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Main Characters
Feng Xin
Feng Xin (Xin'er)/Li Weiyoung
- Played by: Tiffany Tang (adult), Zhao Shuting (child)
Princess of Northern Yan. The only survivor after her family are murdered. Takes the identity of Li Weiyoung to get revenge on their murderers.
- Becoming the Mask: After taking Weiyoung's identity she stops using her birth name.
- Break His Heart to Save Him: Played with; she pretends she doesn't care about Tuoba Jun to save the Li family, because if the "witchcraft" incident was revealed it would mean the entire family's execution.
- Break the Haughty: Li Changle inflicts this on her after Xin'er is accused of murder.
- Darkest Hour: Briefly loses the will to live after Bai Zhi is murdered and Tuoba Jun marries Li Changle.
- Dead Person Impersonation: Her impersonation of Li Weiyoung is helped by the fact none of the Li family have seen the real Li Weiyoung for years, but some of them still suspect she's an impostor.
- Distinguishing Mark: Has a birthmark on her wrist. This makes Seventh Concubine realise she isn't Li Weiyoung.
- Heroic Bastard: Played with. She isn't illegitimate but Li Weiyoung was, so thanks to the Dead Person Impersonation everyone assumes she's this trope.
- Historical Domain Character: She's loosely based on Empress Dowager Feng
. - Missing Mom: Her mother appears in the prologue then is never mentioned again.
- Oblivious to Love: She never realises Li Minde is in love with her.
- Rags to Riches / Riches to Rags: Goes through both tropes repeatedly. She starts out the princess of Northern Liang, then becomes a Noble Fugitive, then pretends to be Li Weiyoung... and that's just in the first few episodes.
- Related in the Adaptation: The historical Empress Feng was Tuoba Hong's step-mother. Here Xin'er is his birth mother.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: She and Jun Tao dress as boys to wander around the town.
Tuoba Jun
Tuoba Jun, Prince Gaoyang
- Played by: Luo Jin
Tuoba Tao's favourite grandson and son of the late Crown Prince.
- Childhood Marriage Promise: Made one to Li Changle. This causes trouble later when he no longer likes her but she still wants to marry him.
- Disappeared Dad: His father died long before the series starts.
- The Emperor: Becomes Emperor of Northern Wei towards the end of the series.
- Historical Domain Character: He's a fictionalised version of Emperor Wen Cheng.
- Obfuscating Insanity: He pretends he's insane after Tuoba Yu imprisons him. It's actually a ploy to make Tuoba Yu underestimate him.
- Prince Charming: For Xin'er, though she refuses to admit it at first.
- Warrior Prince: One of several, and by far the most heroic one.
Tuoba Yu
Tuoba Yu, Prince Nan'an
- Played by: Vanness Wu (adult), Huang Tianqi (child)
Tuoba Tao's youngest son and Tuoba Jun's uncle.
- Ambition Is Evil: He wants the throne and he'll do anything to get it.
- Death Faked for You: He fakes Li Changru's death.
- Evil Uncle: He's Tuoba Jun's uncle. That doesn't stop him manipulating, plotting against, and outright torturing Tuoba Jun.
- Historical Domain Character: Though he hasn't much in common with the historical figure he's based on.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice / Taking the Bullet: Li Changru tries to stab Xin'er. Tuoba Yu jumps between them and she stabs him instead.
- Jerkass: He does nothing to help Xin'er when she's almost raped.
- Manipulative Bastard: He's the most manipulative in the series.
- Prince Charmless: For Xin'er. Li Changru likes him much better, unfortunately.
- Scarpia Ultimatum: Does this twice, once by proxy and once himself.
- He says he'll save Xin'er if Tuoba Jun marries Li Changle. Faced with a choice between marrying a woman he hates, or letting the woman he loves die, Tuoba Jun agrees to the marriage.
- Towards the end of the series he forces Xin'er to marry him. He nearly succeeds, but then Tuoba Jun arrives.
- The Usurper: He steals the throne after his father dies.
Li Changru
- Played by: Mao Xiaotong
The real Li Weiyoung's cousin.
- Always Someone Better: She hates Li Changle because she's always treated better than her. The first incident is when she spends months weaving a tapestry for Grandma's birthday. Then Li Changle brings out a better tapestry right in front of hers.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She's not nearly as nice as she appears.
