Yun Si

Biodata

Background / History

Yun Si is the sixth prince of Qiyun Kingdom. Born to a low-ranking mother after a single night of imperial favor, he grows up neglected in the Cold Palace and is treated worse than palace servants. He receives no courtesy name until Lu Tu names him Tingzhu, hoping he will remain steadfast like bamboo despite adversity. 36 47

At his first palace banquet after coming of age, Consort Ning's eunuch frames Yun Si for ruining a bowl of blood bird's-nest soup. Forced to kneel outside the Heroic Martial Gate, he is kicked and humiliated, but suppresses his murderous fury when the eunuch threatens one of the few attendants who treats him kindly. 36

Yun Si investigates the circumstances of his mother's death and seeks leverage against Consort Ning's family. With no political backing, he considers using his beauty and body as bargaining tools, only for Lu Tu to reject that idea and insist that self-respect is not leverage. 27

After rising from an abandoned prince to a decisive military and political force, Yun Si helps preserve Qiyun through years of war. At Feather Spirit Pass, he leads 30,000 soldiers against an army of 200,000, then conquers ten cities in succession. The Imperial Guard under his command becomes known as the “Ghost Army.” 52

Following Qiyun's transformation into the Sheng Dynasty, Yun Si becomes Regent Prince and commands 300,000 Imperial Guards. Recognizing that his military power and royal blood make him an unavoidable threat to the child emperor's stability, he accepts that he must die rather than force Lu Tu to violate his principles or plunge the realm into further conflict. 52

Appearance

Yun Si is renowned for beauty so striking that even concealed by a veil, he remains recognizable. His appearance is repeatedly associated with both delicacy and danger. 36 48

• Pale, refined features and long, narrow eyes with pink at their outer corners. 39
• Slender build; initially described as especially thin. 36
• Possesses an aloof, cold beauty that can become unsettling when his killing intent surfaces. 36 38
• Wears luxurious dark-purple robes during the carriage ambush. 38
• His beauty is a source of both unwanted attention and political vulnerability. 27 48
• Widely regarded as Qiyun Kingdom's foremost beauty, with a face refined enough to match his reputation as its “Number One Handsome Man.” 51 56
• In his later years, he wears a jade crown and pale-blue robes, appearing gentle and elegant while retaining an air of calculation and distance. 56

Personality

Yun Si is intensely proud, sensitive, and calculating. Years of neglect teach him to hide anger beneath obedience; when powerless, he yields outwardly while retaining a fierce desire to retaliate against those who humiliate him. 36

He craves affection and recognition, particularly from Lu Tu, but regards himself as morally compromised and “vile” beside Lu Tu's upright character. His affection is mixed with gratitude, respect, possessiveness, and the painful awareness that they seek fundamentally different paths. 27 47 50

As his influence grows, Yun Si becomes decisive and ruthless. He is willing to pay any price for opportunity and power, yet remains capable of profound loyalty: he abandons his command and endangers his health to save Lu Tu from poisoning. 36 50

Despite his ambition and fearsome reputation, Yun Si ultimately places the realm and Lu Tu's principles above his own survival. He refuses Lu Tu's attempt to spare him, recognizing that his continued existence as a royal prince commanding a vast army would endanger the new dynasty. 52

Abilities & Skills

Political Instinct and Concealment

Yun Si survives court oppression by observing power dynamics and suppressing his emotions until he can act.

• Quickly recognizes when resistance would endanger the people protecting him. 36
• Investigates his mother's death and seeks evidence against Consort Ning's maternal family. 27
• Later gains the emperor's trust and becomes a significant force in the succession struggle. 37
• Uses deception and enemy clothing during a rebellion to reach Lu Tu's forces. 47
• Understands that his own royal bloodline and military authority make him politically dangerous under the new Sheng Dynasty. 52

Swordsmanship and Martial Arts

Though slender, Yun Si is a highly capable fighter who uses speed, technique, and ruthless precision.

• Learned movement techniques and martial arts from Lu Tu. 48
• Fights with twin swords during an assassin ambush, killing multiple attackers. 38
• Uses terrain and momentum, including tree-assisted aerial movement, in combat. 38
• Cannot overpower physically stronger opponents directly, instead relying on clever use of force and defense. 48

Command and Resolve

Yun Si can make rapid, severe decisions under pressure.

