The reigning emperor who sat on the dragon throne. He was furious upon learning that all twenty-three newly appointed imperial scholars had kowtowed to Xie Sangning, believing she had secretly cultivated a private faction over ten years and deceived him by stuffing her people into the palace examination. He threw a paperweight in rage and initially ordered the drafting of a decree against Xie Wulv, but hesitated due to political considerations about imperial dignity.
