Emperor Mingze

Biodata

Background / History

Mingze is described by System 007 as the youngest emperor in Great Rui’s history. In its account of the original storyline, his sixteen-year reign triples the country’s territory and profoundly influences later generations. His achievements are accompanied by a reputation for harsh methods and vicious treatment of prisoners of war, leaving his legacy equally praised and condemned 2.

He has fought for years and is particularly feared for interrogation methods that make prisoners wish for death. His recent campaigns also place a heavy burden on the population: taxes are already extremely high after repeated warfare over the preceding two years 3 44.

Before Jiang Yingcheng’s revelations, Mingze has already appointed the empress’s son as crown prince. Nevertheless, supporters of the fourth prince remain active, backed by the influential Pan family. Mingze has long wanted to move against that family but lacks sufficient evidence to act safely against its deeply rooted connections 9 49.

His accession was not peaceful. He has both used and endured underhanded political schemes, experience that allows him to distinguish genuine affection from calculated appeals to his authority 254.

Despite his reputation as a tyrant, later accounts emphasize his benevolent domestic government and sustained efforts to strengthen Great Rui. The enemy kingdoms’ portrayal of him contrasts with the loyalty of officials such as Chu Zian and with the difficulty rebels face in finding a credible justification for overthrowing him 512 534.

Foretold Fate

• Illness and poisoning: Yingcheng’s thoughts state that Mingze will die of poisoning in three years. Her description of his overwork and declining health matches the imperial physicians’ assessments 2 4.
• Hidden perpetrator: 007 identifies an enemy general as the poisoner and Jiang Huai’an as the person who enables his entry into the palace. Mingze cannot hear 007 directly, so this explanation is not automatically available to him 2.
• Succession crisis: Yingcheng predicts that Huai’an will attempt to force him from the throne, that the story’s male lead will seize power and nearly ruin Great Rui, and that Jiang Xingran will eventually reclaim the throne and restore the country 4.
• Intervention: Rather than treating these outcomes as inevitable, Mingze begins reconsidering the princes’ upbringing and investigating the threats disclosed through Yingcheng 4 9.
• Later survival: His disappearance during the Beiming campaign becomes the basis for rumors and a rebellion, but he subsequently reappears alive after conquering Beiming. These developments do not establish that the original poisoning prediction has been fulfilled 471 532 540.

Government and Military Priorities

• Personal frugality: Keeps everyday expenses restrained and directs savings toward military supplies. He does not withhold the consorts’ monthly allowances and continues bestowing rewards despite rarely lingering in the harem 129 289.
• Military technology: Personally safeguards Li Hongjun’s blueprints for equipment already used by Great Rui, including Mechanism Crossbows and Crane-Feather Arrows. Foreign spies continue seeking access to these designs 71.
• Petitioners’ access: Although feared for his methods, he is described as exceptionally merciful in matters concerning the Grievance Drum. Officials’ killing of a petitioner before the grievance could be heard therefore represents an abuse of the process rather than his stated approach 153.
• Dependent kingdoms: Generally treats the smaller kingdoms dependent on Great Rui with relative leniency, including allowing comparatively relaxed rules at the New Year’s Banquet 266.
• Protection of vulnerable people: Detests the buying and selling of young girls and regards corrupt officials involved in such networks with particular hostility 372.
• Resettlement pledge: Personally promises the residents of Spring Renewal Valley peaceful and prosperous lives if they relocate to Great Rui 463.

Appearance

• Face: Exceptionally handsome, with sword-like brows, star-like eyes, a high, straight nose, and sharply defined features 1 9.
• Bearing: His casual presence exerts overwhelming pressure, reflecting his established authority as sovereign 1.
• First-seen clothing: A black cloud-brocade robe embroidered with a nine-clawed golden dragon, partly covered by a dark blue cloak 1.
• Physical resemblance: Jiang Xingran resembles him in both facial features and icy demeanor; the physician’s examination prompts a comparison to a miniature Mingze 4.
• Scent: Yingcheng notices his ambergris fragrance when he carries her 39.
• Resemblance to Prince Jing: As children, he and his younger brother looked sufficiently alike that Pan Jingwan mistook Mingze’s kindness for Prince Jing’s 173.
• Combat bearing: During the fighting in Xian Town, his cold expression and bloodless robes make him appear more terrifying than the bandits he is cutting down 315.
• Disguise: Dresses as an Imperial Guard while preparing to observe the court during the crisis surrounding Prince Xin’s approaching army 532.

