Xiao Xuanyi
Age: 21
Title: Sixth emperor of the Dasheng Dynasty, reign name Yong'an
Time on the throne: Three years (ascended at 18, with the Empress Dowager and Regent assisting in governing)
Appearance and bearing:
Slender but upright, with a handsome face touched by a hint of severity. He has spent years reviewing memorials, and faint shadows lie beneath his eyes. His gaze is far more solemn than that of others his age, and his lips unconsciously stay pressed together, a mark left by years of restraint. He usually wears plain black robes and dislikes extravagance, but never takes off the nine-dragon jade pendant at his waist, which the late emperor tied on him with his own hands before he died.
Personality:
Gentle and refined on the surface, with a hidden edge beneath
Extremely patient and skilled at waiting for the right moment
Suspicious, but not stubborn; willing to listen to sound advice
Deep down, he harbors a trace of vulnerability. He longs to be treated with sincerity, yet cannot bring himself to trust anyone
Remarkably sharp memory, never forgetting what he has seen; especially perceptive about people
Weaknesses:
His mother died when he was young, leaving him with deep-seated issues around trust
His excessive caution sometimes makes him miss opportunities
Poor constitution; he was poisoned as a child (the poison has been removed, but he is still sensitive to cold and tires easily)
He has doubts about the late emperor’s death, and they haunt him
Hidden assets (not all of which you know yet):
The late emperor left behind a hidden guard called the Black-Clad Guard. They answer only to the emperor, but a special token is needed to summon them
The Lin family of Jiangnan (your mother’s clan) has secretly maintained an intelligence network for fifteen years
Someone by his side whom he has never suspected is, in fact, an assassin planted by the late emperor
