Please help a confused human being. I’ve read your translations and have watched the 1st season of the donghua. But what exactly is Li Bing’s background? He’s a prince right? Would that mean he has the right to succeed the throne?

Of course! That’s what I’m here for, and let’s be honest - the Imperial family is complicated.

Now, Li Bing is theoretically in line for the throne as a member of the Imperial family, but he’s very, very unlikely to actually become the Emperor even under the best of circumstances. But let’s figure out the basics first.

Usually, we have the Emperor, who has a principal wife and a number of other wives and concubines. They would have children, and usually the eldest son of the principal wife would be declared the Heir Apparent - aka, the person first in line for the throne.

Other sons - the Imperial Princes - would likely also have a principal wife + other wives/concubines, and these wives would also have children. Of these, the eldest son of the principal wife would be the Heir, the other sons of the principal wife would be the Commandery Princes, and the sons of other wives would be the Commandery Dukes.

Li Bing is a Commandery Prince. In chapter 78 you can hear Li Bao call his older brother Li Bing “sixth brother” - so, Li Bing was the sixth son of some Imperial Prince. So, even under normal succession, a lot of people would have to die before he could have a chance to take the throne (especially since the sons of the Heir Apparent would take priority over the side branches of the family).

Now, an interesting difference between the donghua and the manhua is that Li Bao is called the Commandery Prince in the manhua, but Commandery Duke in the donghua. I’m not sure if that’s ever going to be relevant, but it’s there.

Additionally, what complicates things at the time of the story, is that the normal succession order is pretty much out of the window - Wu Zetian, after installing some of her sons as Emperors, had had enough and had declared herself Emperor, technically founding her own dynasty. Many of the Imperial family were disposed of under various circumstances (like Li Chong and Li Bing’s family). Safe to say, while Wu Zetian is in power, Li Bing has no claim on the throne whatsoever.

(It’s actually a little ambiguous if Li Bing kept his title after his imprisonment and subsequent appointment as Vice Minister. The only person to still refer to him by that title is Qiu Shenji; and it’s pretty clear that he doesn’t have a fiefdom anymore. In the Imperial Edict announcing his Vice Minister appointment he’s still referred to as a Commandery Prince, however, in the opening titles of season 2 of the donghua, he’s said to be “former Commandery Prince”.

My interpretation would be close to what happens in chapter 57 at the banquet. Li Bing is technically still a Commandery Prince, but he distances himself from that legacy in favor of his official position as the Vice Minister, which is more favorable politically, and also safer.)

I hope this helped provide the context! I’ll be sure to include this in the translation if I ever get to doing season 1, but with my current schedule that’s probably not happening until at least mid-summer…