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Favourite Stories from the Water Margin 1 - Stealing the swan feathered armour

When Song Jiang, the protector of Justice and leader of the gallant faternalty at the Marshes of Mt Liang Shan was confronted by the defeat of Famed General Hu Yuan Zhao's linked mail chain formation army calvary , It was Cash marked Leapord Tang Long who stood up in proposal for an army formation of bared lances of spooked sickle spear lances to defeat the foe . He then presented his design of the hooked lances handed down from his ancestors and instigated that the only right person who could teach their army to use it was General Xu Ning, the golden spear expert. Immediately, Lin Chong the Panther head and commander of the spears who knew of him stood up and supported his idea. To induce General Xu Ning up their brigandary strong hold however, required a brilliant plan to steal Xu ning's priceless family heirloom and precious Swan feathered armour . This piece of armour was a very uniquely exquisite golden plated breast plate made out of fine swan feathers in laid and embedded with in the breast plate making the soldier invincible to the penetration of arrows and spears .It was of extreme exquisite workmanship. So Wuyong the second-in-command and brilliant star military strategist devised his plan of action. It required Yang Xiong the Placid who knew Xu Ning's residence and flee on the drum Shi qian , the skilled burglar to do the job. Both of them did their job merticulously and successfully bringing General Xu Ning and his family up their mountain stronghold . General Xu Ning remonstrated against their trickery and initially refused to join them but was persuaded by Wu yong and Lin Chong that his expertises and contribution was very vital to saving them from the peril of the Song calvary and joing them in service was a very merticious and righteous act . General Xu ning thus relented. He imparted his knowledge of the bared lances and knowledge of military warfare to Song Jiang's regime and the foe of the Song Calvary was brilliantly defeated . Personal significance of this story to me : 1. Highlights my love for Chinese arts and military culture combined into one as the swan feathered amour is a pricelss work of art besides being an equipment of war and defence 2. That lawlessness , the lewd and stealth and strategy all have their merits to play in accomplishing something resourceful and saving people 3. A brilliant plot and tactical tale of heroic valour,deliverance and gurrella warfare of the mashes against a regular imperial army . It was for his reason that Chairmn Mao Zhe Dong was so inspired by the water margin as it gave him a good background in national heroism and gurrella tactics.