username — hiikyoung

nickname — kyoungie

activity rate — 7

name — Gan Ju

nickname — Scholar Ju - a name she is not fond of, but is used commonly around the court of the Western Kingdom until after her appointment as princess. It is used to denote her skill rather than her relation to Gan Bao. Instead of, "Gan Ju, daughter of Gan Bao", it is just "Scholar Ju". It isn't until her appointment as a princess that it falls into disuse.

Little Flower - her nickname from her older siblings and father. Despite her dubious birth, she is a treasure ot her family and they show this through the endearment.
 

birthdate — February 17 | 20 years old

birthplace — Western Kingdom

hometown — Eastern Kingdom

ethnicity — Chinese

language — Mandarin

Face Claim

face claim — 13

gallery — No Gallery 

backup face claim — 2

gallery — No Gallery

appearance — One note on Gan Ju's appearance: she is almost never with her hair down. She keeps it pinned up mosto f the time. It's a rare sight to see it down; and if it is it's in a braid. Also of note is her color choices tend to be muted. Her jewelry or other accessories are the points of accent in her muted palette. Eventually this may change...but only over time.

fashion style — N/A

Princesses of the Four Kingdoms

plotline — Prince Zhang Wei Sheng of the Eastern Kingdom

traits — Diligent, Pragmatic, Filial, Serious, Pessimistic, Kind

All about the Princess — 

Gan Ju, also known as Scholar Ju, is a studious woman in the court of the Western Kingdom. This made her something of a rarity in court, along with her second brother Gan Suo. While others in the kingdom were the more direct, hard working sort; Gan Ju has a finesse about her actions that would seem graceful. but are actually very deliberate and pragmatic. She has little use for frivolous things, and is easy to dismiss something if she considers it impractical. So perhaps she is not so different from her brethren: but it is in how she does it. You will not find someone more devoted to a craft than she. She has spents years of her life just studying, trying to make herself invaluable and better to those around her. She seems to be someone who, at the very least, won't get in the way. Thus, she doesn't have time for the 'finer' things in life. She's better off spending her time doing more meaningful things.

A bit too serious sometimes, Gan Ju is not someone who likes to be teased or made fun of. In fact, she fades into the background for this reason. She does not want to give cause to anyone to think ill of her. But she is also a filial woman. She will always put their needs before her own, and eventually this extends out to those closest to her. The servants around her household are never treated poorly, and she is the first to usher one off if she thinks they have been working too hard. But by placing these people before herself, Gan Ju has lost many an opportunity for her own happiness.

And she doesn't mind this. Since youth, Gan Ju has been a pessimist. She genuinely thinks she isn't destined for any real fortune or happiness. Life is difficult. Her birth is a sign of this: her birth mother died, but the late wife of Gan Bao would have been mortified and betrayed at knowing her husband's infidelity. Life is not fair: you get used to it. 

But despite it all, Gan Ju is a kind woman. There's a reason why she doesn't want to be a burden to others, and she gives up so much. She has so little care for her own happiness, thinking it wasn't something she was meant for, that she neglects herself. But she is a kind sould who genuinely wants to feel loved and like she belongs somewhere. Ask her servants, the people she helps on a daily basis, her family: Gan Ju is a giving woman who could stand to smile a bit more.

Background —
Gan Bao, a high ranking official of the Western Kingdom, was often known for his brilliant work not only in domestic improvement projects, but his equally brilliant sons, Gan Qi and Gan Suo; and beautiful daughter Gan Ying. Gan Qi is a well liked officer in the kingdom's calvary, and Gan Suo is a physician responsible for the health of the royal family. Gan Ying was likely to be married to another high ranking official's son, if perhaps not the prince himself. The only thing marring Gan Bao's image is his daughter, Gan Ju. His first wife, the Lady Jian, died of illness. However, her nursemaid Mi Ruo was pregnant. And Gan Bao was the father. When Mi Ruo died due to complications in childbirth, Gan Bao was heartbroken. Jian had been an arranged marriage, and he'd actually been in love with the nursemaid for a long time. Thus, against the advisement of his fellows, he claimed Gan Ju as his own child.

Gan Ju, at least when amongst her siblings, was an equal and her birth was rarely mentioned. But growing up in court, Gan Ju heard the whispers and saw the dirty looks she received. She knows her place well in the court, and also knows despite being the daughter of Gan Bao, her marriage prospects are dim; lest she be willing to marry a military or farmer 'lout'. Thus, she threw herself into making herself something of an invaluable quantity in the palace. Studying along with her older brother Gan Suo, she became one of the most educated people in the palace. In particular, she was known for her knowledge of medicine, and actually was often called on by wives of other officials to look in on them when the usually doctor or Gan Suo was not available. Of all her siblings, he was the one closest to her in age and they bonded.

