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Main Characters
Chu Qiao
- Played by: Zhao Li Ying
An amnesiac maid who trains to be a spy.
- Action Girl: Flashbacks show she was one even as a child. She becomes even more of one after training to be a spiy.
- Amnesiac Hero: Loses her memories after almost drowning.
- And This Is for...: As she beats him to death Chu Qiao tells Yuwen Xi her punches are for Zhi Xiang, Lin Xi, and all the girls he's murdered.
- Bare-Handed Blade Block: She blocks Yuwen Hao's blade — which is sharp enough to slice through rock — with her bare hands.
- Combat Haircomb: Uses a sharp hairpin as a dagger.
- Death Faked for You: Yuwen Yue pretends to kill Chu Qiao and gets a doctor to confirm her "death". It's actually a ploy to get her away from Yuwen Huai. Unfortunately the people not in on the plan think Chu Qiao is really dead and take her body to be cremated.
- Exact Eavesdropping: She overhears Yuwen Zhuo and Yue Qi discussing how Yuwen Yue's training her to use against the enemy, and she'll probably be killed.
- Happily Adopted: She was adopted by the Jing family and renamed Jing Xiao Liu to protect her. She was happy with them, but unfortunately by the start of the series she has amnesia and can't remember them.
- I Have Many Names: She's known as Chu Qiao, Jing Xiao Liu, and Xing Er.
- Made a Slave: She and many other innocent people are kidnapped and forced into slavery.
- Poor Communication Kills: Yuwen Yue has no time to tell Chu Qiao about his plan to fake her death. She thinks he really did try to kill her, so when Zhong Yu saves her she doesn't tell Yuwen Yue she's safe. Yuwen Yue thinks she was accidentally cremated and blames himself for her "death". Meanwhile Chu Qiao is working for Yan Xun and is convinced Yuwen Yue is her enemy.
- Secret Test of Character: Yuwen Yue gives Chu Qiao a razor and tells her to shave him. It's actually a test to see if she'll take the opportunity to kill him for killing her brother. She considers it, but doesn't go through with it.
- Stab the Scorpion: She stands over an ill and unarmed Yuwen Yue, sword in hand, remembering how he killed Lin Xi. She raises the sword... and uses it to shove away the snake about to bite Yuwen Yue.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Briefly disguises herself as a man in episode forty-three. It's one of the least convincing disguises imaginable, complete with a blatantly fake moustache and beard.
- Uncertain Doom: She's last seen in deep and icy-cold water, and we don't see her swim to the surface. It's possible she survived, but there's no official confirmation either way.
Yuwen Yue
- Played by: Lin Geng Xin
Fourth young master of Yuwen Manor and heir to the Eyes of God.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Does this indirectly when he reminds his grandfather of all his father's shortcomings.
- Happily Adopted: He's the grandson of Yuwen Zhuo's second brother. Yuwen Yue's mother went insane, so Yuwen Zhuo adopted him and raised him as his own grandson.
- Jerkass: Starts out as one, with his callous disregard for servants' lives, refusal to investigate whether Lin Xi was actually guilty, and not even caring that he cuts Chu Qiao's arm when he kills a spider. Luckily he gets better later.
- Poor Communication Kills: Justified, since he had no time to let Chu Qiao in on the plan beforehand, but they would have both been spared a lot of trouble if he'd found some way to tell her he was going to fake her death.
- Raised by Grandparents: Played with. Yuwen Zhuo is actually Yuwen Yue's great-uncle, but he adopted Yuwen Yue and raised him as his grandson.
- The Stoic: He barely ever smiles, and not even assassination attempts can disturb his calm. Only one person can mildly fluster him: Chu Qiao.
- Strolling Through the Chaos: Walks through a fight without getting so much as a scratch.
- Uncertain Doom: He's last seen sinking out of sight in deep and icy-cold water. It's possible he survived, but there's no official confirmation either way.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Calls Yan Xun out for planning to flood Chang'an, knowing it would kill thousands of civilians, to avenge his family and escape the city.
