Zhao Min

Biodata

Name	Zhao Min (赵敏)
Alias(es)	Princess Shaomin; Mongol County Princess
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Mongol Empire; Prince Ruyang's Mansion
Occupation/Role	County Princess, political strategist, commander
Status	Alive 2358
First Appearance	Chapter 306

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Noble martial foundation	309	Trained by numerous prominent martial artists; her casually thrown arrow carries the force of one fired by an army warrior. Her combat ability is not considered top-tier. 309 369
Treading Sand Without Trace	1463	Song Qingshu begins teaching her this qinggong technique so she can better protect herself. 1463
Top-tier lightness skill	1554	Learns Treading Sand Without Trace at exceptional speed and keeps pace with Xue Yiren despite his carrying another person. 1554

Background / History

Zhao Min is the County Princess of the Mongol Empire and a member of Prince Ruyang's Mansion. Her noble upbringing grants her access to intelligence, military resources, and an entourage of elite martial artists, including the Xuanming Elders, the Golden Wheel Monk, the Hundred Damage Daoist, and the Sect Master of Vajra Gate. She has also received instruction from multiple renowned martial artists. 309 441

Her reputation rests less on individual combat strength than on political calculation. She commands experts with confidence, recruits or pressures potential allies, and treats martial-world conflicts as pieces of a larger contest among the Mongols, Jin, Qing, Song, and Liao. Her actions helped elevate Prince Ruyang among the Mongol Empire's most powerful princes. 365 441 1211

Appearance

Zhao Min is a tall, exceptionally beautiful young woman whose appearance is paired with an unmistakably heroic and noble presence. She is described as Mongolia's foremost beauty. 1525 1558 2358

• Bright, expressive eyes and red lips. 306 365
• A poised, dignified bearing shaped by her status as a County Princess. 2358
• Heroic intensity in her brows, setting her apart from women of merely gentle or seductive beauty. 2358
• Capable of an especially convincing male disguise; Song Qingshu considers her male presentation more handsome than his own. 1515

Personality

Zhao Min is proud, incisive, and intensely results-oriented. She values information, leverage, and long-term advantage above conventional martial-world ideals. Even when she is vulnerable or outmatched, she typically responds by negotiating, manipulating the situation, or refusing to yield her dignity. 330 578 1193

Her confidence is supported by an unusually broad strategic perspective. Song Qingshu distinguishes her from Huang Rong by describing Zhao Min as better suited to forecasting larger developments, aided by the resources and intelligence available to her as a County Princess. 500

She is also emotionally complex. Though initially willing to use her charm and Song Qingshu's interest in her for political ends, she develops genuine concern for him and repeatedly risks herself rather than become a burden or bargaining chip. 578 1558 1563

Abilities & Skills

Political Strategy

Zhao Min excels at evaluating factions, identifying useful allies, and designing plans around the motives of others.

• Recognized the strategic value of winning over the Quanzhen Sect while the Mongols prepared to confront the Jin Dynasty. 365
• Manipulated Xiao Feng into attacking Jin forces by presenting a fabricated account of a Jin attempt to abduct her. 372
• Proposed using Ren Yingying to pressure Ren Woxing into yielding the Star Absorbing Great Method's genuine incantation. 578
• Recommends using Yelü Qi to counterbalance Xiao Pidi instead of relying on Xiao Feng, whose loyalties conflict with Song Qingshu's interests. 1568
• Later assists Su Quan with the governance of Liao while Su Quan impersonates Yelü Hongji. 1595

Intelligence and Deduction

Zhao Min processes sparse information quickly and often reaches accurate conclusions before others.

• Identifies Song Qingshu despite his changed demeanor and appearance. 309
• Deduces Dongfang Bubai's likely connection to the Five Poisons Sect from indirect intelligence. 579
• Suspects Song Qingshu's disguises and later connects his ability to impersonate Tang Kuobian with Murong Jingyue's disguise techniques. 1489 1562
• Compiles an organized roster of important Liao court officials, including their offices and evaluations. 1489

Command and Manipulation

Her position allows her to direct formidable martial artists and employ them according to political necessity.

• Commands the Xuanming Elders to attack Song Qingshu after he taunts her. 370
• Uses a wager with Xiaolongnü to attempt to gain access to Jade Maiden swordplay while controlling the dispute with Quanzhen disciples. 368 371
• Directs her martial allies during Xuancheng's attack and signals Song Qingshu not to expose their connection. 441
• Attempts to enlist the Sect Master of Vajra Gate against Zhou Zhiruo, then redirects him toward Lan Fenghuang when reputation prevents him from acting openly. 1185

Martial Arts and Qinggong

Zhao Min possesses a solid martial foundation but is not a fighter on the level of the grandmasters she commands.

