九王

9th prince xinju of imperial china, son of the heavenly divine ming dynasty emperor.

[princexinju]

@yanyuss​

While Xinju was known to have had numerous fleeting flings, his one relationship that was hidden from noisy gossip was one that he held with Yanyue - she was a beauty in her own right and her husband was too stupid or blind to have ever even taken notice. Everything the man ignored, Xinju was glad to be instead. 

Though matters of the heart remained complicated. While their relationship was surely intimate, he did not know more about the feelings that accompanied. The Ninth prince had long been an indecisive man, finicky which only resulted in his poor habit of overindulgence. He knew from her words alone that she wanted more from him. And he could promise it if he really chose to. And yet, there remained a stubborn immaturity that kept him from doing so. 

Xinju basked within the moment, he thought little of the future or of his own lineage. He was a disposable prince after all, he did not have ambitions to push for a political career, nor was he keen on stepping foot onto the battlefield. Most of his appeal remained in his carefree nature, but it was merely the simplicity of his life that had ever even permitted such a luxurious mindset. 

The Ninth Prince approached Yanyue - the trip had been immensely long and needless to say, the two hadn’t been afforded the chance to cross paths. Not until this very moment. Seeing her once more after all this time only quickened his movements. He embraced her in his arms - his posture at ease given that they had found privacy within his quarters. 

“How was your trip?” His voice soft, the words brushing up against her ear. “In your absence, all I could think of was you,” his hands gently caressing her fingers. 

[princexinju]

@charlestudor​

While the morning activities certainly had it’s charm, the evening was a moment to celebrate theatre. Perhaps if it had been anyone else, they would have been excited. But for someone like Xinju who had already been to his fair share - he could already feel himself yawn. Instead of dutifully obeying the order as his fellow brothers and sisters had, he always sought a roundabout way to disobey the rules. 

And thus, the ninth prince was once again, on the run from duty. He had found himself near one of the tents that had been left up. Perhaps if went inside, he could secure himself a couple of hours of freedom before all the events of the evening were wrapped up. As he was about to enter, he heard a sound. 

“Anyone there?” He called, feeling almost stupid to expect that there would be anyone around at this time. After all, it appeared that most of the main guards had already been situated in the parameters of the show. 

[princexinju]

mcirong​:

Well, Xinju may have been humping his way through China, but he does, every now and then, have a point. In the last few months that Feike’s been home, he was… distant, his head always buried in his work, or whatever it was that occupied that restless brain of his. “Point taken.” She replied, an involuntary smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, and despite the situation at hand, she found herself slightly amused by the prince’s lighthearted jabs.

But, while there was mirth in his voice when he called her sis ( and as much as she disliked to admit it, her heart did flutter with the same sort of affection she held for her blood siblings whenever they would call her that ), she knew the mood will quickly turn very sour. It did not take him long to realise that his teasing words have been a sort of a prophecy, perhaps self fulfilling one, since there was hardly any other reason but an ominous one for her to be barging in his room at such unsavory hours.

Head inclined in a light nod to confirm her previous words, Meirong’s dark gaze fixed upon the prince, calculating and assessing his mood - and the change in his posture.

His emotions were written in his posture, and if she was any good at deciphering the Ninth prince, she was certain it was a wild ride in his head. Her guess seemed to have been correct, and she was pleasantly surprised that he was taking this a lot more seriously than she’d initially thought he would. His questions have all been rational and calculating, yet there was an underlying sense of fraternal concern for his eldest brother, which made the princess quite happy to see it displayed in such a dire time.

“Mn.” Head inclining in a dip, she gracefully nodded before she spoke ; “They have been alerted, of course, but nothing conclusive came out of their search, yet. He seemed to have disappeared between two acts of the play and, I admit, I was feeling wary of the plot - it seemed like false flattery, what they chose to stage in all of our honour.” The play was… oddly captivating and distracting and it made her distrust it even more than before. “Your brother is currently discussing this with general Mu. I think we should all be on our guard, until His Majesty is found - and I pray nothing truly sinister comes out of it.”

“It is what’s expected of a crown prince as imperial father says, all the duties, all the responsibilities, very exciting and important stuff,” despite the words that came out of his mouth, the ninth prince hardly sounded like he believed what he said. 

He continued to pace. 

It was selfish that his concern stemmed not truly from love but security. It was his father who guaranteed the safety and livelihood of his current situation. And it was in that itself that Xinju desired to remain a forever unchanging variable. He chewed on the inside of his mouth as he paused a step. 

