Crown Prince

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Fang Chen 111
Alias(es)	Crown Prince; Heir Prince of Great Qian 111 115
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Qian imperial clan; Eastern Palace 28 111
Occupation/Role	Former heir apparent and head of the Eastern Palace faction 28 115
Status	Alive; stripped of his title, demoted to a commoner, and escaped Yujing City following his failed rebellion 158
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chapter 1; first active appearance in Chapter 27 1 27

Background

Great Qian does not follow primogeniture: imperial succession is determined by strength, with the Ten Great Dao Courts backing competing princes. As Crown Prince, Fang Chen stood at the center of this system, supported politically by the Left Prime Minister and connected to the Divine Firmament Sect through his faction. 1 27 91

Emperor Yuanchu undermined Fang Chen’s position by sending the Left Prime Minister out of the capital to promote Sacred Emperor Rice throughout the Seventy-Two Commanderies. The reassignment removed the Crown Prince’s foremost civil supporter and allowed the Right Prime Minister to concurrently control the Left Prime Minister’s office. 27 28

Appearance

Fang Chen is frequently depicted in formal Eastern Palace attire, including a black python robe embroidered with gold thread. His expression is often described as gloomy, cold, or distorted by anger during political crises. 111 147

• Wore a black, gold-threaded python robe while meeting the Yin Heavenly Emperor in a dream. 111
• His face darkened and his knuckles whitened when he learned that Huo Yingran intended to appeal to the emperor. 91
• In confinement, he retained the bearing and treatment accorded to the Crown Prince despite his imprisonment. 124

Personality

Fang Chen is proud, volatile, and intensely conscious of threats to his position. The loss of the Left Prime Minister drove him into a furious outburst, while the Second Prince’s access to the Black Ice Platform made him fear that Emperor Yuanchu was preparing to replace him. 27 72

He can be politically adaptive when necessary. He eventually followed Mister Wu’s advice to send Fang Heng a congratulatory gift, later apologized to Fang Heng personally, and presented him with the Three Lives Stone in an attempt to improve their strained relationship. 28 74

His self-preservation repeatedly overrides loyalty. When the Huo Family case endangered the Eastern Palace, he first considered sacrificing Liu Qi and ultimately had his longtime confidant Xiao Juefeng poisoned and killed to make him the scapegoat. 106 107

Political Influence and Strategy

Eastern Palace Faction

Fang Chen’s original power base relied heavily on the Left Prime Minister’s faction. Its decline after the minister’s removal left the Crown Prince increasingly dependent on guest elders, military supporters, and the Divine Firmament Sect. 27 28 95

• Oversaw the Eastern Palace, whose guest officials included Mister Wu, Mr. Bright Mirror, Lu Tingyun, and Baili Zhou. 28 102
• Used the Plum Garden investigation to press a clue against the Second Prince’s side, identifying Zhou Jueyin as a tenth-realm expert connected to Chu Xiaoye. 62
• Tried to recruit Fang Heng and other imperial brothers through a tea gathering after his faction weakened. 74

Purge the Emperor's Side

While confined in the Imperial Clan Court, Fang Chen formed an alliance of convenience with the Yin Heavenly Emperor. He planned to use the chaos of its emergence to seize the Imperial Seal, occupy the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and overthrow Emperor Yuanchu. 111 132

• The planned targets included the Imperial Seal, Wenyuan Pavilion, the imperial inner treasury, and princely estates. 132
• He relied on Chu Yunshen and the Blazing Flame Army to seize the Hall of Mental Cultivation. 152 153
• His contingency plan involved the Divine Firmament Sect; True Monarch Divine Firmament arrived to battle Emperor Yuanchu during the coup. 153

Equipment and Items

• Three Lives Stone — An intact treasure in his possession; he gave it to Fang Heng during the tea party. 73 74
• Great Teleportation Talisman — Expended to send Mr. Bright Mirror, Lu Tingyun, and Baili Zhou to Tongzhou to intercept Huo Yingran. 102
• Minor Teleportation Talisman — His final such talisman; used during his escape from Yujing City with Mister Wu. 158

