#if: xing fangguo

[vermillioncourt-if]

Since you brought it up let’s get some facts about the other consorts and if not too much to ask a memory they favor with MC (in consort xings case a memory where MC outplayed her) ?

Hello! ❤️ I'd be happy to answer this! I'll only write the memory bit for Consort Xing, though, since she and Consort Huo have had a lot of attention so far!

Queen He Taiyin

- She's the King's childhood friend. Not in a similar sense as Consort Huo and the King, but more along the line of their families being allied together.

- Under her guidance, city infrastructure and policies for the poor have expanded rapidly. She is one of the few Queens ever to decide to be a part of helping/ruling the kingdom somehow! She has also taken Kutuo under her wing, as she (Kutuo) has expressed interest in city infrastructure and architecture.

- If she ever were to die early, somehow, and the King wishes to remarry one of his current consorts, Taiyin made it VERY clear that he's NOT allowed to make Consort Xing queen.

Memory with MC - One of her favored memories of MC is when they were little. She was walking down the halls of the palace when a little bump under a cloak came stumbling down the hall towards her. She helped them out of the giant cloak, but thought it was so cute how they just wandered around with a cloak on their head.

First Consort Dou Rizhe

- Rizhe is from a prominent noble family of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her family, more or less, "sold" her to the position. She never liked court environments nor did she ever want to be consort, but to get ahead, her family had her put as a Consort.

- She excels at art and poetry. Rizhe is a very good artist and poet, she just doesn't have enough courage to share her works publicly. Her palace has many of her works hung up or displayed.

- Rizhe has a suspicion that the "illness" she caught after having Tuojiu that left her barren/infertile wasn't an "illness" but something else. All of her efforts to figure this out lead nowhere, though.

Memory with MC - Rizhe's doesn't leave her palace very often, so her interactions with the other Consorts' children are fairly limited. One of her favored memories of MC is when they're a child and just discovered she knows how to paint. They would leave flowers (and a few weeds) for her in front of her palace so she would have something to paint. A decent amount of Rizhe's paintings have flowers as the subject.

Third Consort Re Hanshang

- Hanshang, like Consort Dou, is from a prominent noble family of the Xiatian Kingdom. Unlike Consort Dou, though, Hanshang willingly went into the palace, despite not really having any desire to be a consort or the queen.

- As mentioned before in a post about pets, Hanshang has a very old and very grumpy cat that has scratched/bit many palace workers and even some officials. There have been attempts made to get rid of the cat, but it always finds its way back or all methods have failed to get rid of it.

- Hanshang is a well-read and well-versed person. Her family encouraged all of her interests, whether they were traditionally "feminine" or not. This was practically unheard of at the time, but it has made her a very well-rounded person.

Memory with MC - One of her favored memories with MC is when she took them out to the city for their 13th birthday. Consort Huo was wrapped up with taking care of Liangxu so Hanshang helped her out. The two of them went shopping, watched some street performers and even caught a small firework show, since it was the beginning of a festival season. She thought it was such a nice day out.

Fourth Consort Xing Fangguo

Memory with MC - One time when MC outplayed her is at one of their sibling's birthdays when MC was younger and Fangguo was more direct with her tactics to try to get rid of competition. Fangguo had decided to poison one of the desserts for the celebration, MC didn't do it on purpose, but they did end up breaking the vial of poison, as they were rushing around the palace and bumped into her, causing her to trip and fall.

[vermillioncourt-if]

(AI Generated Images)

The Dowager Queen, King, Queen, and Consorts of the Xiatian Kingdom

The Dowager Queen Nan Niexing (南聂星)

(南, nán, "south") (聂星, niè xīng, "to whisper star") || (赤, chì, "red")

The current Dowager Queen Nan Niexing is the mother of the current King of the Xiatian Kingdom. She used to be the former King's favorite consort, Pure Consort (淑妃, shū fēi) Chi Niexing (赤聂星). She is obvious about who her favorite is among her son's wives and who her favorite grandchildren are, publicly showering them with gifts and praise, much to the dismay of the other wives. She is 65 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn knee-eh shing || cheuh

Height: 5'7 (170 cm) || 5'9 (175 cm) in her prime

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Grey hair (used to be black)

Palace: The Main Palace (皇宫, huángōng)

King Nan Shaimian (南晒面)

(南, nán, "south") (晒面, shài miàn, "to shine (the sun) on the face")

King Nan Shaimian is the current King of the Xiatian Kingdom. He is the eldest son of the previous King and his then-Consort Chi Niexing. He is the father of all 22 royal children of the Nan family. He is a fairly absent father, but still cares and wants the best for all of them. He, unlike his mother Dowager Queen Nan Niexing, is less obvious regarding his favoritism towards his wives and children. He is 47 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn shy me-an

Height: 6'0 (183 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Salt and Pepper hair

Palace: The Main Palace (皇宫, huángōng)

Queen He Taiyin (荷太殷)

(荷, hé, "lotus") (太殷, tài yǐn, "great roll of thunder")

Queen He Taiyin is the main wife to King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is from a prominent family of the Vermillion Court, her family being long standing allies with the Nan family. She is calm and collected with a sharp strategical mind, but a soft and kind demeanor. Under her supervision, city infrastructure and policies to help the poor have flourished. She has mothered 4 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. She is 45 years old at the start of the story. Oh, have I mentioned she's 9 months pregnant with their 4th child, as well?