Personality

Mingze is controlled, observant, and difficult to read. Even after hearing predictions of his own death, he maintains a composed exterior. He initially considers hearing a child’s thoughts absurd and insists on verifying their accuracy through physical evidence before trusting them 2 4.

His calmness can be more frightening than anger. When Lu Yao reports Liu Zhengqing’s extensive crimes, Mingze receives the news with a relaxed posture and faint smile, unsettling the commander. He also conceals suspicion behind courtesy, publicly thanking Liu for his work while privately arranging a thorough investigation 6 9 13.

His treatment of Yingcheng reveals an unusually tender side. Noble Consort Rou, accustomed to his coldness even toward Jiang Huai’an, is alarmed to see him soothing the crying princess. He welcomes her gifts, carries her through court, and makes room for her beside him during official meetings 11 22 28 39.

His earlier indifference to inner-palace affairs has allowed Rou to dominate other households. By contrast, he shows practical consideration for his officials, providing winter shelter and allowing them to wait inside the heated court hall 22 37.

His habitual approach to his children was to let them grow largely on their own; Yingcheng becomes the conspicuous exception. He recognizes that Huai’an’s flattering concern is directed toward the sovereign’s power, whereas Yingcheng’s affection is directed toward him as her father 199 254.

His indulgence does not eliminate parental discipline. He uses an imaginary rattan cane to frighten the children, challenges Yingcheng’s excuses for overdue lessons, and keeps track of her efforts to evade restrictions on sweets 113 157 478. He also manipulates situations playfully, including sending her on an errand so he can conduct official business without her 375.

Mingze is capable of selective leniency. He rewards Noble Consort Qing’s voluntary disclosure instead of punishing her, appoints Zhong Chengwang despite his involvement in an attempt on the emperor’s life, and later pardons Jiang Lifeng and Ding Ruihan for disrespect 130 146 363.

His protectiveness is especially forceful when Yingcheng is threatened. In Xian Town, he focuses his attack on the puppet-maker who threatened his young companion; during the Lantern Festival ambush, he shields Yingcheng while arranging protection for the princes 315 552.

He remains skilled at concealing emotion even in domestic situations. After learning that Yingcheng is not a biological princess, his anger at the deception subsides as he sees the many consorts and officials assembled to defend her 276. During later court proceedings, he maintains an apparently undisturbed expression despite her unusual behavior, prompting the officials to marvel at his acting 547.

Abilities & Skills

Hearing Jiang Yingcheng’s Thoughts

Mingze can hear Yingcheng’s unspoken inner voice, gaining information she does not knowingly disclose to him 1 3.

• Discovery: He first hears her admiration of his appearance followed by a warning about his early death 1.
• Verification: He orders a search after hearing about a lost cuff button; its discovery confirms the specific clue she supplied 2.
• Applications: Her thoughts provide leads concerning corruption, palace abuse, enemy infiltrators, and future succession dangers 4 5 22 25 37.
• Proposed condition: He concludes that listeners must share mutual affection with Yingcheng. Her liking Jiang Xingran is initially insufficient because Xingran does not reciprocate 7.
• Limit: He hears Yingcheng’s side of her exchanges, not 007’s voice 2.
• Secrecy: He instructs listeners not to reveal their ability to people who cannot hear her, and redirects court discussion when Gao Siyuan nearly exposes the secret 42 45.
• Protecting Yingcheng’s ignorance: Warns Liaochen, through Jiang Tinghuai, to conceal the group’s ability. Officials later understand that exposing it could make Yingcheng afraid to think freely and provoke Mingze’s displeasure 122 131.
• Recognizing new listeners: Notices Consort Xuan’s reaction when she begins hearing Yingcheng and quietly tells her to listen 138.
• Indirect reporting: Receives written recollections and oral reports from listeners who accompany Yingcheng outside his presence, including Zhong Chengwang’s account before Prince Jing’s court appearance 157 173 176.
• Practical clues: Follows Yingcheng’s mental explanation to dismantle a jeweled hairpin and recover a concealed note from Prince Xin’s redwood box 239.
• Cover stories: Supplies plausible official explanations for information obtained through Yingcheng, including an improvised account of long-term surveillance of suspicious foreigners 353.
• Combined intelligence channels: Also receives information she knowingly submits, such as Guan Xi’s rough map and her ghostwritten notes, while using her thoughts to correct or supplement those reports 216 532.

Martial Ability

Mingze is a martial practitioner with years of wartime experience 3 5.

