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Main Characters
Qing Chen
- Played by: Liu Shi Shi
A sorceress. One of the Mages who protect the royal family.
- Animal Motifs: Silver or gold butterflies.
- Can't Live Without You / Synchronization: She links her life with Yuan Ling's to stop him killing her. When she cuts her finger, his finger starts bleeding too. When he's poisoned, the poison affects her too.
- Dead Person Impersonation: Speaks to Yuan Ming while pretending to be Xian Wu.
- Dressing as the Enemy: Disguises herself in the uniform of one of Xiao Ji's soldiers. Unfortunately this makes Yuan Ling think she's a traitor.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: She and Yuan Ling first meet when Qing Chen treats Yuan Ling's injuries.
- Identical Stranger: She looks exactly like Xian Wu, Yuan Ming's dead wife.
- Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: She fights off Yuan Zhan's soldiers while unarmed and in her wedding dress.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Played with. Qing Chen and Yuan Ling's fates are joined in a dual star; Qing Chen is the Evening Star, and Yuan Ling is the Morning Star. It's decreed that they will meet and fall in love. But in the second timeline, Qing Chen does her best to defy fate and make them Star-Crossed Lovers so they won't face a repeat of the first timeline.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Disguises herself as a male soldier to escape notice.
Yuan Ling
- Played by: William Chan
Fourth prince of Great Wei.
- Can't Live Without You / Synchronization: Qing Chen links her life with his to stop him killing her. When she cuts her finger, his finger starts bleeding too. When he's poisoned, the poison affects her too.
- Dramatic Irony: He says the emperor is his father... five minutes after the viewer learns the truth about Yuan Ling's paternity.
- The Exit Is That Way: Says he's going to take part in designing the hospital and walks away, only for Yuan Che to tell him he's going in the wrong direction.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: First meets Qing Chen when she treats his injuries.
- I Am Who?: He isn't actually Yuan An's son. He's the son of the late Emperor Ren Zong.
- I Owe You My Life: Qing Chen saved his life, and in repayment he offers to help her get into the palace safely.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: He's actually the son of Yuan An's older brother. His mother, Consort Lian, lied about his paternity. (With some help from Tao Yao and Xi Xie, who magically delayed the baby's birth.) Yuan An only learns the truth when Yuan Ling is an adult. Yuan Ling himself doesn't find out for another two years. The resulting drama is... ugly.
- Mistaken for Gay: There are rumours about Yuan Ling and Yuan Che's relationship, and they're so widespread that someone is surprised to see Yuan Che with a woman. Doubles as
Squick, since Yuan Ling and Yuan Che are brothers. (Technically cousins, but they were raised as brothers.) - Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: He was loyal to Yuan An until Yuan An became convinced he was a traitor. After being falsely accused and almost arrested, Yuan Ling turns against Yuan An and plans to overthrow him.
- Sibling Triangle: He and Yuan Zhan both fall in love with Qing Chen. Subverted, since they aren't really brothers, but at the time they think they are.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Played with. Qing Chen and Yuan Ling's fates are joined in a dual star; Qing Chen is the Evening Star, and Yuan Ling is the Morning Star. It's decreed that they will meet and fall in love. But in the second timeline, Qing Chen does her best to defy fate and make them Star-Crossed Lovers so they won't face a repeat of the first timeline.
- White Sheep: He's one of the very few good people in the royal family.
- You Killed My Father: Discovers Yuan An killed his real father and confronts him about it.Yuan Ling: Then what should I call you? Your Majesty? Uncle? Or the murderer of my father?
Yuan Zhan
- Played by: Xu Hai Qiao
Seventh prince.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: In the second timeline he's in love with Qing Chen. He supports her in everything even though he knows she'll never love him back.
- Sibling Triangle: He and Yuan Ling both fall in love with Qing Chen. Subverted, since they aren't really brothers, but at the time they think they are.
- Wedding Smashers: In the first timeline his coup happens on the day of Qing Chen and Yuan Ling's wedding.
Royal Family
Yuan An
- Played by: Liu Yi Jun
Emperor of Great Wei.
- Abusive Parents: He's very cruel towards his children. In the first episode alone he frames Yuan Ling for theft, because Yuan Ling is too skilled and Yuan An thinks he's a threat.
- Cain and Abel: Killed his older brother to become emperor.
- Catapult Nightmare: Flings himself upright after he dreams of Yuan Ling murdering him.
- Evil Uncle: Towards Yuan Ling.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: In the first timeline he does this to himself, using Yuan Ling's sword.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Yuan Ling is actually the son of Yuan An's brother. Yuan An only learns the truth when Yuan Ling is an adult. Yuan Ling himself doesn't find out for another two years. The resulting drama is... ugly.
- Sadistic Choice: Forces Yuan Ling to choose between marrying Duo Xia, or watching Qing Chen be killed.
Mo Lian
- Played by: Zeng Li
Yuan Ling's mother. She was married to Yuan An's brother. When Yuan An killed his brother for the throne, he forced her to marry him.
