Li Changge

*Former:*
* Imperial Princess of Tang
* Advisor to Ashina Sun
* Captain of the Army of Shuo Province

 *Maternal family:*
 Li Jin✝ (mother)
 Pusa (uncle)
 Lady Mother (grandmother)

Pusa, Lady Mother***Xueyantuo:***

Yi'nan, Tujia***Eastern Turkic Khagante:***

Ashina Sun, Mujin, Yaluo

**Li Changge** (李長歌) is the main heroine and one of the two lead protagonists of Chang Ge Xing. She is also known as **Yongning** (永寧), the "late" imperial princess of the Tang dynasty, **Qin Lili** (秦離離), a merchant of the Yanhangmen, the princess of the Uyghurs.

Following her family's execution by Li Shimin in order to become the Crown Prince, she swears her life to take revenge for her family's death and flees Chang'an to Shuo Province under the guise of a man with her new disciple Adou to begin a revolution. However, along her journey she gains many friends, experiences and hardships and ultimately abandons her plan for vengeance in turn for seeking the future peace and prosperity of the Tang dynasty.

## Appearance

Changge has a small and slender figure. She inherits her green irises and a beauty mark under her right eye from her mother. After fleeing the Chang'an Palace, she disguises herself as a male strategist under Gong Sunheng of Shou Province, and then, Ashina Sun. During her stay at Liu Yun Temple, the farmers would describe her stance to be as graceful as a Bodhisattva.

After Changge is reunited with her Uyghurs family side, her long-lost uncle Pusa complains about her plain appearance, blaming it on her father since he claims her mother was their greatest beauty. Trying hard to hide her annoyance, she defends that her looks is already considered elegant among the Hans.

## Personality

As a child, Changge was the all-high-and-mighty first daughter of the Crown Prince. She is remembered by Qiao Shiqi to have been pretty restless, domineering the rich kids to wreck chaos around Chang'an. While in hiding after the Xuanwu Gate incident, Changge reveals her recklessness by attempting to visit her mother's memorials at Rongen temple and rummaging through confidential documents for revolution allies.

Changge would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, even when it means taking on great risks and setting up ruthless traps. When Zhangzhou is on the verge of falling, she once again exhibits her recklessness by insisting on planting dynamites under the city to trap-kill all of the Turks. However, Gong Sunheng rejected this scheme, saying it will endanger the lives of its inhabitants who he wished to protect the most in the end.

Despite being a cunning strategist, Changge is clueless about her feminine side and often careless with her health. After having her first menses, Changge is torn between choosing to embrace her real identity as a girl, or continue to disguise and fight as a man.

Overtime, after experiencing her fair share of losses, Changge grows to become more mature. Under the influence of Ashina Sun, Changge begins to contemplate on where her destiny ("Dao") truly lies. Having seen the impoverished lives of the refugee farmers at Liu Yin temple, Changge finally forgoes her vows of vengeance as her old "Dao" to pursue a new one - a peaceful and prosperous Tang Empire for her people.

## History

She is the first child of the former Crown Prince Li JianCheng and his Liangdi Li Jin. After the Xuanwu Gate incident, Li Shimin sentences her entire family to execution with her being the only survivor. From then on, she vows to return and assassinate her Second Uncle to avenge for her family.

## Synopsis

### Introduction arc

General Yuchi Jingde along with soldiers under his command chase Yonging in pursuit as she flees from them on horseback. Yongning stabs her horse in the back in order to lunge herself across a river canyon. Her horse falls into the river below, but she stands on the other side watching her pursuers come to a halt across on the other side. A horseman aims his bow to shoot an arrow at her, but before he could shoot, he is stopped by Yuchi Jingde who tells him to let her go as it is expect of his disciple.

Somewhere in an inn in Chang'an, Yongning awakens from a nightmare, dresses up and heads out to leave. She wears male clothing and has taken on the guise of a merchant boy. On her way out, she sells some of her jewelry to the innkeeper as pawning them off the streets could be risky. As she walks away, she slips out a hair ornament from her sleeve and wonders if her mother slipped it into her bag. She decides to keep it as a memento in her memory. On horseback, she heads out of the city gates and mutters a goodbye to the city of Chang'an. Yongning thinks to herself that if she is able to survive, she won't be like her mother who lived as a target of mockery. Riding through a forest, she encounters two rogue bandits who demand that she hand over all of her valuables or else she will be killed. Yongning tells them that they will kill her anyway to which, they respond by pointing a sword to her neck. One bandit observes that her valuables are of exceptional quality and speculates that she likely stole them from the imperial palace during the commotion. In a quick act, Yongning slashes the arm of one of the bandits and shoots the horse of the other with a crossbow to ground him. Pointing the crossbow at the bandit on the ground, she tells them that she has a copper-platted, poison-tipped repeating crossbow and with a slip of the finger, it may easily go off. In fear, the other bandit pleads for her to show them mercy. Yongning ties the both of them to a tree and loots them off their coins. As she is about to leave, one of the bandits attempts to bargain that by blurring out that he could help her with looting the funerary offerings of the late Princess Yongning and her mother if she frees them both. Taking this information, she leaves them tied to the tree and rides off anyway.