Keeping to the background of most things, when not being occupied at court to her duties or studying, Gan Ju was then seen attending her own personal garden in her father's courtyard, or sometimes wandering the palace gardens. She made it a habit when her father was hosting other officials to make herself scarce. There was no need for her presence to bring issue for him or the rest of her family: particularly to Gan Ying. There had been talks of Gan Ying, considered one of the more beautiful women in the West, marrying into the ruling family; perhaps even the prince himself. As for Gan Ju; she received few calls, and often kept to herself. Life wasn't terrible though. She knew her place, and as long as her family found happiness and she was able to do some good in her world, she was okay with that. Plus, there were murmurings of a certain Liu Ping, a fellow who served in the military with her brother Gan Qi, was interested in her.

But all talks seemed to halt after her brother Gan Suo was killed. He was found on the side of a road, riddled with arrows identified as from the Eastern Kingdom. It was determined that a rogue unit of the Eastern Kingdom's military had attacked Gan Suo and his travelling companions, thinking they could spark a war. Everyone was killed except for Liu Ping who had been assigned to the group.  This incident, known as the Gan Massacre, nearly sparked another all out war between the kingdoms, but then the emperor interjected. Gan Ju was destroyed over this loss, but remained a strong figure for her family. She coiuld not truly grieve with anyone, and often secluded herslef to cry alone.

To Gan Bao horror, they intended to have Gan Ying, his eldest daughter, marry the prince Zhang Wei Sheng. Gan Bao was furious. He fought and fought, unable to forgive a kingdom that had killed his son and now wanted to take his beautiful, very eligible daughter. Duty be damned: he was not having it...and his reputiation was beginning to take a hit for this stance. Gan Ying was mortified and cried every night, often in her sister's arms. Gan Qi became increasingly violent, and had to be dismissed many times from his post to keep him in check. Unable to allow her family to be torn apart, Gan Ju offered a solution: she would take her sister's place instead. While Gan Bao wouldn't hear of it initially, the court jumped on the idea. They would be sending a woman of one of the highest officials to marry the prince still, and the court would not neccessarily be giving up their most treasured lady. More importantly to Gan Ju: she could peform a useful service to her kingdom and elevate her father's status. This was not a marriage of love, but the choice was out of love for her family. With her adamant decision, her family had no choice but to accept this.
 

likes — 
 - Books on Medicine
 - The scent of herbs and soil
 - Marketplaces (she states she likes the sounds of people chatting about their wares with such energy and enthusiasm)
- Sweets

dislikes — 
- Horses (she was thrown off her brother's as a child and has disliked them since)
- Persimmons (dried and fresh. She dislikes them immensely)
- Bright Colors
- Bitter Tea 

hobbies — 
- Herbology
- Botany

habits — 
- Gan Ju has a scar on her right palm, near the thumb from a gardening mishapp where she cut herself. She rubs it when nervous or upset as a nervous habit.
- When laughing, Gan Ju always covers her face, and it sounds like little muffled puff of air. 
- She has a habit of pacing and walking while reading. However, she can do so without running into anything, and it's something graceful to see when she gently moves out of the path of obstacles without raising her head.

- Unless she has to, Gan Ju likes to sleep in most mornings. She's not accustomed to having an up at dawn schedule unless she is called upon to work in a medical capacity.
 

trivias — 
- Gan Ju is well versed in medicine, having been tutored by the same doctor who mentored her older brother. Her herbal remedies are well regarded.

- Along with her herbology, Gan Ju knows agriculture, and often advised farmers when not working as a physician.

- Gan Ju misses Gan Suo terribly. While her family is adamant in their distaste for the East, Gan Ju is quieter. She is practical enough to realize that it was a rogue group repsonsible, not the kingdom as a whole...but she still has some resentment at not having her favorite sibling any more.

-  She actually has a pleasant singing voice, and sings lullabies while tending to her garden. Her father says she sounds like her mother.

- Blood and gore do not faze her in the slightest. But someone emotionally upset does.

- Since her brother's death, she hasn't really laughed. But it's a very gentle sound.

- Her father's courtyard has a small, but extensive, herb and flower garden she used to maintain. He now has a servant keep it, justiin case his youngest ever returns.

Love Interest

love interest — Zhang Wei Sheng

backup love interest — Yun Feng

personality — He rises with the sun and has a bright yet dorky personality. Because he is the youngest, he doesn’t agree with the warring kingdoms; he was the first one to agree to the marriage proposal as a means for a peaceful country. Living with him would never be boring since he will take you anywhere he goes. 

relationship — At first, Gan Ju went into her marriage with Zhng Wei Sheng as a business-like, duty-bound transaction. She had no silly idea that this was a marriage of love. She knew of the Eastern Kingdom, and was prepared for the changes.

Or so she thought. Gan Ju is floored by the prince and his ways. She simply cannot fathom how he can act as he does, or that his kingdom can function. Much of her initial reactions are, "Are you kidding me?" looks towards him and his behavior. She is simply not accustomed to so much 'sunshine'. 

For him, she is a strange creature as well. He tries to make her smile and liven up her life, but she seems so resistant to it. He is eager to show her his beautiful kingdom; it's sights, the people, everything. But it is perplexing to him that she seems to be so foreign to it. All he wants is for her to feel at home here, and to be happy as his wife...though in a platonic way. He understands why she is here, and simply wants her to find some happiness.