• During an assassination attempt the month before the opening events, he personally drives a sword through the attacker’s abdomen 31.
• The wounded attacker, later identified as Ji Xiangyang, survives and remains hidden within the palace 31 33.
• He notices Liaochen’s extremely light breathing and steady stance, but cannot personally determine his martial level. Yingcheng’s identification supplies the information that Liaochen is a Martial Arts Grandmaster 122.
• In Xian Town, he takes a heavy sword from an enemy and fights the bandits personally while Lu Yao, Lei Zhixin, and the Shadow Guards protect the noncombatants. He cuts down opponents while avoiding the blood thrown up by his strikes 315.
• He coordinates a sudden formation reversal and the release of concealed poisoned weapons when the bandits bring additional sinister-art practitioners into the fight 315.
• His precise cultivation realm or formal martial rank is not established in the supplied events; his ability to hear Yingcheng does not by itself identify a martial advancement 122 315.

Investigation and Court Control

Mingze combines Yingcheng’s revelations with formal inquiries rather than relying solely on supernatural information 2 9 13.

• Covert intelligence: Uses the Embroidered Uniform Guard to inspect public works, investigate officials, and infiltrate Pan Jifeng’s residence 9.
• Character assessment: Orders checks into officials’ private conduct, including Pu Yuanzhou’s suspected mistress 13.
• Maintaining order: Ends an escalating dispute between military and civil officials with a signal for silence 37.
• Information gathering: Arranges contact between Yingcheng and senior officials; a teaching assistant later reports her classroom revelations to him 39 48.
• Searches under public pretexts: Gives Lei Zhixin full authority over searches around the capital after hearing about Xi Zimo’s hidden fortune, using a minister’s purported missing relative as the stated justification 89.
• Patient network investigations: Delays arresting Tao Yangqiu, Luo Chao, and Du Boshan so their attempts to seek protection will expose their associates 157.
• Prisoner surveillance: Orders Zhang Ding’an placed near a closely watched prisoner referred to only as “that person” 157.
• Diplomatic containment: Punishes Huai’an for failing to protect younger royals and visiting children, compensates the foreign children, and requires their silence while continuing the underground-palace investigation privately 238.
• Strategic misinformation: Initiates damaging rumors about Prince Xin; Prince Xin later counters by exploiting reports of Mingze’s disappearance 523.
• Court loyalty assessment: Attempts to observe the crisis in disguise before answering demands that the emperor appear publicly 532.
• Emergency command: During the Lantern Festival ambush, directs reinforcements to protect the princes while the guards and officials engage the attackers 552.

Diplomacy and Recruitment

• Pressure through concern: Warns the Grand Empress Dowager of a possible rebel assassination plot and offers his personal guards, using the danger to press her to stay 84.
• Captured-enemy leverage: Sees through Su Hongzhen’s feigned unconsciousness and insists on negotiating the terms of his release rather than treating him as a prospective partner 93.
• Foreign marriage proposals: Rejects Zhujin’s attempt to place Xu Suxue in the East Palace, overruling the Crown Prince’s plan to use the exposed spy as a pawn 263.
• Control of diplomatic disputes: Presents himself as an impartial host after the attempt on Xu Mingxian’s life, while inducing the Zhujin ruler to entrust the case to Great Rui 270.
• Recruiting talent: Supports Gu Ruizhou’s service from the shadows, allowing beneficial policies to be advanced through Duke Wang 289.
• Resettlement negotiations: Appeals to Liang Qilüe’s responsibility for Spring Renewal Valley’s residents and accepts Chang Yuan’s and Yu Fan’s decisions to move to Great Rui 463.