Yan Xun
- Played by: Shawn Dou
Click here to see him before his Face–Heel Turn
Prince of Northern Yan.
- Anti-Villain / Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: All of his villainous actions are to get revenge for his murdered family.
- Bare-Handed Blade Block: Grabs the blades of two spears at once, snaps them off, and uses them against the soldiers.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Most of the time Yan Xun is a good-natured guy who's rarely seen without a smile. But if you hurt someone he cares about — or even worse, murder his family — then heaven help you.
- Break the Cutie / Trauma Conga Line: In the space of mere days he's arrested, thrown in prison, accused of treason, learns his family have been murdered, is confronted with their decapitated heads, witnesses his mother's suicide, thrown back in prison, forced to cut off his own finger, and learns Yuwen Yue — someone he considered his best friend — knew about the plot against him and didn't warn him. Any one of those events would be deeply traumatic. All of them, one after another... No wonder Yan Xun snaps.
- Determinator: Nothing will stop him reaching his family's bodies. Not a small army of heavily-armed soldiers, not a rain of arrows, nothing.
- Establishing Character Moment: He and his friends gallop recklessly through the streets, nearly damaging the shops' merchandise. A man's cart overturns when he can't get out of the way in time. Yan Xun is the only one who stops to let the man pick up the cart, while the others gallop past without looking back.
- Evil Costume Switch: Starts wearing black clothes and dark eyeshadow after his Face–Heel Turn.
- Face–Heel Turn / Fallen Hero: Becomes increasingly villainous in his quest for revenge.
- Fingore: Cuts off his own finger to save Chu Qiao.
- The Gadfly: Starts out as one. He constantly teases Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue, even after they've both made it clear they're fed up with him, and he switches the guards' swords and steals food from a passing servant for his own amusement. In spite of his antics he isn't malicious; just careless and inconsiderate of others.
- Human Pincushion: Gets shot repeatedly in episode twenty-four. He snaps the arrows' shafts so they don't get in the way and continues trying to reach the box holding his father's head.
- Like Brother and Sister: Played with. Yan Xun outright says he thinks of Yuan Chun as a younger sister, but she's in love with him.
- Multishot: Kills two wolves by firing two arrows at once.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: He absolutely berserk after learning his family have been murdered and seeing Yuwen Huai hold up his father's head.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Among other things he stages a rebellion and marches his army out of Chang'an on his wedding day.
- Sadistic Choice: Xi Feng forces Yan Xun to choose between cutting off his own finger, or watching as Xi Feng crushes Chu Qiao's fingers. Yan Xun chooses to cut off his own finger.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The emperor thinks the Yan family are plotting against him. So he has them all killed... except for Yan Xun, who plots against the emperor to get revenge.
- Skyward Scream: Screams "Mother!" at the sky after Bai Sheng's suicide.
- Spotting the Thread: He's the only person who notices Yuwen Yue isn't nearly grief-stricken enough for someone whose grandfather was murdered.
- Wedding Smashers: A rare self-inflicted version; Yan Xun rebels just before his wedding to Yuan Chun.
Yuan Chun
- Played by: Li Qin
Princess of Western Wei.
- Break the Cutie / Trauma Conga Line: She knows about the plot against the Yan family beforehand, but is caught and locked in the palace before she can warn Yan Xun. Later he stages a rebellion on the day he's supposed to marry her. She begs Yan Xun to stop it, but he coldly tells her he never loved her and rides away. Then Yuan Song tries to assassinate him, so in retaliation Yan Xun's men rape Yuan Chun.
- Like Brother and Sister: Played with. Yan Xun outright says he thinks of Yuan Chun as a younger sister, but she's in love with him.
- Rape as Drama: Yan Xun's men rape her after Yuan Song's assassination attempt.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Blames Chu Qiao for everything that happened to her and Yuan Song. Even though Chu Qiao knew nothing about it beforehand, rescued them as soon as she found out, and goes out of her way to protect and help them. Somewhat justified Yuan Chun is traumatised and heart-broken, but she still pins the blame on the one person who isn't responsible in any way.
