Baozhu

Biodata

Background / History

Baozhu grew up surrounded by imperial privilege, with servants attending to nearly every aspect of her daily life. Her father indulged her enthusiasm for riding and archery by commissioning renowned instructors and inviting returning generals to teach her. He also took her on imperial inspection tours, displaying a degree of favor that astonished both court and country 24 29.

During a childhood outing near Chang'an, a barefoot Daoist predicted that she would enjoy wealth and honor but die before marriage. Her frightened father bestowed the title Wanshou, meaning “Ten Thousand Years of Life,” obtained longevity locks and protective charms, and built the Supreme Immortal Temple for her protection. Baozhu later bitterly contrasted that title with her apparent death at seventeen 14.

Her mother, Consort Xue, died in childbirth when Baozhu was ten. Her elder brother Prince Shao subsequently lost the emperor's trust through malicious accusations and was exiled to Youzhou. Baozhu blamed Li Chengyuan and Prince Wei for spreading those rumors; she also resented Chengyuan's earlier proposal to send her, aged nine, to marry Trisong Detsen 21 22 35 47.

Before Consort Xue's death, Baozhu and her family lived in Penglai Hall, the empress's residence at Daming Palace. Her mother governed the six palaces, and preparations had been completed to crown her empress after her recovery from childbirth. Her death deprived Baozhu and Li Yuanyi of that protection and forced them to move into the care of women who had been their mother's rivals 61 129.

An undisclosed conspiracy left Baozhu gravely ill and buried alive in the Underground Palace. Although she survived, society regarded Princess Wanshou as dead. She traveled east with Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son, intending to reach her family in Youzhou and discover what had happened to her 9 14 24.

The inquiry into her apparent death later uncovers a powerful emetic prescribed by Zhou Mingzhi after Lu Songzhi interfered with the physicians treating her. Wei Xun proposes that severe dehydration, compounded by frightened or arrested attendants leaving her without care, caused her apparent death. The haste of her burial and the talismans placed on her body remain unexplained at that stage 72.

Her journey exposes her to famine, aristocratic exploitation, captivity, and military conflict. After surviving imprisonment in her uncle's residence and killing him, she eventually reaches Youzhou and reunites with Li Yuanying. The siblings then agree to return to Chang'an to seek justice for their mother and resolve the succession struggle through a coup rather than a wider war 77 157 176 206 208.

Appearance

Baozhu is described as a beautiful young woman whose dignified movements reveal her noble upbringing even when her clothes are plain. Initially pale and haggard after her illness, she regains a lustrous complexion and lively expression through her companions' care during the journey 13 16.

• Hair: Glossy black hair approximately four feet long, which she cherishes and takes considerable pride in 23 44.
• Complexion: Naturally clear enough that the magistrate's maids consider rouge unnecessary and powder barely needed 23.
• Brows and makeup: Usually wears curved willow-leaf brows; adopts imposing Cloud-Brushing Brows when angry and drooping weeping brows when preparing to appeal to Bao Lang 34 35.
• Travel clothing: Uses a curtained or veiled hat outdoors and northern-style garments when she needs freedom of movement 13 26 32.
• Fragrance: Wears the rare Auspicious Dragon-Brain scent, which Bao Lang recognizes 27.
• Later hair damage: Cuts two inches from her hair after its ends are singed during the Chan'guang Temple affair. She later cuts her hair to survive Wang Chengwu's imprisonment 101 206.
• Effects of captivity: Emerges from Prince Qi's residence with a dull complexion, gaunt cheeks, and a severely wasted body. By her reunion with Li Yuanying, her hands bear conspicuous scars, although she has also grown taller and sturdier 176 181 206.
• Guanyin costume: Wears a Lotus Crown, jeweled ornaments, and a diagonally draped Brocade Kasaya that leaves her right shoulder bare. Her appearance so closely resembles a temple image that Thirteenth Son instinctively addresses her as a bodhisattva 147.
• Low-profile disguise: After the Guanyin Attendant incident, adopts a plain round-collared robe to resemble an ordinary traveler 182.

Personality

Baozhu is proud, lively, and accustomed to deference. She enjoys hunting, outings, good food, and entertainment, and dislikes being confined or treated as helpless. Her upbringing initially leaves her disdainful of shabby lodgings and unfamiliar with ordinary life, but she recognizes that refusing to adapt can make the journey harder 13 16 25 47.

