Character Index

General Shu: Patriarch of the Shu clan, Yunqi's grandfather.

Zhou Hong and Zhou Yong: The First and Second Princes, they were deposed after their mother was deposed from the seat of Empress. The marriage of Zhou Hong, the First Prince, to a bride from the Gongsun clan was the last straw for the Emperor, who knew what his in-laws were aiming for by marrying one of their own to the heir-apparent.

Shu Yunsong: Yunqi's uncle, the second son of General Shu and older brother to the Wise Consort. He previously went to see Yunqi in secret, leading to a crisis later down the line when Xianchun caught wind of the illegal visit (since Yunsong is not allowed to leave his post without permission as a military officer).

Shu Yunzhi: Yunqi's uncle, the first son of General Shu.

Shu Zhengyan: Yunqi's cousin, a headstrong young man who was sent back to the Shu clan after causing trouble, replaced by Shu Zhengyu, his more mild-mannered younger brother.

Zhou Yunqi: The Fifth Prince, allied with the Third Prince. In a very delicate political position.

Wei Guang: The Imperial Edict Bearer, Minister of Censure, and Kayla's godfather.

Xiang Daozong/Qu Boyong: The Lord of the Xiang clan, nephew of the Emperor through his mother, the Princess of Chu (Emperor's half-sister).

Lin Yaoguang: The pseudonym used by the Grand Duke's money launderer. Zhao Wei, the former Minister of War, claimed that to his knowledge, no actual person by the name of Lin Yaoguang exists, but rather a network of people operating under one name. Kayla was desperate to find this "Lin Yaoguang" when she was pressured to pay back the Grand Duke's bribes but couldn't find where he placed his funds. Thanks to the Emperor's help, the immediate pressure was lifted, though Kayla has continued to look into the matter.

Zhou Kuang: The Third Prince, contender for the throne.

Zhou Xianchun: The Seventh Prince, contender for the throne.

Sir Yang: An eunuch who serves the Emperor.