Su Ziji

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Su Ziji (苏子籍)
Alias(es)	Ji Zizong; Marquis of Dai; Duke of Dai; Prince Dai; Imperial Grandson 588 750 1079
Species/Race	Human; publicly acknowledged as the late Crown Prince’s son and a member of Great Zheng’s imperial line, though he privately knows he is not truly of the Ji Clan 565 1080
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Zheng; Prince Dai’s Residence / Imperial Grandson’s Residence 889 1079
Occupation/Role	Scholar, examination champion, official, political leader, cultivator, and swordsman 340 402 1108
Status	Active; mobilizing the Imperial Feather Guards against Prince Qi’s rebellion 1362
First Appearance	Su Family Fist Technique 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Coiling Dragon Secret Art acquired	70	Learned at the Water Palace; a Dragon Race method that humans ordinarily cannot cultivate.
Literary Heart Carving Dragon activated	91	Learns that its influence depends on a target’s pre-existing goodwill and relative cultivation.
Go — Level 5	91	Raised by absorbing Zhang Modong’s game records; Intelligence increased from 13 to 14.
Academy Pavilion Script — Level 5	92	Advancement increased Charm from 12 to 13.
Wind Fire Mountain Forest — Level 3	102	Formed by merging the Cen Family Military Classic with the Su-style Fist Technique.
Four Books and Five Classics — Level 14	206	Gained through Zhou Mingda’s Annotations on the Three Rites.
Academy Pavilion Script — Level 9	206	Advanced from Level 6 after absorbing Zhou Mingda’s manuscript.
Four Books and Five Classics — Level 15	220	Approached the next breakthrough through intensive Imperial Academy lectures.
Coiling Dragon Heart Method — increased by seven levels	249	Absorbed a Seed of Humanity created by Sun Buhan’s death and influence.
Literary Heart Carving Dragon upgraded	249	Upgraded alongside the Coiling Dragon Heart Method.
Classics scholarship — Level 17	318	Gained more than 12,000 experience from five rare anthologies associated with the Three Great Sages.
Zither Art — Level 3	351	Instantly acquired after accepting Zhou Yao’s instruction.
Violet Clarity Freedom Ode	353	Gained 300 points of martial ability from the Great Grotto Inner Alchemy Scripture, First Volume.
Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method — Level 4	353	Received 3,000 experience from the alchemy scripture.
Son of Heaven’s Sword acquired	378	Received Lin Yuqing’s imperial sword art from Great Wei’s Seven Secret Vaults.
Purple Qi from the East — Level 9	378	Evolved from the Violet Clarity Freedom Ode after integrating the Son of Heaven’s Sword.
Coiling Dragon Heart Method — near Level 9 completion	378	Advanced substantially through the Son of Heaven’s Sword inheritance.
Way of Governance — Level 7	565	Advanced after Luo Pei’s instruction on ritual, institutions, and political order.
Four Books and Five Classics — Level 20	575	Reached mastery of the classics and granted a permanent Intelligence increase.
Way of Governance — Level 9	575	Continued advancement through scholarship and official experience.
Calligraphy — Level 11	587	Increased by absorbing gifted calligraphy albums.
Painting — Level 11	587	Increased by absorbing paintings and artistic works.
Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method — Level 8	588	Gained spiritual-qi perception after absorbing the Clearwind Daoist Scripture.
Wisdom Divine Treasury comprehended	623	Intelligence reached 20, allowing comprehension of the Wisdom Divine Treasury.
Calligraphy and Painting — Level 14	625	Both approached the master-level threshold after absorbing works collected for the Thousand Blessings Painting.
Way of Governance — Level 14	663	Political insight deepened amid the succession struggle.
Way of Governance — Level 15	692	Reached after consulting officials about control of the Imperial Feather Guards.
Purple Qi from the East — Level 12	733	Gained 800 experience through Luo Jiang’s interpretation of a sword manual.
Coiling Dragon Heart Method — Level 17	752	Could sense Zhou Xuan’s approximate location and identify him as a future threat.
Coiling Dragon Heart Method — Level 18	763	Reached after killing Zhou Xuan and altering history; gained much easier control of wind and clouds.
Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method — Level 9	763	Advanced through the historical influence created by Zhou Xuan’s death.
Purple Qi from the East — Level 13	763	Advanced through the same gain.
Way of Governance — Level 16	817	Gained a deeper understanding of Heaven’s Mandate and political legitimacy.
Coiling Dragon Heart Method — Level 20	1075	Reached Great Completion.
The Way of Great Learning acquired	1075	Literary Heart Carving Dragon’s final ability: “to manifest illustrious virtue, to draw close to the people, to rest in the highest good.”
Way of Governance — Level 18	1079	Gained 20,000 experience upon becoming Imperial Grandson.
Military Strategy — Level 8	1108	Advanced by questioning Imperial Feather Guard officers about arms, discipline, and formations.