Her imperious manner coexists with compassion. Seeing families exiled over her supposed death, she vows to clear their names. She worries about Thirteenth Son going hungry, nurses Wei Xun through illness, and arranges medical care for Yang Xingjian. Her distress over Thirteenth Son's arrest briefly drives her to consider risking herself before Bao Lang to obtain his release 9 28 31 35 44.

She has feared ghosts since childhood and cries readily, but fear does not always stop her from acting: during the mansion's staged haunting, she fires arrows at the unseen intruders. Her courage recovers alongside her health, allowing her to confront underworld figures and hostile officials. Her attachment to imperial status also makes perceived rejection painful; Wei Xun's avoidance of her touch provokes anger until she learns the reason for it 11 19 33 37 50.

Her experiences gradually challenge her assumptions about privilege and competence. She recognizes the limits of a princess's freedom when considering the Xiao sisters' marriages, suffers a decisive argumentative defeat during the Chan'guang Temple affair, and later struggles with the humiliation of being ordered aside by an official's procession. She eventually acknowledges that the protections of her former position no longer accompany her automatically 64 88 140.

Captivity in Prince Qi's residence forces her to practice restraint as well as defiance. After failing to organize a collective escape, she draws encouragement from historical examples of people who endured humiliation before overcoming their enemies. Her uncle's conduct also destroys her uncomplicated pride in the imperial bloodline, making her question the relationship between inherited authority and cruelty 163 167.

Her escape marks a change in her willingness to use violence. Previously reluctant to wound people and careful to avoid vital points, she deliberately kills Prince Qi's accomplices and Prince Qi himself. In the aftermath, she struggles with a desire to die before recognizing that her own strength and authority are not wholly dependent on her family or protectors. A private dance and Wei Xun's embrace help her recover the ability to cry and begin living again 32 176 181.

Baozhu becomes increasingly determined to control how her actions are remembered. She resents histories that would erase her name and accomplishments while preserving criticism of her funeral. When agreeing to support Li Yuanying, she explicitly demands that her achievements not be attributed to a man 190 208.

Abilities & Skills

Archery

Baozhu trained diligently from childhood under instructors selected by the emperor. Her accuracy and eyesight are exceptional, though her grave illness temporarily reduces her drawing strength 12 24.

• Previously killed gazelles and wild boars within fifty paces; she also boasts that she can shoot a sparrow in the eye from a hundred paces 12 13.
• Spots and shoots a small, camouflaged rabbit concealed in thick brush 16.
• Fires through Yang Xingjian's headcloth without striking his head 21.
• Deliberately wounds Luo Chengye in the thigh rather than aiming at a vital point 32.
• Later draws her horn bow fully without trembling and brings down a wild goose 47.
• Adapts from military transport practice—keeping her bow unstrung in a sleeve—to carrying a strung bow ready for the sudden encounters of the martial world 60.
• Shoots a mysterious large bird more than a hundred paces away amid a violent, chilling wind. Her reaction speed impresses the assembled martial artists, while Tuoba Sanniang recognizes the experience and calculation required to hit in those conditions 62.
• Fires rapid volleys to either side while riding, striking every target and demonstrating the advantage of her skills on open ground 69.
• Uses the Giant-Que Sky Bow during her escape from Prince Qi's residence, repeatedly drawing a weapon normally beyond her strength and killing her pursuers. She finally shoots Li Yu in the back after Wei Xun drives him into an open courtyard 176.
• Limits: Her weakened shots may cause only flesh wounds unless they hit a vital spot. Close quarters leave too little time to draw, and she cannot confidently shoot into the rapid fight between Wei Xun and Tuoba Sanniang without endangering him 12 20 50.
• Protective equipment: Her thumb ring and guards preserve her hands but reduce direct feel and agility. During the escape from Prince Qi's residence, shooting without a thumb ring cuts her fingers deeply 62 176.
• Exceptional exertion: Her ability to draw the Giant-Que Sky Bow during the escape is temporary and unexplained. Once Li Yu dies, she collapses from exhaustion; the feat is not established as a permanent increase in strength 175 176.

Riding and Court Sports

Riding is one of Baozhu's longstanding interests, alongside archery, polo, and ball striking 19.

• Calms the spirited Khitan horse Te Le Li and mounts unaided, impressing Bao Lang with her expertise 26.
• Formerly hunted with a tribute lynx riding on a blanket behind her saddle and springing down to pursue prey 12.
• Has experienced riding injuries, including a fall from a frightened horse 36.
• Initially despises riding a donkey, but later discovers that her mount can keep pace with an ordinary horse during a hard ride 14 68.
• Combines expert riding with rapid, accurate shooting in the bride-switching investigation 69.
• Retains an interest in horse quality and breeding, and later browses Hebei's horse markets partly because she wants to obtain a fine mount for Wei Xun 197.

