Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in the capital of the Qing empire with his family. Because he is an illegitimate son of his father, Fan Xian grew up in the country town of Danzhou with his grandmother. But he is now reunited with his father, sister, stepmother, and stepbrother who have been living in the capital.
Profession… judge at the Overwatch Council, a high position in the secretive police force of the Qing empire. The head of the Overwatch Council Chen Pingping has taken a liking to Fan Xian, and he was granted this position almost immediately upon his return to the capital.
Interests… just about everything: poisons, Wushu, and glass-making. Fan Xian secretly has memories of a previous life in the modern world, and he is able to use this knowledge to become very successful and clever in this lifetime. Whether it was taught to him by his mentors or memories from the past, Fan Xian is quick to pick up new skills. This arsenal will serve him well when navigating the politics and plotting of the capital.
Relationship Status… betrothed to Lin Wan Er. Though their families arranged the engagement before either of them had met, Fan Xian happened to meet Lin Wan Er in a temple on his way to the capital, and it was love at first sight. What a lucky surprise it was that they were also engaged! Just one problem stands in the way of their relationship. Wan Er’s mother is the powerful eldest princess of Qing, and she does not like the upstart country boy who’s engaged to her daughter.
Challenge… trying to live a happy life. In his modern life, Fan Xian was a sickly man who died young in a hospital bed. This time around, he promises himself that he will make the most of this life. If Fan Xian had it his way, he’d be exploring the capital, and spending time with his family and Wan Er while staying away from political plots and scheming princes. Unfortunately, too many powerful people are interested in Fan Xian: his father, Chen Pingping, and the emperor himself, to name a few. This makes Fan Xian the enemy of some very powerful people, and if he wants to live well this time around, he must make sure they don’t kill him first.
Personality… brash, clever, and determined. Fan Xian is an amazingly accomplished young man for his age, in no small part thanks to his lifetime’s worth of knowledge. His fighting skills are among the best in the capital, his (borrowed) poems are worthy of national fame, and he’s apparently skilled enough to be a judge of the Overwatch Council. His lifetime’s worth of modern knowledge also makes him a puzzle to the Qing nobles. His disregard for ceremony is shocking, but it also gains him the respect of powerful figures who see he’s not the sniveling, scraping men they are used to dealing with. The emperor and princes are interested in this skilled and self-assured man from the country. The emperor seems to have some connection with his deceased mother, whose death is still shrouded in mystery, and the princes both want him either as an ally or a dead enemy. While many would leap at the chance for this level of connections and chance at fame, Fan Xian has no interest in any of it! He wants to live a simple life with the people he loves, but all these hidden mysteries and complications seem to pull him towards the opposite.
