In the novel, Shao Nian Bai Ma, the famous Eight Noble Sons of Beili (北离八公子) are some of the most outstanding disciples of the martial world. In fact, there are only seven of them, as the eighth place was left nameless. Out of the seven, six of them are disciples of Mister Li, Chancellor of Jixia Academy and number one under Heaven.
To clarify, gongzi (公子) is translated as noble son or young master and the term was used to refer to the son of a nobleman or an aristocratic family (e.g. public officials, ministers of the imperial court, etc.). In some dynasties, the term was also used to refer to young men of scholarly upbringing, i.e., gentlemen.
The seven gongzi are featured in their own trailer for the upcoming donghua adaptation, and judging by the fan response, they're one of the highlights of the adaptation. For obvious reasons. Heheh.
Bai Xiao Hall wrote a poem to describe the eight, which is recited at the beginning of the trailer.
风华难测清歌雅，灼墨多言凌云狂。柳月绝代墨尘丑，卿相有才留无名。
“Fenghua unfathomable, Qingge elegant, Zhuomo chatterbox, Lingyun wild.
Liuyue incomparable, Mochen ugly, Qingxiang talented, left Nameless.”
In order of appearance:
0:00 风华公子 萧若风 Fenghua Gongzi Xiao Ruofeng
Fenghua carries the meaning of elegance and intellectual brilliance. Xiao Ruofeng is known for his strategic planning and considered the most outstanding of Mister Li's disciples. Xiao Ruofeng is Mister Li's seventh and youngest disciple but also Tai'an Emperor's seventh prince (ninth in the novel) and conferred the title of Langya Prince for his military merits. He is trained in the sword and holds the eighth-ranked sword under Heaven, Celestial Palace (昊阙). In the donghua, he is voiced by Zhao Yi, who also voiced Xiao Se in SNGX.
0:03 清歌公子 洛轩 Qingge Gongzi Luo Xuan
Qingge means literally, a clear singing voice without an instrument accompaniment. Luo Xuan is Mister Li's sixth disciple and exudes elegance whenever he appears. He usually fights with a flute but also has a sword which is also named Qingge. He has an easy-going nature and enjoys teasing the others.
0:05 灼墨公子 雷梦杀 Zhuomo Gongzi Lei Mengsha
Zhuo means to burn or scorch and mo means ink, but in context, refers to writing. Lei Mengsha was the Lei Clan's most outstanding disciple but he left the clan to pursue bigger ambitions in the capital. He is Mister Li's second disciple and considered a genius who qualified for Jixia Academy in one year. In his early years, he loved writing and his stories were spread all over the capital. He's an incorrigible chatterbox and is able to out-talk anyone. Except his wife, probably. Lei Mengsha also has a young daughter who lives with them in the capital. In the donghua, he is voiced by Zhang Boheng, who also voiced Lei Wujie in SNGX.
0:06 凌云公子 顾剑门 Lingyun Gongzi Gu Jianmen
Lingyun means to reach the clouds, which usually refers to having high aspirations. The second son of a wealthy merchant family, Gu Jianmen was brought up by his older brother after the death of his parents. He is Mister Li's third disciple and also a genius who qualified for Jixia Academy in one year. He has a reputation of making unrestrained and fearless decisions and is prone to violence when provoked. Gu Jianmen is a highly-skilled swordsman and his sword is named Moonlit Snow (月雪).
0:08 柳月公子 柳月 Liuyue Gongzi Liu Yue
Liu means willow and is also a surname and yue means moon. He's the only one of the eight whose name is also his title and he's the fourth disciple of Mister Li. Liu Yue is rumoured to be extremely beautiful but he doesn't like showing his face. He travels in a curtained sedan and a young boy who follows him speaks and acts on his behalf most of the time. He wields a silver whip for his weapon and dresses completely in white with a white veil.
0:10 墨尘公子 墨晓黑 Mochen Gongzi Mo Xiaohei
Mo means ink and chen means dust, but together, the term is used to represent a kind of low profile and humble existence, which suits Mo Xiaohei perfectly. Even his name means, literally, "ink knows black". He is Mister Li's fifth disciple, though he sees himself as the fourth disciple and considers Liu Yue his rival. The feeling is mutual, of course. He is Liu Yue's opposite in that he dresses completely in black with a black hat, a black veil, and uses a black-coloured sword.
0:12 卿相公子 谢宣 Qingxiang Gongzi Xie Xuan
Qingxiang is a term to refer to ministers and high officials of the imperial court, which carries the meaning of being highly educated. Xie Xuan, the future Confucian Sword Immortal, loves reading above all else. Though Mister Li wanted to accept him as his disciple, Xie Xuan turned him down to go travelling to read more books.
Who is Nameless (无名)? There really isn't an eighth gongzi. However, Mister Li's first disciple (everyone else's da-shixiong) is a mysterious character who appears much later in the novel. Perhaps he's Nameless because he's long disappeared from the martial world.
As for Baili Dongjun, after he became Mister Li's eighth and final disciple, he's given the nickname of ninth gongzi (九公子) which has the same sound as wine gongzi (酒公子). What else would you call the future Wine Immortal, right?
Remember to tune in to the donghua this coming Wed, 27 Jul 10am on Youku. More information at this Shao Nian Bai Ma carrd.