Relationships

• Emperor Yuanchu — His father and sovereign. Their relationship deteriorated from political suppression to open rebellion; Yuanchu ultimately deposed Fang Chen. 27 111 158
• Second Prince — Principal imperial rival. They clashed during the Plum Garden investigation and over the Second Prince’s cooperation with the Black Ice Platform. 62 72
• Fang Heng — Ninth brother and political target. Fang Chen initially slighted him, then apologized and gifted him the Three Lives Stone in an effort to gain his support. 28 74
• Mister Wu — Guest elder, strategist, and trusted confidant. Fang Chen entrusted him with the Purge the Emperor's Side, unaware that Wu was manipulating events against him. 28 111 158
• Xiao Juefeng — Eastern Palace commander and close confidant, with ties to both Noble Consort Zhuang and the Divine Firmament Sect. Fang Chen ordered him killed to contain the Huo Family scandal. 91 107
• Chu Yunshen — General who supported Fang Chen’s rebellion and guarded the Hall of Mental Cultivation; he was stripped of title and cultivation after the coup failed. 152 158
• Tantai Yunzhao — Crown Princess. Their marriage was a political alliance tied to her Dragon Roar Thunder Physique and the Eastern Palace’s phoenix qi; their relationship was strained and distant. 133
• Left Prime Minister — Former chief civil supporter whose departure from Yujing severely weakened the Eastern Palace faction. 27 28
• True Monarch Divine Firmament — Sect Master of the Divine Firmament Sect who acted as Fang Chen’s decisive reinforcement during the rebellion. 153

Story Role / Major Arcs

Loss of the Left Prime Minister

The removal of the Left Prime Minister from Yujing stripped Fang Chen of his strongest political backing. He reacted with rage and increasingly relied on Mister Wu’s counsel as the Right Prime Minister absorbed his rival’s influence. 27 28

Plum Garden Investigation

Fang Chen and the Second Prince jointly participated in the Plum Garden case under Shang Hongye’s lead. With Mister Wu’s guidance, Fang Chen produced a key lead concerning Zhou Jueyin and briefly gained the upper hand in the investigation. 61 62

Attempt to Win Over Fang Heng

After losing political support and failing to secure Sword Pavilion through its proposed alliance with the Divine Firmament Sect, Fang Chen sought to mend relations with Fang Heng. He hosted a tea party, apologized for his earlier slight, and presented the Three Lives Stone. 73 74

Huo Family Case

Fang Chen attempted to prevent Huo Yingran, survivor of the Huo Family massacre, from reaching Yujing City. He dispatched Xiao Juefeng and later sent his guest cultivators to Tongzhou using a Great Teleportation Talisman. 91 102

When Huo Yingran reached the capital, the scandal threatened his claim to the Eastern Palace. Fang Chen chose to sacrifice Xiao Juefeng, then sent his head to the Grand Court of Judicial Review while professing ignorance of the massacre. 105 106 107

Confinement and Rebellion

Emperor Yuanchu sentenced Fang Chen to lifelong confinement in the Imperial Clan Court’s Heavenly Character Prison after the Huo Family case was confirmed. Fang Chen responded by conspiring with the Yin Heavenly Emperor and placing his coup preparations in Mister Wu’s hands. 111

On the day of the Yin Heavenly Emperor’s emergence, Fang Chen escaped confinement, mobilized the Blazing Flame Army, and attempted to seize the Imperial Seal. His rebellion failed after Emperor Yuanchu secured support from the Ten Great Dao Courts. 147 153 158

Deposition and Escape

Mister Wu lured Fang Chen away from the Hall of Mental Cultivation with a false report about a treasure in the imperial treasury, separating him from Chu Yunshen and the critical point of the coup. Wu then used Fang Chen’s last Minor Teleportation Talisman to take him out of Yujing City. 158

Emperor Yuanchu subsequently stripped Fang Chen of his Crown Prince title and demoted him to a commoner. Fang Chen escaped toward a temporary Divine Firmament Sect teleportation array with Mister Wu. 158

Notable Quotes

“I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.” — 147

“Those who achieve great things must make sacrifices.” — 107