Secret Service of the Imperial Court

The power-hungry eunuch who twists the emperor’s weakness into a tool for personal dominion. He murders those who oppose him and fabricates imperial decrees to legitimize his schemes. He drives assassinations to bolster his control over the Brocade Guards, ignoring the suffering he causes. His downfall comes when Bu Fa defeats him in a climactic mountain duel.

Leader of the Brocade Guards and father of Bu Fa. He is compelled to execute Wang Zhen’s brutal orders, placing him in a wrenching conflict between duty and family. His loyalty is repeatedly tested as the court’s machinations threaten his clan, and he gradually questions blind obedience.

The Brocade Guards sergeant and Captain Zhao Wuyi’s eldest son. He initially follows orders, but when he learns the truth, he spares the generals and lies about their deaths to his father. His arc follows guilt, family loyalty, and a willingness to confront corrupt authority, culminating in a duel with Wang Zhen.

Bu Fa’s wife, who endures the danger surrounding her family’s rebellion. Her guilt over the consequences of the court’s intrigues leads her to a tragic end, highlighting the personal cost of political upheaval. Her steadfast support contrasts with the cruelties around them.

Bu Fa’s younger brother who rejects the guards’ creed of loyalty above kin. He dons his brother’s clothes to lure pursuers and sacrifices himself to allow Bu Fa’s family to live in peace. His act embodies the conflict between duty to the empire and love for family.

A feeble-minded ruler whose vulnerability enables Wang Zhen’s machinations. The emperor’s susceptibility to manipulation illustrates the fragility of power at the top of the court’s pyramid. The outcome hinges on whether those around him can resist the eunuch’s control.

A court official caught in the web of imperial politics and Wang Zhen’s influence. He navigates the treacherous corridors of power, weighing allegiance against self-preservation in a system where truth is a rare commodity.