- Longest Pregnancy Ever: Justified, since magic was involved. She got Tao Yao and Xi Xie to delay Yuan Ling's birth to prevent suspicion about his real paternity.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Yuan Ling is actually her first husband's son. She lied about his paternity, with some help from Tao Yao and Xi Xie, who magically delayed the baby's birth.
Yuan Hao
- Played by: Gao Yi Qing
Crown Prince.
- White Sheep: He's one of the very few good people in the royal family.
Yuan Ji
- Played by: Ji Chen (adult), Zhang Jun Shuo (child)
Third prince.
- Big Brother Instinct: Towards Yuan Ming. Unfortunately it leads to Yuan Ji's suicide in a misguided attempt to protect Yuan Ming.
- Slashed Throat: Kills himself by cutting his own throat.
Yuan Ming
- Played by: Zhang He (adult), Zhang Zhe Yu (child)
Ninth prince.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Falls off a building and lands on a piece of wood with enough force for it to stab right through his armour and his chest.
- The Lost Lenore: His dead wife Xian Wu is this for him.
- The Mourning After: Never remarried after Xian Qu died.
Yuan Che
- Played by: Gong Jun
Eleventh prince.
- Accidental Kiss: Cai Qian falls on top of Yuan Che. Her lips briefly touch his before she realises what happened and jumps away.
- Broken Pedestal: He admires and looks up to his father. This changes Yuan An turns against Yuan Ling, falsely accuses him of rebelling, and imprisons Yuan Che to lure Yuan Ling back to the palace.
- Mistaken for Gay: There are rumours about Yuan Ling and Yuan Che's relationship, and they're so widespread that someone is surprised to see Yuan Che with a woman. Doubles as Squick, since Yuan Ling and Yuan Che are brothers. (Technically cousins, but they were raised as brothers.)
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He disappears from the story in the last few episodes. The sequel series reveals what happened to him afterwards.
- White Sheep: He's one of the very few good people in the royal family.
Yuan Li
- Played by: Xu Jia Wei
Twelfth prince.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: For all of his siblings, but especially for Yuan Che. He chases Yuan Che around the palace, and on one of his previous visits he took his obnoxiousness up a notch and forced Yuan Che to undress.
- The Baby of the Bunch: He's the youngest of Yuan An's sons. He's a bit of an idiot when not being a Royal Brat, but his father and most of his older brothers spoil him and let him get away with his behaviour.
- Head Desk: Hits his head against a table when Cai Qian loses the archery contest.
- Royal Brat: In the past his antics included forcing Yuan Che to undress. During the series he gradually grows up, but his behaviour still causes headaches for his brothers.
The Mages
Tao Yao
- Played by: Han Xue
Head Sorceress of the Mages.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With Xi Xie. In the first timeline Xi Xie dies, and in the second one Tao Yao dies. They don't get to be together in either.
Xi Xie
- Played by: Han Dong
Head Sorcerer of the Mages.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With Tao Yao. In the first timeline Xi Xie dies, and in the second one Tao Yao dies. They don't get to be together in either.
Wu Ping Ting
- Played by: Tang Jing Mei
A dark wizard from Tian Wu Pavilion.
Ding Shui
- Played by: Bao Tian Qi
Last chief of the dark sorceresses. Mo Lian's real identity.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: She apparently dies when Yuan Ling stabs her. Unknown to him he stabbed a puppet controlled by the real Ding Shui, who escaped unharmed.
- Wedding Smashers: Attacks during Qing Chen and Yuan Ling's second wedding.
Ming Yan
- Played by: Ma Chun Rui
Qing Chen's friend.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Dresses as a man while pretending to be Mo Bu Ping's student.
Others
Duo Xia
- Played by: Huang Meng Ying
Princess of Achai Tribe.
- Action Girl: Among her other feats, she challenges Yuan Ling to a duel and holds her own against him for a long time.
- Altar Diplomacy: Comes to Great Wei to marry one of its princes, because her father needs allies to fend off an enemy kingdom.
- Battle Amongst the Flames / Mutual Kill: She and Mu Ke Sha have a sword fight in the middle of a burning room. It ends with Duo Xia fatally stabbing Mu Ke Sha, before she dies when the roof falls.
- Cool Mask: Wears one while pretending to be a man.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Pretends to be a man when she challenges Yuan Ling to a duel.
Mu Ke Sha
- Played by: Xu Jian
General of Achai Tribe.
- Battle Amongst the Flames / Mutual Kill: He and Duo Xia have a sword fight in the middle of a burning room. It ends with Duo Xia fatally stabbing Mu Ke Sha, before she dies when the roof falls.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Runs onto Duo Xia's sword during their battle.
- Love Makes You Evil: His love for Duo Xia leads to him becoming a traitor after she marries Yuan Ling.
Yin Cai Qian
- Played by: Xu Mu Chan
Yuan Zhan's cousin.
- Accidental Kiss: She falls on top of Yuan Che. Her lips briefly touch his before she realises what happened and jumps away.
- Royal Brat: She isn't technically a member of the royal family (Yuan Zhan's mother is her aunt), but her behaviour is almost as bratty as Yuan Li's. Among other things she demands Yuan Che brings her food, and when she falls and accidentally kisses him she accuses him of taking advantage of her.