Back in Chang'an at a restaurant house, Yongning orders sweets. Two boys arguing come out with a takeaway box. The older boy kicks the younger boy away and orders him to do the delivery as he throws the takeaway box into his hands. Yongning takes the takeaway box from the boy and tells him that she does not need it delivered. The boy coming after her, is halted by a group foreign traders walking the streets with elephants and dancers. Seeing Yongning's stunned expression at the traders, he asks if she is from another city. Yongning throws a coin into the boy's hands and tells him to not follow her.

At the entrance of the Rong'en temple, Yongning asks the guarding soldiers who ordered a delivery from Pinxiangzhai. The guards become tempted after recognizing that they are the city's famous sweets. One guard orders Yongning to eat one first out of suspicion. Yongning follows the guard's order, eats one and proclaims how delicious they are. The guards fall for her trick and eat the sweets. Next, Yongning is seen, standing in front of the altar as all the soldiers lie dead on the ground. Speaking to herself while looking at the funeral altars, she tells that the one that should have been alive is dead, while the one that should have been dead is alive.She says to herself that didn't know that her mother was ready to die. From behind her, Wei Zheng appears in the doorway holding the delivery boy unconscious under one arm. He tells Yongning that if she knew her mother would kill herself, she would have never ran away. Dropping the boy, Wei Zheng tells her he cannot fight and will leave it to Yongning to clean up her mess. She remarks that he only recently narrowly escaped death and must be asking to die by getting involved with her. Looking down at one of the dead guards, he replies that luckily no one remains alive as a witness. He questions how did she manage to get all the guards to eat poisoned sweets, to which Yongning reveals that all were poisoned, but she kept the antidote hidden under her nails. Wei Zheng praises her ability to have a victory without battle, but wonders if she is not afraid if the soldiers had a chance of recognizing her as the imperial princess. Gleefully, she tells that if they had recognized her and revealed her as the princess, then all those who have covered up her death would be put to death. Wei Zheng warns her that for that exact reason, she must be careful. Yongning, angered that by the fact that he along with most of the Tang Imperial Court turned a blind eye to her uncle, Li Shimin, murdering her father and other uncle, questions why he covers up her death: if it is out of pity as she was once his disciple or if he wants to ease his consciousness from the events, or if it is out of pity for her as a woman that cannot become an emperor of Tang. In response, Wei Zheng states that the path he follows puts the people first, his country second, and his emperor last. Laughing at his answer, Yongning returns a sinister stare at Wei Zheng as breaks her hair piece and unveils that her path is, for as long as she is alive, to kill her uncle and emperor, Li Shimin.

The next day, Yonging sneaks into the office of Wang in the Judaical Hall. She hangs from the ceiling beams by her feet as she reads the latest reports from around Tang. She examines the details of latest reports, but finds unreliable information as the only current reports are about ongoing battle in Shuo Province against the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and a rebellion in the eastern mountains who are likely not any help to her as they have already been defeated and do not have the power to stand against the emperor. Additionally, she realizes because she has been designated as "deceased", she cannot convince her father's former subordinates to rebel with her. Out loud, she tells herself that given the situation, assassination would be the best choice. Two soldiers who hear her voice barge into Wang's office and look around, but brush it off as they thought it was just their imagination. As the two leave, Yongning is seen hiding on an outside beam. She decided to do something about the delivery boy she met earlier as he could expose her.

