Song Jixin

Overview

Song Jixin (宋集薪), whose true imperial name is Song Mu (宋睦), is a paramount political figure and imperial prince of the Great Li Dynasty (大骊王朝). Originally raised in the poverty-stricken Mud Bottle Alley (泥瓶巷) of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven (骊珠洞天) under the guise of an illegitimate son of the local kiln overseer, he grew up as a neighbor and complex rival to Chen Ping'an.

After leaving the grotto-heaven and reclaiming his royal lineage, he was granted the title of Prince of Luo (洛王). During the apocalyptic Haoran-Manhuang War and the subsequent continental reconstruction, Song Mu governed the auxiliary capital, Luojing (陪都洛京), wielding immense administrative and military authority. Characterized by his sharp intellect, pragmatism, and lingering cynicism, he serves as a crucial pillar of the Great Li empire's continental hegemony.

Personality

From a young age, Song Jixin exhibited a sharp, cynical, and intellectually arrogant demeanor. He viewed his impoverished surroundings in Mud Bottle Alley with disdain and maintained a tense, competitive relationship with his hardworking neighbor, Chen Ping'an. Despite his pride, he is deeply pragmatic and perceptive.

When presented with a choice between orthodox Confucian moral teachings and practical, worldly knowledge, Song Jixin deliberately chose the latter, recognizing the harsh realities of governance and power. As a ruling prince, he proved himself to be a highly capable, level-headed administrator who could separate personal grievances from state duties, even eventually finding a way to cooperate with Chen Ping'an for the sake of the continent's stability.

History

Early Life in Mud Bottle Alley

Song Jixin lived in Mud Bottle Alley, accompanied by his enigmatic maidservant, Zhi Gui (稚圭), who secretly harbored the destiny of the world's last True Dragon. He spent his days reading and observing the struggles of his neighbor, Chen Ping'an. Unbeknownst to the town, his presence in the grotto-heaven was a deliberate arrangement by the Great Li imperial family. During the grotto-heaven's final days, he acquired the fortune of a four-legged snake, one of the dying world's five supreme karmic fortunes.

Before his departure, the sitting sage Qi Jingchun (齐静春) left him six books. Three were orthodox Confucian texts (Xiao Xue, Li Yue, Guan Zhi), and three were miscellaneous practical texts concerning mathematics, chess, and statecraft (Jing Wei, Tao Li, Shan Hai Ce). Song Jixin chose to leave the three Confucian texts behind in the old house, taking only the miscellaneous books to the capital—a decision that signaled his departure from the orthodox Confucian path. Qi Jingchun nonetheless left a protective wisp of "spring breeze" with the young man to safeguard his journey.

Return to the Imperial Court

Escorted back to the Great Li capital by his uncle, the supreme martial artist Song Changjing, Song Jixin reclaimed his identity as the imperial prince Song Mu. He was eventually stationed at the newly established auxiliary capital, Luojing, situated near the excavated Qi River (齐渎).

Despite his maidservant Zhi Gui (Wang Zhu) becoming the True Dragon and later the Water Lord of the Eastern Sea, Song Mu made the calculated decision not to form a binding water-fortune contract with her. Chen Ping'an later acknowledged this as a remarkably wise move, as binding himself to her immense karmic weight would have inevitably brought massive backlash upon himself and the dynasty's destiny.

The Continental War and Aftermath

As the Prince of Luo, Song Mu governed Luojing during the brutal Haoran-Manhuang War, serving as a critical command center for the dynasty's southern defenses. Following the war, when Chen Ping'an assumed the role of National Teacher, the two former neighbors found themselves acting as the highest authorities of the empire.

When tensions threatened to boil over in the capital, Song Mu received a secret decree from his brother, Emperor Song He, ordering him to go to the Manhuang Heaven rather than return to the capital. Ignoring the imperial decree, Song Mu commandeered a ferry and traveled north to the capital anyway, determined to prevent a worst-case scenario and confront Chen Ping'an directly. Ultimately, Wang Zhu also refrained from feeding her dragon qi back to Song Mu, a restraint that prevented the Great Li Dynasty from splitting into rival northern and southern factions.

Relationships

• Chen Ping'an (陈平安): His childhood neighbor and lifelong foil. Their relationship evolved from petty neighborhood rivalry and deep-seated mutual distrust into a complex, begrudging political alliance when both stood at the pinnacle of the Great Li Dynasty's power structure.
• Zhi Gui / Wang Zhu (稚圭 / 王朱): His former maidservant and the reincarnation of the True Dragon. She cared for him in his youth and fed on the dragon qi of his imperial lineage. Their relationship later became strictly transactional, and they carefully avoided binding their destinies too closely once they assumed their respective thrones of power.
• Qi Jingchun (齐静春): The Confucian sage who oversaw his hometown. Qi Jingchun offered him a choice of paths through the gift of six books and silently protected him upon his departure.
• Song He (宋和): The current Emperor of the Great Li Dynasty and his brother.
• Song Changjing (宋长镜): His uncle, the supreme commander of the Great Li military, who escorted him out of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven.

References

• 剑来2：护为远行客, 第二章 — 先生: Supports his early interactions in Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, his ownership of the maidservant Zhi Gui, and his acquisition of a natal fortune.
• 剑来6：剑符在编舟, 第一章 — 夜宿古寺有妖气: Supports Qi Jingchun's secret protection of Song Jixin using a wisp of spring breeze, and notes Song Jixin's deliberate divergence from orthodox Confucianism.
• 剑来12：人间仰望, 第八章 — 炼制: Supports the revelation of his true identity as Prince Song Mu, the illegitimate son of the kiln overseer who was actually imperial royalty.
• 剑来28：青都山水郎, 第七章 — 无边风月: Supports the details of Qi Jingchun's six books (three Confucian, three miscellaneous), Song Jixin's decision to take only the practical texts, and his calculated choice not to form a water-fortune contract with Wang Zhu.
• 剑来32：登高拓虚中, 第九章 — 新剑修: Supports his defiance of Emperor Song He's secret decree, traveling to the capital to personally handle the crisis involving Chen Ping'an.
• 剑来34：山中何所有, 第三章 — 剑斩飞升巅峰: Supports Wang Zhu's decision not to feed dragon qi back to Song Mu, which successfully prevented the Great Li Dynasty from fracturing into northern and southern halves.