Lahan

Lahan is a civil servant and member of the La Clan who investigates financial and political matters on behalf of his adoptive father, Lakan, and Jinshi throughout the series. His eccentric fascination with numbers and his sharp, calculating nature make him an invaluable informant and strategist, granting the country of Li considerable influence in political affairs. He is also meticulous in his dealings, pulling strings behind the scenes with minimal involvement, as he prefers not to get his hands dirty.

Due to his quirks, Lakan is also notoriously persistent in exploiting others for his own benefit and the advancement of the La clan, often prioritizing profit at the expense of others. This tendency becomes a recurring comedic element in the narrative, especially in his interactions with his adoptive sister Maomao, who often remarks that he is even more stingy than the Madam. As Lakan's trusted sidekick, Lahan makes up for his shortcomings with wit and calculated brilliance, forming a chaotic and unpredictable, yet equally formidable and dangerously intelligent duo.

He has narrow, slanted eyes, like a fox's, framed by round glasses, and his black hair is somewhat disheveled, just above his shoulders. He is a year older than Maomao.

Numerical Observation: Like other members of the La Clan, Lahan possesses a unique specialty. His peculiar talent lies in an obsessive affinity for numbers, not only in financial analysis, but also in the application of numerical logic to everything around him. He has a particular fixation with the concept of "beautiful numbers", perceiving certain dispositions, subtle differences, or even people's appearance (particularly Jinshi's) as mathematically ideal. However, his fascination with numbers can also lead him to act compulsively and develop particular number-related habits.

Manipulation: Lahan is quick to exploit any opportunity for his own benefit, whether it be for profit, the pursuit of numerical perfection, or to satisfy his curiosity. His willingness to discard conventional morality in favor of personal desires is one of the main reasons why Maomao deeply despises him, considering him morally reprehensible. However, Lahan is also exceptionally capable of uncovering intricate political plots thanks to his network of contacts, his persuasive charisma, and his strategic manipulation of others' desires through carefully planned offers.

Following an assassination attempt against Jinshi (who was acting as the Imperial Brother) during a hunting trip in the Northern Province, Rakan tasks him with investigating the incident, specifically the weapon used in the assassination: feifa guns. Taking advantage of his access to financial records as a civil official, he uncovers a suspicious pattern of transactions among the punished hunt suspects. These irregularities suggest that large quantities of metal were being purchased under the guise of acquiring additional grain, indicating a possible effort to mass-produce weapons. Lahan quickly presents these findings to Jinshi as bargaining chips after Lakan, in a fit of rage upon learning of Maomao's kidnapping, significantly damages a wall of the Rear Palace. In exchange for further investigative services, Lahan negotiates to have the cost of repairing the wall waived, which Jinshi accepts.

Lahan subsequently uncovers various activities related to the Shi clan, such as years of financial transactions and the expansion of the previously abandoned fortress in the Northern Province, which constitute sufficient evidence to support treason. These findings contribute to Jinshi's decision to take command of the imperial army to quell the Shi clan's rebellion and recapture Maomao.

Lahan later became involved in the Western capital's foreign relations due to his proficiency in conducting accurate financial analysis, but he was also a natural candidate for the position due to his strong negotiation and language skills.

Lahan helped Lakan blackmail his grandfather into giving him the position of clan chief. As a result, the rest of his family was exiled from the Royal Capital and forced to move to the countryside. His grandparents and mother consider him a traitor, while his father is indifferent to family politics and simply wants to be a farmer.

She gains further prominence through her role in solving the food shortage caused by the locust plague and her support for international relations. Later volumes delve deeper into Maomao's relationship with her family and the resulting chaos within the La Clan.

Lahan resides in the La Clan's villa in the Royal Capital and is usually responsible for managing her variety of Lakan-hired servants, such as Sanfan.

Like his adoptive father, Lahan is a lightweight when it comes to drinking alcohol. Maomao adopts a different tone of voice with Lahan, speaks to him more rudely, and also has a habit of stomping on his feet when he irritates her. He is intelligent but lacks athletic ability, gets seasick when traveling by boat [ 5 ] and cannot ride a horse. [ 8 ] He flirted with En'en the first time he met her because she was pretty,[9] but he specifically likes older women.[10] Lahan's fixation with numbers Lahan is fascinated by Jinshi's beauty, which he considers numerically perfect. On one occasion, he suggests that Maomao act as a surrogate mother so that she can experience childbirth, and thus he can raise Jinshi's child as his own (since Maomao has no interest in having children). He is so particular about numbers that he only writes in the specific arrangement of five columns and eight rows. At five years old, he used scissors to fix his older brother's crooked haircut while he was sleeping, due to a compulsion to leave it perfectly straight. Needless to say, he ended up cutting off much of his hair, much to his brother's dismay. When his older brother was dueling against Ujin at the named clan conference, he analyzed their numbers to determine who was winning.