Name Pronunciation: heuh t-eye yin

Height: 5'5 (165 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Brown eyes, Wavy Dark Brown hair

Palace: The Main Palace (皇宫, huángōng), The Sky Hall (天殿, tiāndiàn)

Noble Consort Dou Rizhe (豆日晢)

(豆, dòu, "bean/legume") (日晢, rì zhé, "day of brightness")

Noble Consort (貴妃, guì fēi) Dou Rizhe, also called the First Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. She tends to keep to herself, being quieter and more anxious than the other consorts. She is also the youngest of the five wives. She comes from a well-established noble house of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is the mother of only 3 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. After the birth of the Eighth/Ninth Princess, she contracted a mysterious illness. Ever since recovering, she has been having trouble conceiving and carrying a child, which has resulted in her only having 3 children. This has caused her to retreat further into herself, now rarely seen out unless for public events. She is 42 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: dough r-euh j-uh

Height: 5'3 (160 cm)

Appearance: Pale skin, Black eyes, Wavy Brown hair

Palace: The Peony Palace (芍宫, sháogōng)

Pure Consort Huo Qinwen (火昑文)

(火, huǒ, "fire") (昑文, qǐn wén, "bright gentleness")

Pure Consort (淑妃, shū fēi) Huo Qinwen, also called the Second Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom and is the mother of MC. Unlike the other consorts, she did not come from a noble family and was, instead, an orphan. Her foster mother worked in the palace and, when she was old enough, she worked as a palace maid under the then-Pure Consort Chi Niexing. Chi Niexing took a liking to her and when she was promoted to Dowager Queen upon the crowning of her son as King, bestowed a title onto Huo Qinwen. The King was then able to marry her properly and place her as one of his consorts. True to her name, Qinwen is a kind and gentle woman, easily charming the people around her. She dotes a bit too much on her children and caused a major fuss in the palace when the Second Prince was born, as she refused to hand him to a wet nurse. She is Dowager Queen Nan Niexing's favorite consort and her children are her favorite grandchildren. She is also the close friend of Virtuous Consort Re. She is the mother of 4 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. She is 44 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: h-wha chin when

Height: 5'6 (168 cm)

Appearance: Fair-Light Brown Skin, Player Determined Eye Color, Player Determined Hair Color, Straight Hair

Palace: The Lotus Palace (莲宫, liángōng)

Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang (热瀚汤)

(热, rè, "hot (temperature)") (瀚汤, hàn shāng, "ocean rushing current")

Virtuous Consort (德妃, dé fēi) Re Hanshang, also called the Third Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is one of the calmer consorts, with a relaxed and laid back attitude, as well as being the oldest of the five wives. She comes from a well-established noble house of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is the mother of 5 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. Two of those children are a pair of twins, which secured her position quite well. She is close friends to Pure Consort Huo Qinwen, raising their children together as well as meeting up to gossip and talk over tea. She is 46 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: reuh haan shaang

Height: 5'9 (175 cm)

Appearance: Pale skin, Black eyes, Straight Light Brown hair

Palace: The Chrysanthemum Palace (菊宫, júgōng)

Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo (杏昉崞)

(杏, xìng, "apricot") (昉崞, fǎng guō, "dawn over Guo")

Worthy Consort (賢妃, xián fēi) Xing Fangguo, also called the Fourth Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom and the main reason why MC is at risk for being removed from court. She is from a newer noble family with foreign heritage. Her blonde hair gave her an "exotic" flair during the selection, which let her be chosen as consort. She is the mother of 6 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family as well as the King's self-proclaimed "favorite" wife. She is ambitious and cunning, doing quite a bit to secure her position and gain power and status. She isn't quite liked among the other wives due to her condescending nature and back-stabbing nature. She is 43 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: shing faang g-wa

Height: 5'7 (170 cm)

Appearance: Tanned skin, Dark Brown eyes, Wavy Blonde hair

Palace: The Orchid Palace (兰宫, lángōng)

[vermillioncourt-if]

So let me get it straight :

Xing tried to kills us

She tried to kill Shuailu

She tried to poison someone during that memory

And she probably is the cause of consort Dou infertility just to keep her "potent" statut

What else didn't she do? Please shen tell me we can go full Hercule Poirot/miss Marple/Sherlock Holmes on her ass PLEASE 🙏 i'll love you if you do -sarah

lsdjksjdd Maybe!

