Chu Hongle

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chu Hongle (楚鸿乐)
Alias(es)	Prince Yu
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Chu imperial family 13 14
Occupation/Role	Imperial prince; attends court 15 39
Residence	Prince Yu’s Residence 18 29
Mother	Empress Dowager Pei 14
Sibling	Emperor Chu Ming, his elder brother 13 14
Spouse	Han Wanqing, Princess Consort Yu 1 4
Child	Chu Siqing, his first child and only daughter 14 15
First Appearance	At Chu Siqing’s birth 1

Background / History

Chu Hongle is Emperor Chu Ming’s younger brother, with more than ten years separating them. He grew up alongside his cousin Yongfu, who hoped to marry him, but he maintains that they never discussed marriage and that Han Wanqing has always been the woman he loves. Empress Dowager Pei likewise states that he never had romantic feelings for Yongfu 12 14 30.

Appearance

• Handsome face: Siqing notices his looks immediately after her birth; his handsome appearance is also emphasized during his confrontation with Han Xiangru 1 4.
• Rough stubble: His kiss scratches Siqing’s cheek, prompting her to slap his face and complain internally 4.

Personality

Chu Hongle maintains a stern expression before household staff, but drops it once alone with his wife and newborn daughter. He becomes openly delighted, grins foolishly, and marvels at Siqing’s smallest reactions. His affection for Wanqing is equally direct: he chooses their daughter’s name to express his love and becomes embarrassed when his brother teases him about it 1 14.

His protectiveness is uncompromising when his family is threatened. He rejects Han Xiangru’s attempts to divide his marriage and refuses to let Yongfu’s royal status, childhood ties, or apology excuse her attack on Wanqing. He treats defending his consort as a husband’s duty 4 12 14.

His attachment to Siqing also produces comic jealousy. He resents the emperor and Imperial Preceptor taking up her time, briefly hides the emperor’s gold rattle, and worries that she will forget her own father. Nevertheless, he yields when the emperor makes clear that her responsibilities as Holy Maiden are a matter of national importance 15 16 17 29.

Abilities & Skills

Hearing Chu Siqing’s Thoughts

Chu Hongle can hear his infant daughter’s inner voice, allowing him to act on information she cannot communicate through ordinary speech 2 4.

• Uses her observations to screen wet nurses and select Nanny Li 2.
• Learns of Han Xiangru’s manipulation and the theft of Wanqing’s bracelet 4.
• Follows her clues to obtain evidence against Yongfu 11 12.
• Initially attributes the phenomenon to a special bond between father and daughter, rather than understanding its wider reach 2.
• Later learns that the emperor and others can hear Siqing as well. At the Crown Prince’s wedding, he recognizes the awkwardness of sharing access to her thoughts 19 44.

Investigation and Evidence Gathering

Chu Hongle combines Siqing’s revelations with witnesses and physical evidence rather than relying on accusations alone 5 11 12.

• Authenticates Wanqing’s stolen bracelet through its concealed inscription 5.
• Demands a pawnshop name and receipt to test Han Xiangru’s explanation 5.
• Exposes Blind Zhang’s false blindness by thrusting a sword toward his eyes, causing him to dodge 11.
• Orders guards to retrieve Blind Zhang’s portraits, which establish Cuixi’s involvement in Yongfu’s scheme 11 12.

Knowledge of Imperial Craftsmanship

• Knows an imperial-household technique that makes hidden characters in jade appear when submerged in water.
• Specifically commissions this feature for Wanqing’s betrothal bracelet, enabling him to prove its ownership later 5.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Sword — Drawn during the confrontation with Blind Zhang to expose his deception; no broader swordsmanship training is described 11.
• Jade betrothal bracelet — A gift he commissioned for Wanqing, bearing a hidden “Wan” character visible in water. Recovered from Han Xiangru 4 5.
• Recovery Pill — Supplied by Siqing and personally delivered by Hongle to General Fang Yongshan in a wooden box. He conceals its source by attributing it to an itinerant physician 9.
• Solid-gold rattle — The emperor’s gift to Siqing, engraved with fortune characters and tiger motifs. Hongle briefly withholds it before sheepishly handing it over 15 16.

