The current Marquis of Jiancheng is Xue Jiayan's uncle and the head of the main branch of the Xue family. He struggled with heirs until late in life, having only a daughter by age forty-five. When his concubine became pregnant, he initially intended to proceed with adopting Xue Jiayan into the main branch but ultimately tore up the adoption papers after his concubine gave birth to a son. He has grown wary and distrustful of Xue Jiayan, fearing the young man might threaten his son's position as heir. He oversees one of the Five Military Commands and has tried to place Xue Jiayan within the Command, but Xue Jiayan refuses to serve under him.