Yongning splashes water on Adou's face to wake him up. She hurls throwing knives around his head, one scarring his cheek, and points a blade in his mouth. She tells him that she could easily kill him, however resorts to swearing him into secrecy about the recent incident or else he will die. Stunned at first, Adou suddenly pronounces her as his "master" and begs her to take him on as a disciple. She kicks him away and flees on horseback, but Adou runs in pursuit believing that she is just testing him. While running after Yongning in pursuit, Adou trips and falls. Yongning comes back for him and says she will bring him back to Pinxiangzhai. Adou attempt to convince Yonging to take him on as a disciple as the two are walking in the streets of Chang'an back to the Pinxiangzhai. Yongning looks over to the commotion at the city gates where she over hears soldiers receive an order to close the gate in an hour. As the two approach Pinxiangzhai, they stand aghast staring at the sight of the flames consuming the restaurant. On lookers watch on as they exclaim that they feel sorry for all the workers who are lost in the flames. Adou attempts to approach the site, but is stopped by Yongning who tells him to not looks suspicious as armed soldiers stand on guard. She apologizes to him and says all of this is her fault. Adou questions if the people who want her dead done this, to which she replies no and says that it was done by the people who her to peacefully disappear. The two turn around and walk away from the scene. Yongning asks if he has any family, but Adou reveals that he was a refugee taken in by the Pinxiangzhai and that he has no where to go.

The gates of Chang'an close as Yongning and Adou ride away on the back of a hay cart. Yongning states that she plans to travel to Shuo province and she will give him some money to settle down. He wonder if it is to slip into the ongoing battle to create quick money. Adou asks what her motives are, to which she reveals that she plans to bring back an army to Chang'an and kill Li Shimin.

## Relationships

### ***Eastern Turkic Khaganate***

#### **Ashina Sun**

Changge and Ashina Sun are initially rivals during the siege of Zhangzhou before developing mutual respect and feelings for each other. Following the city's fall, Changge is taken to Ashina Sun's khaganate where she become becomes a valuable advisor to Sun. The two eventually gain deep respect for each other and swear "brotherhood" after they both save each others' lives multiple times. After Mimiguli's death and Changge's sudden disappearance, Ashina Sun agrees to temporarily join the Yanhangmen's search for Changge.

They meet again at Liu Yun Temple when he saves her from a bloodbath with Chi Ni tradesmen before fleeing to Chang'an as the Qin brother and sister. During their stay in Chang'an, the two grow closer and learn from each other's "Shu" and "Dao". Changge realizes that her ultimate destiny (her "Dao") could not be as simple as assassinating one man for her own gain. The loss of Li Shimin will be at the cost of the welfare of Tang - her own homeland and people. Sun, on the other hand, learns that being a blunt instrument for any cause is not always the optimal approach. He grows to care about the people close to him and to carefully consider the consequences of his actions (his "Shu").

The two are implied to develop mutual feelings for each other. When Qin Gu reveals the Changge is in fact a girl to aid their search, Sun blushes profusely at the thought, suggesting that he might already have a crush on her. When they are under disguise as siblings in Chang'an, Sun constantly blames himself for causing Changge's incurable sickness back to the Zhangzhou battle when he forces her to surrender barefooted. Both hold great trust in each other to confide their ambitions and hope that one may never have to fight the other again in battlefield. When they bid farewell outside of Chang'an, Sun has subtly expressed his feelings to Changge, making her promise that she would turn to him if one day she has nowhere else to go. Even though Changge seemingly accepted the offer with reluctance, she secretly grinned to herself after he has gone.

Unknown to both, Changge and Sun go against in battle again, this time with her on the Uyghurs side and him leading the Turks. When Changge finds out that he has fallen into her trap, Changge cries bitterly, but Sun calms her down saying that he is still alive anyway. Later, when Elteber Pusa, Changge's uncle, demands Sun to betray the Turks in exchange for many perquisites and possibly even Changge's hand in marriage, Sun is caught blushing at the thought. However, he reaffirms with Pusa that he will only marry Changge if she agrees to, regardless of Pusa's blessings.

#### **Mujin**

They are the two key tacticians under Sun's command, mostly responsible for cleaning up after his reckless decisions. Although Sun begins to consider Changge as one of his "brothers", Mujin still remains cautious about her, pointing out her unpredictable nature: non-bothered when being doubted and nonchalant when being trusted.

Later, after finding out about Changge's true gender, he suspects that Sun's crush on her. Mujin then teases the two by tricking the Han-illiterate Sun into writing "The little strategist looks pretty. I like." in a letter for Changge.

#### **Mimiguli**

Mimi is a young Uighur woman slave who Chang Ge has saved from execution. She is among the women gifted to Ashina Sun's khaganate for his victory in Zhangzhou. Upon hearing that all of them are not to be spared alive after "service", Mimi tries to escape and ran into Changge's tent. Seeing Mimi's close resemblance to her mother, Changge asks Sun to keep Mimi by her side. Sun grants her wish but remarked that Changge should be careful with gifts here, especially the ones with eyes and ears, implying that Mimi might be a mole.