Investigation and Observation

Baozhu combines close observation with knowledge acquired at court to help untangle the Xiagui cases.

• Recognizes that a “ghost” leaving blood must be human; the discovery of dyed bloodstains also makes her question whether the crimson liquid she vomited during her illness was really blood 12.
• Identifies an imperial lacquer box's inscription as a gift from Cui Keyong 30.
• Identifies Zhang Xu's regular script and ordinary hemp paper in the hidden note, then connects matching funeral money to a possible tombstone carver 33 35.
• Deduces that Chen Yu could have switched the lacquer boxes before the treasure entered the pagoda 38.
• Explains why the supposed Luminous Pearl does not resemble either a natural pearl or a genuine luminous pearl 40.
• Requests the Xiao and Lu family genealogies to investigate the missing bride's family connections and possible motives 60 67.
• Concludes that two separate groups are targeting Pang Liangji's wedding after dyed feathers are discovered beneath a crow's wings 66.
• Recognizes a verse beneath Xiao Ran's bed as a death poem and identifies pale marks in the dust as powder washed down by tears. These clues lead her to conclude that Xiao Ran hid under the bed while the impostor dressed as her 67.
• Notices missing clothing and boots in Wei Xun's room and realizes that his promise not to circulate true qi did not mean he had remained in bed 71.
• Assists in investigating Wu Daozi's former residence and the mysteries surrounding Wu Guancheng and Chan'guang Temple 90.
• Uses a half Fish Tally and the order of statues in the Four Heroes Temple to identify Qingyang, Zhu Ming, White Treasury, and Xuanying 187.
• Proposes that Chen Shigu hid an antidote inside a Kṣitigarbha statue at Sweet Spring, the imperial family's longstanding water source, thereby explaining the Phoenix Embryo effect. She counters the possibility of poisoned spring water by noting that it would also have killed nearby villagers 220.

Literacy and Literary Knowledge

Baozhu is well versed in poetry, history, calligraphy, and court customs.

• Teaches Wei Xun to write after learning that he can read but cannot leave a written note 28 31.
• Copies the hidden note onto matching hemp paper for a replacement 33.
• Detects insulting allusions in Pang Liangji's wedding poems, supplies suitable replacements, and suggests writing reminders on the backs of his court tablets 46.
• Recounts Liu Ju's persecution and explains the allusions in Bai Juyi's “Thoughts at Sizi Terrace” 47.
• Studied calligraphy under Junior Preceptor Liu and personally taught Li Yuanyi his earliest writing lessons 28.
• Uses literary and historical allusions both to interpret evidence and to sustain herself during captivity 67 163.
• Writes a letter whose handwriting allows Li Yuanying and Madam Li to recognize that she is alive 104.
• Supplies the party's assumed identities and travel details in writing so that Han Yun can issue an authorized travel permit 192.
• Limit: Her formal education initially leads her to assume that everyone should be literate 28.

Musical Discernment

Although Baozhu initially had no formal training in music or dance, exposure to palace performers—and to her mother, an accomplished dancer and pipa master—gives her a discerning ear 49.

• Recognizes the unusual forceful treatment of the normally graceful tune “Green Waist” 49.
• Notices that Tuoba Sanniang's pipa sounds muffled, as though something is concealed inside it 49.
• Explains that her mother refused to teach her the Zhezhi Dance because a princess should never need to sing or dance to please others 143.

Close-Range Self-Defense

Wei Xun identifies a gap in Baozhu's training: she learned archery for hunting with guards nearby, not for surviving enemies who close the distance 14.

• Receives a three-foot wooden stick from Wei Xun as a safer practice weapon than a sharpened saber 14.
• Holds an arrow as an improvised defensive point when an intruder approaches too closely for her bow 20.
• Strikes Thirteenth Son with the stick before recognizing him as the person climbing through her window 25.
• Improvises a peach-branch saber during Wei Xun's snake prank 43.
• Learned wrestling as a child, although indulgent opponents allowed her to believe she was unbeatable until she realized they were deliberately losing 143.
• Revives the long-neglected wrestling move Snake Coils the Ankle during her escape from Prince Qi's residence, bringing down a physically untrained opponent by surprise 175.
• Limits: Her climbing ability is far below Wei Xun's lightness skills, and she remains vulnerable against highly skilled martial artists indoors 36 50.
• Her unarmed fighting is inferior to Thirteenth Son's and cannot approach the Seven Sunset Techniques. Her successful use of wrestling against an unprepared, sedentary opponent does not establish comparable skill against trained fighters 69 175.

