Rong Xi

Biodata

Background / History

Rong Xi was originally a frail but exceptionally intelligent technology researcher from the twenty-third century. His work covered a broad range of fields, and he practiced calligraphy to temper the impatience that could hinder his research. After working himself to death at home, he awoke in the body of a drowning young man in Great Wei 1 2 4.

The original owner, who shared Rong Xi’s name, willingly relinquished his body after deciding that life had lost its meaning. Rong Xi inherited his memories and learned that he had transmigrated into a minor cannon-fodder character from a novel he had read 2.

In Great Wei, Rong Xi is Minister Rong’s legitimate eldest son and the sole heir of his late birth mother Rong Zhang’s dowry. He was sent without money to the neglected Rong ancestral residence in Linxi after allegedly attempting to force himself on Liang Siwen. The accusation later proves to have been a scheme in which Rong Han, his Fourth Brother, coerced him through violence and threats connected to his birth mother’s belongings 1 13 43 113.

Rong Xi initially avoided Shengjing, official office, and the Rong family’s internal struggles. As his inventions gained national importance, however, he returned to the capital, reclaimed his mother’s unlawfully appropriated shops, exposed the Rong Estate’s wrongdoing, and accepted an unprecedented sixth-rank appointment as Assistant Director of the Imperial Works Office 110 112 115.

Appearance

Rong Xi initially has a weak, heavily overweight body despite an elegant, jade-like bearing. His obesity is linked to excessive tonics administered during childhood, when his constitution was too frail to tolerate them 9 15.

• Initially described as plump, with excess flesh obscuring otherwise handsome features 1 15.
• Possesses sharp brows, a full forehead, pale skin, and neat white teeth 1 15.
• Carries himself with calm refinement even in loose robes and impoverished surroundings 9 19.
• Becomes noticeably slimmer and stronger through Chen Chuangu’s prescription and daily exercise 18 45.
• As his health improves, his handsome contours become increasingly visible 45 48.
• By the time of his return to Shengjing, his refined bearing and dramatically changed appearance are striking enough that Rong Weijing initially fails to recognize him 112.
• Continued exercise and Qin Ke’s martial instruction leave him tall, slender, and increasingly graceful, although he remains physically delicate and lacks natural martial talent 66 99.

Personality

Rong Xi is courteous toward people of every social standing, especially skilled artisans. He treats Jiang Weiping as a respected collaborator rather than a servant or inferior, and he consistently repays kindness through practical help, food, inventions, or opportunities 1 16 21.

He is highly pragmatic. Even when sheltering suspicious, injured strangers, he remains cautious and asks what rent they will pay; when negotiations fail, he withdraws rather than wasting resources on resentment 3 11. His concern for ordinary people is equally practical: he shares useful inventions rather than monopolizing them and creates work for families facing poverty 20 23.

Rong Xi originally avoids fame, official office, and the political dangers of Shengjing. He prefers research and a quiet rural life, although he will share inventions with the court when they can protect soldiers or benefit the realm 19 47 49. He later accepts imperial office only after his work has become inseparable from Great Wei’s defense and development, continuing to prioritize practical results over rank or prestige 112 152.

He is capable of strategic deception, initially pretending to be incapable before Gao Bai and using his notorious reputation to mislead hostile visitors 14 19. When his household is endangered, his gentle manner gives way to calculated severity: he stages an intimidating interrogation of Lady Xin to force her confession and protect Rong Residence from Prince Shun’s agents 125.

Rong Xi is compassionate but not naïve. He insists on evidence before condemning members of the Rong family, gives overlooked people such as Rong Mo and Madam He dignity, and uses his growing influence to protect vulnerable people rather than simply seek revenge 89 126 129.

Abilities & Skills

Applied Research & Engineering

Rong Xi translates knowledge from his previous life into workable designs suited to Great Wei’s available materials and craftsmen.

