Xu Tianran

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xu Tianran (徐天然)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Sun Moon Imperial House; Eastern Palace; allied with the Holy Spirit Cult and Black Dragon Merchant Association 10 65 151
Occupation/Role	Regent Prince; subsequently Crown Prince; referred to as Emperor in later events 62 151 187
Status	Alive; permanently unable to walk or father children following an assassination attempt 155 164 187
Residence	Mingdu; moves into the Eastern Palace after becoming Crown Prince 151
First Appearance	Chapter 10

Background / History

Alliance with the Holy Spirit Cult

Xu Tianran initially stands as the Sun Moon Emperor’s most powerful and prestigious prince. To secure the throne, he forms an alliance with the Holy Spirit Cult, using its assassins to eliminate opponents in the court and military. He then installs his own followers in the vacant positions, while the lack of evidence protects him from challenges by his father and imperial relatives 10.

He questions Zhongli Wu’s proposed attack on Shrek Academy because heavy Cult losses would undermine his own bid for power. His concerns include Mu En’s strength, Shrek’s continent-wide connections, and the possibility of losing Kong Deming—the empire’s principal deterrent—in a confrontation with Mu En 10 11.

Regency and the Black Dragon Alliance

By his birthday banquet, Xu Tianran has become Regent Prince. His father remains emperor but has been bedridden for years, leaving much of the empire’s administration in Xu Tianran’s hands. Xu uses the celebration to hold separate, private meetings with influential merchants and faction representatives 62 63.

Initially suspicious that the rapidly expanding Black Dragon Society is a Heaven Dou pawn, he questions its president, Long Wushang, about his origins and access to rare metals. Long offers priority supplies specifically to Xu Tianran personally, rather than to the empire or imperial house. Xu accepts this distinction as an offer of alliance 63 64 65.

Their agreement exchanges commercial protection for resources and discreet trading services. Xu grants improved licensing and Mingdu tax exemptions, then supplies retired military Soul Tools for resale. His trusted subordinates remove the weapons from military warehouses, while the association forges shipping documents and disperses the cargo across multiple routes 66 67.

Crown Prince and Assassination

Following sustained political pressure and a joint petition from officials, the emperor names Xu Tianran Crown Prince. Shortly after moving into the Eastern Palace, Xu sends guards and powerful consecrated experts to reinforce the besieged Mingde Hall, hoping to win Jing Hongchen’s support 151.

His rivals exploit the resulting weakness in palace security. Zhao Heng, a trusted guard whose family has been taken hostage, attempts to stab him. Ju Zi pushes Xu aside and takes the blade through her shoulder. Hundreds of masked Soul Masters then breach the palace 152.

Xu mortally wounds Zhao Heng with a dragon claw, but the dying guard restrains him long enough for another assassin to slash his waist. The injury leaves Xu unable to move his legs. Palace experts prevent his execution, and emergency treatment saves his life 152 153.

After awakening, Xu temporarily entrusts Eastern Palace affairs to Ju Zi. Her intervention during the attack earns her exceptional trust, while his confidence in other personnel deteriorates. He also discovers that he can no longer father children—a threat to his succession claim—and secretly kills the Soul Masters who know this information 154 155.

Recovery and Political Purges

Long Wushang privately supplies information linking the assassins to royal residences. He identifies their leader as Gao Zhan, a former subordinate of Prince Yong Xu Tiancheng who was officially reported dead ten years earlier. Xu suspects Long’s involvement in the Mingde Hall robbery but chooses not to expose him, valuing his money and intelligence network more than a confrontation 159.

Xu supports Long’s appointment as a director in the Imperial Ministry of Finance. Meanwhile, the emperor compensates Xu for the assassination with additional authority and resources. Although his inability to walk becomes public, his infertility remains concealed 160 164.

Rather than launch an immediate public retaliation, Xu uses the Holy Spirit Cult to remove rival princes and military leaders through disappearances, mysterious deaths, and apparently unrelated attacks. His father recognizes the purge but can no longer restrain it. Previously neutral officials begin supporting Xu to protect their own futures 165.

The Black Dragon Merchant Association becomes a major source of funding for his political campaign. Profits from military Soul Tools smuggled into the Three Great Empires are divided among the Long Family, the association, and Xu’s private treasury 172.

Underworld Consolidation and Loss of Control

With his father gravely ill and major royal rivals eliminated, Xu prepares for a coup and accession by targeting regional power holders and Mingdu’s underworld. He assigns Long Wushang to pressure the Ordinary Alliance, while the Holy Spirit Cult’s Xi Shui Alliance is tasked with weakening the military-linked Aodu Chamber of Commerce more cautiously 177.