Dance

Baozhu receives her first sustained dance instruction as a captive in the Rainbow Garment Courtyard. Jade Ewer and Mi Moyan teach her the Zhezhi Dance while she wears ankle shackles 157.

• Her familiarity with the finest palace performers allows her to appreciate the exceptional quality of her instructors' dancing 157.
• Learns most of the Zhezhi Dance's techniques under Mi Moyan's guidance, but cannot convincingly adopt the flattering manner expected of a performer entertaining powerful guests 171.
• Later performs privately for Wei Xun as an act of farewell to her captivity and renewed commitment to living 181.
• Limit: Her training is brief, and she remains dependent on Mi Moyan's guidance for the sequence. During her private performance, she forgets the movements following Eagle Soars 164 181.

Leadership, Strategy, and Political Judgment

Baozhu's role expands from helping solve individual crimes to directing investigations, selecting capable people, and coordinating military and political action.

• Leads members of the Setting Sun Courtyard during the bride-switching inquiry, delegates searches, and insists that Luo Toutuo remain to protect Pang Liangji 62.
• Helps bring about an arrangement at Chan'guang Temple in which the compassionate, administratively experienced Guanchao becomes abbot and organizes famine relief. Yang Xingjian praises her judgment of people 101.
• Surveys terrain with Yuan Shaobo, Lü Qiao, and a small guard contingent while seeking a way to defeat Wang Chengwu's cavalry 201.
• Devises a plan combining an internal uprising in Chengde with a military feint from Zhaoyi to draw Wang Chengwu's cavalry away 201.
• Rejects opportunistic claims to service, insisting that the merit of supporting her must be earned through shared danger rather than waiting to join the winning side 203.
• Supports Li Yuanying's proposal to settle the succession struggle at Xuanwu Gate in order to avoid a larger war 208.
• Publicly invokes her identity, imperial ancestry, and a claim of celestial return to challenge the troops confronting Li Yuanying at Xuanwu Gate 213.
• Participates with Li Yuanying in rejecting a proposed marriage alliance intended to preserve the Tian family's control of Weibo, instead demanding Tian Yunzhi as a hostage 220.
• Limits: Her attempted collective escape from the Rainbow Garment Courtyard fails because she cannot persuade the other captives to cooperate. Her initial Chengde plan also stalls when Han Yun and Liang Shiji each refuse to act without external support 163 201.

Power Progression

Baozhu's development is principally in practical combat readiness, leadership, and the use of skills learned before her journey. Her extraordinary strength during the escape from Prince Qi's residence is temporary; the context does not establish a permanent supernatural advancement 60 175 176 201.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Horn bow, arrows, and quiver — Her principal weapons. She values the bow's suitable size and draw weight; Wei Xun retrieves the set after Yang Xingjian hides it during their detention. She later purchases a fresh case of arrows 25 30 47 48.
• Three-foot wooden stick — Trimmed, smoothed, and balanced by Wei Xun for self-defense practice 14.
• Riding crop — Used to push Bao Lang out of her path when he presses her about her fragrance 27.
• Household Register — Supplied by Yang Xingjian under the identity of his deceased daughter, Fang Xie, allowing her to pass official searches and checkpoints 21.
• Fish-gutting knife — The wounded mansion thief's discarded knife, handed to her by Wei Xun 12.
• Craftsmen's lacquer box — Given to her by Wei Xun after the Xiagui affair; she accepts the box as the case's true treasure once the pearl proves counterfeit 40.
• Portable bow case — Requested during the bride-switching investigation so that she can carry a strung horn bow ready for immediate use 60.
• Archery thumb ring and armguard — Protective equipment worn when she sets out with the Setting Sun Courtyard 62.
• Marked arrows — Scratches a cross into each new arrow shaft, following the imperial hunting practice of distinguishing each participant's quarry. This allows her to identify an arrow unexpectedly recovered from a coffin 68.
• Fish-Intestine Sword — Wei Xun lends her the ancient dagger for protection during the bride-switching investigation and again at Chan'guang Temple. He later places it in her hand during her crisis after escaping Prince Qi's residence 61 62 90 181.
• Seven-Treasure Glazed Glass Box — Given to her by Wei Xun; contains the first blooming sprig of osmanthus of the year, which he pins in her hair 101.
• Lock of Mi Moyan's hair — A keepsake he gives her before departing to replace her as the Guanyin Attendant at the Golden Osmanthus Banquet 171.
• Giant-Que Sky Bow and four-feathered arrows — Obtained during her escape from Prince Qi's residence and used to kill his guards and Li Yu. She drops the bow when her remaining strength fails 175 176.
• Repaired jade comb — Returned by Li Yuanying when he promises that they will share the realm and stand together in history 208.

