Wuli was greatly amazed and thought: "I truly am blessed; Heaven has sent a prodigy to help me." From then on, he spent all day teaching Qiongying to ride horses and practice swordsmanship.

At that time, news of Qiongying's skills spread from Wuli's household, stirring up all the people in Weisheng City, who called Qiongying "Qiong Arrowhead." Now Wuli wanted to select an excellent husband to match Qiongying. Qiongying said to Ni: "If I am to be matched, it can only be with someone who is also skilled in throwing stones. If I am matched with anyone else, I would rather die." Ni told Wuli this. Wuli saw that Qiongying's condition was too difficult, so he dropped the matter of selecting a husband. Now, Wuli had been thinking about the words "prince or marquis" and had developed treacherous intentions. Therefore, he recommended Qiongying as the vanguard, hoping to take advantage of the conflict between the two sides to further his own schemes. At that time, Wuli selected troops and chose officers, and set out from Weisheng. He allocated five thousand elite soldiers, made Qiongying the vanguard, and himself led the main army, advancing to the campaign.

Let us not speak of the matters concerning Wu Li and Qiong Ying's troop movements. Let us instead speak of Song Jiang and the others who were waiting in Zhaode to welcome the arrival of Chen Anfu. After more than ten days had passed, someone finally reported that Chen Anfu's army had arrived. Song Jiang led all the generals out of the city to welcome him from afar, and then escorted him into the Zhaode prefectural office to rest, which was temporarily used as the marching headquarters. All the various leaders and officers came to pay their respects, and after the ceremonies were completed, Chen Anfu, although he had long known of Song Jiang and his men's loyalty and righteousness, had never had the opportunity to meet Song Jiang face to face. Seeing Song Jiang's humility, benevolence, and magnanimity today, he admired and respected him all the more, saying, "The Sacred One knows that the Vanguard has repeatedly established extraordinary merits, and has specially sent me, a humble official, to supervise, and at the same time bring rewards of gold, silver, and silk brocade, loaded in carriages, to be distributed as rewards." Song Jiang and the others knelt and thanked him, saying, "We are grateful that the Honorable Minister strongly recommended us. To receive such great favor today is entirely due to your gift. We receive the Emperor's grace above and feel your kindness below. Even if Song Jiang and his men were to smear our livers and brains on the ground, we could not repay one ten-thousandth of it." Chen Anfu said, "General, when you soon establish great merit and lead the army back to the capital, the Son of Heaven will surely give you important posts." Song Jiang again knelt and thanked him, saying, "I request the Honorable Minister to guard Zhaode peacefully. I, the minor general, will divide my forces to attack Tian Hu's lair, making it impossible for him to look after both ends." Chen Anfu said, "When I left the capital, I had already memorialized the Sacred One, stating that all the prefectures and counties recently captured by the Vanguard, and the positions of officials left vacant in those prefectures and counties, had all been ordered to be quickly selected and filled by the relevant ministry, with a deadline set for their departure. They will arrive soon." On one side, Song Jiang distributed the rewards to the officers and men; on the other, he wrote military orders, sending the "Divine Traveler" Dai Zong to deliver commands to the leaders guarding the various prefectures, counties, and towns. As soon as the new officials arrived, they were to complete the handover immediately, and then lead their troops to await further orders. After delivering the commands to all the prefectures and towns, Dai Zong was to go to Fenyang to scout the military situation and report back. Song Jiang also reported the merits of the Hebei surrendered generals, such as Tang Bin, to Chen Anfu, and recommended Jin Ding and Huang Yue to guard the passes of Huguan and Baodu, replacing Generals Sun Li and Zhu Tong, who were to come and await orders. Chen Anfu agreed to everything.

Suddenly, a fast-riding scout reported, "Tian Hu has sent Ma Ling to command generals and troops to rescue Fenyang; he has also sent Imperial Uncle Wu Li, together with the Prefectural Princess Qiong Ying, to command generals and troops, advancing eastward towards Xiangyuan." Hearing this, Song Jiang discussed with Wu Yong and divided the generals to meet the enemy. At this time, the surrendered general Qiao Daoqing said, "Ma Ling has long possessed demonic arts; he also knows the Divine Travel technique and secretly hides golden bricks to strike people, hitting his mark every time. I, a humble Daoist, have been accepted by the Vanguard but have not yet exerted my strength. I wish to go together with the teacher Gongsun Yi-Qing to Fenyang and persuade him to surrender." Song Jiang was overjoyed and immediately allocated two thousand troops, letting Gongsun Sheng and Qiao Daoqing lead them. The two took their leave of Song Jiang and set out that very day with their troops, heading for Fenyang. We will leave this matter for now.