Power Progression

Relationships

• Jiang Yingcheng — His publicly recognized eleventh princess and an increasingly cherished companion. Her concealed identity as a substituted child is initially not disclosed to him 8 23. He accepts her affection, protects her place at court, and personally supervises her first lessons 39 41. By the later identity confrontation, he knows she is not a biological princess; his anger at the concealment fades when he sees the breadth of support for her, and he reveals a portrait of her birth mother 276. His continued affection afterward is evident during their travels, the Beiming campaign, and his protection of her during the Lantern Festival attack 315 477 552.
• Jiang Xingran — His seventh son, whom Yingcheng identifies as Great Rui’s future restorer. Mingze initially postpones additional care so Yingcheng has time to improve their relationship 4 9.
• Jiang Huai’an — His fourth son. Yingcheng exposes his framing of Xingran and foretells further cruelty and an attempted seizure of power 3 4 22. Mingze later recognizes the calculation behind his filial displays and imposes seven days’ confinement in Fengjin Hall after his failure to protect the younger royals and foreign children 238 254.
• Fang Siwan / Consort Wan — His consort and Yingcheng’s adoptive mother. She admits that she can hear the princess’s thoughts but conceals the information concerning Jinshu; after their private discussion, her rank rises three levels 23. She later joins the empress and other consorts in defending Yingcheng after the child’s substituted identity is disclosed 276.
• Pan Jingwan / Noble Consort Rou — His consort and Huai’an’s mother. Her influence is shaken when Mingze removes her son from her residence and disregards her collapse 22 23. Her childhood attachment to Prince Jing began with a kindness actually performed by Mingze, for which Prince Jing falsely accepted credit 173. She attempts to frame Yingcheng through a witchcraft accusation and planted doll; Mingze eventually strips her of her noble-consort title 126 130 258. During the later upheaval, she admits joining Prince Xin’s side 538.
• Eunuch Changshun — His longtime chief eunuch and attendant. Both hear Yingcheng’s thoughts; Mingze’s awareness of Changshun’s forewarned poisoning confirms that the emperor shares this knowledge 3 7. Changshun helps maintain the secret and manages sensitive errands, including unveiling the portrait of Yingcheng’s birth mother 276.
• Lu Yao — Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and executor of Mingze’s investigations. He gradually recognizes the connection between the emperor’s unusual assignments and Yingcheng’s revelations 9 13 25. He later compiles the Guard’s solved cases to defend Yingcheng, protects the traveling emperor, and improvises cover stories following Mingze’s lead 276 315 353.
• Lin Jinshu — A prospective study companion whom Mingze recognizes as the future ruler described in Yingcheng’s thoughts. His visible hostility toward her makes Mingze suspicious of his suitability 40 41. Mingze later knows why Yingcheng has brought the boy back to the palace and watches him with an unreadable expression 113.
• Pan Jifeng — Rou’s father and Huai’an’s maternal grandfather. Mingze orders undercover surveillance of his residence 9. Pan repeatedly attempts to obtain Huai’an’s release through emotional appeals to family harmony, but Mingze remains publicly unreadable 198 199 257.
• Yuan Liangping — An official serving concurrently as a teaching assistant, tasked with reporting Yingcheng’s revelations until her teacher can hear them independently 48. His reports later include intelligence about Chancellor Tan’s compromised household 64.
• Jiang Tinghuai — His crown prince and the empress’s son, appointed before the opening revelations 9. Mingze refuses to let a foreign spy become his bride despite Tinghuai’s proposed counter-strategy, and later entrusts him with the regency during the Beiming campaign 263 534.
• Kan Nianzhen / the Empress — His empress and Tinghuai’s mother. Their joint display of affection toward Yingcheng at the New Year’s Banquet strengthens the perceived position of the Crown Prince’s faction 255. She leads the consorts assembled to defend Yingcheng during the identity confrontation 276.
• Jiang Yi’an / Prince Jing — His younger brother. Prince Jing falsely takes credit for Mingze’s childhood kindness to Rou and becomes entangled in the Pan family’s political schemes 173. Mingze receives reports before Prince Jing’s unauthorized visit is discussed at court, where Yingcheng exposes the fabricated Mengzhou disaster used to justify it 176. Rou later invokes Prince Jing’s cooperation with Prince Xin during the rebellion 538.
• Prince Xin — An apparently unobtrusive prince whose underground palace, covert passage, and agents reveal a much greater threat 232 238. Yingcheng discovers that he spread accusations that Mingze poisoned the late emperor and falsified the succession edict; these are presented as Prince Xin’s allegations, not established acts by Mingze 232. Mingze later uses rumor against him and returns to face his rebellion 523 540 541.
• Ye Sangning / Consort Ning — The surviving member of Linyue’s imperial family who pretends to be insane while preserving a treasure map. She submits it to Mingze and asks him to avenge Linyue’s people in exchange for knowledge of the treasure’s mechanisms 55. Her survival, feigned madness, and request for his assistance are later relayed within the Wei clan 409.
• Liaochen — A Martial Arts Grandmaster appointed by Mingze to guard Yingcheng. Mingze protects the secrecy of the inner voice when bringing him into imperial service 122. Liaochen later accompanies Yingcheng through dangerous investigations and the Beiming journey 239 471.
• Zhong Chengwang — Receives an official appointment despite his involvement in an attempt to assassinate Mingze 146. He later reports Yingcheng’s revelations to the emperor before Prince Jing’s court appearance 176.
• Gu Ruizhou — An able and incorruptible former chancellor whose earlier support benefited Prince Jing. Mingze recognizes his strengths and supports his concealed service through policies advanced by Duke Wang 283 289.
• Tan Wenhan — The right chancellor, whose household contains numerous spies. Mingze accompanies Yingcheng to Tan’s mother’s birthday banquet so she can investigate under a legitimate social pretext 64.
• The Grand Empress Dowager — Mingze combines concern for her security with pressure intended to keep her nearby. They also hold a serious private discussion about Yingcheng 84.
• Consort Xuan and Jiang Zhuolan — Mingze investigates the attack on the third prince after Yingcheng exposes Hanying’s false account. He also recognizes Consort Xuan’s new ability to hear Yingcheng 138.
• Liang Qilüe — A respected Beiming general whom Mingze tries to persuade to leave Spring Renewal Valley with its residents. He answers Liang’s distrust of rulers with a personal pledge to protect their welfare 463.
• Guan Zhili — A neglected child raised in Beiming’s palace, revealed in the detailed account as Prince Xin’s son and thus a member of Great Rui’s imperial bloodline. Mingze notices Yingcheng’s unusual concern for him, restrains intrusive onlookers with a cold glance, and permits the mock court through which his abusers are punished 478 479 480. Later, Mingze personally administers Yingcheng’s emergency pills when Zhili is gravely wounded 543.
• The Prince of Nanyang — Mingze’s staunch supporter, who remains confident that the emperor will weather the crisis despite the disappearance rumors 501. His second son, Jiang Lifeng, is Mingze’s nephew 356.
• Qi Zhen — An official whose loyalty belongs to Mingze alone rather than to any competing faction 538.
• Ding Ruihan — A woman trained in the “Slender Horse” trade and sent to approach Mingze. He remains indifferent to her attempts to attract his attention, accepts her letter after a poison check, and later confronts her during the dispute over a missing purse and pledged valuables 347 348 363.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Discovery of the Inner Voice