Background

Su Ziji began as a scholar of Linhua County with limited prospects, protecting Ye Buhui and the family grave fields while preparing for the examinations. A wandering Daoist later noticed that his previously damaged fortune had begun repairing itself and that red qi was forming around him 2 8.

His fortunes changed after encounters with supernatural forces. He acquired the Dragon Race’s Coiling Dragon Secret Art at the Water Palace, despite humans ordinarily being unable to cultivate it, and concealed this power behind the appearance of an ordinary scholar 70. The half Rosewood Pendant became the foundation of his rapid growth, allowing him to absorb texts, accepted instruction, and martial insight.

At the Prefectural Academy and later the Imperial Academy, Su turned extraordinary memory, literary knowledge, and calculated social conduct into influence. His scholarship won the admiration of teachers such as Chen Bonan and Zhou Mingda, while his Literary Heart Carving Dragon enabled him to gain information and cultivate temporary goodwill when used carefully 91 129 206.

His public ascent accelerated through the southwestern campaign, where he rescued imperial envoys, earned military merit, and proved himself capable in battle. He later became Metropolitan Champion and entered official life, receiving an unusually prestigious appointment as Compiler and Acting Prefectural Vice Administrator of Shunan Prefecture 274 340 402.

The Emperor formally confirmed him as the late Crown Prince’s son, granted him the name Ji Zizong, and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Dai. His rank subsequently rose to Duke and Prince Dai before he was established as Imperial Grandson through court and ancestral rites 565 588 750 1079 1080. Privately, however, Su fears exposure because he knows he is not truly of the Ji Clan 1080.

Appearance

Su Ziji is repeatedly noted for an unusually refined, striking appearance that combines scholarly elegance with martial presence. His bearing grows more imposing as his scholarship, cultivation, and political status rise.

• Tall and straight-backed, with a jade-like face and eyes compared to black lacquer 303 395.
• Often wears simple or worn scholar’s robes without losing his composed, radiant presence 256 303.
• The southwestern campaign adds martial valor to his previously refined scholarly air 339.
• His exceptional appearance regularly draws admiration, envy, and political attention 231 339 434.
• In formal imperial attire, he presents the image of a future sovereign and visibly alters how officials and attendants perceive him 1078.

Personality

Su Ziji is observant, restrained, and intensely pragmatic. He rarely reveals the full extent of his knowledge or ability, preferring to let others attribute his achievements to talent, diligence, status, or ordinary instruction. He is willing to accept personal danger for advancement, but he studies consequences before acting 206 353 692.

He is politically patient. Rather than openly contesting power, he seeks legitimacy, useful alliances, public support, and institutional influence. He believes that direct ambition invites suspicion, while apparent non-contention can create safer opportunities to accumulate power 614 1091.

Despite his calculating nature, Su draws firm distinctions between guilty and innocent parties. When preparing retaliation against Young Master Lin’s associates, he refused to target families that would suffer undeservedly, authorizing action only against those he judged corrupt or bloodstained 353. His protectiveness toward Ye Buhui, Wild Daoist, and his household also repeatedly outweighs convenience or political caution 343 796 1025.

Abilities & Skills

Rosewood Pendant

The half Rosewood Pendant is Su Ziji’s central supernatural tool. It converts study, instruction, inherited techniques, and major historical influence into skills, experience, or insight.

• Absorbs texts and manuscripts he is permitted to study, allowing him to memorize and master them almost instantly 206 318.
• Accepts voluntary instruction from others, including Zhou Yao’s zither lessons and Luo Jiang’s sword insights 351 733.
• Can reveal information beyond technique, including political affiliations and hidden connections among martial-arts competitors 792.
• Cannot freely absorb material he has no right to access or own, as shown by the Gentleman’s Sword manual 220.
• Excessive absorption causes severe physical backlash, including headaches, nausea, nosebleeds, and unconsciousness 353 793.