Let us speak instead of Song Jiang issuing orders for Suo Chao, Xu Ning, Shan Tinggui, Wei Dingguo, Tang Long, Tang Bin, and Geng Gong to lead twenty thousand troops to attack Lucheng County. He also ordered Wang Ying, Hu Sanniang, Sun Xin, and Gu Dasao to lead a thousand cavalry to scout ahead and ascertain the true situation of the northern army. Song Jiang took his leave of Chen Anfu and led Wu Yong, Lin Chong, Zhang Qing, Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Li Kui, Bao Xu, Fan Rui, Xiang Chong, Li Gun, Liu Tang, Xie Zhen, Xie Bao, Ling Zhen, Pei Xuan, Xiao Rang, Song Qing, Jin Dajian, An Daoquan, Jiang Jing, Yu Baosi, Wang Dingliu, Meng Kang, Yue He, Duan Jingzhu, Zhu Gui, Huangfu Duan, Hou Jian, Cai Fu, Cai Qing, and the newly surrendered general Sun An, a total of thirty-one main and secondary generals and staff officers, with thirty-five thousand troops, leaving Zhaode and marching north.

The forward scouting officers, Wang Ying and his party, had already reached the border of Xiangyuan County, north of Wuyin Mountain, when they encountered the northern generals Ye Qing and Sheng Ben, who had also come out to scout. The two armies met, beating drums and waving banners. The northern general Sheng Ben rode forward to take the lead. From the Song ranks, Wang Ying spurred his horse out of formation, and without a word, slapped his horse and raised his spear, charging straight at Sheng Ben. The two armies shouted. Sheng Ben raised his spear, spurred his horse, and met the charge. The two generals fought for more than ten rounds. Hu Sanniang spurred her horse, brandished her sword, and came to aid her husband in the fight. Sheng Ben could not withstand the two generals, so he turned his horse and fled. Hu Sanniang urged her horse forward, swung her sword, and cut Sheng Ben down, sending him crashing off his horse. Wang Ying and his men drove their troops forward in a killing pursuit. Ye Qing dared not resist and led his troops in a hasty retreat. The Song troops pursued, killing over five hundred soldiers, while the rest scattered in all directions. Ye Qing only managed to lead slightly over a hundred cavalrymen, fleeing to a point twenty li south of Xiangyuan city. Qiong Ying's army had already arrived and set up camp.

It turned out that Ye Qing had been transferred by Tian Hu half a year earlier to guard Xiangyuan together with the main general Xu Wei and others. Recently, hearing that Qiong Ying was leading the vanguard, Ye Qing reported to the main general Xu Wei, requesting to lead his own troops on a scouting mission, hoping to find an opportunity to meet his former mistress. Xu Wei also ordered the partial general Sheng Ben to go with him. It happened that Sheng Ben was killed by Hu Sanniang, and Ye Qing then encountered Qiong Ying's troops. At that moment, Ye Qing entered the camp to pay respects to his former mistress. He saw that the young lady had grown up. Although she was a woman, she also appeared majestic and imposing, just like a general. Qiong Ying recognized Ye Qing, dismissed those around her, and said to Ye Qing, "Though I have escaped the tiger's den today, I only have five thousand troops under my command. How can I avenge my parents' murder? I thought of slipping away, but if I were discovered, I would only be harmed instead. I was hesitating, and now you have come." Ye Qing said, "I have been thinking of a plan, but there has been no path. If an opportunity arises, I will immediately come and report." Before he had finished speaking, someone suddenly reported that the southern army's generals were leading troops in pursuit. Qiong Ying put on her armor, mounted her horse, and led her troops to meet the enemy.

The two armies faced each other, their flags and drums visible to one another, both sides arrayed in battle formations. From the northern formation, the gate flags parted, and at the front, on a silver-maned horse, sat a young and beautiful female general. What was her appearance? Behold:

A golden hairpin shaped like a phoenix, half-hidden in dark clouds of hair.

