Emperor: Xiao Xuan
 | Grand Empress: the emperor’s grandmother
 | Dowager Empress: the emperor’s mother  |
Grand Prince Ji: the emperor’s brother
 | The Crown Prince: Xiao Jingxuan
 | Noble Consort Yue: the Crown Prince’s mother
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Empress Yan: the emperor’s wife.
 | Prince Yu, Xiao Jinghuan: the sixth prince
 | Prince Yu’s wife
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Marquis Yan, Yan Que: the empress’s brother.
 | Yan Yujin: the son of Marquis Yan
 | Concubine Jing: Mother of Prince Jing.  |
Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan:
 | Lin Shu, often referred to as xiao-Shu:  | Grand Princess Jinyang: Lin Shu’s mother
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Lin Xie: Lin Shu’s father  | Consort Chen, Lin Yueyao:  | Prince Qi, Xiao Jingyu:
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Consort Hui: one of emperor’s many consorts  | Prince Ning, Xiao Jingting: son of consort hui | Grand Princess Liyang: the emperor’s sister  |
Marquis Ning, Xie Yu: commander of the Capital Patrols  | Xie Bi: the younger son of Xie Yu and Princess Liyang.  | Xiao Jingrui: Xie Bi’s elder brother  |
Xie Qi: Jingrui’s younger sister  | Zhuo Qingyao:  | Zhuo Dingfeng heads of Tianquan Manor |
Mei Changsu: lead of Jingzuo Alliance (ML)
 | Fei Liu: Mei Changsu’s bodyguard  | Li Gang: Mei Changsu’s second-in-command  |
Zhen Ping: part of the Jiangzuo Alliance  | Uncle Thirteen:  | Gong Yu: art of the Jiangzuo Alliance. 
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Tong Lu:  | Lin Chen head of Langya Hall  | Mu Nihuang: heads of House of Mu in the Yunnan  |
Mu Qing: Nihuang’s younger brother  | Meng Zhi: the commander of the Imperial Guards  | Lie Zhanying: Prince Jing’s second-in-command  |
Qin Banruo: Prince Yu’s strategist  | Duke Qing: Prince Yu's supporter | Xia Jiang: head of the Xuanjing Bureau  |
Xia Dong: officer at the Xuanjing Bureau  | Xia Qiu and Xia Chun:  | Gao Sheng:  |
Constable Zhang
 | Shen Zhui: a Ministry of Finance official
 | Cai Quan: a Justice Ministry official
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Luo Zhijing, Minister of Finance/Revenue  | Qi Min, Minister of Justice: supports Prince Yu  | He Jingzhong, Minister of Personnel: supports Prince Yu  |
Chen Yuanzhi, Minister of Rites: supports the Crown Prince.  | Li Len, Minister of Defence/Martial Affairs: supports the Crown Prince.  | Minister Liu Cheng from the Grand Secretariat  |
Liu Cheng's granddaughter: Miss Liu  | foreign powers kingdom of Da Yu
 | foreign powers Warrior Baili Qi from Northern Yan
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foreign powers Representative of Northern Yan
 | foreign powers Duke/Prince Ling, Wen Xian from Southern Chu
 | foreign powers Princess Nian Nian from Souther Chu
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