Princess Qian You

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Gu Qian You (顾千幽) 74
Alias(es)	Princess Qian You; Empress Gu Qian You 74 1272
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty; Yuheng Sect; later the Great Zheng Heavenly Court 74 372
Occupation/Role	Great Luo princess, Yuheng Sect elder, political leader and strategist, later an empress of Great Zheng 74 162 1272
Status	Alive; leaves the Ancient Family with Zhong Shan 1506
First Appearance	Observes Zhong Shan's battle from afar 71

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Nascent Soul Stage	74 80	Arrives by flying on the wind without a flying treasure; she and her two guards are recognized as Nascent Soul cultivators.
Body Integration Realm	172 246	Zhong Shan infers that she is at least at this realm; Qian You later confirms she has only begun condensing Root Divine Sense at her Body Integration cultivation. The manner of her breakthrough is not documented.

Background

Qian You is the daughter of Zheng Yi Crown Prince, one of the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty's four Crown Princes. Although imperial daughters are ordinarily granted only the softer County Princess position, she was specially enfeoffed as a Princess and holds a Middle Position in the Heaven and Earth Karma Position, granting her tenfold cultivation speed. 170

She first appears publicly as an elder of the Yuheng Sect, arriving at the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array with A Da and A Er. Her confident bearing, Nascent Soul cultivation, and alliance proposal immediately establish her as the leading figure of her group. 74

Appearance

Qian You is a tall woman whose manner combines aristocratic poise with visible self-assurance. She often wears purple, though she also regularly adopts refined male clothing and carries a folding fan. 74 166 246

• Long, slender legs and a tall frame. 74
• Usually portrayed with a proud, noble expression and observant eyes. 74 162
• Wears a purple dress on formal appearances; later appears in a magnificent green robe. 74 1504
• Uses men's robes and a folding fan while traveling or handling affairs. 166 246

Personality

Qian You is proud, decisive, and accustomed to authority. Even before Zhong Shan joins her service, she evaluates the character and strength of her subordinates by observing how they respond to danger within the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array. 78 She is politically perceptive, reading the intent behind invitations, managing diplomatic appearances, and planning high-risk operations around major conflicts. 201 208

She has a pronounced appreciation for talent. Zhong Shan's calm performance in the array and his business acumen make her seek to recruit him rather than dismiss him for his poor root bone. 78 81 169 Her respect for capable people extends to Yi Yan, whose achievements she openly admires despite his weak cultivation and illness. 200 201

Beneath her formal demeanor, Qian You displays a playful side around Zhong Shan and a strong capacity for trust. She remains composed during hardship, but becomes openly vulnerable when poisoned, framed, or confronted with the possibility of losing those she values. 230 252 360

Abilities & Skills

Cultivation and Root Divine Sense

Qian You is a Body Integration Realm cultivator who has begun the difficult process of condensing Root Divine Sense, the foundation beneath ordinary Divine Sense. 246

• Can fly by her own power and travel while carrying Zhong Shan. 74 246
• Explains that Root Divine Sense may be condensed gradually from Divine Sense or refined from exceptional heavenly treasures. 246
• States that, even at her cultivation, she can only slowly begin condensing Root Divine Sense. 246
• Her power was severely compromised by the God Defiling Golden Silkworm poison, reducing her to roughly thirty percent of her peak before further decline. 227 230

Xun Cauldron Body and Lineage

Qian You possesses a confidential Xun Cauldron Body, information whose exposure leads the Seven Stars Hall Master to summon her for study and training. 388

• The Seven Stars Hall Master personally requests her presence and requires her to bring the Wind God Bow. 388
• Yin Luo Ri detects a Tiger Clan aura within her and identifies it as belonging to his own lineage; its full origin is not revealed. 626
• Nu Qinghui later teaches her unusual techniques and cultivation methods said to originate outside their world. 484

Strategic and Political Skill

Qian You is an experienced planner who combines cultivation knowledge with political judgment.

• Assesses allies and subordinates through controlled battlefield pressure inside the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array. 78
• Recognizes Zhong Shan's potential and offers him the position of her strategist. 169
• Correctly analyzes the implications of simultaneous invitations from Yi Yan and the Great Deer King, then divides her party between the two banquets. 201
• Plans to seize the Myriad City Treasure Mirror during the decisive battle between Nalan Piaoxue and the Great Might Heavenly Dragon Bodhisattva. 208
• Understands Feng Shui arrays and identifies the threat posed by the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning Extermination Formation. 253 256

Combat Support

Qian You can act effectively even when weakened, though she relies on A Da and A Er for direct protection in major battles.