• Directs guards and shadow guards during political and military crises. 50
• Continues fighting despite injury and gives the order to return to the capital after surviving an ambush. 38
• Rides urgently to the border with an antidote after learning Lu Tu has been poisoned. 50
• Endures exhaustion and fever without seeking attention once Lu Tu is safe. 50
• Commands 300,000 Imperial Guards, whose transformation into the “Ghost Army” establishes him as one of the Sheng Dynasty's most formidable military figures. 52
• Leads a vastly outnumbered force at Feather Spirit Pass and subsequently captures ten enemy cities. 52

Relationships

• Lu Tu — Yun Si's Junior Tutor, savior, martial-arts teacher, and the person who grants him the courtesy name Tingzhu. Yun Si's feelings are deeply personal, but Lu Tu initially rejects his political methods and refuses to follow his path. Their final encounter reveals Lu Tu's profound grief and inability to remain indifferent to Yun Si's death; Jiang Tingxu's interpretation of Lu Tu is that Lu Tu did love Yun Si. 27 47 48 50 52 107 108
• The Emperor of Qiyun — Yun Si's father. Yun Si begins as an abandoned prince but later earns imperial trust and political influence. 36 37
• Consort Ning — Powerful consort connected to the faction that persecutes Yun Si; he investigates matters linked to her family and his mother's death. 27 36
• Crown Prince — Political enemy who sends martial-world assassins to kill Yun Si during his return to the capital. 38
• Young Crown Prince / Emperor of Sheng — The Crown Prince's son and a surviving member of Qiyun's royal line. Yun Si acknowledges that his own authority as Regent Prince threatens the child's reign and chooses death for the stability of the new dynasty. 52
• Yun Si's stewardess — One of the few people who sincerely cares for him during his childhood; threats against her force him to endure humiliation. 36
• General Who Stabilized the Nation — A military commander distrustful of Yun Si's ruthless reputation. He initially mistakes Yun Si for a rebel conspirator, forcing Yun Si to defend himself through technique rather than strength. 48

Story Role / Major Arcs

Cold Palace Upbringing

Yun Si grows up neglected and abused due to his low-born mother and lack of imperial support. His early experiences leave him outwardly restrained but inwardly vengeful and determined to obtain power. 36 47

The Heroic Martial Gate Humiliation

At a palace banquet, he is framed by Consort Ning's eunuch, made to kneel, and kicked to the ground. He nearly reveals his desire to kill the eunuch but backs down when his stewardess is threatened. 36

Alliance with Lu Tu

Seeking to investigate his mother's death, Yun Si attempts to recruit Lu Tu with personal leverage. Lu Tu refuses to let him sacrifice his dignity, creating a bond built on instruction, protection, and unresolved feelings. 27

Rise to Power and Assassination Attempt

After gaining the emperor's trust, Yun Si becomes a new force in the throne struggle. The Crown Prince responds by arranging an assassination; Yun Si survives by slaughtering the attackers with twin swords. 37 38

Break with Lu Tu

Yun Si wants Lu Tu as a trusted minister in his pursuit of power, but Lu Tu rejects his brutality and political vision. Yun Si leaves with the bitter recognition that they cannot walk the same path. 47

Rescue at the Border

When Lu Tu is framed and poisoned, Yun Si races to the border with an antidote, exhausting himself to save him. After confirming Lu Tu's survival, he leaves without seeking credit and returns to the capital while feverish. 50

Regent Prince and the Ghost Army

Over years of war, Yun Si becomes Regent Prince and commander of the Imperial Guard. His victory at Feather Spirit Pass and subsequent conquest of ten cities transform his force into the feared Ghost Army, while his command of 300,000 soldiers makes him indispensable to the new Sheng Dynasty and simultaneously a threat to its stability. 52

Final Meeting and Sacrifice

Mortally wounded by an arrow at Feather Spirit Pass, Yun Si arranges one final meeting with Lu Tu. He rejects Lu Tu's offer to send him away, understanding that no ruler can rest peacefully while a royal prince commanding 300,000 soldiers remains alive. After asking to see pear blossoms, he dies in Lu Tu's arms, choosing the realm's peace and Lu Tu's freedom from moral compromise over his own life. 52

Notable Quotes

“It is Yun Si's fault. I beg His Majesty and Your Ladyship for forgiveness.” 36

“The Junior Tutor is wise. Tingzhu is ashamed to compare.” 47

“There was once moonlight draped over my body too.” 50

“May the realm be stable, and may you live to a hundred without worry.” 52