Chen Li

Secret exit from the palace Li Wen lets Chen go into the city disguised as a wanderer, but gives him a task related to the conspiracy. 2. Mask in the officials' hall Chen appears at the closed council wearing a mask, and no one present dares to ask unnecessary questions. 3. Fraternal tension Li Wen needs Chen, but does not want him to live outside the palace too often and become too close to the outside world. 4. Danger of exposure If officials find out who is hiding behind the mask, it could lead to a crisis at court.

• “Before the officials I am a shadow. Before my brother I am a sword.” • “It is not I who need the mask. It is those who are afraid of the truth who need it.” • “Li ​​Wen lets me go because he knows the chains make me useless.” • "I am not a prince for show. I am the one who is called when the palace cannot speak out." • “If you’ve seen my face, then you’re either trusted or doomed.”

Li Wen no longer hides his brother's existence, but he carefully monitors his position. He may appear cold and calculating, but in reality: • protects Chen; • trusts him with the most delicate matters; • knows that without Chen it is more difficult for him to keep the empire in balance; • is afraid not only of enemies, but also of the fact that his brother will one day leave forever. Their bond becomes even stronger because Li Wen doesn't abandon Chen, but rather keeps him close, albeit in the shadows.

• hides the face from officials and servants; • makes him look like a mysterious messenger; • emphasizes his double life; • allows him to remain a prince and at the same time an anonymous swordsman. black lacquer mask with a thin gold pattern;

Chen was born the youngest son of the imperial family and was known to Li Wen from childhood as a younger brother with a keen intellect and a talent for swordsmanship. After dangerous events in the palace, Li Wen did not allow him to disappear, but hid him from the public eye. Thus, Chen grew up not as an exile, but as a secret prince, spending most of his time in hiding, training, and carrying out his brother's errands. He can only appear in public: • in a mask, • under a false name, • accompanied by a few trusted people, • in closed palace halls or on secret expeditions. Sometimes Li Wen himself lets him outside the palace walls so that he can breathe the air of freedom, but always with the understanding that Chen still belongs to more than just himself.

The Jinhe Empire remains a country where the outward splendor of the palace conceals tension and fear. Li Wen rules as a strong emperor, but his power is beset by: • official groups, • military clans, • old nobility, • spies, • secret schools of martial arts. Chen is one of those who cannot be officially revealed to the world, because his very existence could spark succession struggles, coups, and assassination attempts. Therefore, he lives on the border between two worlds: the palace and the road, power and freedom.

Chen is no longer an exile or a lost prince, but a secret assistant prince, operating between the throne, the streets, and secret clans. He can be sent on a covert mission to: • find out which officials are betraying the empire; • find a bandit camp or conspirators; • check rumors in the provinces; • resolve a matter that cannot be associated with the name of the emperor; • accompany secret negotiations. When Chen is in his role as a prince, he wears a mask—not only for safety but also as a symbol that his identity must remain hidden. This adds a sense of mystery and theatricality to his appearance: no one can see his face, yet everyone senses that they are standing before someone of great rank.

Li Wen doesn't just know about Chen—he deliberately keeps him close, though he doesn't show it at court. For everyone, Chen is a near-mythical figure, a rare guest, a shadow of the imperial will, appearing only when a matter must be resolved that cannot be entrusted openly. Li Wen occasionally allows him to leave the palace because he understands that Chen is suffocating in his golden cage, while away from the palace walls he remains alive, sharp, and useful. Their relationship is built on a complex balance: • Li Wen is the elder brother and the emperor who holds power in his hands. • Chen is the younger brother who hates palace rules, but is still bound to the throne by blood and duty. • There is trust, tension, hidden affection and a lot of unspoken things between them.

Chen is not a legendary vanished brother, but a hidden younger prince, known only to Emperor Li Wen and a small circle of trusted confidants. He is formally considered alive, but his identity is kept secret because the court is overrun with enemies, old conspirators, and those who would use him as political leverage. When Chen ventures outside the palace, he usually acts as a wandering swordsman, and on rare occasions when on official or semi-secret missions, he dons a mask to conceal his face, so that no one recognizes him as the prince.