Wu Ling Shan

Daughter of the Shan merchant clan, and betrothed (later wife) of Sima Yi. Regarded as Sima Yi's perfect match, Shan Wu Ling possesses genius-level cunnings and ruthlessness, as well as a drive to gain profits for her clan's business with little respect for ethical standards. Thus, similar to Sima Yi, she holds the post of the clan's strategist and the advisor-commander of its private assassin squad, the Defeated Generals, and is respected as such by the clan elders. Under her leadership, the Shan clan pursues a different policy from the rival Sima clan: they seek to associate with prominent warlords, such as Cao Cao and Sun Jian, to expand their influence, and the Sima's estrangement with such affiliation to preserve wealth is looked down upon as unambitious miserliness. As such, Shan Wu Ling didn't hold Sima Yi in very high regards, and secretly aimed to take over the Sima clan once they married. During their chance meeting in the course of a mission to aid Sun Ce back to the Eastern region, she unwittingly leaked her intents to a Sima Yi in disguise, and he barely escaped death by neck-strangling thanks to his peculiar 'wolfneck' physical feature. Despite this, when they were captured by Yuan Shu's men and she was openly humiliated for audaciously attempting to seduce his nameless advisor, Sima Yi still stood up to her defense, admiring her shameful acts as courageous efforts to save her clan from the danger of extortions by Yuan Shu, and earnestly accepted her as his wife, which greatly moved her. She finally acknowledged defeat and fell in love with him when Sima Yi exposed his identity and proved himself the superior schemer by killing the nameless advisor. Later, when Cao Cao annihilated the Sima clan, she feigned madness from losing Sima Yi while secretly harboring him and the surviving members. With her helps, Sima Yi associated with Cao Cao's supporting merchants and safely re-entered Cao Cao's service, biding time for the day of his vengeance. It's later revealed that through the Shan clan's long-term relationship with the Sun clan, Shan Wu Ling is the sworn older sister of Sun Quan, future lord of the Wu kingdom. She and Sima Yi still assisted the Sun clan in secret.