Silver armor draped over her body, its sheen rivaling auspicious snow.

Her embroidered shoes, with upturned pointed tips, were set in jeweled stirrups.

Her hands, soft as tender jade, grasped a painted halberd.

Her willow-waist was straight and firm, a stacked-sash belt of purple fluttering.

Her jade-like body was light and graceful, a battle robe of embroidered red clouds enveloping her.

Her face was like peach blossoms in the third month.

Her brows were like fresh willow leaves in early spring.

In a brocade pouch, she secretly carried a stone for striking generals.

This was a sixteen-year-old female general.

On the flag before the female general's horse was clearly written: "Pingnan Vanguard General, the Prefectural Princess Qiong Ying." The officers and men of the southern formation looked and all shouted in admiration. From both formations, the decorated drums with alligator skins thundered to the heavens, and the multicolored embroidered banners dazzled the eyes. "Dwarf Tiger" Wang Ying, seeing a beautiful woman, spurred his horse out of formation, raised his spear, and charged straight at Qiong Ying. The two armies shouted. Qiong Ying slapped her horse, raised her halberd, and engaged him in battle. The two generals fought for over ten rounds. Short Tiger Wang could no longer restrain his lustful heart, and his spear technique fell into disarray. Qiong Ying thought, "This fellow is detestable!" She spotted an opening and with a single thrust of her halberd, stabbed Wang Ying in his left thigh. Wang Ying's feet lost their stirrups, his helmet fell forward over his eyes, and he crashed off his horse. Hu Sanniang, seeing her husband wounded, cursed loudly, "You thieving, despicable, lowly little slut! How dare you be so rude!" She flew her horse forward to rescue Wang Ying. Qiong Ying raised her halberd and engaged her in combat. Wang Ying struggled on the ground but could not get up. The northern troops surged forward to capture Wang Ying. On the other side, Sun Xin and Gu Dasao both charged out and desperately rescued him back to their formation. Gu Dasao saw that Hu Sanniang could not defeat Qiong Ying, so she took up her double swords, slapped her horse, and went forward to aid the fight. The three female generals, with six arms, four steel blades, and one painted halberd, all faced each other on horseback. It was like wind scattering jade fragments, or snow falling on jade flowers. The soldiers of both formations were dazzled by the sight. The three female generals fought for over twenty rounds. Qiong Ying feinted a thrust with her halberd into the air, then dragged the halberd, turned her horse, and fled. Hu Sanniang and Gu Dasao both pursued. Qiong Ying held her painted halberd with her left hand, while her right hand picked up a stone. She twisted her willow-waist, glanced sideways with her starry eyes, and aimed at Hu Sanniang. A stone flew straight and struck Hu Sanniang's right wrist. Hu Sanniang, in pain, had already dropped one of her swords, and turned her horse to return to her own formation. Gu Dasao, seeing that Hu Sanniang had been hit, abandoned Qiong Ying and went to rescue Hu Sanniang. Qiong Ying reined in her horse and pursued. On the other side, Sun Xin was furious. He brandished his double maces, slapped his horse, and charged forward. Before he could even engage, Qiong Ying had already thrown a stone. With a clang, it struck his bronze lion helmet. Sun Xin was greatly startled, dared not advance, and hurriedly returned to his own formation to protect Wang Ying and Hu Sanniang, leading the troops in retreat.

