Xiao Qianyu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xiao Qianyu (萧千屿) 1
Alias(es)	False Crown Prince; Crown Prince 1 15
Gender	Male 145
Affiliation	Eastern Palace; founder and master of Tingfeng Pavilion; recognized master of Willow Manor 110 137
Occupation/Role	Crown Prince of Great Xi; former professional villainous male supporting character 1 254
Status	Alive; active as Crown Prince 263
First Appearance	Chapter 1: “The Guillotine”

Background / History

Before entering Great Xi, Xiao Qianyu was a professional villainous male supporting character who had endured repeated imprisonment, mutilation, betrayal, and destruction across countless worlds. When the supporting-character systems rebelled, System 007 forcibly sent him into the body of a condemned “False Crown Prince,” Xiao Qianyu, moments before execution. He entered the new world without the original owner’s memories. 1 12 24

He survived the execution grounds by using Golden Fingers accumulated during prior missions. Lightning freed him from his shackles, a defensive shield stopped an arrow assassination, and further lightning killed the attackers. The public interpreted these events as Heaven validating his claim, allowing him to reclaim his standing as Crown Prince. 3 7 8

Xiao Qianyu later learned that the body he inhabits is connected to Prince Jiujiang’s Heir and the Heir’s Consort, Liu Wanning. Willow Manor accepted him as its master after he produced its jade token, and its three thousand abandoned soldiers became a potential force under his protection. 60 133 137

Appearance

Xiao Qianyu is described as a strikingly beautiful, pale young man whose cold presence makes others instinctively wary. His former attendants note that his original warmth has been replaced by an unfamiliar, icy detachment. 15 24 183

• Narrow, cold phoenix eyes that can make others feel as though they are being looked down upon. 15 87
• Pale skin and lips, with an outwardly fragile appearance that contrasts with his fierce bearing. 15
• A frost-like, distant temperament likened to standing atop a snow-capped peak. 15
• Often presents himself with calm, regal composure even during violence, interrogation, or political confrontation. 145 191

Personality

Xiao Qianyu views the world through the lens of survival. He does not consider his conflict with Emperor Yongchang a matter of filial resentment or moral right and wrong; to him, it is a struggle between positions. Having spent countless lives serving as a protagonist’s foil, he is determined to become the protagonist of his own life instead. 12

He has a deep hostility toward protagonists and anyone protected by a “protagonist halo.” This resentment drives his desire to gather villains, cannon fodder, and other discarded characters into a “Villainous Heavenly Group” capable of opposing them. 23 189

Though ruthless, manipulative, and willing to frame or eliminate threats, he is protective toward people he recognizes as his own. He avenges harmed Eastern Palace servants, entrusts major authority to Yu Shumo, supports abandoned soldiers at Willow Manor, and repeatedly acts to improve conditions for commoners. 23 133 174 254

Abilities & Skills

Golden Fingers and Spatial Inventory

Xiao Qianyu retains a spatial inventory containing rewards acquired in previous worlds. His rewards are generally inferior to those granted to protagonists, but remain powerful enough to alter the political situation around him. 2

• Stores and selects Golden Fingers from prior missions. 2
• Uses abilities pragmatically while allowing onlookers to interpret their effects as divine intervention. 7
• His Golden Finger can reveal a character’s predetermined life story through physical contact, particularly when encountering villains, antagonistic supporting characters, or cannon fodder. 22 68 189 261
• The plot-reading ability does not appear to trigger on Xiao Qianyì, whom he identifies as the world’s protagonist. 189

Lightning Manipulation

Xiao Qianyu can summon lightning through a Golden Finger, though he considers its scale far weaker than a protagonist’s equivalent reward. 2

• Freed himself from shackles at the execution ground. 3
• Struck down assassins attempting to flee after attacking him. 7
• Used lightning against Xiao Qianyì’s death warriors during the river pursuit. 149
• His lightning is described as limited in range and, at its weaker end, capable only of bringing rain. 2

Diamond Shield

Xiao Qianyu possesses a defensive Golden Finger called the Diamond Shield. 7

• Creates a barrier that grants immunity to attacks while active. 7
• Protected him from arrows during an assassination attempt at the execution grounds. 7

Martial Ability

Xiao Qianyu is capable with both sword and bow, and is willing to fight personally when pursuing Xiao Qianyì. 16 144 145

• Wounded Xiao Qianyì during their confrontation in Emperor Yongchang’s bedchamber. 16
• Pursued Xiao Qianyì beyond the capital and fired multiple arrows at him. 144
• Held his own in close combat, disarmed and wounded Xiao Qianyì, and survived an attempted castration. 145

Political Manipulation and Organization

Xiao Qianyu uses public fear of Heaven’s punishment, court rivalries, intelligence networks, and material resources to build independent power. 13 110 170

• Pressures Emperor Yongchang through public legitimacy and the threat of appearing opposed to Heaven. 13 31
• Builds Tingfeng Pavilion into an intelligence organization under Yu Shumo. 110
• Recruits officials, guards, scouts, and military personnel loyal to his interests. 43 157 254
• Uses the wealth seized from the Yongkang Marquis Residence to fund commercial ventures, maritime trade plans, and an Industrial Research Institute. 229