Relationships

• Wei Xun — Guard, traveling companion, and investigative partner. Their teasing develops alongside mutual concern: she helps him recover and teaches him writing, while he protects her and retrieves her weapons. His fear of exposing his unnaturally cold body causes a misunderstanding over physical contact 21 28 30 33 36 37. She later permits him to use her personal name, accepts his gifts of flowers, and becomes increasingly involved in finding an explanation for his illness. He supports her through the aftermath of captivity, and their relationship develops into explicit mutual affection, including kisses during their later travels 82 101 181 220.
• Thirteenth Son — Young traveling companion whom she scolds and teases but also feeds and protects. His arrest leaves her distraught and determined to secure his release 13 25 31 35. She remains deeply concerned for him after he is injured during her abduction. Once restored to imperial life, she arranges his elevation at Baotai Temple, securing his future while deciding not to confine him within palace rules 155 219.
• Yang Xingjian — Prince Shao's loyal aide and her protector. He provides her false identity, poses as her father, and helps manage their confinement; she later arranges treatment when he falls seriously ill 21 23 44. He admits that, on Prince Shao's orders, he hired Tuoba Sanniang to assassinate Lu Songzhi after Lu interfered with the physicians treating Baozhu 72.
• Li Yuanying / Prince Shao — Beloved elder brother, known privately as “Little Fox.” He placed informants around her for protection and sent Yang Xingjian to investigate her death. Reuniting with him in Youzhou is central to her plans 21 47. Her letter restores his hope, and their eventual reunion leads to a joint return to Chang'an. He promises to share the realm and preserve her achievements, but their bond is later deeply damaged by his deception and scheming concerning their mother's death 104 206 208 216 217.
• Li Yuanyi — Younger brother whose safety she anxiously seeks to confirm. She has supervised his handwriting practice and is relieved to learn that he is sheltered in Qingyuan Hall 9 31. Watching Thirteenth Son grow taller makes her wonder how much Li Yuanyi has grown during her absence 52.
• The emperor — Her father, who lavishly supported her training and sought protection against the prophecy of her early death. His willingness to believe accusations against Prince Shao remains a source of pain 14 24 47. Her experiences in Prince Qi's residence force her to confront the possibility of her father's involvement in the circumstances of her own apparent death 167.
• Consort Xue — Her deceased mother, a celebrated musician and dancer. Baozhu mourns the protection her mother might have provided had she lived 22 49. Consort Xue encouraged martial exercise but refused to teach her daughter dance for the entertainment of others. The investigation into her death becomes central to Baozhu's political choices and subsequent conflict with Li Yuanying 143 208 216 217.
• Li Chengyuan and Prince Wei — Hostile relatives whom she blames for Prince Shao's downfall. Baozhu particularly despises Chengyuan and hopes to overturn his fortunes 47.
• Bao Lang — Antagonistic Defense Commissioner who threatens and confines her while coveting her. She resists his pressure and helps investigate the crimes behind his supposed White Snake Pearl 24 25 27 38.
• Huo Qilang — Wei Xun's fellow disciple, who assists with the rescue and departure plans and notices his unusual tenderness toward Baozhu 35 36. Accompanies Baozhu during the bride-switching inquiry and later delivers her letter to Prince Shao, learning her true identity in the process 62 66 104.
• Pang Liangji — Wedding acquaintance whom she helps escape humiliation through her literary knowledge. She refuses his proposal of sworn siblinghood but accepts his wedding invitation 46 47. Later promises to help find his missing bride and takes a leading role in the investigation 60 62 67.
• Tuoba Sanniang — Initially terrifies Baozhu and attacks her after she comments on the pipa's muffled sound. They later cooperate in the bride-switching investigation while continuing to exchange barbed criticism. Baozhu is sickened by Sanniang's torture of the impostor bride and later learns that she was Lu Songzhi's assassin 50 62 66 72.
• Mi Moyan / Mi Falan — Fellow captive and gifted dancer in the Rainbow Garment Courtyard. He suffers punishment because of her escape attempt, helps teach her the Zhezhi Dance, and reveals the abuse and hopelessness of his own captivity. Baozhu promises to find him a safe home after they escape; before he replaces her at the banquet, they exchange intimate keepsakes 157 164 171.
• Jade Ewer — Dance instructor during Baozhu's captivity. Her gentle treatment contrasts with Zhao Shi's cruelty, making Baozhu more willing to cooperate with lessons 157.
• Li Yu / Prince of Qi — Paternal uncle and captor. Baozhu conceals her identity while trapped in his residence, recognizing him as her father's elder brother. His cruelty profoundly alters her understanding of imperial privilege, and she ultimately kills him with an arrow during her escape 164 165 167 176.
• Han Yun — Possesses a piece of Baozhu's old calligraphy and confesses long-standing love for her. She obtains travel permits from him but later rejects him after he refuses to support her military plan without authorization, denying him a place beside her as a late opportunist 192 201 203.
• Zhou Qingyang — Renowned physician who joins the northward journey. Baozhu welcomes the medical protection she can provide, but is disturbed to learn that she is withholding the Phoenix Embryo formula until Wei Xun completes two tasks 187.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Eastward Journey and the Haunted Mansion