I haven't decided the lengths of "mystery" this story will have yet! But you'll definitely find out some more notable things Consort Xing has done.

I will say, she was a lot more careless when MC was younger, quite obviously trying to get rid of her rivals by killing them. It really only stopped when MC was about 15 or 16, when she realized marrying them off might be easier.

[vermillioncourt-if]

If mc has blonde hair like kutuo and consort Xing how the later would react if all the people looks first the mc then their mother and later herself?

Hello! ❤️

Most people won't think anything of it! It's not super common to see people with foreign heritage in Nian, but it's not rare either. It's kind of like seeing someone with red/ginger hair irl.

It's well established that Consort Huo and Consort Xing are not related. This is a parameter set by court that states that consorts cannot be from the same family line within/be 3 "generations" from each other. This means that all consorts cannot share a Great Grandparent with each other.

So, most people won't care. It's like seeing two blonde people on the street. You wouldn't automatically assume they're related because they both have blonde hair. The same logic applies here.

Consort Xing, who's grown up in the Xiatian Kingdom, knows this, so she wouldn't really react if someone wanted to assume her and Consort Huo were related, and just assume said person is a foreigner or just Very Slow on the uptake. It's also very well established who the Consorts respective children are, so there's little chance of someone messing up and if they do, she'd just correct them.

Also, Kutuo has light brown hair, not blonde! It's a trivial reason, but it's Partially why Consort Xing tends to not favor her compared to her sister, Zhuanying, who is a true blonde like her (Consort Xing).

Hope this helped! ❤️

[vermillioncourt-if]

What if Kutuo says by reflect "mother" to mc's mother in front of her and the grandmother with Xing eavesdropping from the corner

I think it would depend on the context in which it was spoken!

If it was more of a slip of the tongue (like how some kids accidentally call their teachers 'mom'), she wouldn't think twice about it.

If it was more ... I guess purposeful is the right term, Consort Xing would be Very upset and storm over to yell at Consort Huo. She can't really yell at Dowager Queen Nan Niexing without being seen as rude, so she just focuses her attention on Consort Huo.

[vermillioncourt-if]

Opinion of Kutuo and Xing about the ros if they end up with the mc?

Hello! I'm assuming you mean who is their preferred RO for MC, similar to what I did for MC's family!

But if you want Kutuo and Consort Xing's thoughts on the ROs if they end up with MC, just shoot me another ask! ❤️

Kutuo: Kutuo doesn't care who ends up with MC. She's not a huge part of their life so she's fairly non-bias. That said, if she had to pick, she'd choose Shen Sandong. Kutuo thinks she'd be the best in court.

Consort Xing: Consort Xing doesn't want you to get with any RO, period end of sentence. She doesn't have an opinion and frankly doesn't care. She doesn't care who MC ends up with, as long as they're out of court and the line of succession.

[vermillioncourt-if]

Wait a sec, wouldn't Chanyu tell MC that Xing hired her when they first met? Or maybe she didn't knew who it was? -sarah

Consort Xing doesn't hire the assassins, herself. That'd draw a direct line to her, which she doesn't want. Consort Xing, instead, has a subordinate or member of her family do it for her.

For Chanyu, all she knows is that a young man hired her to kill MC.

Also, if she did hire an assassin herself, Consort Xing would go in disguise, to not be recognized.

[vermillioncourt-if]

Also Hi 👋 Always forget to say it in the asks

Xing is literally the Rodhope of this IF but worse. I'm not sure if i get it right, but she's probably the one who send that assassin for Shuailu?

If that's the case, then it would be a dilemma for MC to reveal the truth without hurting Xing's kids or Xing will probably sell herself out. -sarah

Hello! ❤️ It's fine, I just like to greet the people asking questions! ^^

I actually haven't really considered who sent Shuailu's assassin when he met Qianxie, yet LMAO! It could be Consort Xing, it could be some court member. Idk yet!

But you'd be right, if it was Consort Xing, it would be hard for MC to prove it was her without hurting her kids. Consort Xing also knows this and knows her ambitions are fairly well known in court and it'd be easy to trace it back to her, so she now doesn't try assassinations too often. More just reputation ruining schemes. One of the last assassins Consort Xing sent was Xu Chanyu and we all know how that ended up LMAO

[vermillioncourt-if]

It seems that most of Consort Xing's children don't share the same views of superiority she has in regards to their half-siblings. What do they think about their mother's belief, themselves?

Hello! ❤️ I'd be glad to answer this!

You'd be mostly right in that assumption! The younger 3 don't really know better, but the older 3 find her ... actions to be annoying or simply just don't like her.

More under the cut!