Mimi is grateful to Changge and, in return, saves Changge's life from her high fever. However, upon discovering that Li Changge is a woman, she is extremely disappointed for thinking that she had found a dependable gentlemen. Changge calms her, promising that she will do anything she can to protect both of them among the Turks. After Changge successfully secures Sun's favor, their ranks are upgraded along with better accommodations, remuneration, and servants.

From then on, they live peacefully as husband and wife for several months in Sun's khaganate. While Changge is on her strategist duty, Mimi is responsible for taking care of Changge's health and doing the chores. She gradually becomes a mother-figure for Changge, even protective of her when she has her first period during a meeting with Sun and Mujin. Mimi often scolds Changge for neglecting her feminine side and overworking herself. On the contrary, Changge greatly admires Mimi's bravery to continue living on as a woman in such chaotic times. Mimi even urges Changge to escape Sun's khaganate several times, assuring her that she will help her disappear.

Little does Changge know, Mimi has been hiding a tragic past behind her care-free demeanor. Sun's warning turns out to be true: Mimi is a mole working for Jin Se in exchange for her brother's survival. She has been secretly reporting about Sun's support for Jiaodan's Khitan clan and tries to poison Yaluo, Changge's messenger. Changge is heartbroken when she finds out about Mimi's betrayal, demanding to know what causes her to sacrifice her life like that. Having been exposed, Mimi refuses Changge's offer to leave with her and committed suicide with Changge's poisoned dagger.

Mimi's death has taken a great toll on Changge as she considers her as the only female companion around her age. The two even imagined their lives together, dressing up and going out as two young ladies. After burying Mimi, the defeated and devastated lies openly on the ground, never returning to Sun's khaganate and is assumed missing.

### ***Yanhangmen***

#### **Qin Gu**

He is an extremely wise and shrewd assistant of Changge, who has saved her lives many times. He originally served under Gong Sunheng before following Changge after Sunheng's death. All his life, he has been gifted with a great knack for maneuvering ("Shu") but on the constant search for the right destiny to follow ("Dao"), and Gong Sun Heng believes that Changge might possess the "Dao" that he is looking for. When he learns that Changge's "Dao" is to revolt against Li Shimin, he exclaims that all of his five former masters, despite having an Emperor's physiognomy, were all defeated by her Li house.

When in Zhangzhou, Qin soon realized that Changge was concealing her true gender and it was her who baited the thugs with Cong Sun Hang's wife to gain his trust. Despite saving her from Hao Dou's assassination attempt, he warns her not to harm the Gong Sun family.

In his heyday under the second master, he started the famous Yanhangmen trade route to accumulate wealth and recruit soldiers for his cause. Now in order to find Changge in Ashina Sun"s khagnate, he has to revive Yanhangmen using their extensive operations and intelligence in the grassland. As a wealthy tradesman, he is able to sit with the Great Khan and put in some words for Ashina Sun in the Jiaodan dispute, rescuing Sun's khaganate from Ashina She'er massacre intentions.

After Changge goes missing from Sun's khaganate, he and Sun go on a journey searching for her. Having learnt that she is under the attack by both the Chi Ni tradesmen and Du Ruhui's guardsmen in Liu Yun Temple, they rush their and saved her just in time. Qin single-handedly stalled multiple court guards using his pebble-flinging skills. During their encounter this time, Changge announces to Yanhangmen that her "Dao" has changed: she no longer wants to kill Li Shimin for vengence; instead, she wants to fight for the prosperity of the Tang dynasty.

Qin agrees to assist Changge on her new "Dao". Having been ordered by the Imperial Court to disband his Yanhangmen trade route, Qin pretends to obey the order, but in fact moves his operations to the West. With his extraordinary negotiation skills, he successfully convinces multiple opposing Western tribes to unify in an attempt to drive out the Turks.

He also cares about Changge's journey to reconnect with her Uyghur origin. Qin warns Changge that her kinship with the Uyghur royals might conflict with her "Dao", which is dedicated to the Tang Empire.

#### **Adou**

He was Changge's disciple. They first met when Changge ordered the sweet set from Pinxiangzhai, where Adou worked, to poison the Rongen Temple's guards. When he is threatened by Changge keep their encounter secret, Adou is under the illusion that Changge is evaluating him to be her student. Much to her annoyance, Adou keeps following her and insists that she became his master. Until they return to Pinxiangzhai, it is already in roaring flame under the order of Fang Xuanling to cover up for Changge, leaving Adou homeless. Out of regret for her actions. Changge agrees to take Adou in as her disciple on their mutual journey to seek vengeance on Li Shimin.