- Face–Heel Turn / Love Makes You Evil: Her love for Tuoba Yu makes her turn against Xin'er.
- Together in Death: Kills herself to be with Tuoba Yu.
Li Changle
- Played by: Li Xin'ai
The real Li Weiyoung's half-sister.
- Alpha Bitch: She starts out an arrogant, petty brat who steals her cousins' ideas to make herself look good. She just gets worse later on.
- Catapult Nightmare: Has one after murdering Crown Princess.
- Childhood Marriage Promise: Tuoba Jun made one to her. This causes trouble later when he no longer likes her but she still wants to marry him.
- Driven to Suicide: She commits suicide after Tuoba Jun becomes emperor.
- Green-Eyed Monster: She's jealous of Tuoba Jun's love for Xin'er.
- Historical Domain Character: A highly fictionalised example. The real Tuoba Jun did have a Consort Li. However, virtually nothing is known about her life, including her personal name. What Li Changle has in common with her is her surname, that she married Tuoba Jun, and that she committed suicide. (Incidentally, the real Consort Li was the birth mother of Tuoba Hong. Here Xin'er is his mother, and Li Changle died before he was born.)
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Her attempts to cause trouble for Xin'er just backfire on her.
- Jerkass: She tortures Xin'er over a fan.
Northern Wei
Tuoba Tao
Tuoba Tao, Emperor Taiwu
- Played by: Canti Lau
Emperor of Northern Wei.
- Historical Domain Character: A fictionalised version of Emperor Taiwu.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He outlived his son Tuoba Huang, Tuoba Jun's father.
Crown Princess
- Played by: Xu Rongzhen
Tuoba Jun's mother.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She only behaves coldly toward Xin'er but after witnessing Xin'er tenderly care for an injured Tuoba Jun, she realises that the two really love each other.
- Doting Parent: She and Tuoba Jun are very close and she absolutely adores him.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: She is very opposed to Xin'er at first, being completely taken in by Li Changle. But after witnessing a very tender, and very sincere moment between her son and Xin'er her attitute towards Xin'er softens. Unfortunately Li Changle murders her before she can act on her new realizations.
- Historical Domain Character: She's a fictionalised version of Consort Yujiulü.
- Horrible Judge of Character: She really likes Li Changle and wants her as a daughter in law.
Tuoba Han
Tuoba Han, Prince Dongping
- Played by: Zhang Tianyang
Tuoba Yu's half-brother.
- Evil Uncle: He's Tuoba Jun's uncle, and is plotting against him for the throne.
- Historical Domain Character: Tuoba Tao did have a son named Tuoba Han; very little is known about him, so his portrayal here is almost entirely fictional.
- Hunting "Accident": He and Chiyun Nan plan to kill Xin'er and Tuoba Jun during a hunt.
Tuoba Di
Tuoba Di, Princess Shanggu/Ninth Princess
- Played by: Chen Yuqi
The emperor's daughter and Tuoba Jun's aunt.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Li Minde. She spends most of her time annoying him.
- Historical Domain Character: Tuoba Tao had a daughter with the title Princess Shang Gu. Like several other characters very little is known about her.
- Mistaken for Gay: Li Minde thinks she's a man when he first meets her. Then he thinks she's flirting with him and jumps to the conclusion she's a gay man. Tuoba Di finds the whole thing hilarious.
- Royal Brat: Her behaviour towards Li Minde has shades of this.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: Dresses as a boy for her own amusement and to Troll unsuspecting strangers.
Zong Ai
- Played by: Hou Rui Xiang
The emperor's personal eunuch. Secretly works for Tuoba Yu.
- Eunuchs Are Evil: He kills Tuoba Tao and helps Tuoba Yu take the throne.
- Historical Domain Character: His historical counterpart really did assassinate the emperor and put Tuoba Yu on the throne.
Cheng De
Tuoba Hong
- Played by: ?
Xin'er and Tuoba Jun's son.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: He becomes emperor when he's ten.
- Historical Domain Character: He's loosely based on Emperor Xian Wen.