Just as Qiong Ying was about to drive her troops in pursuit, she suddenly heard a cannon blast. It was near the end of the second month, and willow tips waved their banners wildly, while horses neighed constantly among the flowers. From behind the hillside a force burst forth—it was Lin Chong, Sun An, and the infantry leader Li Kui and others, who, following Song Jiang’s orders, had come to provide reinforcements. The two armies clashed, drums rolled, banners waved, and shouts rang out from both sides. On the other side, Lin Chong, the “Leopard Head,” leveled his eight-foot serpent spear and reined in his horse, taking the lead. On this side, Qiong Ying, the “Arrowhead,” twirled her halberd and spurred her horse forward. Seeing it was a woman, Lin Chong roared, “You vile slut, how dare you resist Heaven’s army!” Qiong Ying did not reply, but twirled her halberd, slapped her horse, and charged straight at Lin Chong. Lin Chong raised his spear to engage. Their horses met, weapons clashed. After several bouts, Qiong Ying could not hold her ground; she feigned a flaw, made a false thrust with her halberd, wheeled her horse, and fled east. Lin Chong gave chase, spurring his horse. Sun An, seeing from the southern front that it was Qiong Ying’s banner, shouted, “General Lin, do not pursue—there may be a trap!” But Lin Chong, confident in his skill, paid no heed, slapped his horse, and pressed on hard. On the lush green grass, the eight hooves churned like tumbling cups and scattering cymbals, thundering and whirling like a windstorm. When Qiong Ying saw Lin Chong closing in, she raised her halberd feebly with her left hand, while with her right she fumbled in her embroidered pouch for a stone. Twisting her body, she aimed at Lin Chong’s face, and as he drew near, she let fly a stone. Lin Chong, sharp-eyed and quick-handed, parried the stone with his spear shaft. Seeing she had missed, Qiong Ying took up a second stone, and as her hand rose, it flashed like a shooting star or lightning; the stone flew, frightening ghosts and startling spirits, and struck again at Lin Chong. Lin Chong dodged too late; the stone hit him in the face, blood gushed forth, and he dragged his spear and retreated to his formation. Qiong Ying reined in her horse and gave chase.

Sun An was about to advance when he saw the army from his own side part into a path, and from the middle emerged five hundred infantry, led by the five fierce foot soldiers: Li Kui, Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Xie Zhen, and Xie Bao. Li Kui, gripping his twin axes, charged straight forward, shouting, “That woman, no insolence!” Qiong Ying, seeing him coming fiercely, took a stone in her hand and struck at Li Kui, hitting him square on the forehead. Li Kui was startled, but fortunately he had tough skin and hard bones; it only caused pain, without breaking the skin. Seeing she had not knocked Li Kui down, Qiong Ying galloped into the formation. Li Kui, enraged, his whiskers bristling, his strange eyes wide open, let out a great roar and charged straight in. Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, Xie Zhen, and Xie Bao, fearing Li Kui might come to harm, all charged forward together. How could Sun An stop them? When Qiong Ying saw the crowd pursuing, she threw another stone, and soon knocked Xie Zhen to the ground. Xie Bao, Lu Zhishen, and Wu Song hurried to help him. Li Kui, on his side, kept on pursuing. When Qiong Ying saw him close, she quickly flung another stone, which again struck Li Kui on the forehead. Twice wounded, blood now gushed forth. But Li Kui was a man of iron; on his black face, smeared with fresh blood, he was still blazing with fury. Wielding his twin axes, he plunged into the enemy formation, hacking wildly at the northern troops. Sun An, seeing Qiong Ying enter the formation, signaled his troops to charge. Just then, Wu Li, leading Xu Wei and eight other generals with a large army, arrived, and the two sides clashed in a melee. Lu Zhishen and Wu Song, having rescued Xie Zhen, turned and charged into the northern formation. Xie Bao, supporting his elder brother, could not fight properly, and the northern troops caught up, threw out tripping ropes, and dragged Xie Zhen and Xie Bao sideways, capturing them and taking them into their formation. The infantry suffered a great defeat and fled back. But Sun An fought fiercely, and with a single sword stroke, he cut the northern general Tang Xian from his horse. Wu Li was hit by a stray arrow from Sun An’s soldiers, which struck him in the neck. Wu Li toppled from his horse, and Xu Wei and others struggled to save him and get him back on his horse.

When Qiong Ying and the other generals saw Wu Li hit by an arrow, they urgently sounded the gong to withdraw. The southern Song army arrived again, and at the forefront on horseback was Zhang Qing, the “Featherless Arrow.” While in camp, he had heard from a fast-riding scout that a female general in the northern formation was using flying stones and had wounded Hu Sanniang and others. Startled by this news, Zhang Qing reported to Song Jiang, quickly donned his armor, mounted his horse, and led his troops to this place to support the effort, wanting to see this female commander. By then Qiong Ying had already withdrawn her troops, protecting Wu Li, and turned into a long forest, heading toward Xiangyuan. Zhang Qing reined in his horse, looking on with melancholy. A poem bears witness:

The fair lady turns her horse, her embroidered banner flies high;

Every soldier and general rushes about, busy as can be.

