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Yinggu

Yinggu

Yinggu (simplified: 瑛姑, traditional: 瑛姑, Jyutping: jing1 gu1, pinyin: Yīnggū), born Liu Ying (刘瑛 – Liú Yīng), was known as Concubine Liu (刘贵妃 – Liú Guìfēi) during her time at the Dali court, and later became known as the Divine Mathematician (神算子 – Shén Suànzǐ) in the jianghu. She stood as one of the most tragic and intellectually gifted figures in the jianghu during the late Song Dynasty, embodying the intersection of mathematical genius, tragic love, and the consequences of political ambition. As the former concubine of Dali Emperor Duan Zhixing and a mathematical prodigy, she represented both the heights of human intellectual achievement and the depths of human emotional suffering.

Yinggu’s character served as a crucial element in the broader narrative of the Dali Kingdom and the Five Greats. Her mathematical abilities and her relationship with Great Master Yideng placed her at the center of significant events in the jianghu during this period.

Early life and mathematical genius

Birth and original identity as Liu Ying

Born Liu Ying in the Dali Kingdom, she was of Han Chinese heritage and came from a family with connections to the kingdom’s social structure. Her early life was marked by the discovery of her extraordinary mathematical talents, which manifested at a very young age and quickly distinguished her from her peers. Her natural ability to understand complex mathematical concepts and solve intricate problems made her a prodigy in the field, attracting attention from scholars and officials throughout the kingdom.

During her time at the Dali court, she was known as Concubine Liu (刘贵妃 – Liú Guìfēi). After leaving the court and going into exile, she adopted the name Yinggu, which became her primary identity in the jianghu.

Her mathematical abilities were exceptional, allowing her to grasp complex mathematical concepts and apply them to practical problems. The Dali Kingdom provided an environment where her talents could develop and flourish.

Education and intellectual development

Yinggu’s education in mathematics and related fields represented a comprehensive approach to intellectual development that emphasized both theoretical understanding and practical application. Her studies included not only traditional mathematical concepts but also their applications in various fields such as astronomy, engineering, and military strategy.

Her education included traditional mathematical concepts and their applications in fields such as astronomy, engineering, and military strategy. She developed an interest in practical applications of mathematics that could benefit the kingdom.

Meeting Duan Zhixing and courtship

Yinggu’s meeting with Duan Zhixing represented a significant turning point in her life, as it brought together two individuals of extraordinary talent and achievement. Their relationship began as a meeting of minds, where her mathematical genius complemented his martial arts mastery and political leadership.

Her mathematical abilities and intellectual sophistication made her an attractive partner for the Southern Emperor. Their relationship combined intellectual and romantic elements, with both valuing culture, learning, and excellence in their respective fields.

However, Duan Zhixing’s obsession with martial arts cultivation led him to neglect Yinggu’s emotional needs. This neglect would later contribute to the tragic events that would unfold in their relationship.

Life as Concubine Liu and mother

As Concubine Liu, Yinggu’s life at the Dali court represented both the privileges and limitations of her position. Her role as a consort gave her access to resources and opportunities that would have been impossible for most women of her background, while her mathematical talents continued to develop and flourish in this supportive environment.

The birth of their child represented the culmination of their relationship and created a new focus for her life and energies. Her role as a mother added a new dimension to her character and created additional responsibilities that she embraced with the same dedication she showed to her mathematical studies.

Her life during this period also revealed the complex social dynamics of the Dali court, where intellectual achievement and personal relationships were often intertwined with political considerations and power dynamics.

The affair with Zhou Botong

During a visit by Wang Chongyang and his sworn brother Zhou Botong to the Dali Palace for martial arts exchanges, Zhou Botong discovered Yinggu practicing martial arts in secret. Impressed by her dedication and natural talent, he began teaching her acupoint techniques. Through their frequent training sessions, physical contact was inevitable, and over time, their relationship developed into a romantic affair that resulted in Yinggu becoming pregnant.

