East Depot

Biodata

Authority and Duties

• Direct imperial command: Alongside the West Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard, the East Depot is one of the emperor’s personal forces. It falls under no other court institution’s jurisdiction 13.
• Surveillance and enforcement: Its duties include investigating crimes, pursuing criminals, monitoring officials, and handling matters the emperor cannot conveniently address himself 7 13 31.
• Exceptional powers: It possesses imperial authority to execute first and report afterward 13 31.
• Palace protection: The organization guards the imperial palace. Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian are jointly ordered to preserve palace security during the emperor’s planned tour 7 13.
• Limits on authority: Imperial backing does not permit unrestricted action. Cao Zhengchun warns that violating established procedures could leave the Depot beyond even the emperor’s protection 18.

Background / History

Wei Zhongxian and Wan Yulou

Under former director Wei Zhongxian, the East Depot’s influence overshadowed the court. Known as the “Nine-Thousand-Year Lord,” Wei wielded enough power that even the emperor had to consider his reactions. After the new emperor moved against him, some followers were killed or fled, while less-implicated members were allowed to remain in the Depot 2.

Wan Yulou succeeded Wei through imperial appointment. Having served the emperor since childhood, he enjoyed considerable trust and suppressed the surviving Wei faction. Nevertheless, the East Depot remained powerful enough that the emperor established the West Depot to counterbalance it 2 12 13.

The East Depot also exercised substantial control over the Embroidered Uniform Guard. This control was especially severe under Wei Zhongxian; it weakened under Wan Yulou but continued to provide the Depot with much of its enforcement strength 6 15.

Wan Yulou’s Death and the Temple Refuge

Martial-world assassins spent six months killing senior members of Wan Yulou’s faction, including its ceremonial supervisor, overseer, and seal-office chief. Zhao Huaian then killed Wan Yulou at Longjiang Naval Shipyard while rescuing officials marked for execution 1.

Deputy director Li Zhong and other surviving officials hid at Great Enlightenment Temple. They sought to conceal Wan Yulou’s death while guarding against the West Depot and rival factions within their own organization 1 2.

Yu Huatian leaked their hiding place to lure Zhao Huaian into another attack. After killing Zhao, he allowed Li Zhong’s group to leave, intending to exploit the coming succession struggle rather than immediately destroy Wan Yulou’s remaining faction 1 3.

The Succession Struggle

Li Zhong, Zhao Jingzhong, and Liu Xi each sought the vacant directorship. Zhao enlisted Lu Wenzhao’s Embroidered Uniform Guards and hired Ding Xiu to kill Li Zhong, while Yu Huatian separately offered Ding Xiu two thousand taels for Zhao’s head 5 6.

Zhao’s attack triggered fighting inside the East Depot’s Commander's Residence. Ding Xiu killed Li Zhong, and Liu Xi entered the conflict with his own reinforcements. Liu revealed Grandmaster cultivation and used the Energy-Absorbing Great Method to drain Wei Ting and restore his strength 7 8.

The West Depot then intervened. Li Zhong’s four Xiantian experts and Lu Wenzhao’s group withdrew after Yu Huatian offered leniency. Ding Xiu killed Zhao Jingzhong, Zhao Tong fatally stabbed Wei Ting, and Yu Huatian killed Liu Xi despite Duan Tianya’s attempt to stop him 9 10.

The turmoil and news of Wan Yulou’s death prompted officials to petition for the East Depot’s abolition. The emperor refused, regarding the organization as a useful and loyal instrument, and instead ordered an investigation 12.

Cao Zhengchun’s Appointment

Emperor Tianqi appointed Cao Zhengchun acting director and instructed him to stabilize the East Depot. The appointment prevented Yu Huatian from taking control of the organization and also ended Prince Xin’s plan to control it through Zhao Jingzhong 13 15.

Yu Huatian avoided a direct confrontation with Cao and instead moved against the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The East Depot learned of this too late: its former leaders’ deaths had severed contact with their outside informants, leaving its intelligence network unable to keep pace 15 17 18.