But in turn, he begins to appeciate her way of doing things: from her quiet manner of tending a plant, to reading and being diligent in all things. It's something he can admire. Though he does get a little irritated at her lack of humor at times.

After a while, Gan Ju begins to realize how much things have changed. She is no longer 'Scholar Ju', hiding in the shadows and being murmured about behind her back. And the prince has been nothing but accomodating and kind to her...she can't help it: his smile and bright personality has become something important in her life. Howeve,r her whole life she has been a sister. She's beginning to want to be more than just another family member in his life, but his desire to not see her romantically begins to pain her. At least in her kingdom, she had some hope for love. Here, she is the wife of a prince who only wants her as a sister. the bright future she was seeing is now feeling bleak and unhappy again. Perhaps if she smiles more, laughs more, drsses in brighter colors, he will take notice of her. She can only hope.

1.) Where are you from?
- The Western Kingdom. 
2.) What do you think about the marriage proposal?
- It is my duty and honor to serve my kingdom and family in this. 
3.) Do you want to marry?
- ...yes. What would you want me to say? My prospects aren't good as it is, and it will help bring a world of peace to China. So, yes, I do want to marry.
4.) What do you think of your Prince? 
- He is simply...ridiculous. How this kingdom's men function is beyond me at times. Where I come from, no one has soft hands. Even my own have callouses from tending my gardens. I..will admit his smile makes the room seem brighter though. I'm not trying to be poetic. It's strange.
5.) Do you bear any hatred to the Kingdom you're marrying into?
- ...my father surely does. A rogue unit of the Eastern;s kingdom murdered my older brother, a gentle man who was simply traveling with his entourage to visit the sick. I miss him. Hatred is too strong a word. I'm...saddened.
6.) If your Prince were to ask you to sleep outside, what would you do?
- Call him a fool and remind him how it would appear if he forced me to do it. If it's a matter of sharing a bed, so be it. I can sleep on a cot or the floor. But outside where everyone, and anyone, can see it? The scandal is not worth his request.
7.) If you miss home, what would you do?
- Walk the gardens alone or tend to my personal one. Does this land have farmers? Zhang Mi and myself could visit them. Really, I just want a feel for the rustic work I miss from home. But I cannot go back.
8.) What should you do to break down your Prince's wall of barrier?
- His barrier? Ha. Some would say he needs to break down MINE...but if you really must know, I can sense he's not sharing everything about himself. That air of frivoulouness, and naivety...there must be something beyond it. Maybe once he seems me as an equal, someone invaluable, he will open up to me...maybe I could try smiling more...I'm told I'm too serious.
9.) If your Parent-In-Laws yelled at you for being from another Kingdom, what would you do?
- Bear it. I came here to fullfill a duty. I am cettain the other princess would receive the same in my home: so in her honor, I will bear it.
10.) Do you mind me asking you all questions every now and then when I write the story??
- UNACCEPTABLE!!...j/k. Of course!
11.) How will you deal with the sudden change in the environment, atmosphere, and people surrounding you?
- There must be time for me to study and observation. I will also have to take into consideration the things thise in court tell me and provide. I'm no longer home: I must adapt and perform per expectations.
12.) How obedient are you?
- My family would say very much so. As long as the request makes sense, why would I not obey it?
13.) If your Prince wanted ou to obey a ridiculous request, would you do it?
- Of course not. If the request is ridiculous, then it is not a serious request. 
14.) Will you write a letter to the Princess that will be coming into your old kingdom? And if you do, what would it consist of?
- To be kind, I will. Mostly, I want her to understand that though our people may seem harsh and inelegant, that is far from the truth. There is beauty in the hardwork they do on a daily basis. Show them that you are more than just a pretty face, and they will respect you. 
15.) Is thee anything that you would leave behind or give to the new Princess?
- I've left her my spade and a key to the gate of my father's courtyard. I have an extensive herb garden in the far corner of the courtyard of my father's home. Should she need an escape, I want her to feel safe to go there, and spend some moments just digging in the dirt. It has always brought me peace.

Affections Touching across time

comments/suggestions — None...FOR NOW!! Dun duuuun!

scene requests — 
- Gan Ju's origin is revelaed to the Eastern Kingdom, and it causes scandal. Essentially, the kingdom's officials feel like they were cheated and given a second class child to be their princess. Zhang Wei Sheng however does not see this as a problem.

- Gan Ju is in her personal herb garden and has a personal moment with her prince. Maybe he hears her singing.

- Gan Ju has a bit of breakdown with Zhang Mi over her situation, and despair as time in the Eastern Kingdom passes. Liu Ping hears this and sends a letter to Gan Ju's sister. This causes some events (either her sister travelling to see Gan Ju, or perhaps even her whole family).

- Yun Feng, in a past recollection, had visited the Western Palace and grew ill. Gan Ju, being the only one available, had to tend to him. So the pair know of each other.

- Tying into her letter, I'd like to see the Eastern Princess use her former garden and have a nencounter with one of her family members.

- Liu Ping is banished from the palace and back to the Western Kingdom after an outburst (perhaps by Gan Ju herself?)

 

password — I liked this one!!

turn in — back to the story