Friday, September 19, 2008

Mu Wanqing

Mu Wanqing is a fictional character in Jinyong's ''wuxia'' novel ''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils''. She is the daughter and disciple of Qin Hongmian, who has the alias of "You Gu Ke". She is eighteen years old when the story starts, the eldest of Duan Zhengchun's illegitimate daughters. Dressed in black, she always wears a veil over her face at the command of her mother to deter lascivious eyes. She is to either marry or kill the first male who sets eyes on her face, which turns out to be Duan Yu.

Mu Wanqing is a wild beauty who grew up in the wilderness and has no knowledge of affairs of the world. She has a weird, fiery temper and an immense dislike for males which was instilled in her by her mother. She knows a small amount of martial arts , and is especially skilled in the shooting of darts. She has a thoroughbred horse, called Black Rose, which caused her first meeting with her once lover and then supposed elder half-brother, Duan Yu. Duan Yu had agreed to marry her until they found out that they were siblings, which broke her heart.

In the end, it is revealed that Duan Yu was not the son of Duan Zhengchun, but the son of Duan Yanqing. The story ends with Duan Yu being able to marry Wang Yuyan, who is also the daughter of Duan Zhengchun, and raises the possibility of Duan Yu marrying two of his other supposed half-sisters, Mu Wanqing and Zhong Ling, of whom he was fond of. In the 2003 version of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils it is hinted that Duan Yu did marry Zhong Ling and Mu Wanqing as Mu Wanqing's hairstyle changes at the end .

By the Third Edition, Duan Yu realizes Mu Wanqing loved him the most so made her his Imperial Consort.

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