阿九

阿九是金庸著作《碧血劍》裏其中一位重要女角，正值豆蔻年華，長相美艷動人，令袁承志一看動心。阿九另一身分是明朝崇禎皇帝的女兒，封號長平公主，其父為袁承志的殺父仇人。雖然出身帝王之家，卻因為欽天監監正曾為她算命，指她不能在皇宮內嬌生慣養，否則必定夭折，故此崇禎許她外出闖蕩江湖。她以阿九名字拜青竹幫幫主程青竹為師，練得一身高強武藝。後來，李自成攻入北京城，袁承志因為阿九而放棄手仞仇人，明朝亡國，阿九慘遭父親崇禎斬斷一臂，以避免她遭到叛軍凌辱。阿九逃出皇宮，拜木桑道人為師，隨他到西藏學藝。
 

無綫電視於2000年翻拍《碧血劍》，阿九（長平公主）由佘詩曼飾演，她穿上公主服飾時一身清雅貴氣，當化身阿九，雖則換上青布衣衫，亦難掩秀其麗脫俗的氣質。時至今日，佘詩曼在香港、內地仍然是當紅花旦，在很多華人地區亦是人氣高企的藝人。
 

小彩蛋：金庸筆下的女角當中，阿九可說是一位悲劇人物，不但是亡國公主，在感情路上，心慕袁承志，但他卻取義捨情選擇了溫青青。後來阿九削髮為尼，法號九難（九難師太是《鹿鼎記》中的角色，成為武林上的獨臂神尼）。

Ah Jiu is one of the important female characters in Jin Yong’s work Sword Stained with Royal Blood. She was in the prime of her youth, with a stunning appearance that captivated Yuan Chengzhi at first glance. Ah Jiu was the daughter of the Chongzhen Emperor who was honoured with the title “Princess Changping”. Her father had killed Yuan Chengzhi’s father and become the sworn enemy of Yuan Chengzhi. Although she was born in the imperial family, the head of Bureau of Astronomy once told her fortune that she could not be spoiled in the palace, otherwise she would definitely die young. Therefore, Chongzhen allowed her to leave the palace and wander in jianghu (martial artists’ community). She became an apprentice of Cheng Qingzhu, the chief of Green Bamboo Gang, with the name Ah Jiu, and developed strong martial arts skills. Later, Li Zicheng invaded Beijing, and Yuan Chengzhi gave up attacking his enemy because of Ah Jiu. Later, the Ming Dynasty fell, and an arm of Ah Jiu was brutally chopped off by her father Chongzhen to avoid her being humiliated by the rebels. Ah Jiu escaped from the imperial palace and became an apprentice of Taoist Musang and followed him to Tibet to learn martial arts.
 

TVB re-filmed Sword Stained with Royal Blood in 2000, with Ah Jiu (Princess Changping) played by Charmaine Sheh Sze-man. When she wore princess costumes, she looked elegant and noble. And when she changed her identity to Ah Jiu, she wore clothes made of plain cloth. Although dressed plainly, it was difficult to conceal her beautiful and refined temperament. To this day, Charmaine Sheh Sze-man is still a popular actress in Hong Kong, mainland China, and other Chinese speaking areas.
 

Bonus: Among the female characters in Jin Yong’s works, Ah Jiu can be said to be a tragic figure. She was the princess of a fallen empire. She fell in love with Yuan Chengzhi, but Yuan Chengzhi chose Wen Qingqing for righteousness and sacrificed his love for her. Later, Ah Jiu shaved her head and became a nun with the reverent title Jiunan (Abbess Jiunan is a character in The Deer and the Cauldron, in which she becomes the One-armed Abbess in the martial arts world).