Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Lu Yao (陆遥) |
| Alias(es) | “Uncle Lu,” as addressed by Jiang Yingcheng; “Yan Lie,” an identity used during an undercover operation 156 220 |
| Gender | Male 176 |
| Affiliation | Great Rui imperial court; Embroidered Uniform Guard; Eastern Depot 25 92 154 |
| Occupation/Role | Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; investigator and interrogator serving Emperor Mingze 25 267 |
| Marital Status | Unmarried 308 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 9, receiving investigative orders from Jiang Yanchuan 9 |
Background / History
Lu Yao became acquainted with Duke Wang Jinglun through the duke’s approachable manner. Their friendship deepened after Duke Wang pleaded for him when Emperor Mingze intended to punish him for mishandling official business, sparing Lu Yao a beating 35.
Before Duke Wang’s treason case, Lu Yao privately investigated Gu Yurou, an orphan girl the duke had taken into his household. Although he found nothing incriminating, he warned Duke Wang to remain cautious. The duke dismissed his concerns and insisted that he was an excellent judge of character 35.
Lu Yao’s duties include investigating corruption, monitoring political factions, and uncovering foreign conspiracies. Early in the story, Jiang Yanchuan orders him to investigate every crime committed by Minister of Personnel Liu Zhengqing and infiltrate Pan Jifeng’s residence 9.
Appearance
- Relatively lean physique: Jiang Yingcheng calls him “a little scrawny” compared with Duke Wang, Lei Zhixin, and Gao Siyuan. Her repeated admiration for muscular men becomes a sore point for him 115 156.
- Official attire: He wears an official robe when summoned for duty and carries an identifying token at his waist 176 300.
- Undercover appearance: He adopts a different face while posing as Yan Lie during the investigation of Shao Xuan 219 220.
Personality
Lu Yao combines genuine concern for justice with an unabashed appetite for official achievements. The suffering of ordinary petitioners and upright officials leaves him privately sorrowful, and Zhang Ding’an’s brutality provokes real anger. Nevertheless, he eagerly treats Yingcheng’s revelations as opportunities to earn credit, secure resources, and strengthen his agency 154 156 202.
He is resourceful, competitive, and willing to use indirect methods. He arranges apparently innocent outings to place Yingcheng near unresolved cases, repeats her discoveries as official intelligence, and uses opponents’ household scandals to silence them at court. His confidence can become theatrical, especially after winning an argument 92 154 155 311.
His affection for Yingcheng is more than professional dependence. He shields her from potentially dangerous companions, tries to keep her away from unpleasant prison surroundings, shares pastries with her, and is touched when she defends him. He also stops her from using Yu Xingmian to visit the Heavenly Fragrance House 151 161 200 204.
Despite his formidable office, Lu Yao is easily startled and embarrassed. Jiao Hongmiao’s sudden appearance frightens him into running away with Yingcheng, while apparently threatening gestures from Yue Henqing and Ding Ruihan trigger conspicuous overreactions. His colleagues frequently leave him to explain these mistakes alone 202 318 348.
Abilities & Skills
Hearing Jiang Yingcheng’s Thoughts
Lu Yao discovers that he can hear Yingcheng’s unspoken thoughts when summoned before the emperor 25.
- Learns information that Yingcheng obtains from her system, including hidden identities, witnesses, evidence locations, and political schemes 35 92 156.
- Uses ordinary explanations—such as inspections or prison visits—to encourage her to investigate without revealing that he can hear her 34 92.
- Presents her discoveries as intelligence gathered by his organization when necessary 96 154 311.
- Limit: He cannot reliably remember a rapid succession of revelations. After hearing evidence against nearly ten officials, he recruits other listeners to reconstruct the information 156.
- Limit: Her attention can shift from useful evidence to unrelated gossip, leaving him without an answer during a confrontation 153.
Investigation and Interrogation
Lu Yao directs searches, questions prisoners, and turns hidden information into actionable investigations.
- Finds Yun Ying in Hong Song County through a house-to-house search after receiving the location from Yingcheng’s thoughts 37.
- Records Yu Xingmian’s account of corruption and an illegal salt operation 160 161.