Relationships

• Han Wanqing — Wife and the only woman he professes to love. He reassures her that he does not want concubines and publicly defends her position as his consort 4 12.
• Chu Siqing — Beloved daughter. He accepts her extraordinary intelligence as a gift rather than grounds for fear and trusts the miraculous medicine she provides 2 9.
• Emperor Chu Ming — Elder brother. Hongle speaks unusually bluntly to him over Yongfu’s punishment and Siqing’s palace duties, although the emperor’s firm decisions ultimately prevail 13 17 29.
• Empress Dowager Pei — Mother. He supports Siqing visiting her but initially refuses to let the baby stay in her palace 14 15.
• Yongfu — Cousin and childhood companion whose romantic attachment he rejects. Her attack on his family destroys his remaining affection for her 10 12 30.
• Han Xiangru — Younger sister-in-law who tries to attract him and undermine Wanqing. He ignores her advances, rebukes her lies, and challenges her possession of the stolen bracelet 4 5 6.
• Han Nanxing — Younger brother-in-law. Hongle helps deliver medicine to Nanxing’s hoped-for mentor without using princely authority to force a discipleship 9.
• Fang Yongshan — General whom Hongle respects for his service to Great Chu. He offers the Recovery Pill as gratitude, not as leverage over Fang’s choice of disciple 9.
• Tu Qingchen — Imperial Preceptor responsible for Siqing’s Holy Maiden training. Hongle initially resents his involvement but later reassures Wanqing that Tu does not regard their daughter as an evil spirit 17 18.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Siqing’s Birth and Household Protection

• Rewards the attendants after Wanqing and Siqing survive the birth, then names his daughter “Siqing” 1.
• Promises to investigate the dog incident that frightened Wanqing into labor 1.
• Acts on Siqing’s thoughts to reject unsuitable wet nurses and chooses Nanny Li 2.
• Counters Han Xiangru’s concubine proposal, recovers Wanqing’s bracelet, and openly questions whether Xiangru’s subsequent faint is genuine 4 5 6.

General Fang’s Recovery

• Accepts Siqing’s Recovery Pill despite its unexplained appearance and delivers it personally to General Fang 9.
• Makes no request concerning Nanxing’s apprenticeship. After the pill begins improving Fang’s condition, Fang independently agrees to accept Nanxing 9 10.

Yongfu’s Attack and Punishment

• Learns the truth about Yongfu’s dog plot during Siqing’s full-month banquet and confronts her 10.
• Exposes Blind Zhang and retrieves the portraits linking Yongfu’s maid to the purchase of poison 11 12.
• Refers the confessed offense to the Imperial Clan Court and rejects Princess Ning’an’s proposal to settle it with an apology 12.
• Presses the emperor for punishment and an arranged marriage to end Yongfu’s fixation on him. The emperor agrees to demote her and impose six months’ confinement 13 14.
• Returns to demand action when the confinement ends and the promised marriage remains unarranged, prompting plans for a flower-viewing gathering 29.

Siqing’s Holy Maiden Duties

• Refuses the emperor’s initial request to keep Siqing at the palace, agreeing instead to more frequent visits with Wanqing 15.
• Tries unsuccessfully to overturn her assignment to the Heavenly Derivation Pavilion. He accepts the decision after receiving assurances that Wanqing may accompany her 17 18.
• Attempts to report Siqing’s revelation that Lu Dahai is a spy, only to discover that the emperor and officials already heard it 19.
• Objects to Siqing attending court, then agrees when told he can carry her there. His enthusiasm turns to resentment when she must sit beside Tu Qingchen during proceedings 39.
• Becomes irritated when ministers turn Siqing’s explanations of famine-relief policies into proposals of their own 42.

Notable Quotes

“Wanqing, you know you're the only woman I love. Surely you wouldn't want to find concubines for me?” 4

“Besides, if I won't stand up for my consort, how am I worthy of being her husband?” 12

“If an apology could erase the harm done, what use would we have for the law?” 14