• Arrives while Huai’an is bullying Xingran over Yingcheng’s injury and hears the princess’s unexpected thoughts about his death 1.
• Tests her knowledge by ordering the snow searched for the culprit’s cuff button 2.
• Has Ying Feng take Huai’an away for questioning and sends the injured Xingran for examination 4.
• Recognizes that Yingcheng’s apparent access to hidden deeds and future events could reduce the difficulty of governing 3 4.

Initial Corruption Investigations

Intervention in Palace Affairs

• Comforts the injured Yingcheng while confronting Rou and Huai’an 22.
• Orders Huai’an moved to Consort Yan’s residence, despite desperate objections from mother and son 22 23.
• Hears that Huai’an will later push the eighth prince into a pond and obstruct his rescue, prompting an immediate darkening of his expression 22.
• Privately questions Consort Fang about Yingcheng’s revelations; their discussion is followed by Fang’s promotion to Consort Wan and relocation to a larger residence 23.

Tutor Selection and Infiltration Threats

• Prepares a seat for Yingcheng in Wuyang Hall and discusses candidates for her tutor with senior officials 24 25.
• Hears her concern that top scholar Weng Zizhen has been replaced by Su Hongzhen, the Northern Frontier’s second prince. Lu Yao reports the same suspicion but lacks conclusive evidence 24 25.
• Receives a portion of a Great Tonic Pill from Yingcheng, presented as a snack, and eats it despite hearing that it is only a modest tonic 28.
• Authorizes Lu Yao to seek Yingcheng’s help with another inquiry, providing a handwritten letter for Changshun 34.
• Later sees through the captured Su Hongzhen’s pretense of unconsciousness and orders Lu Yao to wake him with cold water. He confronts the prince about sending information home and states that the discussion concerns terms of release, not cooperation 93.
• Joins Yingcheng in exposing Su Hongzhen’s humiliating financial dependence and debt to Tan Xinran 93.

Yingcheng’s Attendance at Court

• Brings Yingcheng into Chongyun Hall and seats her behind a specially prepared screen 37.
• After hearing information about suspected Eastern Li agent Gu Yurou, orders the duke’s estate surrounded to prevent escape 37 38.
• Rejects Bi Honglang’s attempt to prohibit the princess from attending court, then carries her into the confidential inner court meeting 38 39.
• Strips Qian Pengyi of office after his protection of the Prince of Nanyang’s heir is exposed, while refraining from the harsher punishment the deception could invite 40.