“Are you sure nobody was last seen with father? What about the imperial concubines - surely someone was with him. Everything just sounds odd.” He said with a shake of his head. Something wasn’t adding up. His father wasn’t just anyone after all, it wasn’t easy to just take out the man like that. He must’ve gone willingly was all Xinju managed to deduce. 

“Does brother need me to do anything?” He hung his head for a bit, finding himself mumbling - a childhood habit that would occasionally reappear. “It’s not like there’s much that I can do.” 

[princexinju]

jinscn​:

we meet again

location : the garden time : 7 pm with : @princexinju​

This was, to be completely honest, really stressing her out. She’s spent the majority of her day clinging to her husband’s side, dodging her sister and the entire Li family like one would attempt to dodge the plague - or a spear. The reason why she dodged her sister, though, was mainly because she would end up feeling sad in the end - she missed her terribly and seeing her once seemed to be a worse fate than never seeing her again ; if she had to say goodbye forever to her twice, she couldn’t bear it. But, aside from Yanyu, there’s been one other person whom she could not bear to see, and it wasn’t for the reason one might expect. No, if she ever told anyone about him, they’d all assume she harboured feelings for him. Well, perhaps she did. Anger. Blame. Perhaps even mild resentment. He got to walk away, and she? She got stuck in so many lies, she can no longer tell what is true and what is false ; who she is and who she was. How can someone be both dead and alive at the same time? He got away unscathed, without even the smallest requirement of him to adjust, to change, to wear so many masks that she forgot the person she truly was - and for that, there was a part of her that loathed him.

But, of course, her life seemed to be ruled by cruel irony and it was only a matter of time before she would bump into him. It happened while she was meandering through the gardens, momentarily separating from her husband and their entourage - they went out to celebrate, but she had been feeling a little… worn out from the travel and the state she had recently found herself in. Yiyue winded around a bush, careful not to tear her dress at the sharp twigs, her hands laced together and resting against her stomach. It was in that moment, while she was avoiding the twig poking out, that she noticed him, strolling in her direction. Her lip curled for a moment, but there was no time to dodge him - and fixing her expression into something that vaguely resembled sisterly affection, Jinsan smiled to him.

“ 九王.” She curtsied, greeting him in a rather flat tone ; “好久不见.”

Xinju hadn’t given it much thought of who would be arriving - even less so care of checking the guests list. Rather, the rake was far too busy philandering as he usually did. But it was all in good natured fun and he was never one to make serious pursuits. 

But he found the gardens to be a perfect location for the best view. As beautiful as the flowers were, the women who walked past were too. He spotted one in particular who he couldn’t help but smile. The Ninth prince would’ve continued his chase if it weren’t for an unexpected encounter. His usual friendly demeanor was quick to shift when he realized who he had just met. “是你” His eyes widening. 

The fiasco of what had happened in the couple of years that had gone past had not been forgotten. It was partially his fault but the deal was sweet, was it not? Of course, he could see the tension in her face - this trip itself threw everything into jeopardy. The words felt awkward as he attempted to address her, “妹妹, 你忘了吗, 我是你的哥哥. 你不必叫我王子.” ( sister, did you forget, i’m your older brother. you do not need to call me prince. ) The words felt strained as he glanced around, motioning her to follow so that there would be a chance of privacy. He knew all too well that her situation was precarious at the moment, after all - she was not Jinsan. 

When they did find an area enclosed, Xinju crossed his arms. “Bold of you to be walking around so close to immediate family.” His fingers brushed back through his hair as he sighed. But once his gaze returned to her, he softened just the slightest “how have you been?”

[princexinju]

mcirong​:

When it came to offenses, it was not her husband who was the cause of them. But, by now she was more than used to the Ninth prince’s… activities and it’s long since stop bothering her to see him in various stages of undress. This one was on her - it was rather late, and she did barge in, but the situation was grave and all propriety had flown out the window ( though never enough to be seen as indecent ). In normal occasions, she would have either scoffed or chuckled at his remarks, but the bitter taste of the emperor’s disappearance had completely soured her mood. “Your brother is currently occupied with the affairs of the empire and he is already well aware of what I am about to inform you, as he was present at the time.” Whether or not the comment was an intentional jab, the princess herself did not know.