• Developed twelve-hole honeycomb coal briquettes and matching coal stoves, improving Blackstone’s combustion and affordability 4 7 13.
• Designed Thin Cauldrons/iron woks and contributed improved iron-smelting methods that made thinner, more useful ironware possible 10 16 35.
• Developed horseshoes with commercial and military value, reducing injuries and losses among merchant horses 38 39.
• Experimented with coke-fired kilns until usable transparent glass could be made for windows and doors 39 40.
• Created a glass mirror using tin foil and mercury 50.
• Built a crude but functional telescope and offered its manufacturing method to Qin Ke for military use 43 47.
• Relies on craftspeople such as Jiang Weiping, Feng Shan, and kiln workers to turn his principles and drawings into finished products 1 39.
• Developed gunpowder explosives originally intended for mining, then recognized their military implications and placed their control under the imperial court 56.
• Contributed to firearms, Fire Bombs, improved crossbows, and later cannon development through the Military Equipment Bureau; his firearms prove decisive in Great Wei’s recapture of Fengda City from the Northern Rong 60 85 152 158.
• Designed cement from limestone, clay, iron ore, and gypsum, enabling more durable buildings, roads, canals, and workshop construction 52 67 146.
• Improved navigation technology by developing a dry compass and the ship-stabilized Changping Compass using a magnetic needle and a Changping frame 146.
• Developed a primitive graphite pencil by combining a fired graphite-clay core, grooved wooden casing, and tree resin 61.
• Designs practical household and industrial items including thermoses, glassware, cotton-processing tools, dental tools, toothbrushes, and tooth powder 73 92 94.

Culinary Innovation

Rong Xi applies modern cooking methods to transform Great Wei’s limited local diet.

• Introduced seasoned steamed fish, bean sprouts, stir-frying, and dishes prepared with Thin Cauldrons 2 4 16.
• Created tofu through grinding, filtering, and boiling soybeans; Hu Yulin helped establish a workshop so ordinary people could access it 20.
• Refined cane sugar into white sugar using yellow earth to remove impurities 22 35.
• Trains others in cooking, including Miss Jiang, rather than treating his recipes as private secrets 21.
• His food regularly builds trust with allies, including the Chen household, Hu Yulin, Jiang Weiping, Gao Bai, and Qin Ke 7 17 32 34.
• Continues using meals as a form of hospitality and care, regularly feeding the growing Rong Residence household and the craftsmen or officials working with him 61 80 154.

Scholarship, Memory & Teaching

Rong Xi possesses exceptional memory, calligraphy, composition, and instructional ability.

• Rapidly studied Great Wei’s history and geography after transmigrating, using his photographic memory to identify coal resources and business opportunities 2.
• Writes elegant calligraphy and demonstrates advanced composition skills when he finally reveals his ability to Gao Bai 4 19.
• Teaches Liu Zishi literacy, writing, and calligraphy despite the boy’s limited aptitude 9 38.
• Uses written diagrams and precise annotations to communicate unfamiliar technical principles to artisans 1 4.
• Compiles accessible arithmetic materials using later-generation numerals and mnemonic methods, which Cui Feng uses to teach children at the schoolhouse 79.
• Recognizes Rong Mo’s exceptional mathematical aptitude, gives him advanced books and scientific questions, and becomes his principal mentor 92 94 100.
• Advocates practical education alongside book learning, arranging workshop visits for students and proposing systematic instruction for craftsmen 60 123 124.
• Learns Go rapidly under Qin Ke’s instruction; his later playing style appears gentle but conceals careful traps and strategic decisiveness 55 139.
• Understands Golden Lucky’s foreign language and displays curiosity about foreign knowledge, navigation, and technological exchange 66 146.

Agriculture, Infrastructure & Public Welfare

Rong Xi applies scientific and commercial thinking to food security, farming, and public works.