• Leaves Chang'an with Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son, learns that Li Yuanyi is safe, and vows to vindicate the physicians' families exiled over Princess Wanshou's death 9.
• Fires six arrows during an apparent haunting at Wealthy Master Fang's mansion. The group exposes a thief's staged supernatural tricks, while the locked storeroom reveals evidence of genuine deaths by hanging 11 12.
• Begins questioning her own apparent poisoning after seeing how dyed stains and dim light can create convincing deception 12.

Confinement in Xiagui

• Becomes trapped when Xiagui is sealed following the treasure theft and apparent murder of Luo Chengye; Wei Xun's disappearance initially makes her suspect his involvement 18 19.
• Reunites with Yang Xingjian and adopts Fang Xie's registered identity. Wu Zhiyuan subsequently places them under house arrest in his residence 21 23.
• Secretly visits Wei Xun after learning that illness, rather than theft, caused his absence. She sends pepper-heavy medicinal porridge and chooses to remain confined until the cases are solved rather than become a fugitive 25 27 28.

Solving the Pearl and Murder Cases

• Investigates Luo Chengye's house with Wei Xun, helps establish that the supposed victim may be someone else, and shoots the disguised Luo in the thigh so that he can be captured 30 32.
• Examines and copies the hidden note, then connects its paper and handwriting to the craftsmen's camp 33 35.
• Joins the inquiry that exposes Bao Lang's murder of Chen Yu's daughter Yingniang and theft of her family's pearl 36 38.
• Leaves Xiagui after the affair ends. The companions discover that the much-contested pearl is a glass counterfeit; Baozhu instead treasures the craftsmen's lacquer box 40.

Lingbao and Pang Liangji's Wedding

• Crosses Tong Pass into the Central Plains and remains in Lingbao while Yang Xingjian recovers from illness 43 44.
• Helps Pang Liangji prepare respectable wedding verses and visits Crown Prince Li's Tomb, where Liu Ju's fate brings her family's persecution sharply to mind 46 47.
• Regains her resolve to reunite with Prince Shao and shoots a wild goose as a wedding gift 47.
• Attends the wedding, where Wei Xun shields her with his body when the Blue Tent collapses in an attack 52 55.
• Realizes that leaving her bow with Thirteenth Son and wearing clothing unsuited to carrying it made her unable to respond in time 56.

Encounter with Tuoba Sanniang

• Invites a sickly wandering pipa player to perform, then notices disturbing details in her instrument and appearance. Her observation about its muffled sound provokes hostility 49.
• Mistakes the woman for a ghost and is immobilized by fear until Wei Xun intervenes. He shields her during the fight, though flying force cuts several strands of her hair 50.
• After learning that Tuoba Sanniang is alive, Baozhu feels ashamed of her terror but recognizes that archery would have been unsuitable in the confined space 50.

Bride-Switching Investigation

• Promises Pang Liangji that she will find his bride, orders the relevant family genealogies obtained, and equips herself to carry a strung bow 60.
• Leaves the injured Wei Xun at the inn and leads members of the Setting Sun Courtyard toward Jade City. Her shot at a mysterious bird establishes her archery skill before the assembled experts 62.
• Challenges the Xiao family's pretensions and indifference, then examines Xiao Ran's room and the circumstances surrounding her marriage 63 64.
• Distinguishes separate plots against the wedding and pursues evidence linking the Lu family to the affair 66.
• Identifies the death poem, tear marks, and hidden hairpin beneath Xiao Ran's bed, concluding that the real bride was concealed there when the impostor assumed her identity 67.
• Identifies her own marked arrow after it is recovered from a coffin and later demonstrates devastating mounted archery on open ground 68 69.