Together, they travel to Zhangzhou, the capital of Shuo Province, where Changge applies for strategist position under the governor, Gong Sunheng. During the defend of Zhangzhou, Changge has taught Adou many lessons while he runs errands for her. After Zhangzhou has fallen, Changge is captured by Ashina Sun while Adou flees with Qin Gu and the late governor's daughter. Adou then joins Yanhangmen to look for Changge among the Turks.

They meet once again in Ashina Sun's khagnate, when Adou leads the Yanhangmen tradesmen there to do business. Upon their reunion, Adou apologizes for not being by Changge's side when she needs him, while she knows too well that he was just fishing for compliments. They quickly exchange updates and after Changge says that the time for her escape has not come, they bid farewell. Not long afterwards, when She'er is threatening to attack Sun's camp, Changge sends Yalou to deliver an emergency message to Adou, requiring immediate back up from the Eighteen horsemen of Yanyun.

Their next reunion is after Changge's second return to Chang'an, where she finally realizes that her old vengeance path is not the most worthwhile choice for her people and country. However, Adou is enraged, saying that Changge's lack of resolution is merely because she belongs to the Li family, which deeply hurts Changge. However, she does not want to hinder Adou, giving him his share in Yanhangmen and letting him go on to find his own path.

#### **Xu Feng**

Changge's body guard and intelligence officer. They met in Shuo Province when he was working under Governor Gong Sun Heng. In order to trick the disloyal Sima Kang, Changge bet her life on Xu Feng's loyalty to the Governor. When Zhangzhou has fallen and Gong Sunheng has committed suicide, Xu Feng and Qin continue following Changge on her path to seek vengeance on Li Shimin. When Changge is brought back to Ashina Sun's khagnate, Xu Feng joins Qin Gu's Yanhangmen to look for her.

During Changge's second stay in Chang'an under the Qin's family name, Xu Feng disguises as their butler. He helps her collect intelligence from the current Imperial Court under Li Shimin to investigate the mysteries around the Xuanwu Gate incident that year. He continues to follow Changge after she her realigns her "Dao" to pursue a prosperous Tang.

### ***Uyghurs***

#### **Pusa**

The Uyghurs' Elteber, who is her long-lost uncle. Pusa is initially suspicious of her beauty spot resembling that of his missing sister, Abugemasu, claiming that she is faking it to gain sympathy from his mother. He then secretly searches through her stuffs and finds the golden hair ornament that he made for his sister before she was sent to be the Khan's concubine. After that, his suspicions of Changge relation to her sister grows considerably and he sets up a trap to tease out her secret.

Changge, having fallen into the trap, is inclined to reveal that she was indeed the daughter of Abugemasu. However, she conceals her royal identity and how both of her parents were executed, avoiding conflicts between the Uyghurs and the Tan Empire. She told her grandmother and uncle that her mother, the missing princess, has led a happy and carefree life among the Hans, finally putting their grievances for her at peace.

Pusa is highly critical of her appearance, blaming her father for her plain looks. Much to her annoyance, Pusa always demands flamboyant attires from her during military meetings. However, he holds Changge in high regards when it comes to her battle strategies and combat tactics, even boasting with the clan chiefs that she learned about the art of war before she was born.

#### **Lady Mother**

The caring grandmother of Changge. When they first met, she is deeply moved by the beauty spot under her right eye which Changge shares with her missing child, Abugemasu. She takes an instant liking to her and often invites Changge over to teach her the art of sewing, while Changge shares with her about the customs of the Hans. Changge once asks about her missing daughter, Abugemasu, knowing that it was possibly her late mother. When Lady Mother talks about how caring and skillful she was, Changge bursts into tears, claiming that she is overwhelmed with secondhand grief from Her Highness, but she is actually reminiscing her late mother.

When she finally revealed that she was indeed the daughter of her missing child, Lady Mother asks her to describe her mom. Changge remembers that she has a smile resembling of Lady Mother's, her slender fingers and flowy hair were like Pusa's, her voice was as sonorous as a flute, and other than the beauty spot, she bears little resemblance to mom. Lady Mother then holds Changge in her arms, eyes filled with tears and happiness, claiming that Changge's self-denial is breaking her heart.

After their reunion, Changge stays in Pusa's khaganate as a military strategist, which is much to Lady Mother's displease. She often worries that Pusa is overworking her beloved granddaughter in the violent and dangerous battle fields.