Coiling Dragon Heart Method

A Dragon Race cultivation method that Su can use despite being human.

• Converts Seeds of Humanity and altered historical outcomes into cultivation progress 249 763.
• At Level 17, grants spiritual perception sufficient to locate threats such as Zhou Xuan 752.
• At Level 18, allows him to control wind and clouds with far greater ease 763.
• At Great Completion, its advancement produces the final ability of Literary Heart Carving Dragon, the Way of Great Learning 1075.
• Its dragon-like nature creates unusual resonance with powerful draconic beings and phenomena 1211.

Literary Heart Carving Dragon

A Confucian-derived influence art used to amplify existing goodwill and create openings for genuine relationships.

• Works best on people already inclined to view Su favorably; hostility and major cultivation differences weaken or block its effects 91.
• Produces temporary goodwill rather than permanent loyalty unless Su follows through with sincere interaction, benefits, or trust 91.
• Helped Wild Daoist obtain a servant’s confession regarding Prefect Huang Liangping’s alleged crimes 129.
• Su refuses to use it on Yu Lü because he considers Yu’s friendship genuine 90.
• Its final ability, the Way of Great Learning, may subtly enhance Su’s moral authority and others’ acceptance of him after he gains the status of a ruler 1075.

Swordsmanship and Martial Arts

Su Ziji hides formidable martial ability behind the public image of a scholar trained in the Gentleman’s Sword.

• Merged the Su-style Fist Technique and Cen Family Military Classic into Wind Fire Mountain Forest, gaining insight into multiple weapons 102.
• Uses the Gentleman’s Sword as a credible explanation for his martial skill while concealing his greater strength 250.
• Can rapidly grasp an opponent’s techniques, follow-up moves, and weaknesses through the Pendant’s accepted impartation 376 377.
• Defeated Chi Yingrui after understanding the Chi Clan Sword Art’s hidden principles and flaws 377.
• Integrated the Son of Heaven’s Sword into Purple Qi from the East and fought Lin Yuqing to a standstill despite initially inferior swordsmanship 378.
• Continues gaining advanced sword insight through Luo Jiang’s talent and study 733.

Daoist and Alchemical Cultivation

Su Ziji secretly cultivates Daoist arts while allowing most observers to believe he lacks spiritual power.

• The Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method grants increasingly clear perception of spiritual qi 588.
• His cultivation remains difficult for Daoists and political enemies to detect 406 468.
• Can obscure his body in mist, allowing him to evade patrols under martial law 750.
• His cultivation and imperial status make him an unusually valuable target to demons and Daoist factions 752 793.

Scholarship, Arts, and Governance

Su’s literary ability is both a public source of prestige and a practical form of cultivation.

• Possesses exceptional memory, demonstrated by flawlessly reciting several pages of Zhou Mingda’s unfinished manuscript after a brief reading 206.
• Reached mastery of the Four Books and Five Classics, enabling him to expound on the classics rather than merely answer examination questions 575.
• Uses calligraphy, painting, Go, zither, and literary study as further sources of experience and influence 91 351 587.
• The Way of Governance sharpens his grasp of institutions, succession, military command, legitimacy, and factional politics 565 817 1108.
• Reached Intelligence 20 and comprehended the Wisdom Divine Treasury 623.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Half Rosewood Pendant — supernatural treasure that absorbs knowledge, instruction, and historical influence 206 763.
• Dragon-patterned yellow jade pendant — proof that shocks Shang Youming into recognizing Su’s connection to the former Crown Prince 120.
• Short blade / sword — Su keeps weapons concealed or presents a sword as a scholarly accessory while retaining lethal capability 42 721.
• Blackwood Bracelet — artifact used to conceal Ye Buhui’s aura from Daoist observers; Su also gave an identical bracelet to Zhou Yao 654 674.
• Imperial Grandson’s golden register and jade treasure — formal insignia establishing his public position in the succession 1079.
• Jianzhang command token and Tiger Tally — imperial instruments used during the emergency mobilization against Prince Qi’s rebellion 1360.

