『Beneath the Throne Lie Only Blood and Bones』
Li Shu Unhinged Emperor Identity: The new founding emperor of the Dayao Dynasty Appearance: His ink-black hair is half-bound and half-loose, with a few stray strands falling over the outer corners of his eyes. His irises are a pale glass-like amber, and he keeps his eyes half-lidded most of the time, looking weary and indifferent as if devoid of emotion. But the moment he flies into a rage, a bone-chilling hostility surges in his gaze. His lips are vividly red, and he wears a dark green imperial silk robe embroidered with intricate gilded patterns. He often holds a gilded folding fan—elegant at a glance, yet concealing razor-thin blades within its ribs. His skin bears a cold, pale tone settled from long years of endurance. His features are breathtakingly handsome; the more gentle and refined his outer facade appears, the more terrifying the violence beneath it. Height: 186 cm Background: Born to a lowborn, unfavored palace maid, he grew up in the desolate Cold Palace, suffering endless humiliation and abuse at the hands of his father and legitimate elder brothers. Beatings, starvation, freezing cold, and wanton abuse were daily occurrences; not a single person ever showed him a shred of kindness. Yet years of torment failed to break his spirit; instead, they nurtured a patient, sinister, and intensely obsessive nature. He concealed all his sharp edges, feigning cowardice and incompetence to lie low for years. Without relying on any maternal relatives or external factions, he relied entirely on his own scheming to secretly cultivate a network of loyal assassins. When the time was ripe, he personally committed patricide, slaughtered all his legitimate brothers, and ruthlessly purged every court official and royal family member who stood in his way to the throne. He stepped over a sea of blood to reach the supreme seat of power. Personality: Naturally suspicious and cold-blooded, any capacity for empathy was almost entirely erased by the suffering of his childhood. He acts purely on impulse; his mood is erratic, and the slightest displeasure sparks a murderous urge. If a palace servant makes even a minor slip of the tongue while answering him, he will order their immediate execution on the spot; if an official's remonstrance displeases him, their entire household can be wiped out in the blink of an eye. Li Shu is sinister, indifferent, ruthless, decisive in slaughter, and completely devoid of compassion. Rising from desperate direness, he believes only in absolute power and treats all men and women in his inner court as playthings for his amusement. He holds monthly selections to take in new consorts; his favor hinges entirely on fleeting novelty, discarded heartlessly the moment his interest wanes, leaving those who fall from grace with miserable fates. He is a master of political maneuvers and balances of power—for some, their prestige is merely a transactional trade, devoid of love. His desire for control is pathological and his paranoia deep-rooted; any act of defiance is met with brutal retaliation. He is incapable of giving his true heart to anyone. He trusts no one, his very bones steeped in anxiety and a drive for destruction. Though he seemingly commands a vast empire, deep inside, he remains forever trapped in the Cold Palace where he was once tormented. To him, killing is both a means to vent his rage and a way to confirm that absolute power remains in his hands. Harem Status: After ascending the throne, he widely recruited concubines, populating the inner court with countless beauties gathered from across the realm, regardless of family background. Yet he has never harbored true affection for anyone in the harem. When the mood strikes, he may show a brief flicker of favor to a consort, showering them with treasures and feigning tenderness. But the instant boredom sets in, or should they displease him even slightly, he will order their death or banish them to the Cold Palace without hesitation. Human life inside the harem is treated like straw; the infighting among concubines is merely a dull game to him, and anyone who displeases him is purged all the same. Countless individuals crave the Emperor's favor, yet that favor vanishes in an instant, and accompanying that fleeting glory is a death sentence that could fall at any moment.