### Tang Imperial Court

#### Li Jiancheng

Changge's father, who is the original Crown Prince of the Tang Empire. When Changge was at a young age, Li Jiancheng asked a favor of her, encouraging her to study as hard as possible to make up for her gullible brothers.

After the Xuanwu Gate incident, Li Jiancheng's family were executed by his brother, aka Changge's uncle, Li Shimin. As a result, Changge vows that her destiny ("Dao") will be to kill Li Shimin and avenge her family.

#### Li Jin

Changge's mother, who was originally Princess Abugemasu of Uyghurs. When Changge was young, she was really close to her mother but Li Jin increasingly grew distant of her when she grows up. Changge never knew why Li Jin would no longer look at her, no matter how hard she tried to get her attention. In one attempt to impress Li Jin, Changge has secretly learnt the Uyghurs language and accent from the dancers in a "house of entertainment". After two years of non-stop training, she tried speaking to Li Jin in Uyghurs, to which she did not response but only started crying.

Changge was shocked when overhearing the affair rumors between her mother and her Second Uncle, Li Shimin. Despite having punished the gossiping maid, she asked Ah Yun, her mother's confidant maid, if any of that was true. Ah Yun swore on her life that Li Shimin only brought her mother back on the battle field and ever since Li Jin was married to Changge's father, the two never met again.

Just before the Xuanwu Gate incident, Li Jin sent Changge out of the palace with some jewelries and her golden head ornament. Changge cherishes this head piece as it is the only legacy reminding her of her mother, which she later uses to investigate her Uyghurs origin.

When she once again returns to Chang'an to update on the new Imperial Court under Li Shimin, she finds out that her mother might have known about the Xuanwu Gate incident in advance but never warned her father. Instead, Li Jin threw out Ah Yun, presumably to deliver a secret message to the outside. It is implied that she finally understands her mother was helping Li Shimin after all this time, leading her to seriously question her destiny ("Dao").

#### Li Shimin

Her Second Uncle, the younger brother of the Crown Prince. Before the Xuanwu Gate incident, Changge was really close to Li Shimin, often visited his palace to bully his kids and attended lessons from Shimin's finest advisors, including Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling, and Yuchi Jingde.

Li Shimin also treated Changge with great love and devotion to the point of spoiling her. He taught her archery and swordsmanship, even gifted her a miniature bow and the jade dagger that she still uses as a her signature self-defense weapon. He was also fiercely opposed to the idea of sending Changge to the Turks to form a marriage alliance.

After Li Shimin had executed her entire family in the Xuanwu Gate incident, Changge narrowly escaped and vows to seek vengeance on him. When Yuchi Jingde failed to pursue her into the steep cliff, Li Shimin orders to cancel the pursuit, announcing that her memorials shall be arranged in Rongen Temple along with her mother.

#### Yuchi Jingde

He was Changge's master in martial arts. After the Xuanwu Gate incident, he was sent to pursue Changge, the only survivor on the flee. When Changge successfully lunged herself to the other side of the canyon, he stops his horseman from aiming an arrow at her, granting her a narrow escape. It is implied that Yuchi Jingde has spared Changge out of empathy that she was once his esteemed disciple.

Returning to Chang'an, he regrettably informs his failed pursuit attempt to Fang Xuanling, who rephrased that Changge has fallen into the river under a steep cliff and her remains is no longer retrievable. Yuchi Jingde was surprised with this reaction at first, but was reassured by Fang Xuanling that it is perhaps better that way.

#### Wei Zheng

He was Changge's childhood tutor and an imperial chancellor under Li Shimin. When Changge is on the run after the Xuanwu Gate incident, she dreams of one of his lessons that "there is a fine line between attacking and defending", foreshadowing the inevitable circumstance when Li Shimin had to eliminate his brothers first in order to prevent his own assassination.

When Feng Xuanling predicts that Changge is still alive, he has sent Wei Zheng to closely surveil her and observe if she is seeking vengeance. He follows her from Pinxiangzhai to the Rongen Temple, where her mother's and her own memorials are held. As her former tutor, he is impressed with how she tricks all of the royal guards to eat the Pinxiangzhai's poisoned sweets without being poisoned herself. Changge reveals that she contaminated all of the sweets to avoid suspicion, but kept the anecdote under her fingernails. Changge then proceeds to angrily question why Wei Zheng had turned a blind eye during the Xuanwu Gate incident. Wei Zheng simply replies that his compass dictates that he put people first, his country second, and his emperor last. She then vows that her only compass now is to assassinate Li Shimin to seek vengeance for her family.