Kutuo: Kutuo does Not like her mother one bit. They'd probably have a better relationship if Consort Xing didn't constantly ignore her/brush her off while she was growing up in favor of her younger brother, Pihen. That said, Kutuo also isn't very close to any of her siblings, half or full, either. She doesn't consider herself superior than them, but she also doesn't go out of her way to interact with them.

Pihen: Pihen has a ... complicated relationship with his mother. On one hand, she's pretty overbearing with the whole "you will be the heir" thing. He's also said several times before he doesn't want to be anywhere near the throne. Pihen is also shier than his siblings, so he doesn't really speak out against her, just quietly sits there. He does also still care for her, she is his mother, even if she sucks. He doesn't view himself as better than his siblings, though. His closest friend is actually MC's older brother, Second Prince Nan Shuailu, much to his mother's disgust.

Duanzu: Duanzu thinks his mother is an idiot and doesn't care what she says; he's not listening. He, 5th/6th Prince Nan Casao, and 6th/7th Prince Nan Kenlu share most of the same tutors, being so close in age. They all hang out together too, making a trio of teen boys that enjoy terrorizing the palace. While Duanzu doesn't think he's better than his siblings, he does think he's better than most people. So, he's still trying to shake off his mother's lingering aftereffects.

Zhuanying: Zhuanying is just on the cusp of being able to think critically for herself. She is always annoyed that her mother makes her stay in their palace and play by herself or with her nannies, even though she can see Liangxu, Tuojiu, Genbi, and Zhuibi all playing together outside. She doesn't quite get when her mother says that she's "above" them, either. Give her like 3-5 years, and she'll be in a similar spot to Kutuo regarding her mother.

Zuoya: Zuoya is 4 years old, so he doesn't really know better/different. He does get lonely, only playing with his nannies or Zhuanying or Tangye, on the off chance, so he could definitely benefit from some socialization. He's not learning very well either. His nannies aren't very good at trying to teach him the basics, but Luexia won't come help unless Consort Xing apologizes to her (Luexia's) mother (Consort Dou) for what she (Consort Xing) did, which she wouldn't do even if the world was ending.

Tangye: Tangye is 1. Her only concern is who's going to change her diaper and when she gets milk. And right now, Consort Xing and her milk-nurse are the only people with milk and her maids/nannies change her diaper. LMAO

[vermillioncourt-if]

*consort Xing bitting her handkerchief when she learns that her eldest considers MC a favorite* -sarah

Oh, she'd be upset for Sure, but she doesn't really ... care about Kutuo sldnsjdjf

She's more annoyed that Third Prince Pihen actually gets along really well with Shuailu! skddmsjdj

[vermillioncourt-if]

Alright, spill the deets on Consort Xing. Why is she so obsessed with booting the MC out of court? Does she have any grievances with MC's mother or something?

Speaking of the MC's mother, from what I read to understand palace drama webnovels women in the imperial harem sometimes reflected on the status of their family outside (like, while it was mostly a 'it's all on your good luck and diligent efforts to capture the emperor's attention' job, if the family of the imperial concubine was important enough it also provided a bonus in the harem and you could skip ranks accordingly) so, long story short, how's Mother's relationship with her family?

I'm so glad you asked, dear Anon! I'd love to tell you! ❤️

You are technically right about that, a lot hinges on your family and their status. But MC's mother is a unique case! ^^

Also, just so it's somewhere on this blog in case someone wants to ruin our fun later on, I don't plan on making this historically accurate! I mean, birds made of fire and dragons literally exist in this world, so I'm stretching a lot of pieces from history to make an interesting story! Also cause I don't want to write about misogyny! ^^

Under the cut, since it's long and involves a lot of drama and court politics/policies/etc!

Consort Xing Fangguo

Consort Xing is the 4th Consort of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her official title is Worthy Consort (賢妃) (off topic: the consort titles are like the only vaguely historically accurate things in the story LMAO). She is also the Consort who's given MC's father the "most" children, 6 in total. This would, theoretically, make her his favorite wife.

Consort Xing's issue isn't with MC, specifically, although she Does Not Like Consort Huo, MC's mother. She's mainly trying to improve her and her children's positions in court. All of the Consorts married the King around the same time and all, but one, got pregnant fairly quickly. The issue comes in where Consort Xing was the first consort, besides the Queen, to give the King a child. But the child was a girl, First Princess Kutuo.

Since women don't typically inherit thrones but small pieces of land, Consort Xing was pretty much moved to the side in favor of MC's mother who had MC's older brother barely a year later. That shot her (Consort Huo) status up pretty far. No to mention the Queen and MC's mother are the only two wives who had boys first. Consort Xing didn't have another child until 2 years after MC's mother had the Second Prince, which she (Consort Xing) is still bitter about.

