TV-Series
Description
Kan Lahan is a secondary character in the series, a young man who serves as a skilled bureaucrat within the imperial court of the Li kingdom. His identity is deeply intertwined with the prominent La Clan, known for producing individuals of remarkable but often eccentric talent. Lahan is the biological nephew and adopted son of the influential strategist Lakan, making him the adoptive brother and biological cousin of the story's protagonist, Maomao. He is also the grandnephew of the esteemed apothecary Luomen.
In appearance, Lahan resembles a male version of his cousin Maomao, possessing sharp, fox-like eyes and a relatively small build. He is one year older than Maomao and is often depicted wearing round glasses that serve no corrective purpose, simply as an accessory. His short stature and slight frame are notable physical traits.
Lahan's personality is defined by his cunning, perceptiveness, and an all-consuming passion for numbers. He is a miser at heart, well known for his love of money, and he finances and operates several businesses. Unlike his eccentric adoptive father Lakan, who struggles with social cues, Lahan is reasonable and capable of navigating social situations effectively. He presents a dry, calculating demeanor, yet he can be surprisingly easygoing when not fixated on his ledgers. A peculiar quirk he shares with Lakan is a complete inability to handle alcohol.
Lahan’s core motivation is a deep-seated appreciation for numerical order and beauty. He perceives the world almost entirely through figures, proportions, and ratios. For him, certain numbers and arrangements are "beautiful," while inconsistencies or "ugly" numbers signify corruption or inefficiency. This worldview drives both his professional pursuits and his personal obsessions. Notably, he is captivated by the character Jinshi, whom he considers the pinnacle of physical beauty, to the point of making outlandish statements about his admiration. This admiration extends to a fascination with the potential offspring of a union between Jinshi and Maomao, whose numerical "beauty" he fantasizes about. He has unilaterally decided to treat Maomao as his little sister, a notion she finds unwelcome and which often leads to her responding with physical retaliation, such as stepping on his toes.
Lahan plays a significant role in the story as a key asset to Jinshi. His extraordinary skill with numbers makes him indispensable for financial and logistical matters, and he successfully exposes large-scale corruption, such as the Shi Clan's manipulation of grain and iron prices, by meticulously analyzing account books. He becomes instrumental in solving complex political and economic crises, including a major food shortage caused by a locust plague, and assists in matters of international relations. Within his own family, his role is that of the practical manager. He handles the household finances, external relations, and logistics for his adoptive father Lakan, constantly mitigating the fallout from Lakan's more reckless schemes.
Key relationships define much of Lahan's background and development. His bond with his adoptive father, Lakan, is one of formal respect and practical loyalty. Lahan chose to side with Lakan during a power struggle within the La Clan, helping to oust his own grandfather and mother from headship, a decision that left him estranged from them. While he frequently complains about cleaning up his father's messes, he genuinely respects Lakan as a fellow genius. In a surprising turn, his biological father, who lost power in this coup, was freed from a life he hated and is now grateful, having become an obsessive agricultural researcher. Lahan's relationship with his biological older brother is more complicated; his brother resents him for the family betrayal but is ultimately kind-hearted and often manipulated by Lahan for his own ends.
Lahan’s relationship with Maomao is a central part of his character development. Despite her disdain for his meddling, the two are surprisingly well-synchronized in their thinking. Maomao has learned to translate vague questions into the precise, numerical terms Lahan understands, allowing them to collaborate effectively on problems of mutual interest. While he treats her as an "easy to deal with" person whose logic he can follow, his insensitive suggestions about her bearing a child for Jinshi highlight a significant emotional disconnect.
Lahan possesses several notable abilities beyond his financial genius. His proficiency with the abacus and his talent for "meddling" are equally valuable, as his speculative nature often helps Jinshi solve political cases. However, his talents are not physical; he completely lacks athletic ability, suffers from severe seasickness, and is unable to ride a horse. He has a compulsive need for numerical perfection, which once led him, at the age of five, to cut his older brother's hair in his sleep to make it perfectly straight, with disastrous results. He also has an obsessive preference for the specific arrangement of five columns and eight rows in his writing. In matters of romance, Lahan has no desire to marry and prefers relationships with older women, specifically widows, as he finds them less likely to create complications in his meticulously ordered life. He is noted to have developed a following among women who appreciate his meritocratic worldview, including Yao, a noble-born lady-in-waiting who develops strong feelings for him.
