Imperial Guard

Biodata

Authority and Organization

• The Imperial Guard Enforcement Agency operates under the maxim that it may “execute first, report later,” an authority granted by imperial decree. 6
• It recruits people with clean backgrounds as miscellaneous laborers to expand its forces; such laborers may perform duties such as sweeping the agency’s halls. 1
• Candidates at Body Refinement Stage Eight or above may enter the official selection, whose top three finishers receive Commander rank. 6
• The agency is divided into twelve divisions, while the Enforcement Agency oversees affairs. 13
• Iron Guts God-Marquis established the twelve divisions and later held authority over them. 8 56
• The organization maintains a vast intelligence network, with reports gathered by tens of thousands of secret agents across Great Shang and beyond, including the Western Regions, Fusang, and Dali. 27

Rank Structure

Internal Forces

• The twelve divisions include Heavenly, Earthly, and Mysterious-rank Enforcers, as well as thirty-six Heavenly Gang and seventy-two Earth Fiend personnel. 8 115
• The Enforcement Agency had thirty thousand Imperial Guards when the recruitment competition was announced. 6
• The Huang Character Division alone later came under Su Changqing’s command with thirty thousand Imperial Guards. 105
• In a later crisis, one hundred thousand Imperial Guards assembled and prepared to fight Pudu Cihang. 186

Equipment and Identifiers

• Flying Fish Robe — Standard recognizable uniform worn by Imperial Guard personnel; gold-embroidered versions are worn by officers. 1 8
• Spring Embroidered Saber — Standard saber associated with official Imperial Guard status; forged from hundred-refined steel and modeled after the Tang saber. 6
• Waist tokens — Used to identify rank and obtain missions from the Enforcement Agency. 9
• Imperial Guard signal arrows — Used to call nearby personnel into formation during emergencies. 181
• Iron cages and carriages — Used during sweeps to detain suspicious individuals for interrogation. 16

Methods and Duties

Intelligence and Investigation

• The Imperial Guard tracks targets’ identities, martial arts, habits, movements, weapons, and known locations before issuing missions. 9
• Its intelligence was sufficient to identify every chief among Cloud Dragon Village’s seven peaks before the suppression campaign. 30
• The organization is known for assassination, investigation, rapid movement, and relaying intelligence. 8
• Its information network is feared even by outsiders; Zhang Cuishan attributed Su Changqing’s knowledge of Xie Xun’s whereabouts to Imperial Guard intelligence. 231

Mission and Merit System

• Advancement depends on merit points earned through missions; points can also be exchanged for secret manuals from Great Shang’s armory. 9
• Missions range from street patrols and investigations to hunting wanted martial artists and raiding officials’ residences. 9 13
• Su Changqing completed ten major missions alone in ten days, reaching 937 merit points. 18

Suppression and Enforcement

• Imperial Guard units conduct street sweeps, arrest suspicious people, and investigate shops under imperial decree. 16
• They participate in joint operations with the East Factory, including the raid on Minister Chen Yuanfeng’s residence. 13 14
• The Guard’s numerical strength can overwhelm powerful martial artists; three thousand Imperial Guards armed with Spring Embroidered Sabers are considered capable of threatening even a Heavenly Gang expert. 79
• During Pudu Cihang’s rampage, Guard personnel formed up despite casualties and answered the call to assemble. 181

History

The Imperial Guard Enforcement Agency recruited Su Changqing as a menial worker after verifying his background, assigning him to sweep the front courtyard of its main hall. At this stage, he had no official standing despite wearing a Flying Fish Robe. 1

After reaching Body Refinement Stage Eight, Su entered the Guard’s brutal hundred-person selection. The competition resulted in numerous deaths and maimings, but Su took first place, became a Subordinate Centurion under Jin Yichuan, and received the Frost Snow Saber. 6 8

The organization’s internal politics became apparent immediately: Chen Mo and Iron Claw Flying Eagle opposed Su Changqing’s rise, while other Guards refused to join his command out of fear of those Centurions. 8 Su nevertheless used the mission system to gain merit, eliminate the Scarlet Blood Scholar, and establish himself as a capable field officer. 9 13

During the suppression of Cloud Dragon Village, Imperial Guard forces split across its mountain peaks. The campaign inflicted heavy casualties; by its aftermath, more than seven hundred Guards remained aboard the returning ship, and the Suppression Bureau feared dropping in the twelve-division rankings. 27 36 40

Su Changqing later rose from Deputy Commander to Imperial Guard Commander and assumed control of the Huang Character Division. 40 105 164 As Marquis Changqing, he could compel members of all twelve divisions to reveal themselves or face expulsion and permanent pursuit. 164 He subsequently ordered the mobilization of all twelve divisions for his own large-scale operation. 225

Key Personnel and Relationships

• Iron Guts God-Marquis Zhu Wushi — Founder of the twelve divisions and holder of authority over them; he uses the Guard as an intelligence and pressure tool against the martial world. 8 56 57
• Su Changqing — Former menial worker who became Subordinate Centurion, Deputy Commander, Imperial Guard Commander, and leader of the Huang Character Division. 1 8 40 105 164
• Jin Yichuan — Imperial Guard Thousand Household who presided over Su Changqing’s selection, defended his promotion, and awarded him the Frost Snow Saber. 6 8
• Zuo Qianhu — One of the strongest Thousand Households; known for fighting with six long sabers and for exceptional hidden-weapon skill. 8 26 29
• Chen Mo — Centurion who became hostile to Su Changqing after the armory incident and later threatened anyone who joined Su’s command. 3 8
• Iron Claw Flying Eagle — Centurion under Zuo Qianhu who accused Su Changqing of being an East Factory mole and opposed his admission to the Guard. 8
• East Factory and West Factory — Rival imperial forces, though both may cooperate with the Guard during operations; their conflict with the Guard is severe enough that killing an opposing agent is treated as a victory. 3 13 14
• Great Shang Emperor — Source of the agency’s imperial authority; the Emperor uses competing institutions such as the Imperial Guard, Dragon Guarding Villa, and the factories to maintain political balance. 6 96

Notable Operations