She leads them into the long forest, where no one is seen;

Among the hundred flowers, the red dress is hidden from view.

At that moment, Sun An, seeing Xie Zhen and Xie Bao captured and Lu Zhishen, Wu Song, and Li Kui charging into the enemy formation, wanted to summon troops to pursue. But it was already late in the day, so he had to join Zhang Qing in protecting Lin Chong and withdraw to the main camp.

Song Jiang was just holding court when he ordered the divine physician An Daoquan to treat Wang Ying. When the generals looked at Wang Ying, they saw that not only was his foot wounded, but his head and face were also bruised and broken. After An Daoquan finished applying medicine, he came to treat Lin Chong. Song Jiang, hearing that Xie Zhen, Xie Bao, and Li Kui had been captured and were missing, was deeply worried. Shortly after, Wu Song and Li Kui, covered in blood from the fighting, came to the camp to see Song Jiang. Wu Song reported: “I saw Li Kui fighting fiercely, and I just went ahead. We fought side by side, cutting a bloody path through the northern army all the way to the city wall. There we saw the northern troops binding Xie Zhen and Xie Bao, about to take them into the city. My brother and I killed the soldiers and rescued Xie Zhen and Xie Bao. But Xu Wei and his large army caught up and recaptured them. We cut another bloody path and returned empty-handed. Only Lu Zhishen is missing.” Hearing this, Song Jiang’s eyes filled with tears. He sent men in all directions to search for news of Lu Zhishen, and also ordered An Daoquan to treat Li Kui’s wounds. By then it was dusk. Song Jiang counted his troops; more than three hundred had been lost. That night, the camp gates were tightly closed, and the watchwords were passed around. No further events occurred.

The next morning, soldiers reported that there was no trace of Lu Zhishen. Song Jiang grew even more anxious. He sent Yue He, Duan Jingzhu, Zhu Gui, and Yu Bao Si, each leading light troops, to search in four directions. Song Jiang wanted to lead his troops to attack the city, but with so many leaders wounded, he had to keep his forces still. Inside the city, the gates were tightly shut, and they did not come out to fight. Two days passed. Then Yu Bao Si captured a spy and brought him to the camp. Sun An looked at the man and recognized him as Ye Qing, the northern general in charge. Sun An said to Song Jiang, “I have heard that this man has always been righteous. That he came out of the city alone must mean there is a reason.” Song Jiang ordered the soldiers to untie him and called him forward. Ye Qing kowtowed repeatedly to Song Jiang and said, “I have a secret matter to report. I beg the commander to dismiss those around you, so that I, Ye Qing, may explain in detail.” Song Jiang said, “All my brothers here share the same heart. Speak freely.” Only then did Ye Qing say: “In the city, Wu Li was hit by a poisoned arrow during the battle the other day. The poison has flared up, and he is delirious. The doctors in the city have been unable to treat him. Taking advantage of this, I pretended to seek a doctor and came out of the city to gather information.” Song Jiang then asked, “What has been done with the two generals we lost the other day?” Ye Qing replied, “I feared they might be harmed. While Wu Li was delirious, I falsely conveyed orders to have them temporarily imprisoned. They are still safe there.” Ye Qing then told the whole story of the Qiu Shen couple being killed by Tian Hu and their abduction, as well as Qiong Ying’s background, in full detail. After speaking, he broke down in tears.

When Song Jiang heard this account, he found it quite tragic. But because Ye Qing was a northern general, he feared there might be deception. While he was still hesitating, he saw An Daoquan step forward and say to Song Jiang, "This is truly a marriage ordained by heaven; the matter is no coincidence!" Then he explained in detail: "Last winter, General Zhang also dreamed that a scholar invited him to teach a young woman to throw stones. He also told him that this was the general's predestined marriage from a former life. After Zhang Qing awoke, he pined and fell ill. At that time, I was sent by you, elder brother, to go with Zhang Qing to Gaoping to treat him. When I took Zhang Qing's pulse, I knew it was caused by the seven emotions. Only after I pressed him repeatedly did General Zhang reveal the root of his illness, and I cured him at once. Now, hearing Ye Qing's words, is this not exactly matching General Zhang's dream?" After Song Jiang finished listening, he again questioned the surrendered general Sun An. Sun An replied, "I have heard quite clearly that Qiongying is not Woli's own daughter. The adjutant Yang Fang under my command has the closest dealings with Woli's attendants and also knows Qiongying's circumstances in detail. There is absolutely no falsehood in Ye Qing's words." Ye Qing added, "My mistress Qiongying has long harbored a desire for revenge and to wipe out her shame. I saw her repeatedly provoke your formidable might on the battlefield, and I feared that when the city fell, the good and the bad would perish together. Today, I have risked a thousand deaths to come here and beseech the Marshal."

