Xiao Hongxiu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xiao Hongxiu (萧红袖)
Alias(es)	Grand Princess; “Female Prime Minister”
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Da Liang imperial family; Grand Princess’s Manor; Tingxue Tower
Occupation/Role	Grand Princess; court powerbroker; patron of martial artists
Status	Alive
First Appearance	38

Background / History

Xiao Hongxiu is the current Emperor’s elder sister and a dominant political figure in Da Liang’s capital. Known as the “Female Prime Minister,” she commands immense influence at court and maintains a mansion reportedly staffed by three thousand retainers, including martial artists and outlaws. Her unrestricted access to the Imperial Palace’s Grand Library makes her a crucial avenue to the Supreme Induction Chapter. 38

At Tingxue Tower, she recruits martial artists by offering a reward for completing an incomplete ancient sword manual. Ji Ye’s interpretation of its final line—“When man harbors killing intent, heaven and earth are overturned”—and his demonstration of swordsmanship earn her genuine interest. 38 39

She subsequently offers Ji Ye access to the imperial library in exchange for assassinating Tuli, a Barbarian spy operating from Zuisheng Tower. The arrangement also deliberately provokes the Qin family, whose influence is tied to the tower. 40

After Ji Ye fulfills the task, Xiao Hongxiu personally brings him to Tianlu Pavilion to read the Supreme Induction Chapter. She then appoints him as her Sword Attendant, granting him fourth-rank-equivalent status in the capital. 42 43

Following Ji Ye’s duel with Qin Wuji, she uses his victory to damage the Qin family’s public standing. When the Qin family has Ji Ye appointed commander of the dangerous Divine Machine Battalion, Xiao Hongxiu permits his deployment to Luoyan Pass as a test of whether he can become a weapon capable of opposing her rivals. 47 48 49

Appearance

Xiao Hongxiu is portrayed as exceptionally beautiful but naturally intimidating, with an ice-cold face and a commanding bearing that discourages direct scrutiny. She commonly appears in striking palace attire, particularly red robes that emphasize her authority. 38 45

• Wears magnificent red palace gowns and high-arranged hair adorned with golden hairpins at formal occasions. 45
• Wears a red jade bracelet. 45 47
• Also appears in a purple palace dress while meeting Ji Ye at Tingxue Tower. 48
• Her smile is described as beautiful yet dangerous. 38

Personality

Xiao Hongxiu is intelligent, poised, and openly transactional. She recognizes Ji Ye’s ambition immediately and bargains with him directly, offering access to the Supreme Induction Chapter only in exchange for Tuli’s death. 40

She values talent primarily as political leverage. Although she praises Ji Ye’s swordsmanship and grants him status, she privately regards him as a useful blade against the Qin family—one that can be discarded if it becomes dull. 40 42

Her rivalry with the Qin family is calculated rather than impulsive. She supports Ji Ye at Qin Manor because his victory weakens the family’s prestige, then accepts his northern deployment as a chance to forge him through warfare. 47 48 49

Abilities & Skills

Political Influence

As the Emperor’s elder sister and the “Female Prime Minister,” Xiao Hongxiu can affect court appointments, mobilize elite retainers, and challenge the Qin family’s influence in the capital. 38 48

• Holds sufficient authority to bring Ji Ye into the imperial palace and Tianlu Pavilion. 42
• Appoints Ji Ye as Sword Attendant with status equivalent to the fourth rank. 43
• Uses Ji Ye’s public duel with Qin Wuji to undermine the Qin family’s image. 47 48
• Promises Ji Ye half of Da Liang’s military power should he return alive from Luoyan Pass. 49

Talent Assessment and Manipulation

Xiao Hongxiu is adept at identifying useful people and setting terms that bind them to her interests.

• Recognizes Ji Ye’s potential after witnessing his interpretation of the incomplete sword manual. 38 39
• Tests Ji Ye by assigning him the assassination of Tuli on Qin-controlled ground. 40
• Intends to use Ji Ye as an unaffiliated sword against the Qin family’s rising power. 42
• Understands that Ji Ye is difficult to control, but considers his wildness an asset. 42

Equipment / Items

• Incomplete ancient sword manual — Contains the first half of a text on killing intent; Ji Ye completes its final line through his sword demonstration. 38 39
• Imperial sword collection — Allows Ji Ye to choose a weapon before his duel with Qin Wuji; the collection includes the brittle but extraordinarily sharp sword Bushou. 44
• Sword Attendant jade tablet — A phoenix-carved token issued to Ji Ye, signifying his rank and access in the capital. 43

Relationships

• The Emperor — Her younger brother; Xiao Hongxiu is identified as the current Emperor’s elder sister. 38
• Ji Ye — Her Sword Attendant and political weapon. She grants him access to the Supreme Induction Chapter, supports him against the Qin family, and tests him through military command. 40 42 43 47 49
• Qin Wuji — Political rival by association with the Qin family; she uses Ji Ye’s actions against him to challenge Qin influence. 40 47 48
• Qin Muzhi — Head of the Qin family and an opposing force in court politics. 45 48
• Eunuch Zhao — Guardian of Tianlu Pavilion; Xiao Hongxiu shows him formal respect when bringing Ji Ye to read the Supreme Induction Chapter. 42
• Liu Bai — Sword expert serving at her manor; his defeat by Ji Ye helps convince Xiao Hongxiu of Ji Ye’s worth. 38 43
• Unnamed man in black — Her half-step Grandmaster protector and enforcer. 38 40 49

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment at Tingxue Tower

Xiao Hongxiu tests Ji Ye after he dismisses the conventional approach to her incomplete sword manual. His sword demonstration reveals the manual’s intended meaning and convinces her to recruit him. 38 39

Assassination of Tuli

She commissions Ji Ye to kill Tuli, a Barbarian spy, offering access to the imperial library as payment. The task simultaneously removes an enemy agent and creates conflict with the Qin family. 40 41

Tianlu Pavilion and Sword Attendant Appointment

After receiving Tuli’s head, Xiao Hongxiu honors her agreement and escorts Ji Ye to Tianlu Pavilion. She promotes him to Sword Attendant after he survives reading the Supreme Induction Chapter. 42 43

Conflict with the Qin Family

Xiao Hongxiu provides Ji Ye with access to her sword collection before his confrontation with Qin Wuji. She later intervenes politically after Ji Ye wounds Qin Wuji, leaving Qin Manor with Ji Ye at her side. 44 47

Luoyan Pass Deployment

When the Qin family recommends Ji Ye for command of the Divine Machine Battalion, Xiao Hongxiu recognizes the move as an attempt to send him to his death. She allows the deployment, viewing Luoyan Pass as the crucible that may turn him into a weapon strong enough to alter Da Liang’s balance of power. 48 49

Notable Quotes

“A good blade should be used to kill the hardest targets.” 40

“I need a sword. A sword with no roots, no attachments, and one sharp enough.” 42

“If he can return alive, I dare to give him half of Da Liang’s military power.” 49