Consort Xing has done quite a bit to secure her position. As I said earlier, she has the most children of any of the wives, which was part of her plan. The more "fertile" she is, the more "important" she is. She's also partially the reason why Consort Dou only has 3 children when everyone else has 4 or more.

But, she wants to strengthen her position and claim even more. She wants one of her children on the throne. Being Queen Dowager provides quite a bit of power.

Unlike Consort Dou or Consort Re, who are from old established nobility, Consort Xing is from new nobility. Her family doesn't have quite enough status or power as older families. The only reason she beat out the selection was because she has foreign genes, giving her blonde hair and an "exotic" appeal. By getting rid of MC, their siblings, and MC's half-siblings, it would improve her children's standing, bringing them closer to the throne.

Since Consort Xing's ambitions are pretty well known in court, she can't really hire an assassin on MC or any of their siblings, so she's, instead, trying to get them pushed out of the line of succession by marrying them off to foreign dignitaries her family finds.

TL;DR: She wants status and power for her and her kids and you're in the way.

Consort Huo Qinwen/MC's Mother

As for the relationship with Qinwen and her family, it was probably good. Qinwen is a rather unique case of becoming a consort. Unlike the other consorts, Qinwen isn't from nobility, but was rather given a noble title. She's an orphan and was raised in the palace by her foster mother. When she was old enough, she worked as a palace maid for then-Consort Chi Niexing, who quickly took a liking to her. When her son became King and she was raised to Dowager Queen, MC's grandmother gave Qinwen a small title from her family, thereby making her nobility and allowing the King to take her as a Consort. Consort Huo Qinwen is still Dowager Queen Nan's favorite consort which makes MC and their siblings her favorite grandchildren.

That being said, the relationship between Consort Huo and the other wives, minus Consort Xing, is pretty good. None really seem to mind she used to be a "commoner". Consort Re is the closest she has to a best friend and the Queen finds her company to be pleasant.

[vermillioncourt-if]

(AI Generated Images)

Siblings Height Charts

Name Color Key: Black = Queen He's children, Red = Consort Dou's children, Green = Consort Hou's children, Purple = Consort Re's children, and Pink = Consort Xing's children

The Princes and Princesses of the Xiatian Kingdom

Crown Prince Nan Lunsu (南囵速)

(南, nán, "south") (囵速, lún sù, "complete (make whole) quickly")

Crown Prince Nan Lunsu is the oldest son and child of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His mother is Queen He Taiyin. He is the current heir to the throne. He is mostly busy in court, shadowing his father. He is supposed to be engaged, but he keeps dodging the question. He is 27 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn loo-un sue

Height: 6'2 (188 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Wavy Black hair

First Princess Nan Kutuo (南酷媠)

(南, nán, "south") (酷媠, kù tuó, "ruthless beauty")

First Princess Nan Kutuo is the oldest daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her mother is Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo, who tends to ignore her in favor of her younger brother, Third Prince Pihen. She is second of twenty-two. She shadows under Queen He Taiyin, learning about city infrastructure and social policies, interested in city improvements. She is not yet engaged, much to her mother's dismay. She is 26 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn koo t-wa

Height: 5'9 (175 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Light Brown hair

Second Princess Nan Dapang (南大滂)

(南, nán, "south") (大滂, dà pāng, "great rushing water")

Second Princess Nan Dapang is the second daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her mother is Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang. She is third of twenty-two children. She spends most of her time among military tutors, determined to be one of the first women to hold a military officer's title. She is not yet engaged, although she does have a potential candidate, unlike her older siblings who are completely unattached at the moment. She is 25 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn dah pahng

Height: 5'11 (180 cm)

Appearance: Pale skin, Black eyes, Straight Black hair

Second Prince Nan Shuailu (南率律)

(南, nán, "south") (率律, shuài lǜ, "to command law")

Second Prince Nan Shuailu is the second son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His mother is Pure Consort Huo Qinwen. He is fourth of twenty-two children and is MC's older brother. He is currently 2nd in line for the throne, after his older brother, Crown Prince Lunsu. He spends most of his time in court or with tutors, learning politics and law. He is not yet engaged, although he seems to be interested in his own personal guard. He is 25 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn sh-why loo

Height: 6'0 (183 cm)

Appearance: Fair-Tan skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight hair, Player Determined Hair Color

Third Prince Nan Pihen (南丕狠)

(南, nán, "south") (丕狠, pī hěn, "grand fierceness")

Second Prince Nan Pihen is the third son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His mother is Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo. He is fifth of twenty-two children. He tend to be shier than his siblings around his age, much to his mother's dismay. He spends most of his time in court or with tutors, learning politics and law. He does actually have a fiancée, unlike his siblings. He is 23 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn pii hon

Height: 5'7 (170 cm)

Appearance: Tan skin, Black eyes, Wavy Brown hair

Third Princess Nan Luexia (南掠霞)