When Duan Zhixing discovered the situation, he demonstrated remarkable magnanimity by offering to arrange for Yinggu to marry Zhou Botong, thereby legitimizing their relationship and the child. However, Zhou Botong firmly refused this proposal, overwhelmed by the implications of responsibility and commitment. Instead, he returned the silk handkerchief that Yinggu had given him as a token of their affection and immediately departed from Dali, abandoning both her and their unborn child.

Tragedy and loss

Yinggu’s loss of her child represented the most devastating event in her life and the beginning of her transformation from a brilliant young woman to a tragic figure haunted by grief and regret. The circumstances of this loss involved political intrigue and the actions of her husband’s enemies, created a situation where her mathematical genius could not protect her from the consequences of political conflict.

The tragedy began when Qiu Qianren, chief of the Iron Palm Keep, secretly infiltrated the Dali Palace. Fearing that Duan Zhixing’s rapid advancement in cultivation with Wang Chongyang’s Innate Skill would hinder his chances at the upcoming Huashan Sword Summit, Qiu Qianren discovered the infant and severely wounded the baby, knowing that Duan Zhixing would expend immense internal force to heal the infant.

When Yinggu desperately brought the dying infant to Duan Zhixing for healing, the Emperor initially prepared to save the child using his advanced medical skills and internal force. However, upon opening the baby’s swaddling clothes, he discovered a silk handkerchief embroidered with the poem verse “Mandarin ducks weaving, desiring to fly as a pair”—a reference to the Four Woven Songs that indicated Yinggu’s heart still belonged to Zhou Botong. Consumed by jealousy and wounded pride, Duan Zhixing refused to treat the infant.

The innocent child died as a result of this tragic convergence of Qiu’s ruthless ambition and Duan Zhixing’s jealous refusal to intervene. The infant’s death transformed Yinggu’s hair from black to white overnight from grief and created a cycle of vengeance that would haunt all involved for decades to come.

Exile and isolation

After the tragedy, Concubine Liu left the Dali court and went into exile, adopting the name Yinggu. Her isolation represented her response to the tragedy that had befallen her family. Her withdrawal from court life reflected her need to process her grief and her inability to continue living in an environment that reminded her of her loss.

During her isolation, she focused her mathematical abilities on solving the puzzle of her child’s death. Her mathematical genius, once used for the benefit of the kingdom, became focused on understanding the tragedy that had befallen her.

Pursuit of vengeance

Yinggu’s quest for vengeance against Qiu Qianren became the driving force of her life during her exile. She spent years searching for the man who had murdered her child, her white hair serving as a constant reminder of her loss and determination for revenge.

At the Second Mount Hua Summit, Yinggu finally encountered Qiu Qianren during his battle with Guo Jing. When she recognized Qiu’s distinctive triumphant laughter—the same laugh she had heard sixteen years earlier when he struck down her infant son—she was driven by maternal fury and grief to launch herself at him with suicidal determination, seeking to destroy them both in a final act of vengeance.

This confrontation proved to be the catalyst for Qiu Qianren’s spiritual awakening. Faced with Yinggu’s overwhelming hatred and the realization that his past crimes had returned to claim him, Qiu experienced genuine remorse for the first time in his life and abandoned his pursuit of martial supremacy to seek redemption through religious devotion.

Mathematical genius and its applications

Development of mathematical combat

Yinggu’s development of mathematical combat techniques represented her innovative approach to combining intellectual ability with martial arts practice. Her ability to use mathematical calculations to predict and counter martial arts techniques demonstrated the potential for intellectual approaches to combat that went beyond traditional physical training.

These techniques combined mathematical calculations with martial arts practice, allowing her to predict and counter martial arts techniques through mathematical analysis. Her mathematical combat represented a unique fusion of intellectual and physical abilities.

Applications in various fields

Yinggu’s mathematical abilities found applications in various fields beyond martial arts, including astronomy, engineering, and military strategy. Her ability to solve complex problems in these areas demonstrated the breadth of her mathematical knowledge and her understanding of how mathematical principles could be applied to practical problems.

She continued to use her abilities for practical applications despite her personal tragedy.

