Ou Peng
Ou Peng is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Golden Wings Brushing Against the Clouds", he ranks 48th among the 108 Stars of Destiny and 12th among the 72 Earthly Fiends.
| Ou Peng | |
|---|---|
| Water Margin character | |
| First appearance | Chapter 41 |
| Nickname | "Golden Wings Brushing Against the Clouds" 摩雲金翅 |
| Rank | 48th, Wide Star (地闊星) of the 72 Earthly Fiends |
| Tiger Cub Scouting General of Liangshan | |
| Origin | Bandit leader from Mount Yellow Gate |
| Ancestral home / Place of origin | Huangzhou (in present-day Huanggang, Hubei) |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 欧鹏 |
| Traditional Chinese | 歐鵬 |
| Pinyin | Ōu Péng |
| Wade–Giles | Ou P'eng |
Background
Tall and muscular, Ou Peng is skilled in martial arts and could walk with an unusually fast pace. His nickname "Golden Wings Brushing Against the Clouds" is due to his ability to catch flying projectiles with bare hand.
A native of Huangzhou (黃州; in present-day Huanggang, Hubei), Ou Peng is descended from a long line of military servicemen stationed in garrisons along the Yangtze River. Ou Peng is also a military man, but he abandons the career after falling out with a superior. He decides to lead a bandit gang at Mount Yellow Gate (黃門山), with Jiang Jing, Ma Lin and Tao Zongwang as his assistants.
Joining Liangshan
When Song Jiang is following the outlaws of Liangshan Marsh back to their stronghold after they and some heroes of the Jieyang region saved him in Jiangzhou (江州; present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi), he comes by Mount Yellow Gate with the pack. They are blocked by the bandits led by Ou Peng, who demands to know whether Song is among them. When he steps up to show himself, Song is paid homage by the four bandit chiefs, who request to join Liangshan. Song Jiang gladly agrees.
In Liangshan's second offensive against the Zhu Family Village, Ou Peng has a dazzling fight on horseback with Hu Sanniang. Even though Ou could not get the better of Hu, he impresses Song Jiang with the use of his spear, a skill passed down in his family.
Campaigns and death
Ou Peng is appointed as one of the leaders of the Liangshan cavalry after the 108 Stars of Destiny came together in what is called the Grand Assembly. He participates in the campaigns against the Liao invaders and rebel forces in Song territory following amnesty from Emperor Huizong for Liangshan.
In the battle of Shezhou in the campaign against Fang La, Ou Peng encounters the enemy general Pang Wanchun. Pang feigns defeat to bait Ou, who is eager on revenge for his comrades, to come after him. Pang suddenly turns on horseback to fire an arrow, which Ou has no problem catching even though he is on a galloping horse. But Pang quickly follows that up with a succession of shots, which Ou finds increasingly hard to dodge. He is eventually shot 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. 97. 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, p. 98
- Zhang, Lin Ching (2009). Biographies of Characters in Water Margin. Writers Publishing House. ISBN 978-7506344784.