The elderly and ailing uncle of Xiao Yao and Xiao Yan. He is the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate and the younger brother of the Empress Dowager. He has the Emperor's permission to skip morning assemblies. He relies on a group of clan elders who recommended him for his post after Xiao Yan's father passed away. He acknowledged Xiao Yan's help but still assigned the Shuntian case back to Xiao Yao, warning him to be cautious now that the Emperor has returned to court.