Education and Continued Intelligence Gathering

• Recognizes Lin Jinshu as a potential future threat but allows Yingcheng’s wishes to shape the study-companion arrangement 41.
• Has Liu Hongfei begin lessons immediately and moves his memorials nearby so he can work while personally supervising the children 41.
• Protects the secret of the audible thoughts when Gao Siyuan uses Yingcheng’s information to expose Qu Kaiyu’s bribery and hidden government silver 45.
• Continues receiving classroom intelligence through Yuan Liangping, including potential evidence against the Pan family 48 49.
• Reads Yuan’s report about spies and scandals in Chancellor Tan’s household, then accompanies Yingcheng to Old Madam Tan’s birthday banquet to support the planned investigation 64.
• Continues dealing with arguments over Yingcheng’s education, including Ke Shaohui’s objection to a military-camp outing and Miao Xinrong’s extended remonstrance 102 189.
• Challenges Yingcheng over unfinished schoolwork when she tries to blame her distraction on the mystery surrounding a prisoner 157.

Linyue’s Treasure and the Dowager’s Security

• Receives Ye Sangning’s treasure map after Yingcheng’s thoughts expose her identity and feigned insanity 55.
• Hears Yingcheng’s discussion of a more detailed map supplied by 007. Ye Sangning then offers knowledge of the treasure’s mechanisms in exchange for vengeance for Linyue’s people 55.
• Remains composed when Yingcheng’s thoughts touch on national destruction and potentially treasonous responses, reassuring his attendants through his lack of anger 55.
• Pressures the Grand Empress Dowager to stay by warning of rebel assassins and offering his personal guards, then speaks privately with her about Yingcheng 84.

Military Support and Palace Protection

• Authorizes a search around the capital after Yingcheng discovers Xi Zimo’s vast embezzled fortune at an estate in Quan’an County 89.
• Observes He Puyu’s accusation against Cheng Yongyan while Yingcheng’s revelations undermine the presented account 100.
• Shows displeasure at Ao Jiarong’s insinuations against Yingcheng’s handling of an affair; Lu Yao produces evidence of Ao’s own crimes, and Ao is taken away 115.
• Takes Yingcheng and several princes to the military camp. Her appreciation of the soldiers’ sacrifices develops into plans to obtain military designs and strategies, before she reveals a spy in the crowd 115.
• Appoints Liaochen to protect Yingcheng after learning that the apparently unremarkable monk is a Martial Arts Grandmaster 122.
• Grants Zhong Chengwang an official post despite his involvement in an assassination attempt 146.

Rou’s Witchcraft Accusation and Renewed Palace Investigations

• Listens as Rou claims Yingcheng’s changed personality indicates witchcraft, while the child’s thoughts expose historian Zeng Wencheng’s profitable sale of Mingze’s birth details 126.
• Learns through Yingcheng’s thoughts that Rou displaced her elder sister’s opportunity to enter the palace and had cherished Prince Jing 126.
• Rewards Noble Consort Qing for voluntarily surrendering the record of her purchase of his birth details 130.
• Faces Pan Chengbi’s offer to resign as a means of protecting Rou and Huai’an. Yingcheng exposes Rou’s planted witchcraft doll and bribery of a maid with an imperial gift 130.
• Gains leads concerning correspondence that could provide leverage against the Pan family and Prince Jing without prematurely alerting them 131 132 133.
• Questions Hanying after Jiang Zhuolan is gravely injured. Yingcheng’s thoughts identify the incident as an attack involving a push and a stone slab, contradicting Hanying’s claim that he slipped 138.
• Recognizes Consort Xuan’s ability to hear Yingcheng and instructs her to listen while the investigation develops 138.
• Confronts renewed corruption surrounding moat repairs, including officials’ suppression and killing of a petitioner trying to reach the Grievance Drum 152 153.
• Delays selected arrests to trace a wider criminal network and orders Zhang Ding’an positioned near a closely monitored prisoner 157.

Prince Jing’s Return and Family Secrets

• Receives reports of Yingcheng’s discovery that Mingze—not Prince Jing—comforted Rou when she was bullied as a child. Prince Jing accepted the credit, leaving Rou’s long-standing affection founded on mistaken identity 173 176.
• Summons Lu Yao and Zhong Chengwang before dawn to prepare for Prince Jing’s appearance at court 176.
• Publicly treats Prince Jing’s unauthorized entry into the capital graciously, describing his purported concern for the people and an administrative delay 176.
• Hears Yingcheng expose the Mengzhou disaster as a fabrication that Prince Jing intended to turn into a real catastrophe if necessary, then calls Lu Yao forward 176.
• Remains unmoved by Pan Jifeng’s later appeals to “family bliss” as a reason to free Huai’an 198 199.