(南, nán, "south") (掠霞, l��è xiá, "to sweep red clouds")

Third Princess Nan Luexia is the third daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her mother is Noble Consort Dou Rizhe. She is sixth of twenty-two children. She spends most of her time with tutors, learning how to teach. She excels at teaching her younger siblings. She is not yet engaged, but has a potential partner. She is 22 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn loo-eh shaa

Height: 5'4 (163 cm)

Appearance: Pale skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Brown hair

Fourth or Fifth Princess Nan Zhouwa (南宙娃)

(南, nán, "south") (宙娃, zhòu wá, "forever (a) doll")

Fourth or Fifth Princess Nan Zhouwa is the fourth or fifth daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her rank depends on if MC is a princess or not. Her mother is Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang. She is eighth of twenty-two children. She spends her time among the nobility, a social butterfly, similar to her mother. She is charismatic and charming, much to Consort Xing's ire. She is not engaged nor does she have a potential partner. She is 20 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn jho wah

Height: 5'5 (165 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Black eyes, Straight Dark Brown hair

Fifth or Sixth Princess Nan Gaotang (南杲棠)

(南, nán, "south") (杲棠, gǎo táng, "sun shines on cherry-apples")

Fifth or Sixth Princess Nan Gaotang is the fifth or sixth daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her rank depends on if MC is a princess or not. Her mother is Noble Consort Dou Rizhe. She is ninth of twenty-two children. She, similar to her older sister, spends her most of time around nobility. She also spends time with her tutors, learning more about court politics. She is not engaged nor does she have a potential partner. She is 18 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn gow tahng

Height: 5'4 (163 cm)

Appearance: Light skin, Black eyes, Wavy Black hair

Fourth or Fifth Prince Nan Duanzu (南锻崒)

(南, nán, "south") (锻崒, duàn zú, "to forge rocky peaks")

Fourth or Fifth Prince Nan Duanzu is the fourth or fifth son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His rank depends on if MC is a prince or not. His mother is Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo. He is tenth of twenty-two children. He spends most of his time with his tutors, completing his education, although can be spotted goofing off with his half-brothers. He is 16 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn du-wahn zoo

Height: 5'7 (170 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Wavy Black hair

Fifth or Sixth Prince Nan Casao (南擦臊)

(南, nán, "south") (擦臊, cā sào, "to erase shame/shameless")

Fifth or Sixth Prince Nan Casao is the fifth or sixth son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His rank depends on if MC is a prince or not. His mother is Queen He Taiyin. He is eleventh of twenty-two children. He spends most of his time with his tutors, getting his education. He can also be spotted goofing off with his half-brothers similar in age. He is 15 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn cah sow

Height: 5'8 (173 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Brown eyes, Straight Black hair

Sixth or Seventh Prince Nan Kenlu (南垦蓼)

(南, nán, "south") (垦蓼, kěn lù, "to cultivate luxuriant growth")

Sixth or Seventh Prince Nan Kenlu is the sixth or seventh son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His rank depends on if MC is a prince or not. His mother is Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang. He is twelfth of twenty-two children. He spends most of his time with his tutors, learning about politics, warfare, and other various subjects. He can also be spotted goofing off with his half-brothers similar to him in age. He is 14 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn k-uhn loo

Height: 5'6 (168 cm)

Appearance: Pale skin, Dark Brown Eyes, Straight Light Brown hair

Sixth or Seventh Princess Nan Zhuanying (南转英)

(南, nán, "south") (转英, zhuǎn yīng, "to turn blossom/flowers changing")

Sixth or Seventh Princess Nan Zhuanying is the sixth or seventh daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her rank depends on if MC is a princess or not. Her mother is Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo. She is thirteenth of twenty-two children. She spends most of her time with her nannies or tutors. She is annoyed that her other siblings are allowed to play with their half-siblings, but Consort Xing keeps her inside. She is 10 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn jzhu-wahn ying

Appearance: Tan skin, Brown eyes, Wavy Blonde hair

Seventh or Eighth Princess Nan Liangxu (南亮旭)

(南, nán, "south") (亮旭, liàng xù, "bright rising sun")

Seventh or Eighth Princess Nan Liangxu is the seventh or eighth daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her rank depends on if MC is a princess or not. Her mother is Pure Consort Huo Qinwen, and she is MC's younger sister. She is fourteenth of twenty-two children. She spends most of her time with her nannies, playing with friends, or studying with tutors or her older sister, Third Princess Luexia. She is 8 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn le-ahng shu

Appearance: Fair-Tan skin, Player Determined Eye Color, Straight Black hair

Eighth or Ninth Princess Nan Tuojiu (南托玖)

(南, nán, "south") (托玖, tuō jiǔ, "to entrust with black jade")