Meirong wondered, then, how the prince might react to the news. The emperor was his father, after all, and not just a leader of their empire. Eyes narrowed in thought, she realised that she will have to approach the topic in a delicate and sensible manner, and hope beyond hope that the prince will take it seriously. “Before I inform you of it, you must understand that this knowledge cannot leave the premises. Only family can be told and no one else. Not the officials, not the lords, no one.” Perhaps it was unnecessary to point it out, but the implications of the emperor’s disappearance becoming a public knowledge was something neither she, nor Feike, would dare to entertain - the last thing any of them needed right now was civil unrest and other empires jumping at the opportunity to weaken them.

Composing herself into something more dignified than an anxious mess quadruple checking every option, thought or word, Meirong’s gaze fixed upon the prince and she spoke, voice quiet, but steady. “There’s been an incident at the amphitheater, after the first act of the performance. His Majesty has gone missing.” She informed, gaze trained on Xinju. The tension never left her posture as she turned to survey her surroundings again, looking for anything that might be out of place, anything that might indicate spying eyes - or ears. “Only Feike and the general are currently aware of what’s transpired. We thought it would be wise to inform you, as well.”

“Occupied? When is he not,” Xinju scoffed. His elder brother, the crown prince - oh how gloriously he stood upon the empire. As if the constant comparison wasn’t enough, the man was a walking reminder of duty and responsibility. And he could not see how anything by the likes of Feike had to do with him. 

“Sis,” He said, a familiar playfulness twinkled in his eyes - dropping her royal title, they were family after all. What could she be on about this time? “You look like you’re about to tell me something ominous, it really can’t be that bad can it?” His life had always been rather easy going and well, he was privileged to remain ignorant to the complexities and politics of court. If this would be yet another lecture of courtly etiquette or someone he had pursued, then he would turn a blind eye to it as per usual. “Yes, yes, just tell me what’s wrong this time.” 

Though Xinju hadn’t expected to hear what followed from her lips. 

“Father, gone missing?” syllables echoed like a hushed hiss. 

His brows narrowed, his heart felt like it was running a thousand miles more. While Xinju was never one to care about his immediate family, when it came to his Imperial father - that was a whole other matter in itself. After all, it was through the graces of his father that his faults were forgiven and his antics tolerated. A part of him wondered what sort of chains he would be tied under should the crown pass to his brother. 

He found himself pacing back and forth, thinking before he turned to Meirong once more. “Have they done anything? Alerted the palace paladins? How could this happen - father’s always been careful. What is brother doing right now?” Each question quicker than the last. 

[princexinju]

chvrlottes​:

closed starter for @princexinju​. 

location & time: the constructed amphitheater, near a fire-eater artist, beginning of the festivities. 

charlotte was used to grandeur. she would be lying if she said that she never experienced such festivities — before the crisis broke up in france, she remembered of a time when her parents would host jousts and feasts. in a time before charlotte was born and would read about it in books, the french court was way more extravagant. but she won’t compare the italian festivities to some she only read about — she was supposed to enjoy the present, and such time was being more joyous than she thought. the fears and concerns about her unborn baby still lingered her head, but she still laughed with her ladies when they stepped out of empress yekaterina’s box to explore the common ground. 

there were many artists with performances she never saw in life. charlotte was mesmerized by them — she had always been an enthusiastic of the traditional forms of art, like painting and poetry, but it was the first time since she married that charlotte was in contact with the other forms. her gaze landed at every performer with awe, but the fire-eaters caught her attention the most. maybe it was the dangerousness of it, or the fact that it was something charlotte didn’t imagine how it could happen. 

she wanted to know the tricks behind it, behind every other performer. it must have, doesn’t it ? no one could eat fire without being magic, and charlotte was aware such thing didn’t exist. but the crowd was too much, and while she knew her ladies would accompany her in such adventure, they were missing the comfort of the imperial box. charlotte couldn’t blame them, and just sighed in frustration. she hated that kind of thing — that charlotte couldn’t know the truth behind. “ oh, i would do everything to learn the tricks about this performance. not do it myself, but only to stop feeding my curiosity. ” charlotte spoke in the direction of a man that she thought was from the far east, a friendly smile on her face. 

Performances and magic tricks were certainly a delight but for someone like the Ninth prince, he found far more amusement in the introduction of visitors. Specifically, those that were lovely on the eyes. Rather than focusing on the entertainers, the prince was perusing around the vicinities - as if he were on an adventure. 

