Mu Rongyi

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Mu Rongyi (慕容逸)
Alias(es)	Carefree Prince
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Yan Kingdom; Carefree Prince's Estate; Xiaoyao City
Occupation/Role	Enfeoffed prince of Xiaoyao City; Governor-General of Xiaoyao City and the three surrounding commanderies 36
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Background / History

Mu Rongyi was the Late Emperor's favored youngest son. He displayed exceptional ability from childhood: he could recite poetry and classics at five, excelled at horseback archery at eight, and shot down two eagles with one arrow during an imperial hunt at twelve. 14

Upon receiving a fief, he rejected prosperous cities and strategic strongholds, asking instead for Xiaoyao City so that he could live freely among ordinary people. The Late Emperor named him the Carefree Prince, excused him from court affairs and military command, and charged him only with the city's livelihood. 14

His withdrawal from the succession struggle did not end imperial suspicion. Mu Rongyi learned that his imperial elder brother had used assassinations against several sworn brothers and feared that the regional princes would be eliminated to secure the Crown Prince's succession. He retained private guards for Xiaoyao City's security, maintained a secret intelligence network, and ordered increased military training and vigilance when reports of a purge arrived. 2 14

Eighteen years before Mu Bai's return from the Langya Family, Mu Rongyi found the severely injured and amnesiac Bai Yu in the estate. He saved her with a Thousand-Year Ginseng, traveled with her to help restore her memories, and eventually married her. After she was abducted by two masked Houtian martial artists, he was badly wounded while trying to stop them; Bai Yu left behind a letter and the Profound Origin Heart Sutra for their children. 123 124

Political Crisis and Governorship

When Master Dehua arrived to take him to the palace, Mu Rongyi chose to surrender rather than expose his estate and family to further danger. Mu Bai's intervention prevented his arrest. 19

Mu Bai's revealed strength as a Grandmaster changed the political balance around the estate. Mu Rongyi received Minister of War Liu Yi with full ceremony, endured a public accusation of rebellion, and recognized that Langya Xing's ten-day delay would determine the estate's fate. 25 27

After Mu Bai departed with Langya Xing, the Yan Emperor issued an unexpected edict granting Mu Rongyi complete civil and military authority over Xiaoyao City and three surrounding commanderies. The edict also allowed Mu Yu to return from Yan Capital as Lord of Xiaoyao City. Mu Rongyi believed the Langya Family had arranged this reversal. 36 37

By Mu Bai's return roughly half a year later, Mu Rongyi had embraced his expanded responsibilities. He personally reviewed the growing volume of official documents and regained the vigor and ambition that fear of the imperial court had once suppressed. 123

Personality

Mu Rongyi values an ordinary, peaceful life over rank and court influence. He regularly disguises himself in plain clothes to walk Xiaoyao City's streets, observe its people, and enjoy its markets without princely ceremony. 14

Despite his “Carefree” title, he is alert, strategic, and burdened by the danger surrounding his family. He reacts to threats by gathering intelligence, improving the estate's defenses, and weighing survival over pride. 2 27

He is deeply devoted to his family. He entrusted Mu Bai with preserving the family bloodline during the initial crisis, encouraged him to pursue cultivation with the Langya Family despite the estate's vulnerability, and openly wept when Mu Yu and Bai Yu returned home. 2 34 36 164

Appearance

Mu Rongyi is depicted as a dignified prince with sharp, hawk-like eyes and visible white hairs that stand out under lamplight. 2 27

• Often dresses elegantly but without excessive display, including moon-white robes and a bamboo-woven hat when moving among Xiaoyao City's people. 14
• Wore a black robe embroidered with serpents while receiving Mu Bai after the battle with Master Dehua. 24
• Wore formal princely robes and a decorative Jade Belt Sword when receiving the imperial edict. 36

Authority & Resources

• Commands the Carefree Prince's Estate and its private guard forces, including Houtian martial artists such as Uncle Cang. 2 4 124
• Operates a secret intelligence network that monitors court movements and investigated Bai Yu's origins. 2 14 124
• Holds imperial authority to appoint and dismiss local officials, collect taxes, and deploy troops across Xiaoyao City and three commanderies. 36
• Possesses the Profound Origin Heart Sutra, left by Bai Yu; he used it to cultivate several Houtian martial artists within the estate. 124

Relationships

• Mu Bai — Eldest son. Mu Rongyi initially viewed him as the family member most likely to survive a purge, then came to rely on his martial strength while still prioritizing his safety and future. 2 24 34
• Bai Yu — Wife. He saved her after finding her wounded and amnesiac, spent eighteen years mourning her abduction, and was reunited with her after Mu Bai rescued her. 123 124 164
• Mu Yu — Second son. Mu Rongyi worried over Mu Yu's effective captivity in Yan Capital and was overwhelmed when he returned as Lord of Xiaoyao City. 36 37
• Mu Tang — Third son. Mu Rongyi treats him as part of the family he must protect, though Mu Tang is notably less mature than his brothers. 2
• Uncle Cang — Trusted retainer and ally. Though nominally a book boy, Cang is as close to Mu Rongyi as a brother and serves as a Houtian martial protector of the estate. 4
• Langya Xing — Mu Bai's Langya Family patron. Mu Rongyi recognizes that Langya Xing's intervention helped secure the estate's new political protection and authority. 34 37
• Great Yan Emperor — Imperial elder brother and political threat. Mu Rongyi long feared his suspicion of regional princes, though the Emperor later granted him extensive authority over Xiaoyao City. 14 36

Notable Quotes

“Your son asks for nothing else—only a piece of land to witness all the joys and sorrows of the world, to be free and at ease.” 14

“Preserving the bloodline of this Carefree Prince is the greatest thing you can do for me.” 2