• Her arrow technique is powerful and refined, reflecting elite training. 309
• Her eye for martial arts is exceptionally sharp; she can recognize disparities in internal energy, swordplay, and combat capability. 316 369
• Learns Treading Sand Without Trace from Song Qingshu, rapidly elevating her mobility to a top-tier level. 1463 1554
• Her limits remain clear against stronger opponents: Wanyan Chongjie defeats and captures her after Zhao Min underestimates her hidden martial skill. 874 875

Relationships

• Song Qingshu — Initially meets him while injured and dependent on his help to reach Kaifeng. Their relationship develops from distrust and flirtatious sparring into a close political and romantic partnership; Zhao Min becomes one of his most valuable strategists. 315 316 578 1568
• Zhang Wuji — Former lover. Zhao Min concludes that he is no longer the man she loved and ultimately breaks with him and the Ming Cult. 422 1888
• Zhou Zhiruo — Longstanding rival. Their hostility includes political conflict, jealousy surrounding Song Qingshu, and frequent verbal sparring, though Zhao Min refuses to expose Zhou Zhiruo to overwhelmingly stronger enemies. 425 1190 1196
• Prince Ruyang — Her father and the head of Prince Ruyang's Mansion. Zhao Min's political standing and access to elite experts derive from this connection. 1211 1889
• Xuanming Elders — Senior martial subordinates who serve and protect her, remaining loyal even while injured. 370 855
• Golden Wheel Monk — One of the chief experts accompanying her; Zhao Min respects his ability and deploys him in her operations. 369 441
• Xiao Feng — An old acquaintance whom Zhao Min manipulates into confronting Jin forces; she later recognizes the political danger posed by his competing loyalties. 372 1568
• Su Quan — Political collaborator during the Liao operation, with Zhao Min assisting her in managing governmental affairs from behind the scenes. 1595
• Xiao Zhonghui — Zhao Min persuades her to leave Little Ao in Shangjing, appealing to the child's prospects as a prince receiving a royal education. 1520

Story Role / Major Arcs

Journey to Kaifeng

After suffering injuries, Zhao Min reluctantly accepts Song Qingshu's assistance in traveling through Jin territory to seek treatment in Kaifeng. Their journey reveals both her vulnerability and her growing recognition of his extraordinary lightness skill and changing character. 315 316

Inn Gathering and Mongol Maneuvering

Zhao Min attempts to use the gathering of martial experts to strengthen Mongol influence. She seeks to recruit Quanzhen disciples, proposes the wager involving Xiaolongnü, calculates the balance of power between Mongol and Jin experts, and uses Xiao Feng's hatred of the Jin Dynasty to redirect the conflict. 365 368 371 372

Break with Zhang Wuji

Zhao Min directly challenges Zhang Wuji's identity, declaring that he is not the man she knew. His refusal to trust her motives destroys the remaining foundation of their relationship and contributes to her eventual return to the Mongol side against the Ming Cult. 422 1888

Search for the Star Absorbing Great Method

While poisoned by the Three Corpses Godly Brain Pill, Zhao Min joins Song Qingshu's effort to obtain a cure and the Star Absorbing Great Method. She devises the plan centered on Ren Yingying, while also using her charm to ensure Song Qingshu remains committed to confronting the Lord of Light. 577 578 579

Jiangnan and the Jia Baoyu Deception

Zhao Min arrives in Lin'an with Ouyang Feng and later travels with Jia Baoyu, unaware that he is Song Qingshu in disguise. Her father strips her command after she sees through his maneuver, but she continues attempting to secure Jia Baoyu and manipulate the competing factions around him. 1171 1184 1187

When Song Qingshu reveals his impersonation, Zhao Min refuses to submit even when her retainers are forced under his control by the Three Corpses Godly Brain Pill. 1193

Liao Political Campaign

Zhao Min becomes increasingly integrated into Song Qingshu's Liao operations. She learns qinggong for self-protection, provides political intelligence, identifies key Liao figures, and helps determine how to handle Xiao Feng and the Liao court. 1463 1489 1559 1568

During Murong Jingyue's hostage crisis, she attempts to die with her captor rather than force Song Qingshu to sacrifice himself. Song Qingshu later reveals that he has sought a way to cure her poison since she was first afflicted. 1558 1563

Return to Prince Ruyang's Mansion

Foreseeing danger to her family amid the Mongol threat, Zhao Min prepares to return to her father's side, trusting Song Qingshu to handle the larger crisis elsewhere. 1889

Notable Quotes

“If I truly wanted to use a honey trap on you, why would I need to do it myself?” 422

“A great achiever does not quibble over minor details!” 578

“If I were in his place, I would make the same choice.” 1558

Trivia

• Zhao Min is widely paired with Huang Rong in the saying: “Northern Zhao Min, Southern Huang Rong; obtaining one can pacify the nation, obtaining both can conquer the world.” 1211
• She considers Song Qingshu a more suitable long-term strategist than Huang Rong, while Song Qingshu considers her superior at anticipating developments several days in advance. 500
• Despite having access to powerful martial arts tutors, she initially prioritizes strategy over personal combat skill. Her desire to learn stronger martial arts intensifies after being repeatedly placed at a physical disadvantage. 875 1463