Investigating Her Apparent Death

• Learns that Yang Xingjian hired Tuoba Sanniang to kill Lu Songzhi on Prince Shao's orders after Lu manipulated her medical treatment 72.
• Examines evidence of Zhou Mingzhi's powerful emetic prescription and hears Wei Xun's explanation that dehydration and abandonment by frightened attendants may have caused her apparent death 72.
• Continues to question why she was buried so quickly and why talismans were placed on her body; asks Wei Xun how he saved her 72.
• Later recognizes that the case cannot be separated from the emperor's authority, undermining her earlier confidence in her father's protection 167.

Chan'guang Temple

• Stays at the temple with her companions, learns about Wu Guancheng's paintings and corpse desecrations, and receives Wei Xun's careful protection against hidden dangers in her room 80.
• Becomes more conscious of Wei Xun's childhood suffering and his search for a cure, and permits him to call her Baozhu 81 82.
• Is recognized by Dou Jing, whose frightened reaction demonstrates the danger of encountering officials who knew Princess Wanshou before her supposed death 86.
• Investigates Wu Daozi's former residence with Wei Xun while confronting memories of people who disappeared from her palace life after mention of the Blood-Smeared Ghost 90.
• Participates in the temple's resolution, rushes into a fire during her plan, and supports an outcome in which Guanchao takes charge and organizes relief for the starving 101.
• Leaves toward Luoyang wearing the first osmanthus blossoms of the year, a gift from Wei Xun 101.

Luoyang and the Guanyin Attendant

• Struggles with the loss of imperial privilege after an official's procession orders her aside. Wei Xun comforts her and promises to defend the osmanthus in her hair 140.
• Learns that Changqiu Temple's Guanyin statue was damaged before her mother's death 146.
• Climbs onto the statue's pedestal to wipe its apparent tears. Two gold coins accidentally fall from her purse in the combination interpreted as a sacred oracle 146.
• Accepts the role of Guanyin Attendant and prepares to participate in the procession 147.
• Is subsequently abducted after attackers overpower Thirteenth Son. Her arms are dislocated during the struggle, and she awakens imprisoned in the Rainbow Garment Courtyard 155.

Captivity in Prince Qi's Residence

• Attacks Zhao Shi and attempts escape, but is shackled and forced to kneel overnight. Mi Moyan is whipped because of her actions 157.
• Learns the Zhezhi Dance under Jade Ewer and Mi Moyan while searching for a way out 157.
• Abandons an impractical plan to unite the household captives and escape together, turning instead to endurance and concealment 163.
• Recognizes the residence's master as her paternal uncle Li Yu, Prince of Qi. Concealing her identity, she calls herself Dan Niao, courtesy name Dragon Maiden, and exploits his belief in auspicious omens 164 165.
• Forms a close bond with Mi Moyan and promises him a safe home after their escape 164.
• Is denied access to a bow during a battle-formation rehearsal. Li Yu later orders Mi Moyan to replace her as the Guanyin Attendant at the Golden Osmanthus Banquet, leaving her chained behind 171.

Escape, Retribution, and Recovery

• Survives seven days and nights of hunger, thirst, and near-death struggle. Revives a childhood wrestling technique, obtains the key to her leg irons, and takes the Giant-Que Sky Bow 175.
• Arms herself with four-feathered arrows and fights through Prince Qi's residence, abandoning her former reluctance to strike vital points 176.
• Kills Li Yu after Wei Xun forces him into an exposed courtyard. Exhausted, she collapses and asks Wei Xun to open the doors as he carries her away 176.
• Struggles with a wish to end her life, but seeing her reflection and the burning residence helps her recognize the independent strength she used to defeat her captor 181.
• Dances privately for Wei Xun, accepts his embrace, and begins to recover her sense of safety and ability to weep 181.
• Resumes the journey in plain clothing, with the party deliberately avoiding the conspicuous display that accompanied the Guanyin Attendant affair 182.