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Sword presented as a “Divine Artifact” — Xiao Qianyu claims Heaven bestowed the blade upon him to detect evil spirits; he uses this story to discredit Xiao Qianyì. 16
• Golden Fingers — accumulated rewards from his prior transmigration missions, stored in his spatial inventory. 2
• Ink Jade Twin-Fish Pendant — one half is given to Yu Shumo as proof that no one except Xiao Qianyu may command him as Tingfeng Pavilion’s master. 110
• Willow Manor Jade Token — establishes its bearer as Willow Manor’s master and secures the loyalty of its soldiers. 133 137

Relationships

• System 007 — Xiao Qianyu’s supporting-character system. Its involvement in the system rebellion results in him being thrown into Great Xi as the condemned False Crown Prince. 1 12
• Yu Shumo — personal eunuch, trusted subordinate, and master of Tingfeng Pavilion. Xiao Qianyu calls him the person he trusts most and relies on him for intelligence, covert operations, and political schemes. 23 110 218
• Xiao Qianyì — the world’s protagonist and Xiao Qianyu’s primary rival. Xiao Qianyu repeatedly attempts to have him executed or killed, while Xiao Qianyì’s apparent protagonist halo repeatedly allows him to escape. 15 145 150
• Emperor Yongchang — nominal imperial father and political opponent. Their relationship devolves into a direct struggle over authority, succession, public opinion, and the future of Great Xi. 12 170 171
• Empress Changsun — publicly Xiao Qianyu’s mother within the imperial family. Their relationship becomes openly hostile after she moves against him and attempts to cripple him. 87 114 115
• Empress Dowager — raised Xiao Qianyu in childhood and once shared a close bond with him, but their relationship breaks down over her protection of Xiao Qianyì and Duke Chengen’s Manor. 4 13 20 124
• Prince Jiujiang’s Heir — Xiao Qianyu’s biological father. Their alliance is founded on mutual ambition and manipulation; Xiao Qianyu repeatedly exploits his father’s paranoia and desire for power. 53 59 176 226
• Liu Wanning / the Heir’s Consort — Xiao Qianyu’s biological mother. He shows her an unusual degree of care, while she struggles to accept his ruthlessness and the consequences of his actions. 60 61
• Huo Zhizhou — personal guard and military subordinate. Xiao Qianyu entrusts him with protection, pursuits, and sensitive assignments. 61 133 218
• Liu Zheng — the original body’s reading companion. Xiao Qianyu permits him to remain nearby only after establishing that Liu Zheng can be useful to his plans. 177 183
• Prince Gong — senior royal relative who initially supervises Xiao Qianyu’s execution, later advises him to moderate his grievances and serves as a cautious supporter. 1 43

Story Role / Major Arcs

Execution Grounds and Restoration

Xiao Qianyu begins the story awaiting execution for treason and impersonating the Crown Prince. By using lightning, the Diamond Shield, and a June snowfall challenge, he turns a public execution into apparent proof of Heaven’s favor and forces the court to restore his authority. 1 3 7 8

Return to the Eastern Palace

After returning to the palace, Xiao Qianyu abandons the original Crown Prince’s gentle image. He confronts Emperor Yongchang, uses the “Divine Artifact” incident to portray Xiao Qianyì as an evil spirit, and begins punishing those responsible for the suffering of his Eastern Palace attendants. 11 16 23 29

Building His Own Power Base

Xiao Qianyu selects personal guards, establishes Tingfeng Pavilion under Yu Shumo, acquires Willow Manor’s loyalty, and begins placing trusted people in military and intelligence roles. 43 110 133 137

Pursuit of Xiao Qianyì

When Xiao Qianyì escapes the Imperial Prison, Xiao Qianyu anticipates the prison break, arranges traps, personally leads the pursuit, and repeatedly tries to kill him. Xiao Qianyì nevertheless escapes through a series of improbable circumstances, reinforcing Xiao Qianyu’s belief in the protagonist halo. 140 144 146 150

Court Purges and Reform

Xiao Qianyu weakens Duke Chengen’s faction, pressures Marquis Dingyuan into suicide, recruits lower-ranking officials, and increasingly rivals Emperor Yongchang for control of the court. He also advocates policies such as protections for widows seeking remarriage and uses his authority to address abuses against commoners. 132 170 171

Expansion Beyond the Palace

After seizing the Yongkang Marquis Residence’s wealth and intelligence, Xiao Qianyu expands Tingfeng Pavilion, dismantles Prince Jiujiang’s covert network in the capital, develops printing and commercial ventures, and plans maritime trade and an Industrial Research Institute. 185 217 229

Notable Quotes

“Who said a supporting character couldn't become the protagonist of their own life?” 12

“If I can't kill him in one go, I'll slowly erode his luck until his protagonist's halo crumbles into dust.” 150