After Wu Yong heard this, he rose and carefully scrutinized Ye Qing for a moment, then said to Song Jiang, "Looking at his sorrowful expression and sincere manner, he is indeed a righteous man! Heaven aids you, elder brother, in achieving success; heaven decrees that the filial daughter shall take revenge!" Then he leaned close to Song Jiang's ear and whispered, "Although our army is besieging and exterminating them from three directions, if Tian Hu colludes with the Jurchens, our army will be caught between two enemies. Even if the Jurchens do not send troops, if Tian Hu's schemes are exhausted, he will surely surrender to them. How then can we achieve the merit of pacification? I have been planning and wishing for an internal ally. Today, heaven has granted this opportunity—with General Zhang's predestined marriage, if we proceed thus and so, Tian Hu's head will be in Qiongying's hands alone. Li Kui's dream, the divine being, has already given an omen. Elder brother, have you not heard the lines: 'To wipe out the Tian Hu clan, you must harmonize with the Qiong arrowhead'?" Song Jiang came to understand and nodded in agreement. He immediately summoned Zhang Qing, An Daoquan, and Ye Qing, and secretly imparted a plan to them. The three received their orders and departed.

Now, the garrison soldiers guarding Xiangyuan saw Ye Qing returning and shouted loudly, "Open the city gate quickly! I am Ye Qing, a lieutenant in the Woli household, who went in search of the doctors Quan Ling and Quan Yu, and has arrived here." The garrison soldiers immediately went to the headquarters and beat the drum to report. In a short while, a command arrow was issued, and the city gate was opened. Ye Qing led Quan Ling and Quan Yu into the city. When they reached the headquarters of the Imperial Uncle, an order came from within for the doctor to enter and treat the patient. Ye Qing then entered the residence with Quan Ling. The attendants among the accompanying troops reported to the commandery princess Qiongying, and then led Quan Ling into the inner chamber to pay respects to Qiongying. They then went straight to Woli's sickbed, where they saw he had only a breath of life left. Quan Ling first took his pulse, applied external ointments, and administered internal medicines to restore his vitality. Within three days, his skin gradually became rosy, and his appetite slowly returned. In no more than five days, although the wound had not yet healed, his eating and drinking had returned to normal. Woli was overjoyed and called Ye Qing to summon the doctor Quan Ling into the residence for an audience. Woli said to Quan Ling, "Thanks to your divine medical skills, my wound is now gradually healing. In the future, wealth and honor will be shared with you." Quan Ling bowed in thanks and said, "My humble medical skills are hardly worth mentioning! I have a younger brother named Quan Yu, who has long followed me through the rivers and lakes and learned all kinds of martial arts. He is now here with me, preparing medicines. I beg you, sir, to promote him." Woli issued an order for Quan Yu to enter the residence for an audience. Seeing that Quan Yu had an impressive appearance, Woli was quite pleased and ordered Quan Yu to wait outside the residence for further instructions.

Quan Ling and Quan Yu bowed in thanks and left the residence. After four more days had passed, a report suddenly came that Song Jiang was leading troops to attack the city. Ye Qing entered the residence to inform Woli, saying that Song Jiang's soldiers were strong and his generals were fierce, and only the commandery princess could repel the enemy. Upon hearing the report, Woli immediately led Qiongying into the training grounds to organize the troops. Then Quan Yu stepped up to the martial arts hall and reported, "I have been favored by you, my lord, to wait upon your commands. Now that I hear the troops are at the city walls, although I am untalented, I wish to lead troops out of the city and ensure not a single piece of armor returns." At that time, the chief officer Ye Qing pretended to be furious and said to Quan Yu, "How dare you speak so arrogantly! Do you dare to compete with me in martial skills?" Quan Yu laughed and said, "I have learned all eighteen martial arts since childhood. Today, I am just about to compete with you." Ye Qing then reported this to Woli. Woli agreed and provided them with spears and horses. The two each grabbed a spear and mounted their horses. Before the martial arts hall, they charged back and forth, tumbling and twisting, locked in a tangle. The men on the saddles fought man to man, the horses beneath fought horse to horse. After forty or fifty rounds, neither could claim victory.

