Imperial Guard

Biodata

Background / History

The Imperial Guard was founded by Great Chu’s Grand Ancestor, Xiang Yu. Though nominally the Emperor’s personal guard, it developed into a secret-agent organization responsible for gathering military and political intelligence, monitoring officials, intervening in martial-world affairs, and investigating major cases. Its Commander, Ling Xiaotian, commands thirty thousand guards. 2 29

The organization’s authority is deliberately checked by the Imperial Surveillance Bureau, an agency created by the Emperor to prevent the Imperial Guard from colluding with officials or becoming uncontrollable. Imperial Guard regulations contain extensive restrictions imposed by the Bureau. 2

The Guard’s prestige is rooted in its status as an extension of imperial authority. Other officials observe the convention that an Imperial Guard officer ranks “three levels higher” in encounters; troops refused Cao Renqi’s order to attack Guard officers because besieging them was treated as an act against the Emperor himself. 8 16 44

Organization

Command hierarchy

Major offices

• Imperial Guard Headquarters — Located before the Imperial City; the central command led by the Commander of the Imperial Guard. 96
• Eastern Pacification Office — Led by Azure Dragon. 98
• Southern Pacification Office — Led by White Tiger. 98
• Western Pacification Office — Led by Vermilion Bird. 98
• Northern Pacification Office — Led by Black Tortoise. 98
• Local Guard Posts — Twelve Guard Posts operate beneath the Suzhou command, each led by a Battalion Commander and staffed by roughly fifty guards. 4

Duties and Authority

• Monitor officials — Imperial Riders normally track and observe local officials, while the broader organization supervises the civil and military administration. 4
• Investigate major crimes — Captains investigate serious cases and arrest significant criminals; the Guard handles assassinations, official-silver robberies, political conspiracies, and organized criminal groups. 4 19 230
• Counterespionage — The Guard investigates enemy spies and foreign infiltration, including Japanese spy networks operating in the Capital City. 4 159 185
• Maintain public order — Captains conduct street patrols and are tasked with public safety. 4
• Suppress rebellion and armed organizations — Guard forces surrounded the Five Lakes Association, dismantled the Iron Fork Society, and pursued suspected Western Shu remnants. 24 126 153
• Arrest officials regardless of rank — The organization claims authority to arrest any official who commits a crime, including first-rank officials. 34
• Conduct military and state-security operations — Imperial Guard officers take part in campaigns against foreign threats, including Annan and Persia. 290 458

Uniforms and Insignia

8 16

Recruitment and Training

Imperial Guard recruits are ordinarily selected through formal assessment. Candidates must have clean and verifiable backgrounds, possess martial cultivation or other useful skills, and even low-ranking Captains and Strongmen generally require at least the Postnatal Third Layer. 4

Internal recommendation is another route into service, often used by applicants who do not meet standard requirements. Huang Shaojie entered as a Captain after his father bribed Squad Leader Zhu Shi, who in turn paid a Commander of a Hundred to facilitate the appointment. 1 4

New recruits receive uniforms, a rank token, a saber, basic saber-technique instruction, and documentation covering Guard regulations and case-handling procedures. 1 2

Notable Operations

• Five Lakes Association raid — Niu Ren led Imperial Guard forces in surrounding the association after it was implicated in the theft of 300,000 taels of official silver and the murder of five hundred soldiers. 19 24 25
• Cao Renqi rebellion case — Commander Zhao arrested the Commandant after his soldiers refused to attack the Imperial Guard and join his attempted rebellion. 44
• Capital City missing-women case — Azure Dragon uncovered He Bi’s collusion with the Iron Fork Society; the Guard subsequently raided the society’s headquarters and dissolved it. 125 126
• Japanese spy purge — Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue exposed seven Japanese spy strongholds, while Guard forces raided the Fragrant Flower Brothel and Taihe Merchant Association. 185 186
• Imperial Uncle assassination investigation — Following the murder of the Imperial Uncle and his son, Huang Shaojie was assigned to lead the investigation. 229 230
• Annan campaign — Huang Shaojie infiltrated Annan’s army under a false identity and targeted its General Commander. 290
• Persian invasion response — The organization remained part of Great Chu’s military command during Persia’s invasion; Ling Xiaotian was summoned to oversee the Imperial Guard under Empress Xiang Qingyang. 458

Relations

• Great Chu Emperor / Empress — The Imperial Guard serves as the throne’s direct security, intelligence, and enforcement arm. 2 44 458
• Imperial Surveillance Bureau — Oversight body established to monitor and restrain the Imperial Guard. 2
• Six Gates — Separate constabulary organization; it intervened in the missing-women investigation and intersected with Eastern Pacification Office operations. 109
• Martial arts sects and criminal societies — Frequently investigated, suppressed, or dismantled by the Guard; both righteous and evil factions fear its strength. 126 244
• Local civil and military officials — Subject to Guard supervision and commonly deferential to its officers due to its imperial authority. 8 201 206

Trivia

• Imperial Guard uniforms visibly communicate rank through robe design and token material. 8
• A Captain’s public patrol uniform is sufficiently intimidating that civilians make way and vendors may offer food without payment. 4
• The Four Pacification Commissioners competed openly to recruit Huang Shaojie after his transfer to the Capital City. 98