Eighth Prince

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Eighth Prince (八皇子); personal name not given in the supplied passages
Alias(es)	Little Eight; Little Eighth; Prince Guo Qing 134 137 259
Gender	Male 259
Affiliation	Great Chu imperial family; Chu Xuanzhen’s faction 134 259 358
Occupation/Role	Imperial prince; military supporter, protector of Shen Yangge, and advocate for Chu Xuanzhen’s succession 134 138 358
Status	Alive at Chu Xuanzhen’s accession 363

Background / History

The Eighth Prince is a biological son of Great Chu’s late emperor, but feels little attachment to him. At the emperor’s death, he regards him almost as a stranger—and less compassionate than a stranger might have been. He credits Chu Xuanzhen with his survival and the life he subsequently built 259 362.

His biological mother once tried to kill him. He sought Chu Xuanzhen’s help, and Chu killed her. When discussing this later, the Eighth Prince acknowledges that she gave him life but rejects her right to take it back. His allegiance to Chu rests partly on this choice to survive 358.

Before the First Prince’s coup, he was regarded as an idle prince who did not participate in the struggle for the throne. His intervention with reinforcements therefore comes as a particularly unwelcome surprise to the First Prince 134.

Appearance

• Bamboo-green robes: Wears them during a visit to the Eastern Palace 137.
• Warm, radiant smile: His breezy expression and relaxed bearing make him resemble a foppish young noble; Shen Yangge thinks a fan would complete the image 137.
• Campaign-worn appearance: During the mountain retreat, he is covered in mud, sand, and loose stones, with blood in his hair 160.

Personality

The Eighth Prince cultivates a carefree, teasing manner. He probes Shen Yangge about his earlier insults to Chu Xuanzhen, meddles with things that catch his attention, and often treats tense situations with irreverent humor. His curiosity repeatedly gets him into trouble, most notably when he accidentally pulls the miniature Shen from Chu’s robes during a military council 106 176.

His levity does not prevent him from taking responsibility. When Shen disappears during the street procession, he immediately organizes a search and reassures the frightened crowd. He also warns Shen about political threats and becomes a persistent advocate for settling Great Chu’s succession 141 338 358.

He is deeply loyal to Chu Xuanzhen but wary of his temper and possessiveness. He can speak candidly to him in private, yet retreats quickly when his brother becomes displeased. That caution extends to Shen: he restrains his impulse to pet the dragon child and refuses even a friendly pat from Shen for fear of Chu’s reaction 139 259 343.

His usual smile disappears around the Poisonous Scorpion sect, whose members he hates intensely. He also shows a cold, punitive side when dealing with servants who failed their duties, ordering corporal punishment and reassignment 208 209.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Ability

• Fights alongside Chu Xuanzhen’s protectors during their retreat from raiders 156.
• Believes he can exchange ten or twenty moves with Xue Pingyuan without being at a disadvantage 208.
• Can climb tall trees and leap down quickly 160.
• Limit: Chu warns that the Poisonous Scorpion sect is too dangerous for him. The narration notes that even Xue Pingyuan would struggle against its members 208.

Military and Political Judgment

• Brings reinforcements that overturn the First Prince’s military advantage during the palace coup 134.
• Identifies northern officials who might help the party navigate hostile territory, recommending the outspoken magistrate Shen Fuming as a possible route through the Fourth Prince’s network 176.
• Uses his royal identity to secure admission to Jiang Family Manor when its guards initially intend to admit only Xue Pingyuan 165.
• Recognizes that a prolonged succession crisis could unsettle the population and invite intervention from neighboring states 358.

Protection and Public Management

• Conceals Shen beneath a hatch in his carriage when onlookers discover the dragon child is traveling with him 138.
• Organizes a public procession to answer foreign envoys’ demands to see the dragon child 139 140.
• Calms the crowd after Shen’s disappearance by falsely claiming that he has returned to his dragon palace 141.
• Reports hostile rumors and proposes a ritual to reinforce public confidence in Shen and Chu Xuanzhen 338.

Understanding Chu Xuanzhen

• Recognizes a mark Chu leaves on a tree as a survival precaution used during an earlier assassination attempt 180.
• Interprets Shen’s sacrifices and voluntary support as evidence that Shen loves Chu 181.
• Persuades Chu to resume his pursuit of Shen by returning Shen’s clothes and urging him not to lose him again 181.
• Understands the personal implications of the ministers’ proposal for an empress and expanded harem during the succession debate 362.

Equipment / Items

• Carriage with a concealed floor compartment — Used to hide Shen from a crowd. Its modest appearance leads commoners to identify it as the Eighth Prince’s carriage; he privately objects that thrift does not mean poverty 138.
• Shen Yangge’s portraits — Supplied by Chu Xuanzhen with orders to capture Shen without injuring him 145.