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: All of her villainous actions are to get revenge for what she and her brother suffered.
Western Wei
Yue Qi
- Played by: Xing Zhao Lin
Yuwen Yue's right-hand-man.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Gets impaled by General Cheng's spear. He doesn't die immediately, so General Cheng then stabs him with a knife.
Yuan Song
- Played by: Niu Jun Feng
Yuan Chun's brother.
- An Arm and a Leg: His arm is cut off after he tries to assassinate Yan Xun.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Resorts to drinking after a day of enduring Xiao Ce and his demands.
Emperor
- Played by: Tian Xiao Jie
Emperor of Western Wei. Yuan Chun's father.
- The Caligula: He isn't as obviously deranged as some examples, but he's crazy and paranoid enough to have an entire family murdered because he's convinced some of them are traitors.
- Suddenly Shouting: When the emperor tells Yuwen Yue he suspects Yan Xun's family of treason he speaks calmly at first. When Yuwen Yue disagrees the emperor continues to speak calmly... for a few seconds. Then he yells at Yuwen Yue for daring to contradict him.
Yuwen Zhuo
- Played by: Kwok Fung
Yuwen Yue's grandfather.
- Faking the Dead: He survives the assassination attempt, but he and Yuwen Yue decide to pretend he died. Yuwen Yue holds a fake funeral for him while Yuwen Zhuo recovers in peace.
Yuwen Huai
- Played by: Wang Yan Lin
Yuwen Yue's cousin.
- Asshole Victim: His actions include taunting Yan Xun with his father's decapitated head and murdering a toddler. No one is sorry when he dies.
- Axe-Crazy: His idea of entertainment is to kidnap dozens of unarmed, defenceless girls for his friends to hunt down and kill.
- Death of a Child: Locks Hao Er, Lan Shu Yi's toddler, in a box and leaves him to suffocate.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Kidnaps girls, including Chu Qiao, then hunts them for sport.
Wei Shu You
- Played by: Jurat
Young master of the Wei family.
- Asshole Victim: He cheerfully joins in the plots against Yan Xun, so his fate is richly deserved.
Wei Shu Ye
- Played by: Chen Si Han
Wei Shu You's cousin.
- Nephewism: He was adopted as a child by his uncle Wei Guang.
- Token Good Teammate: He's the only one of Yan Xun's so-called friends who truly is his friend — at first — and who tries to save him when he learns he's in danger.
Zhao Xi Feng
- Played by: Jin Han
Young master of the Zhao family.
- Asshole Victim: Murders Yan Xun's pregnant sister, forces Yan Xun to cut off his own finger, and is generally a monster. He richly deserves his painful death at the hands of Yan Xun and Chu Qiao.
- Axe-Crazy: He's delighted by Yuwen Huai's Hunting the Most Dangerous Game. Later he gleefully murders a pregnant woman as she tries desperately to escape.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Gets impaled twice, by Chu Qiao's arrow and Yan Xun's sword.
- Sadistic Choice: Forces Yan Xun to choose between cutting off his own finger, or watching as Xi Feng crushes Chu Qiao's fingers. Yan Xun chooses to cut off his own finger.
Northern Yan
Zhong Yu
- Played by: Li Ruo Jia
A warrior loyal to Yan Xun.
- Action Girl: She can certainly hold her own in a fight.
Southern Liang
Xiao Yu
- Played by: Huang Meng Ying
Princess of Liang and one of its best spies.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Spends most of her time sneaking around a foreign country and learning secrets its upper class want to keep hidden.
Xiao Ce
- Played by: Deng Lun
Crown Prince of Liang. Xiao Yu's brother.
- Royal Brat: Has a reputation for being exceedingly weird at best and an arrogant, entitled brat at worst. His eccentricities include refusing to eat food that's been grown or prepared by men — everything he eats is grown in a separate garden tended by women; making ridiculously elaborate preparations for short trips then travelling very slowly; and being a nuisance to his hosts.
Xiu Li Army
He Xiao
- Played by: Ruan Sheng Wen
Second commander of the Xiu Li army.