Cao rejected an immediate counterattack because Yu Huatian had used valid Northern Pacification Office transfer orders. He prioritized securing the East Depot, accepting surviving experts from its former factions and ordering the training of the Black-Clad Archery Squad 18.

When Yu Huatian returned with the Great White Upper Kingdom’s treasure, Cao personally led East Depot operatives and imperial troops to receive the fleet. He maintained a courteous public stance while expecting the West Depot’s newly acquired martial-world enemies to place pressure on Yu Huatian 50.

Leadership and Personnel

Directors

Other Notable Members

• Li Zhong — Deputy director and loyal supporter of Wan Yulou; commanded four Xiantian experts during the succession crisis 2 6.
• Zhao Jingzhong — First division chief and Wei Zhongxian’s adopted son; led the largest surviving Wei faction 2 3 5.
• Liu Xi — Second division chief who cultivated an independent faction and secretly served Zhu Wushi’s plans to control the Depot 2 6 12.
• Wei Ting — Zhao Jingzhong’s junior martial sister and Xiantian-level ally; helped arrange support from the Embroidered Uniform Guard 5 6.
• White-Browed Man — Followed Cao Zhengchun out of the palace and became the East Depot’s chief officer 18.
• Zheng Yuan — Xiantian expert and squad supervisor under Wan Yulou; defected to the West Depot after Wan and Li Zhong died 15.

Forces and Resources

Factions Before the Succession Battle

Resources Under Cao Zhengchun

• Remaining manpower: Cao describes the Depot’s own force as only a few hundred men, making the loss of Embroidered Uniform Guard support especially damaging 18.
• Recruited survivors: Almost all available experts from the former factions submit to Cao, including several first-rate martial artists and three innate experts 18.
• Black-Clad Archery Squad: Cao orders its training as part of rebuilding his forces 18.
• Armed agents: Depot operatives use crossbows and conduct guarded patrols around headquarters 6 7.
• Intelligence network: Previously maintained informants outside the organization, but lost contact with them after the leadership purge 18.

Headquarters

• Location: Sprawling, heavily guarded grounds beside the palace’s East China Gate 7.
• Commander's Residence: Contains the reception hall and courtyard where the succession battle takes place 7 8.
• Drill ground: Used by Zhao Jingzhong for martial training 5.
• Proximity to the West Depot: The journey between the two organizations takes approximately one hour 11.

Relationships

• Emperor Tianqi / Zhu Youxiao — Supreme authority and patron. He preserves the East Depot despite abolition petitions and uses competition between the Depots to balance their power 12 13 19.
• West Depot — Rival institution established to curb East Depot influence. Their conflict includes mutual infiltration, armed intervention, and competition for control of the Embroidered Uniform Guard 2 13 18.
• Yu Huatian — Former East Depot member turned West Depot governor; exploits the succession crisis and strips the organization of much of its external enforcement strength 5 9 15 18.
• Embroidered Uniform Guard — Formerly dominated by the East Depot. Yu Huatian gains control of the capital’s Northern Office commanders during Cao’s consolidation efforts 6 18.
• Zhu Wushi / Dragon Guard Mountain Villa — Zhu Wushi intended to install Liu Xi as governor. He also recognizes Cao Zhengchun as a formidable old adversary capable of challenging Yu Huatian 12 50.
• Prince Xin / Zhu Youjian — Attempted to gain control through Zhao Jingzhong; abandoned that approach after Cao’s appointment 15.
• Zhao Huaian — Enemy responsible for Wan Yulou’s death and further attacks on Depot personnel 1 2.
• Court officials — Widely resent the Depot’s abuses, including the killing of innocents, and repeatedly seek its disbandment 12.

Notable Quotes

“Whether it's the East Depot or the West Depot, we're merely blades in His Majesty's hands. All he cares about is whether those two blades are useful.”
— Cao Zhengchun 18