Relationships

• Chu Xuanzhen — Imperial elder brother in their public family relationship, protector, and political leader. Chu saved him from his mother and later broke his sword rescuing him. The Eighth Prince supports his claim to rule while remaining intimidated by his authority 165 259 358.
• Shen Yangge — Friend, teasing companion, and frequent charge. He shelters Shen, helps search for him, understands his ability to transform, and acts as an intermediary between him and Chu 138 145 181 337.
• Late emperor — Biological father, but emotionally distant. The Eighth Prince shows little grief at his death and considers him cruel 259 362.
• Biological mother — Tried to kill him; Chu killed her after the Eighth Prince sought help. He presents his decision as self-preservation 358.
• Consort Xue — Addresses her as “Mother Consort,” but treats her with marked hostility and warns Shen to be cautious around her. She is only a few years older than him; the supplied passages do not identify her as his biological mother 337 338.
• Xue Pingyuan — Military ally and fellow participant in the Jiang Family Manor mission and northern strategy council 165 176.
• Liang Wenjin — Recognizes him after the succession debate, grabs him by the collar, and drags him away. The reason for this grievance is not explained in the supplied passage 363.
• Common people — Regard him as unusually close to ordinary people and defend his dignity when foreign envoys behave rudely outside his residence 139.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Lingnan and the First Prince’s Coup

• In Lingnan, he teases Shen about his concealed appearance and past conflict with Chu, but an icy look from Chu brings the questioning to an end 106.
• During the First Prince’s coup, he arrives with men largely dressed in ordinary black clothing. His reinforcements help defeat the rebel faction, though Chu’s side also suffers heavy casualties 134.
• Afterward, Chu orders him to accompany a newly appointed county magistrate to Lingnan 137.

Sheltering the Dragon Child

• Because the palace is unsafe, Chu arranges for Shen to stay with him. The Eighth Prince explains that both foreign and domestic parties have designs on Shen 138.
• He stages the dragon child’s street procession, directing his household to prepare flowers, sweets, and other festivities 140.
• Shen escapes during the procession. The Eighth Prince manages the public panic and begins the search 141.
• After interrogating a captured criminal, he learns where the missing child was abandoned. Chu subsequently gives him portraits and orders Shen’s unharmed capture 145.

Retreat and Jiang Family Manor

• During a threatened attack on a town sheltering the princes, he looks after Shen at Chu’s request and admits that they are surrounded by enemies 152.
• He helps protect Chu and Shen during the breakout and retreat into the woods 156.
• He accompanies Xue Pingyuan, Xue Qian, and Shen to Jiang Family Manor, then directly questions Jiang Heming about Chu’s whereabouts 165 166.
• At a later council, his attempt to investigate a tuft of hair beneath Chu’s collar drops the unconscious, palm-sized Shen onto the map. Chu punishes him with feeding horses and, later, shoveling manure 176.
• When Chu’s disturbed behavior returns, he attempts to calm him and prevent an unjust execution 178.

Search and Imprisonment

• After Chu finds Shen’s discarded clothes, the Eighth Prince recognizes how dangerously close his brother is to risking his life. He then explicitly affirms Shen’s love and encourages Chu to find him 180 181.
• He rushes into the fighting when Jia Zhengyuan attacks the party, initially unaware of the situation 186.
• Following the party’s capture, he is imprisoned separately with wounded followers in the Heavenly Prison 187.
• During a later prison investigation, he recognizes a connection to the Poisonous Scorpion sect and asks to become involved. Chu refuses because of the danger 208.

Funeral, Rumors, and the Prayer Sacrifice

• At the emperor’s death, a eunuch addresses him as Prince Guo Qing. He privately challenges Chu’s lack of mourning clothes, then backs down because he knows their history 259.
• Chu orders him back to the Northern States despite his protests about the danger of his previous journey 259.
• After returning to the capital, he reports rumors attacking Shen’s divine identity and Chu’s legitimacy. He proposes a ritual on an auspicious day five days later 338.
• Shen makes him practice the ceremony’s dance alongside him after learning about that requirement at the last minute 344.
• During the confrontation with the rival princes, he declares that he will not serve the man who killed his mother. His later explanation clarifies why he nevertheless remains loyal to Chu 348 358.

Securing the Succession

• Once the rebels are captured, he asks Shen to persuade Chu to ascend the throne and gives him five days to address the issue 358.
• At court, he stops Shen from kneeling, leaving him the only person standing while the officials offer their greetings 361.
• During the ministers’ increasingly theatrical petition, he quietly trips some officials rushing toward the throne steps 362.
• Chu accepts the throne after Shen supports an early succession while arguing that marriage and an expanded harem should wait 363.

Notable Quotes

“Sure, she gave me life, but then she wanted to take it back. Of course I wasn't going to accept that.” 358

“I wanted to live.”
“And I didn't want to die.” 358

“Yes, he loves you. Shen Yangge loves you!” 181

“Hold on to them. Don't lose him again.” 181

Trivia

• Shen’s recollection of the novel’s original storyline says that both the Seventh and Eighth Princes died at Chu Xuanzhen’s hands. In the events shown here, the Eighth Prince instead becomes Chu’s supporter and survives through his accession 42 363.
• Shen briefly considers giving the throne to the Eighth Prince because he is the late emperor’s biological son, but does not pursue the idea 362 363.