At that time, Qiongying stood nearby, watching. Seeing Quan Yu's appearance, she was startled and thought, "It seems I have seen this face somewhere before. His spear technique is just like mine." After thinking for a moment, she suddenly realized, "The one who taught me to throw stones in my dream had exactly this face. I wonder if he can throw stones?" She then took her halberd, spurred her horse forward, and used her painted halberd to separate the two. It was because Qiongying feared that Ye Qing might harm Quan Yu, but she did not know that Ye Qing was already on the same side. Qiongying raised her halberd and charged straight at Quan Yu. Quan Yu raised his spear and met her. The two fought for another fifty or more rounds. Suddenly, Qiongying turned her horse and galloped toward the martial arts hall. Quan Yu pursued her closely. Qiongying took out a stone, turned back, aimed at the empty space under Quan Yu's ribs, and sent one stone flying. Quan Yu had already seen through this. He stretched out his right hand, caught it lightly, and held it in his palm. Seeing that he had caught the stone, Qiongying was greatly astonished. She took a second stone and threw it. When Quan Yu saw Qiongying raise her hand, he casually threw back the stone he had caught. With a sharp sound, it struck the stone Qiongying had thrown. The two stones shattered into pieces like snowflakes falling to the ground.

At that time, the city's generals, Xu Wei and others, were each guarding the four gates. Only adjutants and officers were present in the training grounds. Some suspected that this man was a spy, but since the commandery princess Qiongying, a daughter of a noble house, was sparring with him, and he had been brought in by Ye Qing, a trusted general under Woli, how could they dare to speak? They could see that the city could not hold out, and each thought to themselves to adapt to circumstances. It was also Tian Hu's destined ruin that heaven took away Woli's wits and made him confused. At that moment, he summoned Quan Yu to the hall, bestowed armor, a robe, a horse, and immediately ordered Quan Yu to lead two thousand troops out of the city to meet the enemy. Quan Yu bowed in thanks, obeyed the order, and left the city. He drove back the Song troops and returned to the city to report victory. Woli was overjoyed. That day, he rewarded Quan Yu and let him rest. There was nothing else that night.

The next day, the Song troops arrived again. Woli again ordered Quan Yu to lead three thousand troops out of the city to meet the enemy. From the hour of the Dragon to the hour of the Horse, they fought fiercely for a long time. Quan Yu used stones to send the Song generals fleeing in confusion. Quan Yu mustered his troops to pursue and slaughter, chasing them straight past Wuyin Mountain. Song Jiang and his men could not withstand the assault and retreated into Zhaode. Quan Yu returned victorious and entered the city to report success. Woli was extremely delighted. Ye Qing said, "Now that my lord has this man and the commandery princess Qiongying, why fear the fierce soldiers and generals of Song? Why worry that great deeds will not be accomplished!" Ye Qing added, "The commandery princess previously made a vow that she would only marry someone who could also throw stones. Now that General Quan is so heroic, he does not disgrace the commandery princess." At that moment, urged repeatedly by Ye Qing, and because Qiongying and her husband's marriage was fated, bound by the red thread that cannot be untied, Woli agreed. He chose an auspicious day, the sixteenth of the third month, and prepared all the various rites, feasts, and ceremonies to take Zhang Qing as a son-in-law. That day, there were pipes and strings, fine music, brocade piles and embroidered clusters. The splendor of the feast and wine, and the beauty of the bridal chamber and candlelit wedding, need not be described. At that time, the master of ceremonies led the rites. Quan Yu and Qiongying, draped in red and adorned with brocade, bowed together to the spirits, and then bowed to Woli, their false father-in-law. Drums and music shook the heavens, and rare incense filled the air. They were led into the bridal chamber, where they swore oaths of eternal love. When Quan Yu looked at Qiongying by the lamplight, she was even more different than she had been in the training grounds. There is a lyric to the tune "Yuanhe Ling" as evidence:

Fingers tender like lotus roots in the pond,

Waist slender and weak like willows on Zhangtai.