Character development and legacy

Transformation from prodigy to tragic figure

Yinggu’s transformation from a brilliant mathematical prodigy to a tragic figure haunted by loss and regret represented one of the most dramatic character developments in the jianghu during this period. Despite her personal suffering, she continued to develop her mathematical abilities and apply them to new areas.

Impact on the jianghu

Yinggu’s impact on the jianghu was significant, as her mathematical combat techniques and her contributions to various fields demonstrated the potential for intellectual approaches to martial arts and other areas of study. Her work created new possibilities for how intellectual ability could be combined with practical skills.

Her contributions to mathematical combat and other areas demonstrated the potential for interdisciplinary approaches to traditional problems. She showed how individuals with specialized knowledge could make significant contributions to martial arts and other fields.

Reconciliation and closure

After decades of hatred and vengeance, Yinggu finally achieved reconciliation with the two men who had caused her greatest suffering. With the assistance of Yang Guo and Guo Xiang, the three parties involved in the decades-old conflict—Yinggu, Zhou Botong, and Duan Zhixing (now known as Great Master Yideng)—were brought together for a long-overdue reconciliation.

This emotional meeting allowed all three to address their grievances, misunderstandings, and the deep hurt that had festered for decades. Zhou Botong finally accepted responsibility for his abandonment of Yinggu and their child, whilst she found it in her heart to forgive his youthful callousness. Yideng, who had suffered his own anguish over the situation, also found peace in this resolution.

They also confronted Qiu Qianren, the masked assassin who had murdered their infant son. Through their collective forgiveness and Qiu Qianren’s genuine remorse, the three former adversaries achieved a peaceful resolution to their complex relationship, allowing them all to move forward without the burden of past regrets.

Later, when the elderly Qiu Qianren (now known as Ci’en) was dying from wounds sustained in battle, Great Master Yideng brought him to Yinggu’s dwelling to seek the ultimate forgiveness that had eluded him throughout his monastic years. Yinggu, seeing the genuine remorse and spiritual transformation in the man who had killed her child, at last found it in her heart to grant forgiveness to her son’s murderer. With this final burden lifted from his conscience and his karmic debts finally settled, Ci’en was able to die peacefully.

Relationships

Duan Zhixing (Great Master Yideng)

Yinggu’s relationship with Duan Zhixing represented both her greatest love and her deepest tragedy. As his beloved concubine, she had looked to him for love and attention, but his obsession with martial arts led him to neglect her emotional needs. When she sought comfort elsewhere and bore Zhou Botong’s child, Duan’s refusal to save the infant revealed the depth of his selfishness and pride.

The tragic death of the child created a permanent rift between them, with Yinggu swearing vengeance and living in exile while plotting revenge. Their relationship symbolized how martial arts obsession could destroy personal bonds and create lasting suffering. Even after his transformation into Great Master Yideng, their relationship remained strained, though his act of saving Huang Rong despite knowing Yinggu might attack him showed his genuine remorse.

Zhou Botong

Yinggu’s relationship with Zhou Botong represented the most problematic and painful aspect of her personal history. Their romantic affair, which began innocently through martial arts instruction while she was Concubine Liu, resulted in pregnancy and created a complex web of relationships involving Duan Zhixing that would have lasting consequences for all involved.

Zhou Botong’s refusal to accept responsibility for his actions—his rejection of Duan Zhixing’s generous offer to legitimize the relationship through marriage and his abandonment of both Yinggu and their unborn child—caused immense suffering that lasted for decades. This episode revealed the darker side of his carefree philosophy, showing how his rejection of conventional responsibilities could cause genuine harm to others.

The eventual reconciliation between Zhou Botong, Yinggu, and Duan Zhixing provided necessary closure to this long-standing conflict and demonstrated significant character growth on all sides.

Qiu Qianren (Ci’en)

Yinggu’s relationship with Qiu Qianren was defined by hatred and vengeance for the murder of her child. However, her confrontation with him at the Second Mount Hua Summit proved to be the catalyst for his spiritual awakening and eventual redemption. Through her forgiveness at the end of his life, she played a crucial role in his spiritual transformation, demonstrating the power of compassion to overcome even the deepest hatred.