Relationships

• Ye Buhui — wife, closest domestic companion, and the person Su is most determined to protect. Her Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart and future pregnancy make her a target in the succession struggle 351 623 796.
• Wild Daoist / Lu Fengyun — Su’s longest-serving adviser, investigator, and covert operative. Su trusts him with intelligence, political schemes, household administration, and dangerous assignments 343 889.
• Cen Rubai — former Eastern Palace Eastern Director of Justice under the late Crown Prince. He accepts Su as his true master after Su’s imperial identity is confirmed 565.
• Jian Qu — scholar-adviser who sought Su’s protection from Qian Zhidong and later became a trusted informant and administrator 283 889.
• Cui Zhaoqian — senior official, mentor, and former imperial envoy. Initially politically cautious, he later comes to admire Su’s ability and regrets once considering him expendable 231 655.
• Luo Jiang — former Imperial City Office operative, peerless swordswoman, and later retainer. Su recognizes her talent, gives her advanced manuals, and entrusts her with defending his family despite lingering doubts about her origins 676 730 1025.
• Bo Yan — former martial wanderer and Prince Qi agent who becomes an increasingly reliable military subordinate within Su’s residence 792 1008 1119.
• Princess Xinping — politically valuable imperial relative whose admiration began with Su’s literary courage; their relationship remains emotionally and politically complicated 220 1119.
• Bianxuan — former friend whose conflicting loyalties turn their relationship into one of uneasy political alliance. Su later imprisons him for unauthorized Cursecraft while preserving him as a useful lead 713 1091.
• Lin Yuqing — former Chess Sage and prince of the Kingdom of Lin. A potential friend turned mortal enemy after Lin targeted Ye Buhui; Su pursued and killed him 377 713.
• The Empress — grandmother by public imperial recognition and a covert ally who resolves to protect Su from the Emperor’s schemes 1079 1360.
• The Emperor — publicly recognizes Su as heir, but treats him as both a political instrument and a threat; Su believes he must ultimately seize the throne to survive 692 1075 1025.
• Yu Lü — early academy friend. Their former equality ends after Su’s elevation to Imperial Grandson, leaving Yu to regard him as ruler rather than companion 90 1081.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Scholar of Linhua County — Protects Ye Buhui and the ancestral graves while pursuing scholarly advancement; his fortune begins changing after the Rosewood Pendant’s emergence 2 8.
• Academy rise — Uses extraordinary scholarship and Literary Heart Carving Dragon to gain standing at the Prefectural and Imperial Academies 91 206.
• Southwestern campaign — Travels under forced assignment, earns merit by rescuing imperial envoys, and builds ties with Cui Zhaoqian, Qin Mao, Jian Qu, and military figures 231 274 283.
• Conflict with Lin Yuqing — Studies Lin’s Go and swordsmanship, investigates his network, then pursues him beyond the capital after the attack on Ye Buhui 354 377 378.
• Official of Shunan — Becomes Compiler and Acting Prefectural Vice Administrator, suppresses local disorder, and demonstrates administrative ability in locust relief, gang suppression, and deficit recovery 402 471.
• Recognition as imperial kin — Is confirmed as the late Crown Prince’s son, named Ji Zizong, and elevated from Marquis of Dai to Duke and Prince Dai 565 588 655.
• Household and faction building — Develops Prince Dai’s Residence into an organized political network, appointing advisers and cultivating military, commercial, scholarly, and intelligence resources 889.
• Imperial Grandson investiture — Receives the golden register and jade treasure, survives the ancestral temple’s supernatural judgment, and becomes Great Zheng’s formal Imperial Grandson 1079 1080.
• Succession struggle — Recognizes that the Emperor’s favor is dangerous, seeks public and military support, and prepares for an eventual conflict with the throne 1091 1187.
• Prince Qi’s rebellion — Receives imperial military authority during a palace crisis and moves to command the Imperial Feather Guards against Prince Qi and the Demon Race 1360 1362.

Notable Quotes

“Whether cultivation or the throne, I want them both!” 629

“Please show me your skills and grant me instruction!” 376

“Only because he does not contend, none under heaven can contend with him.” 614

Trivia

• Su Ziji’s public rise repeatedly leads observers to mistake supernatural advancement for natural genius, prodigious memory, or exceptional talent 132 206.
• He considers Luo Jiang an exceptionally valuable source of swordsmanship insight because her study can generate experience for him through the Rosewood Pendant 733.
• Although he is publicly established as the Imperial Grandson, Su secretly fears the ancestral temple because he believes its spirits could expose his non-Ji identity 1080.
• His household’s internal organization is guided by the saying that even “a small sparrow possesses all five organs,” reflecting his belief that a small power must still possess complete administrative structure 889.