Her gliding steps leave golden traces at each stride,

Peach-blossom cheeks frame her finely drawn brows.

Tonight, by the lamp, she turns her head once—

Always a celestial jade maiden,

Descending to the peaks of Wushan.

At that moment, Quan Yu and Qiongying were like fish in water, like lacquer and glue—there is no need to say more. That night, on the pillow, Quan Yu finally revealed his true name: that he was the chief general of the Song army, "Arrowless" Zhang Qing; and that this doctor Quan Ling was actually the "Divine Physician" An Daoquan. Qiongying also recounted in detail the wrongs she had suffered. The two whispered and murmured together all night long.

Two days later, through their coordinated efforts from within and without, they poisoned Wu Li, secretly summoned Xu Wei into the residence under the pretext of discussing affairs, and killed him as well. All the remaining military officers and troops surrendered. Zhang Qing and Qiongying issued an order: anyone in the city who leaked information would have their entire squad executed; the principal offender, regardless of whether they were a soldier or a civilian, would have their entire clan exterminated. Thus, no news leaked out. They also released Xie Zhen and Xie Bao, who, together with Zhang Qing and Ye Qing, each guarded the four gates. An Daoquan, along with Ye Qing, led infantry out of the city to Zhaode to report to Song Jiang, the vanguard commander. Wu Yong then ordered Li Kui and Wu Song to protect the "Sacred Hand Scholar" Xiao Rang under cover of night, and go to Xiangyuan to meet with Qiongying and Zhang Qing. They searched for Wu Li's handwriting, forged a document in Wu Li's style, and wrote a report. Ye Qing was to take it to Weisheng, reporting to Tian Hu about the marriage of the consort to the commandery prince, and seize the opportunity to act according to circumstances. Ye Qing received his orders, bid farewell to Zhang Qing and Qiongying, and set off for Weisheng.

Meanwhile, Song Jiang, in Zhaode city, had just dispatched Xiao Rang and An Daoquan when another report arrived that Suo Chao, Xu Ning, and other commanders had captured Lucheng. A messenger came with news of victory, saying: "Suo Chao and his troops laid siege to Lucheng. Chi Fang kept the city gates tightly shut, not daring to come out and fight. Xu Ning, along with the other commanders, devised a plan: they had the soldiers strip naked and shout insults, provoking the troops inside the city. Everyone in the city wanted to fight, and Chi Fang could not stop them. They opened the gates and came out to battle. The Northern troops fought fiercely, charging out from all four gates. Our forces fought while retreating, luring the Northern troops to scatter away from the city. Then Tang Bin suddenly led his troops from the east road in a surprise attack, while Tang Long surged in from the west road. The troops guarding the east and west gates had no time to close them, and Tang Long and Tang Bin led their men into the city, seizing it. Xu Ning stabbed Chi Fang to death. As for the other officers, some were killed, others fled. Over five thousand Northern soldiers were killed, more than three thousand warhorses were captured, and over ten thousand troops surrendered. Suo Chao and the other commanders entered the city, pacified the people, and sent this report in advance. The remaining details of the civilian and military population, household registers, and treasury gold and silver will be recorded in separate registers and submitted." Song Jiang was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately ordered that it be reported to Chen, the Pacification Commissioner. He recorded the merits of Suo Chao and the others and rewarded the messenger. Then he wrote a military dispatch, instructing the messenger to return and report that once the various armies arrived, they would all advance together. The soldier went back to Lucheng to deliver the message, and we will leave that for now.

As for Tian Hu in Weisheng, the officials in the provincial court received a continuous stream of scout reports saying: "Qiao Daoqing and Sun An have both surrendered." Another report said: "Zhaode and Lucheng have been captured." The provincial officials reported this to Tian Hu that same day. Tian Hu was greatly alarmed. While he was deliberating with his many officers, a report suddenly arrived that Ye Qing, a partial commander defending Xiangyuan, had arrived with a letter from the Imperial Maternal Uncle. Tian Hu immediately ordered him to be brought in.

It was because of this Ye Qing's arrival that: within Weisheng city, the roving strongmen who gathered in rebellion would be suppressed; in Wuxiang County, the rebel who plotted to become king would be captured alive. As for how Tian Hu responded upon reading Wu Li's report, let us hear the explanation in the next chapter.