Their partnership becomes strained after an assassination attempt against Long. Long publicly attributes his investigation of corrupt officials to Xu’s orders, placing those officials under pressure. When powerful ministers offer submission, Xu considers accepting their support and compensating Long rather than pursuing an uncompromising purge 185.

Subsequent revelations of illicit arms sales and nearly a week of family massacres leave Xu increasingly frightened by his loss of control. He begins suspecting that Zhongli Wu and Long are cooperating, undermining his strategy of keeping their organizations divided 186 187.

The investigation ends without identifying the true perpetrators. Surviving families lose confidence in Xu and begin withdrawing support, expanding private forces, and forming covert alliances. Xu ultimately compromises and appoints Long head of the Ministry of Finance 187.

Appearance

• Imperial dress: Wears a golden imperial robe during his first formal meeting with Long Wushang 64.
• Bearing: Presents a refined, authoritative appearance, concealing scrutiny behind a gentle smile 64.
• Lasting injury: Permanently loses sensation in his lower body after the Eastern Palace assassination 154 164.

Personality

Xu Tianran is ambitious, calculating, and willing to employ covert murder to secure political authority. He evaluates people primarily by their usefulness and whether they justify further investment; even his partnership with Ju Zi initially follows this practical logic 10 151.

His ruthlessness is tempered by strategic caution. He opposes risking essential allies against Shrek without adequate preparation and acknowledges that destroying military families is unacceptable if it destabilizes the army. He also tolerates Long Wushang’s suspected crimes when their cooperation remains useful 10 151 159.

Xu enjoys the respect attached to his office, but betrayal exposes a more vulnerable side. After his assassination, he maintains an outwardly composed demeanor while becoming more suspicious and dependent on Ju Zi. His later inability to contain the family massacres produces visible fear and panic 70 154 186.

Abilities & Skills

Political Strategy

• Uses covert killings and subsequent appointments to replace hostile officials without leaving evidence that can be used against him 10.
• Combines rewards, pressure, and political patronage to build support across the court rather than relying solely on personal loyalty 165.
• Accepts compromise when confrontation would jeopardize useful alliances or wider stability 159 185 187.

Military Administration

• Plans to weaken entrenched military families through armaments reorganization rather than a direct assault on their authority 151.
• Intends to appoint Ju Zi Armaments Inspector and provide Imperial Soul Engineer Corps personnel to assist her investigations 151.
• Offers money, Soul Tools, and promotion to cooperative junior officers and soldiers, while reserving resistant commanders for personal action 151.

Combat

• Manifests a dragon claw capable of fatally impaling Zhao Heng 152.
• Possesses defensive Soul Tools, but surprise betrayal and coordinated attackers overcome his protection during the Eastern Palace assault 152.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Personal Soul Tools — Carries protective equipment and reaches for a device at his waist when Zhao Heng attacks 152.
• Imperial Soul Tool vehicle — Travels in a large armored vehicle bearing the imperial sun emblem; openings along its sides appear to conceal defensive and counterattack devices 70.
• Crown Prince Token — Gives Ju Zi his token for her clandestine mission to bring Long Wushang to the palace 155.

Relationships

• Ju Zi — Political aide and military strategist. Her decision to shield him during the assassination earns exceptional trust; he subsequently gives her responsibility for Eastern Palace affairs and cultivates her as a power holder 151 152 154.
• Long Wushang — Commercial ally, financier, and increasingly independent political partner. Xu promotes him despite suspecting his involvement in the Mingde Hall raid, but later struggles against his financial and factional leverage 65 159 160 185 187.
• Zhongli Wu — Principal Holy Spirit Cult contact. Xu relies on the Cult’s covert assistance but eventually suspects Zhongli Wu is secretly cooperating with Long 10 159 187.
• The Sun Moon Emperor — Father and predecessor in authority. He appoints Xu Crown Prince and grants him further power after the assassination, yet continues attempting to restrain his rise 151 164 165.
• Zhao Heng — Trusted guard who served him for five years and previously stopped assassination attempts. Coerced through threats against his family, Zhao betrays Xu and helps the attackers cripple him 151 152.
• Jing Hongchen — Influential figure whose allegiance Xu seeks. Xu reinforces Mingde Hall partly to secure his political support 151.
• Jiang Nannan — Attracts his attention during a convoy procession. His repeated inquiries about her later give Long potential leverage and make Ju Zi fear losing influence 70 140 156.
• Xu Tiancheng — Prince Yong, identified by Long as Gao Zhan’s former patron and a suspected organizer behind the assassination force 159.

Notable Quotes

“Killing alone cannot solve every problem. Those families can be destroyed, but the army cannot be thrown into chaos.” 151

“Give those willing to pledge themselves to the Eastern Palace money, Soul Tools, and a chance to rise.” 151