Eighth or Ninth Princess Nan Tuojiu is the eighth or ninth daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her rank depends on if MC is a princess or not. Her mother is Noble Consort Dou Rizhe. She is fifteenth of twenty-two children. She is similar to her mother, enjoying the comfort of her own palace and company than venturing out. She spends most of her time with her nannies, playing or reading/being read to, or studying with tutors, or, on the rare off-chance, her older sister, Third Princess Luexia. She is 7 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn t-wa je-oh

Appearance: Fair skin, Black eyes, Straight Brown hair

Seventh or Eighth Prince Nan Genbi (南跟辟)

(南, nán, "south") (跟辟, gēn bì, "to follow the king")

Seventh or Eighth Prince Nan Genbi is the seventh or eighth son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His rank depends on if MC is a prince or not. His mother is Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang. He is the older twin brother to Eighth/Ninth Prince Nan Zhuibi. He is sixteenth of twenty-two children. He, like his other siblings around his age, spend most of his time with his nannies, tutors or older sister, Third Princess Luexia, or playing. He likes to think of himself as a "serious grown-up" and enjoy imitating his older brothers. He is 6 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn ghen bee

Appearance: Fair skin, Black eyes, Straight Black hair

Eighth or Ninth Prince Nan Zhuibi (南追辟)

(南, nán, "south") (追辟, zhuī bì, "to chase/pursue the king")

Eighth or Ninth Prince Nan Zhuibi is the eighth or ninth son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His rank depends on if MC is a prince or not. His mother is Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang. He is the younger twin brother to Seventh/Eighth Prince Nan Genbi. He is seventeenth of twenty-two children. He, like his other siblings around his age, spend most of his time with his nannies, tutors or older sister, Third Princess Luexia, or playing. Unlike his twin, he is a troublemaker, often getting into trouble or pulling pranks on his siblings. He is 6 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn jz-way bee

Appearance: Light skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Black hair

Ninth or Tenth Princess Nan Quanying (南全荧)

(南, nán, "south") (全荧, quán yíng, "all shimmering")

Ninth or Tenth Princess Nan Quanying is the ninth or tenth daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her rank depends on if MC is a princess or not. Her mother is Queen He Taiyin. She is eighteenth of twenty-two children. She spends most of her time with her nannies, playing. She's not quite old enough to start official lessons, but her nannies and older sister, Third Princess Luexia, provide her with some basic ones. She is 5 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn chu-when ying

Appearance: Fair skin, Black eyes, Wavy Brown hair

Ninth or Tenth Prince Nan Zuoya (南佐涯)

(南, nán, "south") (佐涯, zuǒ yá, "to accompany the horizon")

Ninth or Tenth Prince Nan Zuoya is the ninth or tenth son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His rank depends on if MC is a prince or not. His mother is Worthy Consort Xing Fanggu. He is nineteenth of twenty-two children. He spends most of her time with her nannies, playing. He's not old enough to start official lessons yet, but his nannies provide him with some basic ones. He is 4 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn zou-woah yah

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Light Brown hair

Tenth or Eleventh Prince Nan Qiongkuai (南琼块)

(南, nán, "south") (琼块, qióng kuài, "fine jade piece")

Tenth or Eleventh Prince Nan Qiongkuai is the tenth or eleventh son of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. His rank depends on if MC is a prince or not. His mother is Pure Consort Huo Qinwen, and he is MC's younger brother. He is twentieth of twenty-two children. He spends most of his time with his nannies or around his mother. He is 2 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn chee-ong qu-eye

Appearance: Fair-Tan skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Black hair

Tenth or Eleventh Princess Nan Tangye (南塘夜)

(南, nán, "south") (塘夜, táng yè, "pool of night")

Tenth or Eleventh Princess Nan Tangye is the tenth or eleventh daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Her rank depends on if MC is a princess or not. Her mother is Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo. Shee is twenty-first of twenty-two children. Being essentially a baby still, most of her time is spent with nannies, her mother, or her wet nurse. She is 1 year old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn tahng ye-eh

Appearance: Tan skin, Hazel eyes, Straight Black hair

Eleventh Prince/Princess Nan Guangtian (南光天)

(南, nán, "south") (光天, guāng tiān, "light of the heavens")

Eleventh Prince or Princess Nan Guangtian is the eleventh son or daughter of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. Their gender is dependent on if MC is a prince or princess; they will be the opposite. Their mother is Queen He Taiyin. They are twenty-second of twenty-two children. They aren't born yet, as of the start of the story, but they'll be born soon enough.

Name Pronunciation: nahn g-wahng te-enn

Appearance: Fair skin, Brown eyes, Black hair

[vermillioncourt-if]

(will generate images later)

Note: There are about 20-30 total members of the Vermillion Court's Council. These are just the important ones.

