Yan Qing - Becoming An Outlaw

Becoming An Outlaw

Lu Junyi falls for a ruse by Wu Yong and is tricked into meeting the Liangshan outlaws. The outlaws detain Lu but release Lu Junyi's head steward Li Gu, falsely informing him that Lu has decided to join them. Wu Yong had also left a poem containing a hidden message on Lu Junyi's wall upon their initial meeting (see Lu Junyi#Wu Yong's poem). Thus, when Lu Junyi is finally allowed to return home several months later, Li Gu immediately has him arrested. Yan Qing tries to stop them but fails and Li Gu chases him out of the house.

Lu Junyi is sentenced to exile on Shamen Island. The guards escorting him there have been bribed by Li Gu to finish him off along the way. Yan Qing follows Lu Junyi secretly and he kills the guards when they are about to murder his master. He rescues Lu Junyi but they are surrounded by soldiers and Lu is captured again. Yan Qing flees to seek help and runs into Shi Xiu. Shi Xiu agrees to help him save Lu Junyi and tells him to rush to Liangshan Marsh to seek help. Shi Xiu fails to save Lu Junyi when he storms the execution ground alone and is captured as well. Yan Qing brings the Liangshan outlaws to attack Daming Prefecture and they defeat imperial forces and succeed in rescuing Lu Junyi and Shi Xiu.