Northward Journey and Chengde Conflict

• Tries to treat Wei Xun's worsening cold ailment with an expensive ginseng root, inadvertently giving him an excessive dose that overwhelms his self-control 184.
• Helps demolish the Four Heroes Temple, identifies its former figures, and learns that Zhou Qingyang is withholding the Phoenix Embryo formula 187.
• Confronts Han Yun over her preserved calligraphy and obtains travel permits under the party's assumed identities 192.
• Endures imprisonment by Wang Chengwu and cuts off her hair to survive 206.
• Surveys the terrain around Zhengding and Jingxing Pass and devises a plan to draw away Wang Chengwu's cavalry while Liang Shiji seizes Chengde from within 201.
• Fails to secure immediate support from either Han Yun or Liang Shiji, but refuses to abandon her campaign 201.
• Later rejects Han Yun's attempt to join her, asserting that the honor of following her belongs to those who shared the danger of battle 203.

Reunion in Youzhou and Return to Chang'an

• Reunites with Li Yuanying, who is distressed by her scars and altered appearance. She tells him that she killed their eldest uncle and his family 206.
• Visits the Two Sages Shrine with him and confronts the fact that popular loyalty follows rulers' results rather than imperial claims alone 208.
• Agrees to return to Chang'an and pursue a coup designed to avert a broader war. Demands recognition of her own achievements, and receives Li Yuanying's promise that they will share the realm 208.
• Publicly declares herself Princess Wanshou, Li Baozhu, at Xuanwu Gate. Claims a celestial return and urges the soldiers to recognize Li Yuanying as the rightful heir rather than obey the eunuchs opposing him 213.
• Later confronts Li Yuanying over his deception concerning their mother's death. Their dispute becomes physically violent, leaving a lasting fracture in their previously intimate trust 216 217.

Restored Imperial Life and the Phoenix Embryo Mystery

• Arranges Thirteenth Son's elevation at Baotai Temple, ensuring that he can eventually become its abbot without forcing him into palace life 219.
• Works with Li Yuanying on the Weibo question, rejecting a proposed marriage alliance and demanding Tian Yunzhi as a hostage 220.
• Continues meeting Wei Xun at Huaqing Pool and proposes an explanation for Chen Shigu's Phoenix Embryo involving an antidote concealed in the Kṣitigarbha statue at Sweet Spring 220.
• Travels with Wei Xun from Linyou toward Chang'an, exchanging kisses among the apricot blossoms 220.

Notable Quotes

“If one day I can uncover the truth, I shall clear the names of those people who were just sent into exile and right their wrongs!” 9

“I was given the title Wanshou—Ten Thousand Years of Life—yet I died at seventeen. I was still nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-three years short.” 14

“I aimed for his leg deliberately. Apart from shooting at a ghost in that haunted house, this is the first time I've hurt someone.” 32

“But even with those hindrances, I was still the only one who struck and wounded the enemy. Doesn't that prove all the more that my skill far surpasses everyone else's? If you disagree, shoot one yourself and show me.” 62

“You... you may call me Baozhu from now on.” 82

“Not just anyone can casually claim the merit of following the dragon. That honor must be earned by fighting through blood at my side and risking your life in mortal combat.” 203

“I, Princess Wanshou, Li Baozhu, cast off my mortal corpse and ascended to immortality. I have returned to the human world in a celestial body, commanded by the Heavenly Emperor to quell disorder and restore the rightful order, charged by our ancestors to set our realm aright!” 213

Trivia

• Her parents named her Baozhu because she grew up round and lustrous like a jewel and shed tears as readily as pearls 37.
• Her beloved tribute lynx and Wei Xun share the childhood name “Lynx,” a coincidence that embarrasses and amuses her 12 13.
• Despite her literary and martial accomplishments, she initially struggles with elaborate clothing and hairstyling because servants had always handled them 23 40.
• She insists that Wei Xun buy a separate eating knife after learning that his usual dagger was used to behead Bao Lang 43 48.
• Her romantic image of wandering heroes comes partly from poetry. Meeting actual martial-world figures—and learning that many prefer practical sabers and daggers to ornamental swords—repeatedly overturns those expectations 48 57.
• She believed herself the strongest person in the world until age seven because adults and Li Yuanying deliberately lost wrestling matches to her. After discovering the deception, she changed her ambition to becoming the world's greatest archer 143.
• Her first attempt to wash clothes herself occurs during captivity. She does not know to wring them out and hangs the dance garments up while they are still dripping 164.
• She jokingly calls ten gold coins given to Wei Xun to buy him back his betrothal gift 140.
• Her attempt to nurse Wei Xun with ginseng uses an entire root costing fifty taels of gold, far more than an ordinary medicinal dose 184.
• Even after returning to lavish imperial dress, she retains her combative instincts: when angered by Wei Xun's teasing about the weight of her jewelry, she regrets not bringing a court tablet to strike him with 217.