Imperial Guard

Biodata

Authority and Jurisdiction

• The Imperial Guard is institutionally separate from local yamen offices. Local officials cannot arrest Guard personnel; they must submit a written request to the local Imperial Guard post for internal handling. 1
• Guard Centurions hold the rank of Zheng Sixth Rank, above a county magistrate’s Zheng Seventh Rank. 1
• The organization possesses a feared “right to kill”; its badges are consequently called “killing orders.” 1
• In the Guard’s first thirty years, it executed no fewer than one hundred court officials, while fewer than five people were reportedly held accountable. 1
• Its remit includes investigating heretical cults, which are treated as rebellion against the Great Wu Dynasty. 1
• County Magistrate Xue Shan considers the Guard’s priorities different from those of local government: it pursues credit for suppressing cultists, while local officials must protect county residents from the resulting danger. 12

Organization

Rank Structure

Ming Guard and Dark Guard

• Ming Guard personnel operate openly in Imperial Guard attire, such as Gao Xin. 17
• Dark Guard personnel conceal their identities from everyone except direct superiors. 17
• Dark Guard agents may be embedded throughout Great Wu society as vendors, brothel courtesans, stewards, servants, or other inconspicuous figures. 17

Regulations

The Imperial Guard Soldier Regulations emphasize two core duties:

1. Obey superior orders.
2. Uphold the honor of the Imperial Guard. 45

Posts and Security

• The Changping County Imperial Guard Centurion’s Office is concealed behind the appearance of a large civilian residence, though its high walls, cleared perimeter, and guarded access distinguish it from an ordinary home. 14
• Its security is organized like a barracks, with visible guards and hidden sentries. 27
• Guards normally work in pairs; three pairs form a team and coordinate openly and covertly. 14
• Personnel entering the office may show an Imperial Guard identification badge; regular visitors may eventually be recognized without it. 29
• The office has several hundred members, despite being called a Hundred Households office. 29

Uniforms and Equipment

• Standard straight saber — A lethal, flat-tipped saber with a blood groove along its back; Strongmen and other Guards carry it. 3 29
• Strongman uniform — A plain blue cotton robe rather than a ceremonial Flying Fish Robe. 29
• Imperial Guard badge — Identifies a member’s rank and identity. Su Mo’s badge reads “Imperial Guard Strongman Su Mo” and bears the code “0728.” 28
• Flying Fish Robe — The formal uniform of Captains and higher ranks, representing honor and the Empress’s favor; generally reserved for formal occasions. 29
• Golden powder — Used by three Guards during the Locust God Temple investigation to ignite suspicious entrails, exposing supernatural activity. 3

Operations

Locust God Temple Corpse Case

The Imperial Guard intervened after four desiccated corpses at the Locust God Temple were linked to a suspected heretical cult. Lin Moyin arrived with three armed Guards, and their presence immediately intimidated Changping County’s constables and officials. 1 2

• The Guards ordered the Locust God Temple sealed and declared that anyone seen leaving would be killed without mercy. 2
• Three Guards entered the temple and used golden powder to burn the strange entrails found within. 3
• When four mummified corpses animated, the Guards fought them with straight sabers. Their strikes initially left only shallow wounds, demonstrating the corpses’ unnatural durability. 3
• The three Guards were later identified by Su Mo as Martial Arts Masters; they severed the dry corpses’ limbs as the Corpse Oil Lamp’s flame weakened. 4
• The Imperial Guard ultimately departed with the Corpse Oil Lamp. 4

Heavenly Mother Cult Investigation

• Lin Moyin determined that the Locust God Temple case was part of a Heavenly Mother Cult plot connected to a planned locust plague. 29
• She assigned Su Mo to assist in apprehending cultists and directed attention toward further incidents at City God Temples, Dragon King Temples, and Dragon Gate Cave in Taihe County. 29
• Imperial Guard posts in Tie Shan and An Yang Counties launched arrest operations after cultists were reportedly spotted there. 43
• The operation was misled by impersonators at the City God Temples, as confirmed by an urgent Dark Guard dispatch to Lin Moyin. 43

Relationships

• Sage Empress — The Imperial Guard reports directly to her and serves as her personal enforcement apparatus. 1 27
• Great Wu Dynasty — The Guard enforces imperial authority, monitors officials, and suppresses rebellion. 1
• Local yamen — A separate institution that may be ordered to cooperate with Imperial Guard investigations; local officials fear the Guard’s authority. 1 12
• Lin Moyin — Imperial Guard Centurion and commander of the Changping County Centurion’s Office. 1 14
• Gao Xin — A black-clothed Strongman assigned to alertness and guard duty at Lin Moyin’s office. 14
• Su Mo — Recruited as an Imperial Guard Strongman after returning Lin Moyin’s Golden Lock and passing her test; instructed to continue operating as a yamen runner. 28 29
• Heavenly Mother Cult — A major heretical-cult target whose activities include the Locust God Temple corpse case and suspected locust-plague plot. 29 34

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Corpse Case — The Guard’s arrival raises the Locust God Temple incident from a local investigation to a rebellion-level threat. 1
• Lost Golden Lock — Su Mo returns Lin Moyin’s heirloom through the Changping post, gaining both favorability and a pending Strongman appointment. 14
• Recruitment — Lin Moyin tests Su Mo, issues his Strongman badge, and formally brings him into the Guard. 28
• Heavenly Mother Cult mission — The Guard tasks Su Mo with assisting its cultist investigation, with advancement as high as Squad Leader offered for meaningful contributions. 29
• False-lead arrests — The Guard’s operations in Tie Shan and An Yang are deceived by cultist impersonators, reinforcing the cult’s ability to misdirect Imperial Guard investigations. 43