In appearance, Lahan resembles a male version of his cousin Maomao, possessing sharp, fox-like eyes and a relatively small build. He is one year older than Maomao and is often depicted wearing round glasses that serve no corrective purpose, simply as an accessory. His short stature and slight frame are notable physical traits.
Lahan's personality is defined by his cunning, perceptiveness, and an all-consuming passion for numbers. He is a miser at heart, well known for his love of money, and he finances and operates several businesses. Unlike his eccentric adoptive father Lakan, who struggles with social cues, Lahan is reasonable and capable of navigating social situations effectively. He presents a dry, calculating demeanor, yet he can be surprisingly easygoing when not fixated on his ledgers. A peculiar quirk he shares with Lakan is a complete inability to handle alcohol.
Lahan’s core motivation is a deep-seated appreciation for numerical order and beauty. He perceives the world almost entirely through figures, proportions, and ratios. For him, certain numbers and arrangements are "beautiful," while inconsistencies or "ugly" numbers signify corruption or inefficiency. This worldview drives both his professional pursuits and his personal obsessions. Notably, he is captivated by the character Jinshi, whom he considers the pinnacle of physical beauty, to the point of making outlandish statements about his admiration. This admiration extends to a fascination with the potential offspring of a union between Jinshi and Maomao, whose numerical "beauty" he fantasizes about. He has unilaterally decided to treat Maomao as his little sister, a notion she finds unwelcome and which often leads to her responding with physical retaliation, such as stepping on his toes.
Lahan plays a significant role in the story as a key asset to Jinshi. His extraordinary skill with numbers makes him indispensable for financial and logistical matters, and he successfully exposes large-scale corruption, such as the Shi Clan's manipulation of grain and iron prices, by meticulously analyzing account books. He becomes instrumental in solving complex political and economic crises, including a major food shortage caused by a locust plague, and assists in matters of international relations. Within his own family, his role is that of the practical manager. He handles the household finances, external relations, and logistics for his adoptive father Lakan, constantly mitigating the fallout from Lakan's more reckless schemes.
Key relationships define much of Lahan's background and development. His bond with his adoptive father, Lakan, is one of formal respect and practical loyalty. Lahan chose to side with Lakan during a power struggle within the La Clan, helping to oust his own grandfather and mother from headship, a decision that left him estranged from them. While he frequently complains about cleaning up his father's messes, he genuinely respects Lakan as a fellow genius. In a surprising turn, his biological father, who lost power in this coup, was freed from a life he hated and is now grateful, having become an obsessive agricultural researcher. Lahan's relationship with his biological older brother is more complicated; his brother resents him for the family betrayal but is ultimately kind-hearted and often manipulated by Lahan for his own ends.
Lahan’s relationship with Maomao is a central part of his character development. Despite her disdain for his meddling, the two are surprisingly well-synchronized in their thinking. Maomao has learned to translate vague questions into the precise, numerical terms Lahan understands, allowing them to collaborate effectively on problems of mutual interest. While he treats her as an "easy to deal with" person whose logic he can follow, his insensitive suggestions about her bearing a child for Jinshi highlight a significant emotional disconnect.
Lahan possesses several notable abilities beyond his financial genius. His proficiency with the abacus and his talent for "meddling" are equally valuable, as his speculative nature often helps Jinshi solve political cases. However, his talents are not physical; he completely lacks athletic ability, suffers from severe seasickness, and is unable to ride a horse. He has a compulsive need for numerical perfection, which once led him, at the age of five, to cut his older brother's hair in his sleep to make it perfectly straight, with disastrous results. He also has an obsessive preference for the specific arrangement of five columns and eight rows in his writing. In matters of romance, Lahan has no desire to marry and prefers relationships with older women, specifically widows, as he finds them less likely to create complications in his meticulously ordered life. He is noted to have developed a following among women who appreciate his meritocratic worldview, including Yao, a noble-born lady-in-waiting who develops strong feelings for him.