Qi Yunheng

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Qi Yunheng (祁允珩)
Alias(es)	A-Heng / Ah Heng; Yuchu, the courtesy name he gives during his disguised return to Jin; Dantai Yunheng in later chapters 45 47 119.
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Southern Zhao royal family and court 2 37.
Occupation/Role	Southern Zhao’s Third Prince; hostage in Jin; later ruler of Southern Zhao. Appointed Xiao Yu’s study companion after the later time reversal 2 118 142.
Age	Eleven at his early appearances; seventeen during the Moon God Temple arc. Later insists that he is eighteen when Little Seven discusses his concealed identity 7 91 119.
Family	Son of Southern Zhao’s former king and Qi Shi; elder brother of Yunqin and Yun Cheng 37 75.
Partner	Xiao Yu / Qi’an, whom he publicly appoints Queen of Southern Zhao 103.
Status	Alive; his younger self retains the future Yunheng’s memories in the altered-timeline side story 146 147.
First Appearance	Chapter 2, “The Hostage Prince of Southern Zhao” 2.

Background / History

Previous Life and Rebirth

Qi Yunheng was a neglected son of Southern Zhao’s king. After Southern Zhao lost to the forces of the Prince of Zhennan, his father selected him as a hostage rather than surrendering a favored son. Yunheng agreed to leave after receiving a promise that his mother would be treated well 2.

According to Xiao Yu’s recollections, that promise was broken in the previous life: Yunheng’s mother was handed over to officials and abused to death. Unaware of her fate, Yunheng endured mistreatment in Jin without retaliating because he feared endangering her 2.

In that life, the Prince of Zhennan lent Yunheng troops, with Princess Ning’an personally leading them. Yunheng invaded Southern Zhao and destroyed its royal line to avenge his mother. He intended to make Southern Zhao a vassal of Jin in repayment for the prince’s assistance 19 27 65.

Yunheng died at seventeen and was reborn. At his first encounter with Xiao Yu, he counts three years since his rebirth and considers himself mentally twenty despite his child’s body. He resolves to spare none of those who harmed him or his mother 2.

Hostage in Jin

Li Chunlai and other palace guards repeatedly beat and humiliate Yunheng. Xiao Yu interrupts one assault, but Yunheng rejects his offered hand. During the encounter, he hears Xiao Yu’s thoughts about his mother’s previous-life fate and wonders whether Xiao Yu has also been reborn 2.

Yunheng later attempts to assassinate Emperor Jinyuan, hoping to return to Southern Zhao. Xiao Yu stops him, becoming another target of his anger. After Xiao Yu comments on his smell, Yunheng repeatedly washes himself and asks Uncle Fu whether he stinks 6 7.

Their next encounters remain violent. Xiao Yu discovers Yunheng among thirteen captive boys at Cao Lin’s residence and rescues him, despite being bitten with poisoned teeth. Later, poisoned needles incapacitate Xiao Yu during an escape, and Yunheng leaves him partially buried at an abandoned palace. Nevertheless, he keeps the persimmon Xiao Yu gave him 8 9 13.

Yunheng eventually kills Li Chunlai using poison, venomous snakes, and a blade. He then orders Zhu Yan and his other followers to begin settling old scores in Jin 19 20.

Rule in Southern Zhao and Family Rupture

By Chapter 37, Yunheng is handling Southern Zhao’s government and facing memorials accusing him of usurpation, patricide, and fratricide. Chapter 43 clarifies that he is still acting as king and has not yet formally ascended the throne 37 43.

His maternal half of the family also turns against him. Yunqin brings poisoned pastries at the eldest prince’s direction. Yunheng recognizes the trap and eats without apparent harm; Yunqin then eats the remaining pastries and becomes poisoned. Yunheng defends his killing of their father as survival, arguing that the former king intended to kill him first 37.

Qi Shi blames Yunheng rather than hearing his account. Their confrontation escalates into rejection, self-injury, and her stabbing him in the chest. Yunheng permanently expels her and banishes Yunqin. Uncle Fu knocks him unconscious when he refuses treatment 38.

Yun Cheng becomes the younger brother Yunheng continues to protect. After the child accidentally eats poisoned cakes intended for him, Yunheng tries to withdraw, believing that closeness to him brings misfortune. Yun Cheng’s insistence that Yunheng is the only person he trusts challenges that belief 66 69.