- Related in the Adaptation / Unrelated in the Adaptation: The historical Xian Wen was the son of Tuoba Jun and Consort Li (who was fictionalised as Li Changle), and the step-son of Empress Feng (fictionalised as Xin'er). Here Tuoba Hong is Xin'er's son and isn't related to Li Changle.
Li Family
Old Granny Li
- Played by: Wang Liyuan
The real Li Weiyoung's grandmother.
- Cool Old Lady: She's over sixty, and one of the few people in the Li household who openly stands up to Chiyun Rou.
- Token Good Teammate: She, Li Minde and Li Changru are the only members of the Li family to treat Xin'er well. Then it's revealed Li Minde isn't really part of the family and Li Changru is a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, so Old Granny Li turns out to be the only good person in the family.
Li Xiaoran
- Played by: Bai Fan
The real Li Weiyoung's father.
Chiyun Rou
- Played by: Lily Tien
Xiaoran's official wife and Li Changle and Li Minfeng's mother.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For all her faults she still loves Li Changle and Li Minfeng.
- Hoist by His Own Petard / Wounded Gazelle Gambit: She poisons herself to frame Xin'er, and in the process makes herself ill and contributes to her own death.
- Wicked Stepmother: She's responsible for Li Weiyoung's death and makes repeated attempts to kill or disgrace Xin'er.
Zhou Xuemei
- Played by: Wang Wanjuan
Li Minde's adoptive mother.
- Incurable Cough of Death: She coughs a lot after contracting a contagious disease.
Seventh Concubine
- Played by: Liu Jie
The real Li Weiyoung's mother.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Her surname is Chen, but her given name is never mentioned.
Li Minfeng
- Played by: Nan Fulong
Xiaoran's oldest son.
- Asshole Victim: Only his mother and sister are sorry about his death.
Li Weiyoung
- Played by: Li Yixiao
The real Li Weiyoung. Xin'er assumes her identity after her death.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: She dies shortly after her introduction.
Chiyun Family
Chiyun Nan
- Played by: Jin Han
Chiyun Rou's nephew. He framed and murdered Xin'er's family.
- Hunting "Accident": He and Tuoba Han plan to kill Xin'er and Tuoba Jun during a hunt.
Northern Liang
Queen Dowager
- Played by: Leanne Liu
Xin'er's grandmother.
- Face Death with Dignity: She realises she's slowing down their escape, so she sends Xin'er away and calmly waits for their pursuers to reach her. Then she gives her murderer a Death Glare as he charges toward her.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: She dies very early in the series.
King Hexi
Jun Tao
- Played by: Wang Yanzhi
Xin'er's bodyguard.
- Action Girl: She can fight off a group of guards and hold her own in a duel against Chiyun Nan.
- Braids of Action: She's an Action Girl who wears her hair in braids.
Rouran
Li Minde
Li Minde/Yuan Lie, Crown Prince of Rouran
- Played by: Liang Zhenlun
Zhou Xuemi's adopted son. Unknown to him he's really a prince of Rouran.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Tuoba Di, who spends most of her time annoying him.
- Big Brother Instinct: Towards Xin'er, though he denies it at first.
- Declaration of Protection: He promises to protect Xin'er from Chiyun Rou.
- Drowning My Sorrows: He gets drunk after his mother's death.
- Happily Adopted: He's very happy with his adoptive mother. With his cousins, on the other hand...
- Kissing Cousins: Played with, but ultimately averted. Li Minde is secretly in love with Xin'er, but thinks she's his cousin Li Weiyoung. Then it turns out that he isn't actually Li Weiyoung's cousin at all. Xin'er never realises he's in love with her, and he eventually falls in love with Tuoba Di instead.
- Mistaken for Gay: Makes this mistake about Tuoba Di.
- Really Royalty Reveal: He's as surprised as everyone else when he learns he's really a prince of Rouran.
An Le
- Played by: Wang Wei
Li Minde's sister.
- Faking the Dead: Fakes her own death (helped by Li Minde and Xin'er) to escape a marital treaty and a murder plot. Unfortunately, everyone assumes she's been murdered, and suspicion falls on Xin'er.
- Royal Brat: She has her guards attack the laundry bureau over an imagined insult, then tries to have Xin'er caned fifty times because Tuoba Di lost a fight.
General Jiao
- Played by: Li Ang
A general of Rouran who reveals the truth about Li Minde's parentage.