Foreign Envoys and the Underground Palace

• Receives Guan Xi’s rough map of suspicious groups in the capital, supplements it with corrections from Yingcheng’s thoughts, and passes it to Changshun for investigation 216.
• Becomes the intended recipient of evidence from Prince Xin’s underground palace, including revelations of a passage toward the imperial palace and accusations used to turn Prince Jing against him 232.
• Punishes Huai’an with seven days in Fengjin Hall for failing to protect the younger royals and visiting children. The timing prevents him from participating in politically important departures and a return secured through the Pan family’s efforts 238.
• Compensates Sheng Shixu and his companion, requires them to remain silent, and has them escorted away before summoning Lu Yao and Xing Junchu 238.
• Receives the report concerning Xing Hengyi, a Grandmaster captured after following the children into the secret passage. Yingcheng’s thoughts identify Prince Xin’s leverage over him 238.
• Examines the redwood box Yingcheng brings from the hidden chamber and follows her mental clue to retrieve a note from a hollow hairpin. Reading it immediately darkens his expression 239.
• Has Rou forcibly removed after recognizing the calculation behind Huai’an’s display of concern 254.
• Appears with Yingcheng and Empress Kan Nianzhen at the New Year’s Banquet, visibly strengthening the impression that the Crown Prince’s faction has gained the advantage 255.
• Strips Rou of her noble-consort title; the officials understand that action against the Pan family must still proceed gradually 258.
• Refuses the proposed marriage between Xu Suxue and Tinghuai, using the claim that a crown princess has already been selected to block the foreign scheme. The claimed selection is not a finalized marriage arrangement 263.
• Offers to resolve Shao Xuan’s assassination attempt against the ruler of Zhujin and induces Xu Mingxian to entrust the matter to Great Rui 270.

Yingcheng’s Identity and Gu Ruizhou’s Service

• Reviews Lu Yao’s hurriedly compiled record of cases solved through Yingcheng’s thoughts when officials gather to defend her after her substituted identity is exposed 276.
• Confronts the empress and consorts over their implausible explanations for not informing him. His anger fades as he observes the court’s collective determination to protect the child 276.
• Has Changshun unveil a portrait of Yingcheng’s birth mother, a woman who strongly resembles Consort Wan 276.
• Recognizes Gu Ruizhou’s integrity, intelligence, and previous contribution to Prince Jing’s public reputation 283.
• Supports Gu’s move into concealed service, allowing policies beneficial to Great Rui to be advanced through Duke Wang 289.

Incognito Tour and the Wind Brocade Commandery Case

• Personally fights the Xian Town bandits, targeting Six-Fingers after the puppet-maker’s threat against his young companion. His party uses a coordinated poisoned-hidden-weapon counterattack against the reinforcements 315.
• Leads the nighttime expedition into Yuntong Mountain. He avoids Wen Ruxin’s men to preserve secrecy, follows Yue Henqing through the formation, and relies on Jiao Hongmiao’s recorded intelligence about the mechanisms 334.
• Orders the party to run when a trap activates. After a stone wall separates them, he checks whether the vital information has been copied and shared among the officials 334 335.
• Remains indifferent to Ding Ruihan’s attempts to attract him and brings Yingcheng close after learning that Ding knows his identity and has been sent to probe him 347.
• Directs Lu Yao to retrieve Ding’s letter and opens it after it has been checked for poison 348.
• Gives Lu Yao the basis for an improvised account of surveillance of suspicious foreigners, concealing the actual source of the intelligence while Yingcheng supplies further information about Pingxu 353.
• Questions Ding during the missing-purse dispute and later pardons her and Jiang Lifeng for disrespect before addressing her coldly again 363.
• Meets the Pingxu envoy in Wind Brocade Commandery during the spring of Tianqi Year Thirteen, when the envoy declares an intention to meet Great Rui in armed conflict 371.
• Accepts Zou Cailiang’s invitation to his residence after hearing Yingcheng’s eagerness, keeping the visit outwardly courteous despite his hostility toward corrupt officials and traffickers 372.
• Sends Yingcheng on a gift errand to make room for official business; she later realizes that he deliberately diverted her 375.
• Orders an immediate return to the capital, leaving officials and Shadow Guards to finish handling the Wind Brocade case 388.
• Returns to accumulated memorials and takes the assembled officials straight to Chongyun Hall, ostensibly to introduce Gu Ruizhou 388.

