Wen Yi (simplified: 温仪, traditional: 溫儀, pinyin: Wēn Yí, jyutping: wan1 ji4) was the daughter of Wen Fangshan (温方山), one of the five elders of the Wen family (温家) in Sword Stained with Royal Blood. She was known for her beauty, gentleness, and innocence, and became the lover of Xia Xueyi (夏雪宜), the Golden Serpent Gentleman (金蛇郎君), and the mother of Xia Qingqing (夏青青).
Biography
Early life
Wen Yi was born into the Wen family, one of the prominent martial arts families in the Shiliang (石梁) region. She was the only daughter of Wen Fangshan, the third of the Wen family’s five elders. Despite being raised in a martial arts family, Wen Yi did not learn martial arts herself and was described as beautiful, gentle, pure, and innocent.
Encounter with Xia Xueyi
At the age of sixteen, Wen Yi was kidnapped by Xia Xueyi, who was seeking revenge against the Wen family for the murder of his own family. Initially, Wen Yi resisted fiercely, even attempting to kill herself by hitting her head against a rock and spitting hot soup at Xia Xueyi in an attempt to escape.
However, as she learned about Xia Xueyi’s tragic past and the reasons for his vendetta against her family, Wen Yi’s feelings gradually changed. She came to understand the suffering that had driven Xia Xueyi’s quest for revenge, and despite the circumstances of their meeting, she developed genuine feelings for him.
Relationship with Xia Xueyi
Wen Yi and Xia Xueyi’s relationship evolved from captor and captive to genuine lovers. Xia Xueyi, who had originally intended to continue his revenge, found himself deeply moved by Wen Yi’s gentleness and steadfast character. Their mutual affection led to a romantic relationship, and Wen Yi became pregnant with their child, Xia Qingqing.
Xia Xueyi’s love for Wen Yi led him to temporarily suspend his revenge against the Wen family. He returned Wen Yi to her family, hoping to find a way to be together despite the enmity between them.
Betrayal and tragedy
After returning Wen Yi to her family, Xia Xueyi went in search of treasure but was unsuccessful. Three months later, he returned to see Wen Yi, and they conceived their daughter. However, the Wen family had been planning to trap him.
Wen Yi’s parents deceived her, telling her that they had accepted her relationship with Xia Xueyi and asking her to serve him lotus seed soup. Unbeknownst to Wen Yi, the soup contained “Drunken Immortal Honey” (醉仙蜜 — Zuìxiān mì), a powerful sedative. When Xia Xueyi drank the soup, he was incapacitated and captured by the Wen family elders, who then severed his tendons, rendering him crippled.
Wen Yi was devastated when she learned that she had unwittingly participated in the betrayal of the man she loved. This betrayal haunted her for the rest of her life, as she had been used as a tool by her family to capture Xia Xueyi.
Later life and death
After Xia Xueyi was captured and crippled, the Wen family elders took him away to search for treasure. Xia Xueyi was later rescued by He Hongyao (何红药), though he eventually died on Mount Hua.
Wen Yi remained in the Wen family fortress, raising her daughter Xia Qingqing alone. For eighteen years, she lived in sorrow, not knowing that Xia Xueyi had already died. She maintained her love for him, despite the tragic circumstances of their relationship.
Wen Yi eventually learned of Xia Xueyi’s death when Yuan Chengzhi and Xia Qingqing discovered his remains. The knowledge of his death added to her grief.
Wen Yi met a tragic end when she was killed by her fourth uncle, Wen Fangshi (温方施), who struck her with a throwing knife. Her death added another layer of tragedy to the complex relationship between the Wen family and Xia Xueyi’s legacy.
Personality and character
Wen Yi was described as beautiful, gentle, pure, and innocent. Despite being raised in a martial arts family known for their ruthless methods, she herself did not learn martial arts and maintained a gentle and kind nature. Her innocence and purity were among the qualities that attracted Xia Xueyi to her, and they represented a contrast to the violence and revenge that had defined his life.
Wen Yi was also characterised by her loyalty and steadfastness. Despite the circumstances of her relationship with Xia Xueyi, she remained true to her feelings and continued to love him even after their separation and his death. She raised their daughter alone, maintaining the memory of their relationship despite the tragic circumstances.
Her unwitting betrayal of Xia Xueyi, when she served him the poisoned soup, haunted her for the rest of her life. This incident demonstrated her innocence and trust, as she had believed her family’s claims of acceptance, but it also showed how she could be used as a tool by those around her.
Relationships
Family
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Wen Fangshan (温方山) — Wen Yi’s father and the third of the Wen family’s five elders. He was involved in the plot to capture Xia Xueyi using Wen Yi.
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Wen Family — Wen Yi’s extended family, who were enemies of Xia Xueyi and ultimately used her to trap him.
Romantic relationship
- Xia Xueyi (夏雪宜) — The Golden Serpent Gentleman, Wen Yi’s lover and the father of her child. Despite the tragic circumstances of their relationship, Wen Yi remained devoted to him throughout her life.
Children
- Xia Qingqing (夏青青) — Wen Yi’s daughter with Xia Xueyi, also known as Wen Qingqing. Wen Yi raised her alone in the Wen family fortress, and Xia Qingqing became a key character in Sword Stained with Royal Blood.
Legacy
Wen Yi’s story represented one of the most tragic aspects of the conflict between Xia Xueyi and the Wen family. Her innocence and genuine love for Xia Xueyi stood in contrast to the violence and revenge that surrounded their relationship, and her unwitting betrayal of him added a layer of tragedy to the story.
Her character exemplified the theme of love transcending circumstances, as she continued to love Xia Xueyi despite the enmity between their families and the tragic end of their relationship. Her death at the hands of her own family member further emphasised the tragic nature of the conflict.
Wen Yi’s legacy lived on through her daughter Xia Qingqing, who inherited both her parents’ complex heritage and became a central character in the story. Xia Qingqing’s relationship with Yuan Chengzhi, and her eventual discovery of her father’s remains and legacy, brought closure to some of the tragedies that had defined Wen Yi’s life.