• Prepares to summon a fierce tiger when her poisoned condition leaves her unable to return safely for aid. 227
• With Zhong Shan's assistance, unleashes a sword strike whose force rivals a full-powered mid-Body Integration Realm attack despite her condition. 228
• Uses a purple light that manifests as a giant orchid while confronting Nian Youyou. 246

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Wind God Bow and Wind God Arrows — weapons later returned to Qian You by Zhong Shan; the Seven Stars Hall Master specifically requires her to bring the bow. 369 388
• Spirit Refining Ball — a maze-like metal sphere used to train the strength and precision of Divine Sense. 167
• World Cleansing Snow Lotus — temporarily used to remove the residual God Defiling Golden Silkworm poison; Zhong Shan retains ownership of the lotus. 245
• Nine Provinces Gossip Cauldron — refined by Qian You before her reunion with Zhong Shan. 1506
• Folding fan — frequently carried while she is dressed in male attire. 166 246

Relationships

• Zhong Shan — Initially recruits him for his talent and appoints him as her strategist. He later protects her during the Great Yu crisis, clears her name during her court case, and becomes her husband; she is subsequently recognized as an empress of Great Zheng. 169 229 359 369 1272
• A Da and A Er — Her loyal Nascent Soul guards and constant attendants, entrusted with her protection and travel. 74 80 246
• Gu Lin / Marquis Qitian — A persistent admirer whose attempts to control her provoke repeated conflict. Qian You rejects his authority over her and severs their relationship after he drugs her and her entourage. 211 261 342
• Mister Shui Jing — A trusted political associate who works alongside her and Zhong Shan in Matchless City and during the Great Yu mission. 169 201
• King Zheng Yi — Her father and the First Crown Prince of the Great Luo Heavenly Dynasty. 170
• Ying Ning — Her sister; Qian You is falsely accused of murdering her, leaving Qian You isolated within the imperial court. 356 365
• Nian Youyou — A provocative rival for Zhong Shan's attention. Their encounters feature open verbal sparring, though they also cooperate when facing shared threats. 246 253
• Nu Qinghui — Teaches Qian You powerful and unfamiliar cultivation methods after their encounter. 484
• Ru Yan — A ghost who credits Qian You with rescuing her from the Tian Family. 737

Story Role / Major Arcs

Eight Gates Golden Lock Array

Qian You enters the contest for the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array as a Yuheng Sect elder and proposes an alliance to break the formation. She allows Zhong Shan's party to travel with her, watches his exceptional performance against the Grass Soldiers, and begins viewing him as talent worth recruiting. 74 76 78 81

Zhong Shan's actions during the array cause Qian You a rare setback, leaving her resentful when an Imperial Decree forces her return to the capital. 85 165

Matchless City

Years later, Qian You encounters Zhong Shan again in Matchless City, where he serves as a Third-Class Guard. After testing his abilities, she accepts his service and recruits him as her strategist, seeking his help in securing Master Shui's appointment as Matchless City Lord. 166 167 169

Great Yu Mission and Poisoning

Qian You leads an envoy to the Great Yu Emperor Dynasty, navigating rival invitations from Yi Yan and the Great Deer King while pursuing the Myriad City Treasure Mirror. 199 201 208 Yi Yan's plot leaves her poisoned and vulnerable, forcing Zhong Shan to protect her during their escape. 220 227 229

She survives through the World Cleansing Snow Lotus and Zhong Shan's continued aid. Their shared flight from pursuit significantly deepens their trust. 230 245

Feng Ling City and Return to the Ancient Saintly Capital

After recovering, Qian You teaches Zhong Shan about Root Divine Sense and confronts Nian Youyou's advances toward him. 246 249 Upon returning to the Ancient Saintly Capital, she rejects Marquis Qitian's overwhelming floral welcome and instead asks Zhong Shan to create a grander spectacle for her. 261

Zhong Shan fulfills her request with a massive fireworks display at her residence, further solidifying their affection. 264

Court Crisis and Union with Zhong Shan

Marquis Qitian later drugs Qian You and her party with Red Phoenix Mist, then tries to force her into becoming his woman. Zhong Shan protects her, and Qian You formally severs her relationship with Gu Lin. 342

Soon afterward, she is framed for Ying Ning's murder and becomes politically isolated. Zhong Shan takes responsibility for investigating the case and publicly supports her. 356 359 365 Following the crisis, Qian You and Zhong Shan become intimate, aiding his breakthrough into the Nascent Soul Stage. 369 370

Great Zheng Empress

Qian You later arrives at the Great Zheng Imperial Palace with Zhong Shan and is welcomed into its inner palace. 372 She is summoned to Seven Stars Hall due to her exposed Xun Cauldron Body, then later receives cultivation instruction from Nu Qinghui. 388 484

By the time of Great Zheng's later expansion, she is recognized as Empress Gu Qian You. She eventually waits for Zhong Shan at Palace Island and chooses to leave the Ancient Family with him. 1272 1504 1506

Notable Quotes

“My affairs don't need you to manage, and you have no right to manage them.” 211

“I've always trusted you.” 252