Returning from his encounter with Changge, Wei Zheng told Fang Xuanling what Changge's intentions are. The two express their worries for her, looking out to the arson of Pinxiangzhai, which is implied to be their staging to cover up her trails.

#### Fang Xuanling

He was one of Changge's tutor, who taught her how to play Go chess. He was impressed with her interest in warfare strategies and combat tactics, saying that he would not take her lightly in any match.

After the Xuanwu Gate incident, he purposefully rephrased Yuchi Jingde's failed attempt to pursuit Changge, reporting to Li Shimin that she has fallen into the deep canyon river and her remains is no longer retrievable. Both he and Wei Zheng know that Changge is still alive and is seeking vengeance. However, he claims that they would not have to worry too much since she is only a girl, she can never threaten the Emperor's throne. It is implied that Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng staged the arson of Pinxiangzhai to cover up Changge's trails.

#### **Qiao Shiqi**

He is a student of Du Ruhui. They met briefly in an "entertainment house" in Chang'an when Changge was still known as Princess Yongning. It is implied that both of them went there to learn Uyghurs from the dancers for Yongning wanted to please her mother and Shiqi was training to be a diplomat. When Shiqi was beaten up by her father's underlings for following Li Shimin's side, Yongning intervened and ordered them to immediately get out of her sight, including Shiqi. As a show of gratitude, Shiqi promised that he would readily be at her service if the day comes. However, being all high and mighty at the time, Yongning mockingly laughed at his words, leaving Shiqi incredibly tormented, as he knows there might one day be a coup against her family.

After the Xuanwumen incident, Shiqi is devastated to learn that Yongning Princess has died on the run after falling off a cliff. Years later, much to his surprise, they meet again in Uyghur when Changge is the princess of Uyghurs and Shiqi is a ambassador on behalf of Honglu Temple. She does not recognize him at first, but he subtly tells Changge how her devotion to peace reminds him of a princess he once knew, but without her arrogance.

### ***Other relationships***

#### **Gong Sunheng**

He has been the governor the of Shuo Province since the Sui Dynasty. After Changge has rescued his wife and daughter from an abduction scheme, Gong Sunheng is impressed with her talents and offers her a job as his strategist. During the defense of Zhangzhuo, she helps him keep the Turks at bay using her extensive knowledge in military strategies and cunning trickeries. Gong Sunheng even remarks that she is one of a few people that he could flawlessly cooperated with.

However, they soon realize that Shuo Province has been sacrificed as an offering to the Turks to alleviate their colonization threat. Before committing suicide to exchange for the survival of Zhangzhou's people, Gong Sunheng tells Qin Gu, his confidant, to follow Changge as she might possess the "Dao" that Qin has been searching for. Under Qin's immobilization inhibition, Changge is enraged at first and then devastated to witness the suicide of Gong Sun Heng and his wife, doubting that anyone would be grateful for their sacrifice.

Before surrendering to the Turks, she inquires a proper burial arrangement for the Gong Sun spouses. Changge spent days in the cold grieving for Gong Sun Heng, implying that she greatly admires him and his devotion to the people, which enormously contributed to her "Dao" finding.

#### **Situ Langlang**

He is Changge's swordsmaster, the 38th successor of the Yue Nu swordsmanship. Having grown impatient finding his next successor, he rudely asks her to be his disciple after overhearing her commentary on how endless power warfare only benefit the elites at the suffering of the people. When Situ Langlang exposes her veil and remarks about her extraordinary aptitude, Changge is wildly offended by his impertinence. However, she becomes grateful to him after he has confronted Hao dou for stalking her at Liu Yun Temple.

Despite her reluctance to follow him, Situ Langlang then hands her a manual of 18 sword stances, promising her that he will help her eliminate one person for each stance that she could master within ten days. After some initial struggling to understand the manual's references, Changge has successfully mastered two and a half stances, which Situ Langlang consider not bad. However, he is surprised when Changge does not wish him to get rid of anyone yet. He then gifts her Qing Hong, one of the two swords belonging to his late master for her dedication and calling him "Master" ("Shifu").

When Changge decides to return to Liu Yun Temple after fleeing with Situ Langlang, she asks why he was so determined to admit her as his disciple. He tells her that he hopes she will do better than him in following the Yue Nu grandmaster's compass: "Wield the blade of murder, with a virtuous heart."

#### **Jingdan Zhenren**

She is the mistress of Liu Yun Temple, who helps Changge recovers from her existential crisis. After fainting next to Mimi's grave, Changge is rescued by Liu Yun Temple and brought back to Lou Yang. There, she is shown to keep staring at Jing Dan's calligraphy on the wall, reading "Wu wei", which inspires her to revisits the "inaction" ("Wu wei") philosophy of Taoism. After hearing Changge's reflection on how her constant resistance of "Wu wei" has cost the lives of those she most cherishes, Jing Dan challenges her if this interpretation is just her unique way of gaining sympathy.