• Purchases farmland, employs the former owner’s family as tenant farmers, and hires local labor during the agricultural off-season 23 18.
• Introduces the burial of crop stalks to improve soil conditions and organizes paid agricultural labor for struggling villagers 18.
• Purchases potatoes and corn, teaches Zhang Zhi to plant cut sprouted potatoes, and inspires other local landowners to experiment with the crop 35 53.
• Develops phosphate fertilizer to increase yields and reduce hunger among ordinary people 80 88 94.
• Proposes the Canal-Division Method, using cement-lined irrigation channels to reduce water loss, resist clogging, and improve agricultural efficiency 92 94.
• Promotes cotton as warm, lightweight padding for household clothing and frontier soldiers, then organizes its initial processing into padded coats 73 85.
• Plans to use his recovered maternal inheritance to establish a charitable hall offering orphans shelter, education, and future opportunities to serve Great Wei 154 157.

Commerce, Reform & Administration

Rong Xi understands both the market value and political risks of innovation.

• Sold the coal-briquette plan to Hu Yulin for a fixed ten strings of cash rather than demanding future profit shares 5.
• Recognizes that salt and iron are state monopolies and advises Jiang Weiping to seek official recognition only when it is safe to do so 16.
• Purchases farmland, employs the former owner’s family as tenant farmers, and hires local labor during the agricultural off-season 23 18.
• Proposes licensed private iron production under government taxation, arguing that state workshops alone cannot meet public demand 48.
• Initially refuses an offered post in the Ministry of Works, choosing independence and continued research over official rank 49.
• Secures special privileges with the Qingzhou Military Iron Bureau, including increased access to iron ore, after imperial recognition of his work 52 53.
• Helps establish the Military Equipment Bureau as an organized institution with separate military and commercial workshops, regulated craftsmen’s salaries, qualifications, transportation, quarrying, and security 94.
• Accepts appointment as the sixth-rank Assistant Director of the newly created Imperial Works Office after the palace fireworks display, bringing his technical work formally into the imperial bureaucracy 112.
• Uses legal records and public procedure to reclaim his mother’s dowry shops from the Rong Estate, then directs their net profits toward his charitable-hall project 115 154 157.
• Advocates raising craftsmen’s social standing through organized education, merit-based rewards, and recognition of their indispensable role in society 60 61.

Equipment / Items

• Snow Mud — a rare white horse gifted by Qin Ke; Rong Xi gradually learns horsemanship while riding it 45 48.
• Jade pendant — given by First Young Master Chen; Rong Xi uses it to secure Feng Shan’s martial instruction for Liu Zishi 17 18.
• Technical drawings and research records — used to commission devices, explain mechanisms to craftsmen, and document glassmaking experiments 1 39.
• Fire Bombs and firearms — gunpowder weapons developed through his research and produced under the Military Equipment Bureau; he personally oversees their deployment and training when necessary 56 85 150.
• Glassware and mirrors — products of his kiln experiments that become prized among Qingzhou’s wealthy families and serve as imperial gifts 50 53 111.
• Primitive pencil — a graphite-and-clay writing instrument created with assistance from Feng Shan and Jiang Weiping 61.
• Changping Compass — a stabilized dry compass designed for maritime use and based on a magnetic needle mounted within a Changping frame 146.

