183 Beijing Operas - Qin Ying - Number 41

Qin Ying

Beijing Opera - "Golden Water Bridge"

Qin Ying with a red bird-like face lays a part in the opera "Golden Water Bridge." One day, when Qin Ying is fishing at the Golden Water Bridge, a local despot called Shan comes along and creates so much noise that the fish are frightened away. Instead of offering an apology, he chides Qin Yang for being in his way and the young man in a fit of anger strikes him with a rod, unintentionally killing him. Because the despot happens to be the emperor's father-in-law, Qin Ying mother, Princess Yinping, trusses up her son and takes him to the palace to be punished. The emperor relents when the empress and their eldest grandson intercede on Qin Ying's behalf, and in the case is settled with Princess Yinping making an apology and Qin Ying being sent to the front.

Zhou King Xiaowang conferred them the land of Qin (today's eastern Gansu Province) as a vassal, and hence Daluo's son was known as 'Qin Ying'. Qin became the vassal that was situated to the western-most part of then China. History records that two more groups of people dwelled to the west of Qin and Zhou Chinese, namely, the Western Rong nomads and the Yϋeh-chih people.