Personal Campaign in Beiming

• Discusses a personal imperial campaign with Changshun while trying to keep sensitive plans from Yingcheng. Her fear for him and determination to accompany the expedition leave him unsure how to explain matters without revealing the secret 392.
• Leads the army away from the capital, leaving the Crown Prince to oversee the court 421 534.
• Travels under the name Gu Chuan during part of the Beiming journey, while guards report their whereabouts to the camp 449.
• Tries to persuade Liang Qilüe and the people of Spring Renewal Valley to relocate to Great Rui, personally pledging to protect their peaceful and prosperous future 463.
• Accepts Chang Yuan’s decision to leave and Yu Fan’s request to join on condition that he may fight the enemy, quietly supporting Yingcheng’s parallel recruitment efforts 463.
• Goes missing after Beiming troops ambush the vanguard. Yingcheng begins planning to locate and rescue him with 007’s help and her stored Merit Points 471.
• Subsequently appears alive in Jiayu City, where he dispatches guards with local guides to recover hidden treasure stores. Yingcheng’s kindness helps turn the remaining commoners’ fear into public cheers for Mingze 477.
• After Rui forces secure the city, accompanies Yingcheng and Guan Zhili into Beiming Palace while Kan Ruifeng handles the military aftermath 478.

Guan Zhili and the Mock Court

• Notices Yingcheng’s unusual concern for Guan Zhili and hears the revelation of the child’s connection to Prince Xin 478.
• Permits a brief stop at a courtyard swing, allowing Yingcheng to give Zhili a rare moment of companionship 478.
• Changes his plans to indulge Yingcheng’s request to play on the Dragon Throne, lending real authority to the children’s mock court 479.
• Silences intrusive scrutiny of Zhili with a cold look while the assembled allies use Yingcheng’s thoughts to identify his abusers 479.
• Allows the proceedings to continue as Gao Yi and other servants receive punishments proportionate to their abuse or failure to intervene, then leaves sufficient personnel behind while attending to other business 480.
• Later personally administers blood- and vital-energy-replenishing pills to the gravely wounded Zhili in an effort to preserve his life 543.

Return and Prince Xin’s Rebellion

• Considers using a discreet leak to accelerate Yanchu’s Third Prince’s bid for the throne and exploit instability there 500.
• Receives an offer of important intelligence from a poisoned captive seeking an antidote 500.
• Returns toward Great Rui with Yingcheng while rumors of his disappearance continue to circulate 501 512.
• Is revealed to have deliberately spread earlier damaging stories about Prince Xin, who responds by exploiting the disappearance rumors 523.
• Works under increasing pressure as Prince Xin’s army approaches the capital and Yingcheng continues providing intelligence through costly ghostwritten notes 532.
• Disguises himself as an Imperial Guard and considers impersonating a minister to observe the court, but Yingcheng’s knowledge of the ministers’ distinctive habits exposes the risks of each proposed identity 532.
• Answers “Why not?” when the Crown Prince asks whether the emperor must appear personally to refute the rumors 532.
• Reappears with the glory of conquering Beiming and the Cloud-Brandishing General at his side, destroying the rebels’ confidence in reports that he is missing 540.
• Remains protected by Zhu Qian as Prince Xin’s soldiers approach; men within the rebel ranks turn their weapons on their own companions, throwing the attackers into confusion 541.

Lantern Festival Assassination Attempt

• Summons officials to accompany him and Yingcheng at the Lantern Festival despite their reluctance to become involved in her anticipated test of him 548.
• Faces black-clad assassins after Ran Hongyi’s awkward warning exposes their hiding places. The attackers demand his death in revenge for their own emperor 552.
• Shields Yingcheng and orders protection for the imperial princes while guards and officials engage the attackers 552.
• Allows Lei Zhixin to organize the response using the Hidden Weapon Cases supplied by Yingcheng, including evacuating civilians and trapping the assassins 552.
• Recognizes that the attack raises unresolved questions about the disclosure of his outing, the attackers’ hiding places, and the identity of the emperor they claim to avenge 552.
• Remains the target of the sweet-soup stall owner Chen Dehao’s attempted approach, which Liaochen intercepts 553.

Notable Quotes

“I intend to bring Yingcheng to court with me. What will you do about it?” 39

“Investigate everything.” — His instruction concerning Liu Zhengqing 9

“As Emperor Mingze, I pledge that I will ensure the people here live even more peaceful and prosperous lives than they do in this valley.” — His promise to the residents of Spring Renewal Valley 463

“Why not?” — His response when the Crown Prince asks whether the emperor must appear personally to disprove the disappearance rumors 532

“Open your mouth.” — While offering emergency medicine to the gravely wounded Guan Zhili 543