Some of these characters previously appeared in another novel Sword Stained with Royal Blood, which is also written by Jin Yong.
Some of these characters are based on historical figures, such as the Kangxi Emperor, Oboi, Wu Sangui, Chen Yuanyuan, Princess Changping, Zheng Keshuang, Feng Xifan, Shi Lang, Galdan Boshugtu Khan, Sophia Alekseyevna, Desi Sangye Gyatso, and Wu Liuqi, as well as Zha Jizuo, a purported ancestor of Jin Yong (Zha Liangyong).
The Kingdom of Tungning (東寧王國) was founded by Zheng Chenggong, a loyalist of the fallen Ming Empire who wrestled control of Taiwan from the Dutch East India Company and planned to use Taiwan as a base of operations to restore the Ming Empire in mainland China.
Their ancestor is Mu Ying, who was made a prince by the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Empire.
Zhuang Tinglong was a merchant from Huzhou who sponsored the publication of an unauthorised history of the Ming Empire.