Correspondence and Reunion with Xiao Yu

Letters keep Yunheng connected to Xiao Yu after his departure from Jin. He becomes distressed when Xiao Yu stops replying and delighted when Xiao Yu offers to call him “Ah Heng” 45.

After six years apart, Yunheng returns to Jin in disguise and introduces himself as Yuchu. Jealousy leads him to attack Xiao Yu, although he deliberately misses and restrains himself. Xiao Yu initially fails to recognize him, but Yunheng hears that he still remembers his childhood friend Ah Heng 47.

Their reunion is complicated by Xiao Yu’s old rumors about pursuing him, Yunheng’s jealousy, and Xiao Yu’s failure to understand his romantic intentions. Yunheng eventually admits that he came to Jin specifically to see Xiao Yu 50 53.

A major rupture occurs when Yunheng helps defend the Crown Prince from assassins, only for Xiao Yu to mistake him for the attacker. Feeling rejected, Yunheng leaves and later raises a knife against himself. Xiao Yu intervenes, apologizes, and promises not to doubt him again 58 59.

Xiao Yu subsequently introduces Yunheng openly as his consort and identifies him to Princess Ning’an as the man he loves. Their relationship receives Immortal Venerable Yuheng’s blessing, but Xiao Yu cannot accompany Yunheng back to Southern Zhao because of his family and responsibilities in Jin 60 63 65.

Queen of Southern Zhao

During their separation, Yunheng presents a dummy wearing Xiao Yu’s robe as his “Queen.” He tells his ministers that only the man he loves can hold that position and rejects objections based on Jin and Southern Zhao’s historic enmity 75.

When Xiao Yu visits Southern Zhao, ministers challenge his reputation and motives. Xiao Yu publicly declares that he loves Yunheng regardless of his throne or wealth. Yunheng also refuses to authorize formal arrangements concerning Xiao Yu without first asking him 81 82.

Their winter reunion leads to a visit to the Moon God Temple, where the ghost Kuang Wen separates them and impersonates Yunheng. Xiao Yu rejects the impostor, and Yunheng later emerges safely from the shattered Moon God Statue. The couple carve their names into a Three-Lives Stone; both inscriptions glow and vanish into it 89 91 92 94.

Yunheng then proposes a marriage alliance specifically requesting Prince Yu, offering Southern Zhao’s vassal status to Jin. While Xiao Yu is still considering his answer, Yunheng takes him to Southern Zhao without waiting for his consent. Xiao Yu reassures him after waking, and Yunheng publicly appoints him Queen and declares that they will rule together 97 98 100 103.

The abduction brings the Prince of Zhennan to Southern Zhao’s border with two hundred thousand troops. Yunheng addresses him as “Father,” acknowledging both his relationship with Xiao Yu and the prince’s help in his previous life. After Xiao Yu openly affirms his love, Yunheng orders Southern Zhao’s army to withdraw 105 106.

Coup and Rescue Operations

Qi Shi, Yunqin, and the eldest prince later use Yun Cheng as a hostage to demand Yunheng’s submission. The General Who Assists the State joins the attempted coup, accusing Yunheng of regicide and unfitness to rule because of his relationship with Xiao Yu 117 118.

Yunheng refuses to abdicate under coercion and orders archers to protect Yun Cheng. Xiao Yu arrives and ends the coup. Rather than execute the participating soldiers, Yunheng proposes sending them to help farmers plow their fields 118.

He also accompanies Xiao Yu to investigate traffickers who transform children into horses. While Xiao Yu locates and treats the captives, Yunheng arranges for the village to be surrounded, enabling Prefect Xiang’s forces to carry out the rescue 122 123.

Later Time Reversal

After the Prince of Pingxi poisons Xiao Yu with a substance intended to harm cultivators, Yunheng kills the prince rather than accept his demand for release. No antidote is found, and Yunheng carries Xiao Yu away 137.

Yunheng attempts to stabilize Xiao Yu’s Divine Soul with spiritual energy, but the Heaven and Earth Mirror sends him six years into the past, into his eleven-year-old body. He immediately seeks Xiao Yu and declares that they are future partners bound by a Three-Lifetime Pact 138 142.

