Master

Biodata

Background and History

Li Xiangfan served the Late Emperor as a strategist before his accession and remained a close minister throughout his reign. When the Late Emperor died without sons, Li selected the six-year-old Zhao Huangpu as successor and helped raise him in the capital. Zhao’s later wish to rule independently brought them into conflict 45 71 234.

Li also planned his son Li Chenjing’s future around government service and the continuation of his reforms. He opposed Chenjing’s attachment to Liu Rongrong, ordered her removed from his residence, and later pursued Chenjing and Zhu Bafu with hounds after a confrontation at the household 35 36 38 221.

As Zhao challenged his authority, Li had Zhu Bafu arrested and blamed for an altered poem connected to the Wu household. He later brought her father, Zhu Cong, back from Qingzhou and used his custody to pressure her over the Emperor’s plans. After Zhao’s faction retook control of the capital, Li was removed from court and sent to the Imperial Mausoleum 127 128 234 242 261.

Personality

Li places statecraft, reform, and his understanding of duty above personal attachments. He describes an official as replaceable when necessary and expects Chenjing to follow the political path prepared for him. His devotion to the Late Emperor’s legacy also makes him resist Zhao’s attempt to honor his biological father in the Imperial Ancestral Temple 128 221 234.

His control can be severe even within his family: he refuses to see his daughter Li Danxin during a crisis involving her husband’s family, and he treats Chenjing’s romance as a distraction from political responsibility. After losing his position, he says that the continuation of the reforms and the Emperor’s well-being matter more than whose household holds power 103 104 221 264.

Relationships

• Zhao Huangpu — The emperor whom Li helped place on the throne and mentored from childhood; their bond deteriorates as Zhao seeks independent rule 45 71 128 234.
• Li Chenjing — His son and intended political successor, who increasingly resists the role Li chose for him 104 221.
• Li Danxin — His daughter; he refuses her request for a private meeting about her father-in-law’s case, saying the court must judge it 103 104.
• Zhu Bafu — A political opponent whom he has arrested and later pressures through her father, Zhu Cong 127 128 234.
• The Late Emperor — His former sovereign and longtime associate, whose legacy he remains determined to defend 234.

Trivia

• “Master” is a household form of address, not a unique name. The Long household’s father is also called “Master” in the provided passages; he is a separate character from Li Xiangfan 46 187.