Thankfully he seemed to have escaped the throngs of his brethren - for if they saw him, he could already hear the lectures that would ring through his head. From one ear out the other, no matter how much those around him attempted to reprimand him, nothing really got through the stubbornness of Prince Xinju. He spotted one familiar face - an attendant of his fathers, one of the loyal eunuchs that served the Emperor. Xinju could already feel his jaw clench, knowing well of the eyes and ears that prowled in the backdrop, if he were to be seen by his father’s people - all his activities ( shameless or not ) would be reported back. 

Thus to avoid such a troublesome fate, Xinju looped through one stall to another, praying that he would just be yet another dot in the masses. And before he knew it, he was in the presence of what appeared to be a fire eater and a foreign woman. He had always heard of other countries but it was his first time formally speaking to one. He felt his tongue stumble just a bit as he attempted to speak - unsure of what decorum was to be expected. But judging by her appearance, she did not seem to be a monarch of any sort and that appeared to be a good omen. “Would my lady dare to try?” he asked quizzically. She didn’t seem the sort that would be wholly interested in such dangerous activities. “It’s much more of a talent than magic though,” he said, eyeing the performer once more. 

[princexinju]

mcirong​:

discussions

location : li quarters with : @princexinju​

She was not entirely sure what was going on - it was sudden and it was terrible, but there was a large part of her that kept beating herself up over the fact that she should have anticipated it. She exchanged a glance with Feike, softly instructing that everyone should remain calm and not act out on an impulse. Her husband had seen this as a window to talk to his younger siblings, but instead of tagging along this time, Meirong slyly offered for him to discuss it with the general and check up on their daughter who had been put to bed minutes before the commotion - and she could handle the ninth prince ( she might end up wanting to smack him over the head with something heavy, but that was besides the point at the moment ). “Talk to Zhenzhen, he might have seen something or he might suspect someone. I will take care that your brothers are informed. Though, I suggest we keep this only among the family - there is still no need to cause panic among our ranks, not until we know more about it.” Courtly bowing to Feike, Meirong motioned for two of her guards to accompany her while she sets out to track down the elusive prince.

Please, at least let him be dressed this time - she silently thought to herself, meandering through the crowd and navigating the corridors of the palace where the Li family was taking residence. Sighing, the princess rose a hand to dismiss her guards, instructing them to wait by the door, while she and the prince have a little discussion. Tapping once, then twice on the door, Meirong waited for a full minute before nodding to her guards, who flung the door open, allowing her in.

“Ninth prince.” Courtly bowing to the man in question and completely ignoring her surroundings, Meirong fixed him with a disapproving glare. “We must speak. It is urgent, or else I would not bother you at this hour.”

The trip to Italy had been one of the highlights of Xinju’s more than lackluster past time activities. He had long abandoned propriety in favor of indulging in the more hedonistic opportunities that were offered to him at hand and feet. And well - it was honestly an oversight if anyone were to believe that the 9th prince would have behaved himself any better outside of the palaces. 

He had been in the midst of sinfully enjoying the pleasures of the skin - he didn’t know the womans name but she spoke a different language, her voice like velvet as he caught wind of one word between others as she yearned to properly communicate. The last thing Xinju was expecting was a disturbance; after all, it was late into the evening and it was rare for anyone to seek for his company especially given that he was hardly of any use nor importance. A wayward prince without much honor or care to his very name. But at least it was his father’s favor that had given him benefits that befitted the most imperial of blood. While he had heard the footsteps, Xinju was a man of little patience, wanting to finish the act before shooing the lady of the night away from his chambers. He had liked to believe that he had saved her from the embarrassment. 

In the midst of pulling his clothes together, he found himself unexpectedly face to face with the crown princess. Well, he certainly found it odd. It wasn’t as if the two were very fond of each other, but there was no specific instance that wagered ill intent. Rather there was an understanding indifference that had been maintained between the two for quite awhile. After all the woman was his elder brother’s wife who’s views of life strictly diverted from his own - she was not anyone he would ever dream of as a pursuit or conquest, the thought itself made him gag. 

“Well, good evening to you as well Crown Princess,” his bow is quick, his manners as nonchalant as ever. “Whatever could be so urgent that you seek for me instead of my brother? Has he done something to offend you?” A smirk ghostly lingers upon his features. 

[princexinju]

Hi everyone! It’s your girl Ori back at it again with no self control, hi this is my last character / my favored sexy trash prince. If you’d like to know more about him you can click ( h e r e ) ! Please hit me up with plots and stuff if you have ideas I’m so excited to rp him ;)