Xiao Yu treats his fever and injuries, then cautiously considers his account. Yunheng reveals that he is a cultivator not of the mortal world. Neither has enough power to reverse time again, and the Divine Herb Ganzha becomes their only identified possible lead. Emperor Jinyuan appoints Yunheng as Xiao Yu’s study companion 139 142.

In the side story, the younger Qi Yunheng possesses the future man’s memories but initially rejects the idea that those memories determine his feelings. Three years later, he admits that his rejection was wrong and asks Xiao Yu to reconcile 146 147.

Appearance

• Childhood condition: Thin, dirty, and dressed in shabby clothing during his early captivity, sharply contrasting with Xiao Yu’s rich clothes and sheltered upbringing 2 47.
• Adult build: Tall and imposing; observers describe him as eight feet tall. No modern measurement is provided 61.
• Eyes: Black and fathomless, particularly striking when he threatens enemies 118.
• Disguise: Wears a mask during his return to Jin as Yuchu 47 50.
• Physique: Tells Xiao Yu that he also has the muscular features Xiao Yu admires in Marquis Yongchang 61.

Personality

Yunheng’s hostility grows out of neglect, captivity, and betrayal. He distrusts kindness, resents pity, and initially treats Xiao Yu’s interventions as unwelcome interference. His discomfort about cleanliness and his belief that he brings others misfortune reveal how deeply mistreatment has shaped his self-image 2 7 69.

He is calculating and merciless toward enemies. He kills Li Chunlai without accepting the guard’s appeal to a powerful patron, answers hostile memorials with death orders, and refuses to surrender his throne under threat. He presents much of his violence as necessary for survival rather than proof of ambition 19 37 118.

With Xiao Yu, his composure frequently collapses into jealousy, embarrassment, and demands for reassurance. Silence can make him fear abandonment, while affectionate names and gifts visibly delight him. His possessiveness sometimes becomes controlling action, most notably when he takes Xiao Yu to Southern Zhao without waiting for an answer 45 59 89 98 100.

His care is also concrete: he protects Yun Cheng, keeps Xiao Yu warm in the snow, considers Xiao Yu’s wishes before revealing his identity, and later promises not to pressure him into unwanted intimacy. His decision to put rebel soldiers to agricultural work shows a governing choice beyond simple retaliation 81 90 118 119.

Abilities & Skills

Poison and Venom

Yunheng uses poison in both concealed weapons and personal defenses 2 9 19.

• Carries poisoned needles hidden in his sleeve 2 13.
• Conceals poison on his teeth; his bite leaves Xiao Yu treating the effects for several days 8 9.
• Uses venomous snakes to immobilize Li Chunlai before killing him 19.
• Eats poisoned pastries without visible symptoms, although the context does not establish universal poison immunity 37.
• Treats Xiao Yu’s gifted persimmon with poison to prevent decay 20.

Martial Combat

Yunheng fights with daggers, swords, and a saber, and undertakes an assassination attempt against Emperor Jinyuan 6 7 65.

• Fights alongside the Crown Prince against masked assassins 58.
• Deliberately restrains an attack on Xiao Yu during their reunion 47.
• Uses an improvised sharp stone against Li Chunlai after returning to his younger body 138.

Cultivation and Spiritual Energy

Initially regarded as mortal by Xiao Yu and Yuheng, Yunheng later openly states that he is not of the mortal world. No named cultivation realm or documented realm advancement is given for him in the supplied chapters 63 91 142.

• Attempts to stabilize Xiao Yu’s injured Divine Soul with spiritual energy 142.
• Has insufficient power after the time reversal to return the characters to the future 142.
• Later chapters connect his concealed identity and memories with Dantai Yunheng; Little Seven raises an age of eight thousand eight hundred years, which Yunheng angrily denies in favor of eighteen 119.

Government and Military Command

Yunheng reviews memorials, directs court business, commands guards and archers, and negotiates with Jin through his chancellor 37 97 118.

• Coordinates the operation surrounding the traffickers’ village 123.
• Proposes vassal status and a marriage alliance as a means of securing peace and union with Xiao Yu 97.
• Assigns defeated rebel soldiers agricultural labor rather than execution 118.

Hearing Xiao Yu’s Thoughts

Yunheng can hear Xiao Yu’s unspoken thoughts, gaining information Xiao Yu does not knowingly share 2 47 61.