- Uses Yingcheng’s Delaying Potion to restore poisoned prisoners’ mental faculties sufficiently for interrogation 291.
- Prepares separate public-facing and confidential reports to conceal sensitive information from Yingcheng 291.
- Examines Ding Ruihan’s letter for signs of poison before handing it to the emperor 348.
- Limit: System-derived knowledge does not automatically supply admissible or recoverable evidence; ministers challenge him on this distinction during Zhang Ding’an’s case 153 155.
Covert Operations and Command
Lu Yao coordinates guards, infiltrators, and allied specialists.
- Orders surveillance and undercover work against the Pan faction and Prince Jing’s network 9 147 187.
- Supplies Wu Leyong with disguise materials and Embroidered Uniform Guard waist tokens for an operation in Mengzhou 187.
- Directs Shadow Guards to infiltrate a courtyard, drug its guards, and replace them with look-alikes 219.
- Maintains his Yan Lie disguise through an improvised confrontation when Shao Xuan tests his identity 220.
- Uses Wu Leyong’s copying skills to arrange a duplicate of a valuable phoenix-carved jade pendant 221.
- Limit: His concealment expertise does not allow him to detect Bai Erfu while she uses the Turtle-Breathing Technique 314.
- Limit: Great Rui’s expanding surveillance responsibilities stretch his available manpower and leave gaps in monitoring 353.
Martial Arts
Lu Yao has martial training, but the supplied chapters do not identify his realm or document any advancement 161.
- Archery: Fires the arrow that strikes the assassin found near Consort Lan’s courtyard 34.
- Swordsmanship: Fights Shao Xuan alongside Xu Jiu’s group and leaves a cut across Shao Xuan’s neck 220.
- Acupoint striking: Silences detained people by striking their mute acupoints 272.
- Protection: Helps hold the defensive line around noncombatant officials while Jiang Yanchuan fights the bandits in Xian Town 315.
- Rapid response: Draws his Flexible Sword immediately when assassins attack the emperor 552.
Equipment / Weapons / Items
- Flexible Sword — Carried at his waist and drawn during confrontations with Bai Erfu, Yue Henqing, and assassins 314 318 552.
- Bow — Used to shoot the assassin; subsequently given by Yingcheng to Seventh Prince Jiang Xingran 34.
- Official waist token — Identifies his authority; he deliberately reveals it to alarm the County Magistrate of Quchun 300.
- Notebook and brush — Purchased after his difficulty remembering Yingcheng’s revelations; used to record Yu Xingmian’s testimony, with Liaochen’s back serving as a writing support 156 160 161.
- Delaying Potion — Supplied by Yingcheng to slow poison’s effects and make captured conspirators available for questioning 290 291.
- Intelligence notes and letters — Receives transcribed revelations from Shadow Guards and a substantial dossier assembled from Yingcheng’s information 151 291.
Relationships
- Jiang Yingcheng — Affectionate “uncle” figure, protector, and chief beneficiary of her hidden intelligence. She praises him, shares food with him, gives him investigative leads as “presents,” and stages a fall to support him against Wan Pu 156 162 200 204.
- Jiang Yanchuan / Emperor Mingze — Sovereign and direct superior. They coordinate investigations and discreetly conceal the source of Yingcheng’s information 9 157 291 353.
- Duke Wang Jinglun — Close friend who once saved him from punishment. Lu Yao works to clear the duke’s name, but their friendship includes teasing, pointed reminders of ignored warnings, and retaliatory jokes 35 156 372.
- Yu Xingmian — Intelligence counterpart and competitive foil. Lu Yao tries to recruit him into the Embroidered Uniform Guard, only for Yingcheng to secure his appointment elsewhere and leave Lu Yao with additional work 161 162.
- Liaochen — Fellow protector of Yingcheng and frequent investigative companion. Lu Yao borrows his back as a writing desk and later questions him about Yingcheng’s battle against Scarface’s gang 161 317.
- Wu Leyong — Specialist whose disguise and copying skills become increasingly valuable to Lu Yao’s operations. Lu Yao progresses from cautious cooperation to respectfully addressing him as “Master Wu” 187 221.
