Liu Yong

Biodata

Background / History

Liu Yong joined the army at eighteen and served in the Swift Cavalry Battalion. His agility and fighting prowess earned him command of a scouting squad. By his confrontation with the Turkic cavalry, he reported having fought in 111 battles and been wounded eleven times 37 39.

Despite his commitment to defending his country, Liu Yong and his companions were framed, and others appropriated their military merits. Forced to flee the frontier and unable to return home, they became wandering outlaws. Liu Yong eventually turned to mounted robbery to support himself and the former frontier soldiers who followed him 37 40 42.

Appearance

• Bearded: Liu Yong is introduced as a bearded man 37.
• Unarmored in the village duels: He faces a heavily armored opponent without protective gear of his own 39.

Personality

Liu Yong retains a strict moral code despite becoming a bandit. He considers robbery unrighteous, targets wealthy travelers rather than poor commoners, takes only half their money, and leaves women unharmed. His robberies take money rather than lives 37.

His loyalty to the frontier’s people survives his mistreatment by the army. He leads his outnumbered companions against soldiers slaughtering villagers, then risks his life in successive duels to save everyone in the settlement. When offered allegiance to the Turks, he refuses; when offered well-treated positions in central imperial forces, he instead requests frontier service 37 39 42.

He is also capable of humility and persistence. After Li Ping'an saves him, Liu Yong apologizes for the earlier robbery and asks how he can repay the debt. He later spends half a month seeking a contact at the Princess’s Residence despite dwindling funds and repeated failures 40 41.

Abilities & Skills

Saber Combat

• Uses powerful mounted cuts and agile footwork in close combat 37 38 39.
• Drives back a mounted soldier wielding an iron hammer weighing at least fifty jin, then cuts him from the saddle 38.
• Adjusts a slash to bypass an opponent’s armored forearm, severing all five fingers before delivering a fatal thrust 39.
• Limits: His saber cannot readily penetrate heavy armor. During the first village duel, repeated attacks do little damage, and prolonged fighting exhausts him 39.

Wrestling and Close-Quarters Fighting

• Uses a neck hold, wrist control, and a twisting throw to bring down a heavily armored opponent 39.
• Exploits the opponent’s exposed head when ordinary saber attacks fail, ultimately killing him through attacks to the eyes 39.
• Continues fighting despite severe impacts, repeated blows to the abdomen, and coughing blood 39.

Scouting and Cavalry Experience

• Recognizes approaching cavalry from the sound of their movement and initially estimates at least a hundred riders 38.
• Understands cavalry encirclement tactics, warning that fleeing the village could expose the villagers to troops or crossbows already covering escape routes 39.
• Leads more than a dozen battle-hardened former scouts in a surprise mounted attack against roughly thirty raiders 37.

Turkic Language

• Speaks to the Turkic commander in his own language while negotiating for a duel 39.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Military saber / Horse-Slaying Saber — His principal weapon, used in mounted combat and both village duels 37 38 39.
• Scabbard — Held in one hand while he grips his saber’s hilt before the first duel 39.
• Warhorse — His mount during the attack on the village; he controls its movement with the reins and his legs while striking 38.

Relationships

• Li Ping'an — Initially a robbery victim, later Liu Yong’s rescuer and benefactor. Li Ping'an admires his courage and directs him to the Princess’s Residence; Liu Yong learns his name only during his audience with Liu Yun 37 40 41 42.
• Su Yun — Initially robbed by Liu Yong’s band. Liu Yong later rescues him from four Turkic soldiers, and they fight together to defend the village 37 38.
• Princess Liu Yun — Grants him an audience through his connection to Li Ping'an, offers several military placements, and approves his request to return to the frontier 41 42.
• General Xiahou Shang — His newly assigned commander. Liu Yong is delighted to serve under a general known for strict discipline, integrity, and refusal to plunder civilians 42.
• His former-scout companions — Fellow frontier soldiers who fled with him, became mounted bandits, and followed him into battle and onward to Capital City 37 41.
• Chen Chusheng — A village boy who sees Liu Yong’s stand as the embodiment of a hero fighting for his country and its people 39.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Defending the Village

Liu Yong’s band first encounters Li Ping'an, Su Yun, and Pei Zhuxuan as robbers. Two days later, they discover Turkic soldiers burning and looting a village. Liu Yong leads a charge, rescues Su Yun, and helps eliminate the raiders. The villagers celebrate their rescue with a victory feast 37 38.

At dawn, more than three hundred Turkic cavalrymen surround the settlement. Liu Yong negotiates a duel with half the villagers’ lives at stake. After killing an armored hammer-wielder, he demands a second contest for the remaining villagers and defeats a saber-wielder despite an explosive attack and a wound to his left shoulder 38 39.

The commander dismisses the victories as a game and orders an attack anyway. Li Ping'an intervenes, stops the charging horses, and threatens the commander into honoring his promise and withdrawing. Liu Yong thanks him and reveals that he was framed during his military service 40.

Returning to Frontier Service

Following Li Ping'an’s advice, Liu Yong recovers in the village for more than half a month before departing with his companions. As deserters without identification, they avoid checkpoints and relay stations, reaching Capital City by side roads after a two-month journey 41.

With their funds nearly exhausted, the men sleep beneath a bridge and take odd jobs. Liu Yong repeatedly approaches servants from the Princess’s Residence, asking whether anyone knows a blind man. After half a month, Liu Bi recognizes the significance of his request and brings him and one companion inside 41 42.

Liu Yong discovers that Li Ping'an’s “casual friend” is Princess Liu Yun herself. She offers him a place in the Golden Guard, Five Army Commandery, Feathered Forest Army, or Divine Martial Army. He requests frontier duty instead, and she assigns him to Xiahou Shang 41 42.

Notable Quotes

“Even thieves have their code. We only became outlaws because we had no choice.” 37

“Again. If I win again, this time we wager the other half!” 39

“This disgraced officer wishes only to kill enemies at the frontier and serve the nation! Please grant my wish, Your Highness.” 42