Character and Name Guide
HISTORICAL PERIOD
Joyful Reunion takes place in a fictional historical setting. It takes inspiration from empires such as the Liao dynasty (916–1125 AD), the Mongol horde prior to the establishment of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 AD), and the Chen dynasty (557–589 AD); and from peoples such as the Xianbei and the Tangut, who existed throughout Chinese history.
As such, many of the characters in Joyful Reunion are fictionalized versions of historical figures, including the Yelü imperial family of Liao, Kublai Khan, Ögedei, and Borjigin Batu. Other characters, such as the four great assassins and the Li imperial family of Southern Chen, are created for the sake of the story.
Characters
MAIN CHARACTERS
DUAN LING 段岭: The crown prince of Southern Chen, Li Ruo (李若). Li Jianhong’s only son and the heir to the Chen Empire.
LANG JUNXIA 郎俊侠: One of the Four Great Assassins. Also known as the Nameless Assassin and Wuluohou Mu (乌洛侯穆).
WU DU 武独: One of the Four Great Assassins. A poison master, who has fallen on hard times after the deaths of his first two masters, Zhao Kui and Li Jianhong.
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
BORJIGIN BATU 布儿赤金拔都: A Mongolian boy, and one of Duan Ling’s schoolmates in Shangjing, who returned to Yuan.
BORJIGIN KUCHI 布儿赤金奇赤: Batu’s father who returned to Yuan with Batu.
BIAN LINGBAI 边令白: Commander of defense at Tong Pass.
CAI YAN 蔡闫: One of Duan Ling’s former schoolmates in Shangjing. A boy of Khitan and Han descent.
CHANGLIU-JUN 昌流君: One of the Four Great Assassins. Heavily favored by Mu Kuangda.
CHANG PIN 长聘: Mu Kuangda’s strategist.
DING ZHI 丁芝 (“ANGELICA”): One of the courtesans of Qionghua House.
DUAN XIAOWAN 段小婉: Duan Ling’s mother, a commoner.
FEI HONGDE 费宏德: Chang Pin’s shishu. An elderly Tangut advisor who lives in Bian Lingbai’s manor at Tong Pass.
HAN BIN 韩滨: Tiger General who betrayed Li Jianhong at Jiangjun Ridge.
HAN WEIYONG 韩唯庸: The chief of the Liao Empire’s Southern Court, and the sole Han minister. The Southern Court’s capital of Zhongjing is under his jurisdiction.
ELDER HE 鹤老: Wu Du’s shishu who is also adept in using poison.
HELAN JIE 贺兰羯: A dangerous assassin with an iron hook for a hand.
HELIAN BO 赫连博: One of Duan Ling’s former schoolmates in Shangjing, a Tangut royal with a stutter.
HELIAN DA 赫连达: Helian Bo’s uncle, the Grand Preceptor of Western Liang.
LI JIANHONG 李渐鸿: The late emperor of Southern Chen, posthumously known as Emperor Wulie. Duan Ling’s father.
LI YANQIU 李衍秋: The emperor of Southern Chen. Duan Ling’s fourth uncle.
MASTER KONGMING 空明法师: A bad-tempered old monk who presided over the Northern Temple. His sect once possessed the sword Ender of the Profane before it was stolen by his traitorous shidi.
MU JINZHI 牧锦之: Mu Kuangda’s younger sister and the empress of Southern Chen.
MU KUANGDA 牧旷达: The prime minister of Southern Chen.
MU QING 牧磬: Mu Kuangda’s son.
ÖGEDEI 窝阔台: A Mongolian general.
SHANG LEGUAN 赏乐官: Son of a high-ranking official in Western Liang.
WANLIFU 万里伏: An ancient Han swordsman from the White Tiger Sect of Xichuan who retrieved all the pieces of the nameless sword and reforged it into the Guardian of the Realm.
EMPRESS DOWAGER XIAO 萧太后: Acting regent for the Liao Empire.
XIE YOU 谢宥: The commander of the Black-Plated Army of Jiang Prefecture.
XUNCHUN 寻春: The madam and owner of Qionghua House in Shangjing. Wu Du’s shijie.
YAO FU 姚复: The Marquis of Huaiyin and a prince consort of Southern Chen. Princess Duanping’s husband.
YAO JING 姚静: Yao Zheng’s younger cousin sent to Tong Pass by the Marquis of Huaiyin for a marriage arrangement with Western Liang.
YAO ZHENG 姚筝: Commandery Princess Congping of Southern Chen, the daughter of Princess Duanping and the Marquis of Huaiyin.
YELÜ DASHI 耶律大石: The Great Prince of the Northern Court and the chief of the Liao Empire’s Northern Court. Killed defending Shangjing from the second Mongol invasion.
YELÜ ZONGZHEN 耶律宗真: The current child emperor of the Liao Empire. Empress Dowager Xiao rules in his stead.
ZHAO KUI 赵奎: Formerly the Grand General of Southern Chen. Killed by Changliu-jun.
ZHAO PU 赵埔: Zhao Rong’s father who was killed by pirates.
ZHAO RONG 赵融: Zhao Kui’s nephew who had been captured and drowned by pirates.
ZHENG YAN 郑彦: One of the Four Great Assassins.
Name Guide
NAMES, HONORIFICS, AND TITLES
Diminutives, Nicknames, and Name Tags
A-: Friendly diminutive. Always a prefix. Usually for monosyllabic names, or one syllable out of a disyllabic name.
DA-: A prefix meaning “big” or “elder,” which can be added before titles for elders, like “dage” or “dajie,” or before a name.
LAO-: A prefix meaning “old.” Usually added to a surname and used in informal contexts.
XIAO-: A prefix meaning “little” or “younger,” which can be added before names or titles for juniors like “xiaodi.” Often used in an affectionate and familiar context.
-ER: Affectionate diminutive. A suffix meaning “son” or “child.” Usually for monosyllabic names, or one syllable out of a disyllabic name.
Family
DI/DIDI: A word meaning “younger brother.” It can also be used to address an unrelated (usually younger) male peer, and optionally used as a suffix.
GE/GEGE: A word meaning “elder brother.” It can also be used to address an unrelated male peer, and optionally used as a suffix.
JIE/JIEJIE: A word meaning “elder sister.” It can also be used to address an unrelated female peer, and optionally used as a suffix.
TANGGE: A word meaning “elder paternal male cousin.”
TANGJIE: A word meaning “elder paternal female cousin.”
XIONG: A word meaning “elder brother.” It can be attached as a suffix to address an unrelated male peer.
XIONGDI: A word meaning “brother.” It can be attached as a suffix to address an unrelated male peer.
Martial Arts and Tutelage
SHIBO: The elder peer of one’s shifu. Equivalent to an uncle older than one’s parent.
SHIDI: A younger peer under the same master, equivalent to a younger brother.
SHIFU: One’s trade teacher or master.
SHIJIE: An elder peer under the same master, equivalent to an older sister.
SHIMEI: A younger peer under the same master, equivalent to a younger sister.
SHINIANG: One’s shifu’s wife.
SHISHU: The younger peer of one’s shifu. Equivalent to an uncle younger than one’s parent.
SHIXIONG: An elder peer under the same master, equivalent to an older brother.
SHIZHI: Disciple of one’s peer. Equivalent to one’s niece or nephew.
Other
GONGZI: Young man from an affluent household.
LAOYE: A title for the head of a household.
-QING: A term of familiar address from an emperor toward one of his ministers.
SHAOYE: Young master.