Relationships

• Liu He — Elderly caretaker of Rong Residence. He nurses Rong Xi after the drowning incident and becomes fiercely loyal after witnessing his kindness and capability 2 8. Rong Xi later reassures Liu He that he will remain part of the household after the move to the new residence 125.
• Liu Zishi — Liu He’s grandson, servant, student, and devoted protector. Rong Xi teaches him literacy, supports his martial training, and provides for his future 9 19 29. Liu Zishi remains fiercely protective of Rong Xi and accompanies him during dangerous journeys and outings 72 151.
• Hu Yulin — Merchant heir, business partner, and close friend. Hu initially judges Rong Xi by rumor, then becomes one of his strongest supporters in the coal, food, glass, and agricultural ventures 3 7 39. His deep gratitude and affectionate loyalty persist even as Qin Ke grows jealous of their closeness 53 80 81.
• Jiang Weiping — Blacksmith and technical collaborator. Jiang forges Rong Xi’s designs and becomes deeply loyal after Rong Xi protects his interests from state exploitation 1 16.
• Qin Ke — Prince Qin, formerly disguised as Chen Dalang; Rong Xi’s closest confidant, protector, political partner, and lover. Qin publicly recognizes his inventions, gifts him Snow Mud, secures resources and protection for him, and supports both his public reforms and private ambitions 34 45 47 94. They mutually confess their love, are accepted into the Qin ancestral hall by Princess Mingyi, and commit to spending their lives together 120 155.
• Chen Chuangu — Physician and friend. He diagnoses Rong Xi’s condition, provides a prescription, and remains emotionally attached to Rong Residence 15 17. He also helps reveal that Rong Xi’s childhood treatment may have been deliberately harmful rather than merely misguided 88.
• Rong Lian — Rong Xi’s younger concubine-born brother. Their relationship gradually shifts from distance and misunderstanding to admiration, apology, and mutual support 36 40 43. Rong Lian later shields Rong Xi from Rong Weijing, becomes Great Wei’s Top Scholar, and chooses to serve the impoverished Southern Frontier with Liang Siwen at his side 128 129 158.
• Rong Mo — Rong Xi’s withdrawn paternal cousin and the Third Young Master of the wider Rong Clan. Rong Xi recognizes his exceptional mathematical and inventive talent, mentors him patiently, and encourages his experiments with flight 89 92 126 139.
• Gao Bai — Rong Xi’s teacher and protective elder. Gao Bai is astonished by Rong Xi’s concealed scholarly talent and respects his refusal to pursue officialdom 19 32.
• Feng Shan — Carpenter and Liu Zishi’s martial-arts master. Feng Shan fulfills Rong Xi’s furniture commissions and later assists with glass-window installation 18 21 39. He also supports Rong Xi’s security and helps manufacture later inventions, including pencils and dental tools 56 61 72.
• Liang Siwen — The supposed victim of Rong Xi’s alleged misconduct. His later letter reveals that Rong Xi was coerced into the incident and wrongly condemned by the Rong family 13 43. He and Rong Lian later develop a mutually devoted romantic relationship 73 129 158.
• Golden Lucky — A foreign prince who initially becomes Rong Xi’s dependent after arriving in Great Wei. Rong Xi treats him as a friend rather than a servant, protects his identity, and negotiates technological exchange without compromising Great Wei’s military secrets 65 103 124. Golden Lucky is eventually restored to his overseas throne with Great Wei’s assistance 158.
• Madam He — Rong Lian’s birth mother and Rong Weijing’s concubine. Rong Xi treats her with respect, elevates her position within the household, and supports her wish to seek meaningful work 126 129.
• Princess Mingyi — Qin Ke’s mother. Though stern and initially cautious, she accepts Rong Xi’s bond with Qin Ke by permitting him to kneel in the Qin ancestral hall and becomes protective of his health 119 120.
• Rong Weijing — Rong Xi’s father and former Minister of Personnel. He neglects and condemns Rong Xi for years, then loses his office and status after the Rong Estate’s corruption is exposed 52 123. Rong Xi remains emotionally distant and refuses to submit to his father’s attempts to reclaim authority 126 128.
• Madam Rong Zhou — Rong Xi’s stepmother. Evidence increasingly suggests that her Zhou family and household authority were involved in his harmful childhood treatment, the manipulation of his reputation, and the appropriation of his maternal inheritance 88 89 110 115.