Not knowing Changge's true identity, Jing Dan continues to shelter her under the alias "Ah Li" at Liu Yin Temple and entrusts her to overlook the refugee farmers. Having seen the hardships facing the working people there, Changge starts contemplating whether her original vengeance path would bring about the best outcome for everyone. During her stay, the Chi Ni tradesmen are trying to bully Liu Yun Temple into submission, which triggers Ah Li to beat them up to defend Jing Dan's honor. Reacting to this, Jing Dan expresses her displease at Ah Li's recklessness, affirming her that she does not care how people describe her, regardless of praises or stains.

Ah Li then goes into seclusion to avoid Li Chunfeng, who is currently a guest spokesperson at Liu Yun Temple. She uses ten days to comprehend the 18 Yue Nu sword stances given by Situ Langlang and reflect on her pursuit of the right "Dao". After Li Chunfeng has left, Changge asks why Jin Dan chooses to continue sheltering her after learning that she is highly-wanted fugitive. Jin Dan and Changge continues their discussion about "Wu wei", which ends with Changge announcing her resolution to pursuit a new "Dao": a properous Tang.

When Du Ruhui is surveilling Liu Yun Temple, Jin Dan arranges Changge to temporarily flee with Yaowang and Situ Langlangwith to avoid his attention, and possibly a bloodbath with Chi Ni tradesmen. However, when Changge figures out that Jin Dan intends to face the Chi Ni men alone and bet her life on Ruhui's intervention, she rushes back to protect her. Much to Jin Dan's surprise and opposition, Changge knocks her unconscious and single-handedly defeated many Chi Ni men. When the battle is over, Jin Dan comically scolds Changge for her stubbornness, implying that she was thankful for her selflessness.

#### **Yan Shiba**

She is Changge's trusted bodyguard and one of the eighteen legendary swordsman of Yanyun which Lou Yi has bestowed on Changge before passing away. Shiba frist meets Changge on the battle night against the Chi Ni tradesmen at Liu Yun Temple and has been closely following her since. She disguises as Changge, the female swordsman protecting Liu Yun Temple, to erase Du Ruhui's suspicion.

When facing with a family dilemma in Uyghurs, Changge is envious of Shiba for not having to question life choices since Shiba can blindly considers whatever her master wishes as her command.

## Abilities & Powers

### **Intellect**

Li Changge is incredibly intelligent and observant, which allows her to make swift and accurate decisions in emergency situations

Changge is incredibly talented in war strategies, battle tactics, and even trickery. This helps her become a valuable strategist under Gong Sunheng to defend Zhangzhou. She also possesses extensive understanding in politics, successfully advising Ashina Sun to maneuver out of the Khagan successor disputes.

She is knowledgeable in philosophy. When staying in Liu Yun Temple, she starts contemplating about the Taoist values that she once overlooked for other more interesting schools of thought.

### **Martial Arts**

Changge has basic knowledge in martial arts from the time she was training with Yuchi Jingde as a child. She is depicted to be able to protect herself with a dagger and crossbow on the road.

At Liu Yun Temple, she has single-handedly beaten up three of Chi Ni's men. However, according to Situ Langlang, her moves were only "lousy" against Hao Dou - Du Ruhui's assasin - who is stalking her at the time. Therefore, he insists to be her master, expecting her to be the 39th successor of his Yuenu Swordsmanship. Despite Changge's rejection, he hands her a manual of 18 sword stances, of which she successfully mastered two and a half in 10 days. Using these newly-learnt stances and the Qing Hong sword that Langlang has gifted, she has defeated many Chi Ni men in a bloodbath to protect the Liu Yun Temple.

She is also shown to have several hunting experience as Li Shimin often took her on hunting trips.

### **Languages**

Changge is fluent in the language of the Han and learned the Uyghurs language and accent for 2 years in order to please her mother.

## Trivia

* Her names have several meanings:
	+ **Changge**: *long, leader, superior* (長) + *to sing, song* (歌)
	+ **Yongning**: *eternal, forever, always* (永) + *peaceful, tranquil* (寧)
	+ **Lili**: *very distant, far far, separated* (離離)

## References

1. ↑ Shiyi Lu, Chapter 1
2. ↑ Chang Ge Xing: Chapter 42.1, Pages 8-9