First Prince Lanxu Jinhui

 

Like the man after whom it was named, Crown Prince Jinhui is a paragon of virtue.

Generous, forgiving, an able politician and a decisive ruler. Compassionate and loved by his people.

In front of his brothers and his mother he maintains this façade of impassive coldness regardless of the situation he finds himself in, in reality he is terrified.

The idea that one day the throne will fall to him and that he will not be able to count on his mother or his brothers terrorises him to the depths of his soul and sometimes makes him incapable of making even the simplest decisions.

Jinhui does not feel lucky. On the contrary, he is convinced that bad luck and cosmic imbalance have been weighing down on him since birth and fears that without his family, the empire could fall apart.

Fortunately for him, the brothers are his firm allies and neither of them aspires to the throne. On the contrary, both Baoren and Rongjin are devoted to their elder brother even too much, often overburdening Jinhui with additional tasks and expectations he would not have wanted.

Nevertheless, the young crown prince behaves with strength and, for now, any doubts remain unexpressed in his soul.

His mother has long since promised him to a maiden of noble origins in the unconquered northern territories. Their marriage should lead to the annexation of some northern territories and allow a new campaign of expansion. 

The Empress' plan has one flaw. Jinhui does not love the foreign princess at all, but is in love with a prostitute who works in a brothel in the city. His strong sense of justice would suggest that he should not accept the marriage and follow his heart, but he knows that reason of state does not allow him to do so.