The Members of the Council of the Vermillion Court

Lord He Dongbu (荷董部)

(荷, hé, "lotus") (董部, dǒng bù, "to supervise ministry")

Lord He Dongbu is the patriarch of the He family and father of Queen He Taiyin. The Nan family and He family have been political allies for a long time. The He family is a well-established and well-known noble family of Xiatian. He is thought to be smart and shrewd, but decent to be around, despite not often voting in favor of improving the conditions for the poor. He is 66 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: heuh don-g boo

Lord He Futuan (荷副团)

(荷, hé, "lotus") (副团, fù tuán, "secondary regiment")

Lord He Futuan is a member of the He family. He is the younger brother of Lord He Dongbu, making him the uncle to Queen He Taiyin. He has been a part of the Vermillion Court for over 40 years. He is thought of as worse than his brother in terms of attitude and general disposition. He is 63 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: heuh foo tw-ahn

Lord Dou Gonglun (豆共论)

(豆, dòu, "bean/legume") (共论, gòng lùn, "to share theory")

Lord Dou Gonglun is the patriarch of the Dou family and father of Noble Consort Dou Rizhe. He is the leader of the well-established noble Dou family of the Xiatian Kingdom. He and his family are long standing members of the Vermillion Court. He is kind, but shrewd, preferring his silence while everyone around him talks. He is 70 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: dough gong loon

Lord Dou Zhuaigao (豆拽皋)

(豆, dòu, "bean/legume") (拽皋, zhuài gāo, "to pull marsh")

Lord Dou Zhuaigao is the eldest son of Lord Dou Gonglun and is the older brother to Noble Consort Dou Rizhe. He is part of the well-established and powerful Dou family of the Xiatian Kingdom. He has been a part of the Vermillion Court for nearly 30 years. He is quiet and an observer like his father. He is cunning and ambitious. He is married to Lady Dou Sining. He is 48 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: dough zsh-why gah-ow

Lord Re Yeshe (热烨社)

(热, rè, "hot") (烨社, yè shè, "glorious society")

Lord Re Yeshe is the patriarch of the Re family and the father of Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang. He is the leader of the well-established noble Re family of the Xiatian Kingdom. He and his family are long standing members of the Vermillion Court. He is considered to be too soft-hearted to be on the council, usually backing policies that would help the poor. He always seems cheerful and smiling. He is 69 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: reuh ye-eh sh-euh

Lady Re Teguan (热特鹳)

(热, rè, "hot") (特鹳, tè guàn, "distinguished crane (bird)")

Lady Re Teguan is the eldest child of the Re family patriarch. She is part of the well-established noble Re family of the Xiatian Kingdom. She has been a part of the Vermillion Court for about 25 years. She is logical and her reasoning is always sound. She is viewed as a good moderator in case there are any issues between nobles. She is 48 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: reuh te-uh gw-ahn

Lord Xing Loubiao (杏露熛)

(杏, xìng, "apricot") (露熛, lòu biāo, "to reveal [a] blaze")

Lord Xing Loubiao is the patriarch of the Xing family and is Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo's father. The Xing family, unlike the Hes, Res, and Dous, is a newer noble family in Xiatian with ties to foreign lands. He is a cunning and ambitious man, not afraid to push people out of the way to secure his place in the Vermillion Court. He is not very sympathetic to the plights of the common folk, either. He is 66 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: shing low bi-yaow

Lord Xing Moduan (杏没断)

(杏, xìng, "apricot") (没断, mò duàn, "to end definitely")

Lord Xing Moduan is the eldest son of Lord Xing Loubiao and the younger brother of Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo. He is part of the newer Xing noble family, with ties to foreign lands. He has been a part of the Vermillion Court for 10 years. He is more tolerable to be around than his father, possessing middle-ground views that usually favor both parties. He is 33 years old at the start of the game.

Name Pronunciation: shing mo du-ahn

Lady Zheng Qieyan (正惬言)

(正, zhèng, "proper") (惬言, qiè yán, "cheerful words/speech")

Lady Zheng Qieyan is a member of the Vermilion Court. As one of the few sitting ladies, she's often faced with stereotypes and bias perpetrated by a majority of her male colleagues. She is the only child of the old noble Zheng family. She is smart and resourceful, maintaining an air of propriety and calmness. She is 35 years old at the start of the game.

Name Pronunciation: jh-eun chi-eh yen

Lord Yuan Cuohuang (元措谎)

(元, yuán, "first") (措谎, cuò huǎng, "to execute lies")

Lord Yuan Cuohuang is a member of the Vermillion Court. He is part of the Yuan family, a low-ranking noble house. He is one of the middle children of a middle son, so it's a bit surprising for many that he even has a place at court. He is considered to be thoughtful and intelligent and charismatic, often making deals among the other nobility for policy support. He is 50 years old at the start of the game.

Name Pronunciation: you-en ch-owah heuh-wahng