• Learns Xiao Yu’s account of his mother’s previous-life fate 2.
• Discovers that Xiao Yu remembers Ah Heng while failing to recognize him as Yuchu 47.
• Hears Xiao Yu privately describe him as the person he will cherish most dearly 61.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Poisoned needles — Concealed sleeve weapons; contact poisons Xiao Yu during their palace escape 2 13.
• Daggers, sword, and saber — Used for close combat, threats, and carving his name into the Three-Lives Stone 6 65 94 137.
• Bow and quiver — Carried during the winter hunt, when he seeks game as a gift for Xiao Yu 104.
• Voice Transmission Talisman — Given by Xiao Yu through Qinggeng; allows Yunheng to send spoken messages across kingdoms 72.
• Persimmon — A treasured gift from Xiao Yu, first preserved with poison and later planted into a towering tree 20 97.
• Xiao Yu’s robe and dummy “Queen” — Keeps the robe as a substitute for Xiao Yu’s presence and displays a dummy wearing it at court 75.
• Quilt — Cherishes Xiao Yu’s playful “whole lifetime” gift during their Winter Festival reunion 89.
• Erotic Manual — Finds Xiao Yu’s lost illustrated book and stores it in the box containing the persimmon 19 20.

Relationships

• Xiao Yu / Qi’an — Begins as an unwanted rescuer and adversary, becomes his correspondent and lover, and is publicly appointed his Queen. Their relationship repeatedly tests Yunheng’s jealousy, trust, and fear of abandonment 2 45 59 103.
• Uncle Fu — Lifelong attendant and guardian who treats Yunheng like his own child. Comforts him, advises him about Xiao Yu, and intervenes to save his life when he refuses medical treatment 7 38 98.
• Yun Cheng / Little Eleven — Younger brother whom Yunheng protects despite sternness and occasional jealousy over Xiao Yu’s attention. Yun Cheng’s trust helps counter Yunheng’s belief that he is destined to harm those close to him 66 69 118.
• Qi Shi / Lady Qi — Mother whose favoritism and violence culminate in their estrangement. Yunheng later refuses her attempted reconciliation, recognizing it as a means of gaining the throne for Yunqin 37 38 117.
• Yunqin / Eighth Prince — Same-mother younger brother whom Yunheng once protected and provided for. His poisoning attempt leads to banishment; he later participates in the hostage plot involving Yun Cheng 37 38 117 118.
• Eldest / First Prince — Political and familial enemy who directs Yunqin’s poisoning attempt and later uses Yun Cheng to demand Yunheng’s abdication 37 117 118.
• Prince of Zhennan — Previous-life benefactor and Xiao Yu’s father. Yunheng remembers his military assistance with gratitude and seeks his acceptance after taking Xiao Yu to Southern Zhao 27 105 106.
• Xiao Zhiyu / Princess Ning’an — Led the troops lent to Yunheng in his previous life. In the current life, her introduction as Xiao Yu’s elder sister embarrasses him after his boast about being Xiao Yu’s closest companion 65.
• Crown Prince of Jin — A source of jealousy because of his closeness to Xiao Yu. Yunheng nevertheless protects him from assassins, prompting the misunderstanding that leads to his reconciliation with Xiao Yu 58 59.
• Zhu Yan — Trusted subordinate who follows his orders in revenge plans, Xiao Yu’s transfer to Southern Zhao, and defense of the hunting grounds 20 100 105.
• Little Seven — Companion involved in his concealed identity and time-reversal arc; its teasing about his age provokes his anger 119 138.
• Li Chunlai — Abusive palace guard whom Yunheng ultimately kills in revenge 2 19.

Notable Quotes

“I'm your child too. Have you ever worried about me even once?” 37

“This King has only you, and wants only you!” 90

“Even if it annoys you, I'm still following you...” 147

Trivia

• Xiao Yu repeatedly misnames him “Zhao Yunheng.” Yunheng explicitly corrects him: “My surname isn't Zhao!” 13.
• The persimmon given during their hostile childhood encounter remains important years later; Yunheng grows it into a tree outside his window 13 20 97.
• His affectionate voice messages repeatedly embarrass Xiao Yu by playing aloud around relatives, leading Xiao Yu to add a separate message-alert talisman 72 73 89.
• Xiao Yu’s family gives Yunheng both a welcome gift for their “daughter-in-law” and New Year’s lucky money, gestures that leave him unexpectedly moved 107.