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Main Characters
Zhi Wei
Feng Zhi Wei/Wei Zhi
- Played by: Ni Ni
Unwanted niece of the Qiu family. A mix-up leads to her being chosen to marry Ning Yi. She gets him to call off the marriage, and later asks his help when her family are arrested. Disguises herself as a man and becomes an official in the royal court. Unknown to her she's the last princess of the Dacheng Dynasty.
- Action Girl: Fights a group of soldiers with her bare hands.
- Affectionate Nickname: Ning Yi calls her "小狸猫/xiǎo lí māo" ("little leopard cat
"). - Corpsing: In-universe; she starts to giggle as Ning Yi talks about the dinner at the Crown Prince's palace.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Gets drunk after being disowned.
- Meet Cute: She and Ning Yi first meet in Zhu Yin's room. Ning Yi hides behind a screen when Zhi Wei walks in, then accidentally knocks it over and freaks Zhi Wei out. She sees him holding a pair of scissors and immediately assumes he's dangerous. Much awkwardness ensues, to Zhu Yin's amusement.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: She's part of the royal family Ning Yi's father overthrew. They fall in love before either knows about this, then become enemies when Zhi Wei learns the truth about her parents.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: She has to pretend to be a man for several years.
Ning Yi
Ning Yi, Prince of Chu
- Played by: Chen Kun
Sixth prince of Tiansheng. At the start of the series he's been called back to the royal court for the first time since his exile eight years ago. Pretends to have no interest in politics, but is secretly planning the downfall of the people who killed his half-brother.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows / Fascinating Eyebrow: He has very prominent eyebrows, and sarcastically raises one (or both) of them at least once an episode.
- Catapult Nightmare: He jumps up with a scream after having a nightmare about his childhood.
- Deadpan Snarker: He can be quite snarky when he wants to be. When Ning Cheng says he's leaving but doesn't move, Ning Yi retorts with, "Why are you still here?"
- The Gadfly: Has his moments, like when he gets Zhi Wei to repeat her unflattering remarks about Zi Yan while knowing Zi Yan can hear everything she says.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Just look at him with his hair loose!◊
- Meet Cute: He and Zhi Wei first meet in Zhu Yin's room. Ning Yi hides behind a screen when Zhi Wei walks in, then accidentally knocks it over and freaks Zhi Wei out. She sees him holding a pair of scissors and immediately assumes he's dangerous. Much awkwardness ensues, to Zhu Yin's amusement.
- Minor Injury Overreaction: Invoked. He wants Zhi Wei to stop asking awkward questions, so he pretends she aggravated his arm injury. He drops the pretence as soon as she leaves.
- Missing Mum: His mother died when he was a child. Or so he thinks. She was actually imprisoned for over twenty years.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: He pretends to be unambitious and carefree with no interest in the throne. He deceives everyone so well they never suspect him of building up a political network behind the scenes.
- Playing Drunk: Pretends to be drunk when he goes to see his father.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Zhi Wei is part of the royal family Ning Yi's father overthrew. They fall in love before either knows about this, then become enemies when Zhi Wei learns the truth about her parents.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Flashbacks show eight-year-old Ning Yi forcing a man to choose between his child's life and the life of Dacheng's last prince.