• Cheng Hao — Vice Minister of Works and a fellow enthusiast for craftsmanship. He recognizes Rong Xi’s talent, collaborates with him in building the Military Equipment Bureau, and assists with his industrial and agricultural projects 45 48 94.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Exile and survival — Sent to Linxi without financial support, Rong Xi begins rebuilding the ancestral residence through technical designs, improved food, and coal-briquette production 1 2 7.
• The Chen household refuge — He shelters the secretly injured Qin Ke and his companions, later damaging his own reputation to conceal Qin Ke from pursuing constables 11 14 15.
• Local transformation — Rong Xi’s coal stoves, Thin Cauldrons, stir-frying, tofu, white sugar, carpentry designs, and farming plans begin changing life in Mengshan County 16 20 21 35.
• Family reconciliation — Rong Lian’s arrival forces both brothers to confront the gap between Rong Xi’s reputation and his true character; Rong Lian eventually learns the truth behind the old scandal and apologizes 36 40 43.
• Glass and imperial attention — His glassmaking project leads to bright, windproof windows, court interest in Mengshan craftsmanship, and imperial recognition of his talent 39 40 50.
• Military contribution — Rong Xi designs horseshoes and a telescope for Great Wei’s defense, entrusting the latter to Qin Ke rather than seeking personal reward 39 43 47.
• Reform, then official service — Though he initially refuses Ministry of Works recruitment, Rong Xi advances industrial reform through Qin Ke and later accepts the Emperor’s new sixth-rank Assistant Director post when his work becomes essential to the state 48 49 112.
• Military Equipment Bureau — After his gunpowder test attracts dangerous attention, Rong Xi works with Qin Ke, Cheng Hao, and imperial craftsmen to build a protected institution for firearms, Fire Bombs, crossbows, and other strategic technology 56 60 94.
• Agricultural and civic development — He introduces potatoes, cotton, phosphate fertilizer, cement-lined canals, durable roads, and other measures intended to reduce poverty, improve harvests, and strengthen local infrastructure 53 73 92 94 146.
• Return to Shengjing — Rong Xi returns to confront the legacy of the original owner’s suffering, reclaims his mother’s dowry shops, exposes the Rong Estate’s corruption, and overturns the family’s former power over him 104 110 115 123.
• Imperial elevation — His glass gifts, firearm demonstration, and palace fireworks earn him the Emperor’s favor and formal appointment to the Imperial Works Office 111 112.
• Northern Frontier campaign — Defying concern for his frailty, Rong Xi brings firearms and Fire Bombs to Fengda City; their use helps Qin Ke’s forces reclaim the border city and repel the Northern Rong 150 152.
• Education and long-term reform — Rong Xi mentors Rong Mo, supports practical schooling, and begins using his maternal inheritance to plan a charitable hall for orphans 123 154 157.
• Naval and technological expansion — Alongside Qin Ke, he supports coastal defenses, a future navy, advanced compasses, cannon development, and Rong Mo’s early flight prototypes 146 158.

Notable Quotes

“One may also benefit the common people amid peaceful mountains and waters.”
— Rong Xi 19

“Nothing. I only seek peace, joy, and a smooth life.”
— Rong Xi 47

“It is only right that the court ease the people’s worries.”
— Rong Xi 95

Trivia

• Rong Xi and the original owner of his body share the same name 2.
• He privately honors the original owner as his “lifesaver,” installing an unnamed memorial tablet in the ancestral hall and offering incense for his peace 21.
• He learned sewing from Madam Jiang and eventually made boxer-style undergarments with drawstrings because Great Wei lacks elastic materials 27.
• Qin Ke privately gives him the nickname “Tuo Xi,” invoking a legendary divine steed, and later grants him the courtesy name Lan Zhi 81 82.
• Despite his aptitude for theory and invention, Rong Xi considers himself clumsy in direct combat and remains less accurate with firearms than trained martial artists such as Golden Lucky and Wei Zhan 55 146.
• His chess style is notably deceptive: it appears mild and restrained before trapping opponents through long-laid strategic moves 139.