Li Qinglu

Li Qinglu (simplified: 李清露, traditional: 李清露, pinyin: Lǐ Qīnglù), also known as Menggu or Dream Maiden, was the Western Xia Princess and granddaughter of Li Qiushui. She was known for her fairy-tale-like love story with Xuzhu that began in complete darkness and blossomed into a beautiful marriage.

Biography

Li Qinglu was the daughter of the Western Xia Emperor and the granddaughter of Li Qiushui, one of the most powerful martial artists in the jianghu. As a princess of the Western Xia Kingdom, she possessed both royal status and martial arts heritage from the Xiaoyao Order. Her character represented the perfect blend of beauty, intelligence, and determination, making her one of the most beloved female characters in Jin Yong’s works.

The Ice Cellar Encounter

The most remarkable aspect of Li Qinglu’s story was her first meeting with Xuzhu in a pitch-black ice cellar. Under the arrangement of Tianshan Child Granny, the two young people were brought together in complete darkness, where they fell in love without ever seeing each other’s faces.

During their three nights together in the ice cellar, Li Qinglu and Xuzhu developed a deep emotional connection that transcended physical appearance. They referred to each other as “Menggu” (Dream Girl) and “Menglang” (Dream Lord), creating a bond that would last a lifetime despite the unusual circumstances of their meeting.

The Marriage Selection Scheme

After losing contact with Xuzhu, Li Qinglu devised an ingenious plan to find her “Dream Lord.” She convinced her father to hold a public marriage selection contest, but the three questions she designed were specifically crafted to identify Xuzhu among all the suitors. This demonstrated her intelligence and determination to reunite with her true love.

The three questions were:

“Where have you been most happy in your life?”
“Who is the person you love most?”
“What is your greatest wish?”

When Xuzhu answered these questions truthfully—mentioning the dark ice cellar, the unknown girl, and his simple desires—Li Qinglu immediately recognized him as her “Dream Lord.” This clever strategy allowed her to find Xuzhu while maintaining her royal dignity and avoiding unwanted suitors like Murong Fu.

Personality and traits

Li Qinglu was described as graceful, elegant, and unrivalled in beauty. Beyond her physical beauty, she possessed remarkable intelligence and determination. She was not content to simply wait for fate to bring her love back; instead, she actively worked to create the circumstances that would reunite them.

Her character showed both traditional feminine virtues and independence. She was deeply loyal to her love for Xuzhu but also demonstrated agency in pursuing her own happiness. Her ability to orchestrate the marriage selection contest while maintaining her royal composure showed both strategic thinking and emotional maturity.

Martial arts abilities

Li Qinglu inherited martial arts from the Xiaoyao Order through her grandmother Li Qiushui. While her specific techniques were not extensively detailed in the source material, she demonstrated sufficient skill to move unnoticed among crowds and accompany Xuzhu on dangerous missions, including their journey to rescue Xiao Feng from the Liao Kingdom.

Her martial abilities, combined with her royal status, made her a formidable figure who could navigate both the martial world and the political realm of the Western Xia court.

Relationships

Family connections

Li Qinglu was the daughter of the Western Xia Emperor and the granddaughter of Li Qiushui. Through her grandmother, she was connected to the Xiaoyao Order and its martial arts traditions.

Marriage to Xuzhu

The reunion between Li Qinglu and Xuzhu was one of the most touching moments in their story. When Xuzhu answered her three questions truthfully, she immediately recognized him despite never having seen his face. Their emotional reunion, where she called out “Are you… are you my Dream Lord?”, was a powerful moment of recognition and love.

Their marriage represented the triumph of true love over arranged marriages and political considerations. Li Qinglu successfully married her true love and achieved personal happiness.

Behind the scenes

Literary significance

Li Qinglu represented the ideal of romantic love in wuxia fiction. Her story combined elements of fairy tales, romance novels, and martial arts adventure. She was often ranked among the “Ten Most Lovable Female Characters” in Jin Yong’s works, demonstrating her enduring appeal to readers.

Her character also served as a contrast to other female characters in the story. While characters like Wang Yuyan were trapped in unrequited love and others faced tragic circumstances, Li Qinglu actively pursued her happiness and achieved it through intelligence and determination.

Character development

Li Qinglu’s story served multiple narrative purposes. She provided Xuzhu with a romantic interest that helped him transition from monk to layman, she demonstrated the power of true love over political marriage, and she added a touch of fairy-tale romance to the complex political and martial world of the story.

Her character development from the mysterious Dream Maiden to the intelligent princess who orchestrated her own happy ending showed Jin Yong’s ability to create complex, three-dimensional female characters who were both romantic ideals and active agents in their own stories.