- Jiao Hongmiao — Colleague and rival over confiscated wealth. Jiao challenges Lu Yao’s claim to Wan Pu’s shops, insisting that proceeds belong first to the national treasury 202 203.
- Kan Ruifeng and Lei Zhixin — Operational allies involved in the Pan Residence stakeout and protection of the emperor’s traveling party 149 315.
Story Role / Major Arcs
| Arc / Event | Chapters | Lu Yao’s involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Early court investigations | 9 25 | Receives orders against Liu Zhengqing and the Pan household; subsequently discovers that he can hear Yingcheng’s thoughts. |
| Assassin and Duke Wang’s treason case | 34 35 37 | Agrees to credit Xingran with his arrow shot, brings Yingcheng to Duke Wang’s prison, and finds the surviving witness to Gu Yurou’s framing scheme. |
| Eastern Depot inspection | 92 94 97 | Outmaneuvers other officials to bring Yingcheng to the Depot. Her discoveries identify Su Hongzhen and locate his accomplices; Lu Yao later hosts a lunch supporting the investigation into Zhuang Xuyao’s betrayal. |
| Ao Jiarong’s crimes | 115 | Presents evidence gathered partly from Yingcheng’s clues after Ao criticizes her handling of another case. |
| Pan Residence operation | 147 149 | Coordinates personnel, checks Yingcheng’s destination, and signals the operation’s start with Kan Ruifeng. |
| Embankment corruption | 153 154 155 156 157 | Accuses Zhang Ding’an, defeats ministers’ challenges with damaging revelations, recites a destroyed letter’s wording, and has Zhang arrested. He then helps assemble leads for tracing the wider network. |
| Yu Xingmian negotiations | 159 160 161 162 | Records Yu’s intelligence and uses the infiltration of the Ink Rain Association as bargaining leverage. His recruitment attempt fails when Yingcheng offers Yu an imperial position. |
| Prince Jing surveillance | 187 | Supports Wu Leyong and Zhong Chengwang with disguise supplies, authority tokens, and agents stationed in Mengzhou. |
| Inner Palace Bureau corruption | 200 201 202 203 204 | Follows Yingcheng’s fabricated complaint to Hou An and Wan Pu, learns of bribery and drug smuggling, and seeks control of the suspects and confiscated assets. |
| Danxia conspiracy | 219 220 221 245 267 272 | Infiltrates Shao Xuan’s meeting, helps observe the poisoning plot against Zhujin’s ruler, participates in subsequent arrangements, and receives orders to interrogate Shao Xuan. |
| Post-banquet interrogations | 290 291 | Questions poisoned captives using Yingcheng’s medicine and dossier, uncovers additional intelligence, and races to deliver his report to the emperor. |
| Quchun investigation | 300 304 | Reveals his official authority and attempts to expose the connection between fake treasure maps and emerging rebel organizations. |
| Xian Town | 311 314 315 317 318 319 | Helps protect the traveling officials, investigates Yingcheng’s defeat of Scarface’s gang, appears to encourage exaggerated stories about her, and nearly attacks Yue Henqing before recognizing him as a petitioner. |
| Pleasure-boat intelligence | 348 350 353 | Screens Ding Ruihan’s letter and supplies cover explanations for sensitive information while Prince Jing’s faction is listening. |
| Later investigations and threats | 370 372 379 386 528 531 552 | Continues facilitating Yingcheng’s information-gathering, intervenes in public cases, anticipates new achievements, and responds to an assassination attempt against the emperor. |
Notable Quotes
“Does any other official question our Embroidered Uniform Guard’s ability to gather intelligence?” 155
“Master, I’m only borrowing your back for a little while. Don’t be so stingy.” 161
“The young miss is so adorable! I want an adorable daughter like her someday, too!” 329
Trivia
- Chu Dong once clung to the unmarried Lu Yao so persistently that Lu Yao secretly investigated whether he had defected to the enemy. Other officials later connect the behavior to Chu Dong being expelled from his own home 308.
- When he mistakes Ding Ruihan’s movement for a threat, he explains his drawn sword by claiming her zither playing inspired him to perform a sword dance 348.
- His dramatic arrival with an interrogation report is so sudden that Yingcheng refuses to believe he is not a ghost until her system confirms his identity 291.