Xuyanese Rulers

A quick summary of Xuyan's rulers and dynsties, including dates within periods.

BEFORE REN PERIOD (??? - BR 46)
The unknown period of time spanning too far back into the mists of time to be recalled. There are only pieces and fragments of this time, which fostered the earliest seeds of civilization. Historians belief the people of the world at this time were one people called the Ren, and while a few myths and legends still exist among the Khun folktales, all reputable information has been lost.

SAN REN PERIOD (BR 46 - 1E Mountain)
Posthumously declared First Emperor, later corrected to First Empress. The King of Kingdom Wu, who was Xu Yan's second-in-command. See below.
 * 1) General Xu Yan (Xu Yuan)
 * 1) King Wu Ling I

WU DYNASTY (1E Mountain - 2E Sun)

 * 1) Emperor Wu Ling I (The First Emperor) - The last prince of the Wu Kingdom, married to Queen Ji Lei. He founded Xuyan, named after General Xu Yan (Xu Yuan) who united the armies of the San Ren against the tyrannical Ezent Guren Empire, defeating them and claiming their lands as the Empire of Xuyan.
 * 2) Emperor Wu Ling II - The son of Wu Ling I and Queen Ji Lei. He was able to hold the empire together by influencing his rightful leadership over both kingdoms. The Yi Kingdom did not agree with him, however, and had to be put down after a violent rebellion.
 * 3) Emperor Wu Ling III - Did nothing of particular note except die young.
 * 4) Emperor Wu Wang - Took the throne after his elder brother, Ling III, died of a horseback riding accident. He actually proved to be quite a good king, scholar, and warrior, despite some initial doubts. He was well-liked and it is from his name that the Wang House appeared.
 * 5) Emperor Wu Ling IV - The nephew of Wu Wang and son of Ling III, who reclaimed the throne upon his uncle's death. This lead to some friction between him and his cousin Wang Tang, who claimed the throne as his, and a civil war broke out, which he lost. He ended up dying quietly to an infection shortly after.

WANG DYNASTY (2E Sun - 3E Fox)

 * 1) Emperor Wang Tang (The Black King) - The son of Wu Wang, who said his claim to the throne was greater than that of his cousin, leading to a Wu-Wang Civil War. As expected, it ended with Wang Tang the victor. He was merciful and pardoned House Wu, declaring them close relatives and allies and vowed their houses would be united.
 * 2) Emperor Wang Ling I
 * 3) Emperor Wang Ling II
 * 4) Emperor Wang Ling III (The Mad King) - A king plagued with intense paranoia who was very mentally disturbed. He sealed off the the throne room of the royal palace to all visitors, hiding away in it's security from his imagined enemies. He also created the famous Dragon Guard, a special king's guard force of the most elite warriors in all the land. It is said he only left the throne room once, to see his newborn heir, where he was immediately assassinated.
 * 5) Emperor Wang Ling IV - (The Child King) Since his father was killed upon his birth, the recency of the throne went to his mother, Queen Regent Wang Yuan. This later became a permanent role for her after Ling IV died in a horseback accident.
 * 6) Queen Regnant Wang Yuan (The First Empress) - Initially just serving as regent to her young son, but took the role completely after her only son's death. Many already were comfortable with her, as she had been the figurehead monarch since the days of her husband Ling II, and took to the role quite naturally as she had many years of experience already. She led so well that many new perspectives grew about women ruling, opening the door for future Empresses to rule.
 * 7) Emperor Wang Ling V (The Blind King) - Not actually the son of Ling VI but his brother, as he was the first son of Wang Yuan's second marriage to Emperor Consort Wang Feng. Like Ling III, he was often secluded away from the people in his throne room, letting his cousin-wife Queen Wang Yuan Ting take most of the law and managerial duties. He also had three consorts, of Houses Hong, Zu, and Gao, for which the palace halls are named. He had many, many children including the painter Gao Shan, the general and playwright Zu Xin (later Huo Xin), his successor Wang Ling VI, legendary warrior queen Wang Huiyin Ting, and the famed patriarch Gao Bo. He was assassinated by still-unknown sources, suspected to be the last remnants of House Zhu, who he sentenced to death.
 * 8) Emperor Wang Ling VI (The People's Prince) - The most beloved prince Xuyan has ever seen. He was a soldier who served alongside his people and wrote the manuscript called A Prince's Purpose, studying the more nuanced aspects of being a leader. It is still regarded as mandatory military reading to this day. Was deposed by the Red Empress shortly after his reign began. The deep betrayal of his closest sister, along with other imminent issues, led him to step down as Emperor, although he was greatly loved by the people. His suicide at the Haibin Palace was considered a national tragedy.
 * 9) Empress Wang Huiyin Ting (The Red Empress) - Also known as the Kingslayer to Basho for directly murdering King Sho Go. Though she ended the 200+ year Basho-Xuyan War by calling a truce with King Sho Kai, she also played a massive part in the coup by her friend Sho Sai to forcibly take back the throne. Once he was seated, they declared a formal alliance with Basho including Khatan Khan Nergui Tsetseg of the newly-freed Khumuus Vant, which called the Treaty of Three People. For the rest of her reign, she ushered in an age of surprigingly absolute peace.
 * 10) Emperor Wang Long (The Dragon King) - The last great warrior king. He led the people of Xuyan against the First Invaders of the East.
 * 11) Emperor Wang Jing (The Last King) - A decent, fair king who was cut down in the middle of his reign, along with his brother and all his sons, by the Shogun. Little else is recorded about him except the fact that he was very well-liked by his people and even apparently took the throne from his elder brother, Prince Wang Jian, by his popular backing.

SHOGUN OF BASHO (3E Fox - 3E Lotus)

 * 1) Shogun Hojo Mitsuhisa - A cruel and vicious man who left an indelible mark on the world, for better or for worse. It all began with a sudden overnight coup in which he usurped the throne of Basho from King Sho Tai, taking full power for himself. Then he quietly snuck into Xuyan, bribing and murdering his way along so that the crown remained uninformed. It culminated in suddenly barging into the palace, quickly beheading the Emperor and all his male relatives, and claiming Xuyan for the Basho Shogunate. In a few short years, Xuyan was subjugated but later the people rose up against him and killed him in a mob, leading Xu Anze to restore the throne.

XU DYNASTY (3E Lotus - 4E Lotus)
The queen who outlawed the worship of the god Yama, mercilessly slaughtering his followers. Notable only for the fact that he was always afraid to leave his chambers due to fear of the peasants acting against him and killing him. Thus, he refused to hold a single Summer Ball or Winter Ball.
 * 1) Empress Xu Anze (The Chosen Queen) - A descendant of Xu Yuan herself. When the dust of the Shogunate settled, the people all agreed that the throne and their own ways should be returned, and who better to make Xuyan into Xuyan again than a descendant of Xuyan? Through Xu Anze, much of the murky past surrounding Xu Yan, who was in fact a woman named Xu Yuan, came to light. It was revealed that Xu Yuan actually died in childbirth to a daughter named Xu Jun, the illegitimate and secret daughter of Xu Yuan's closest friend General Gao Junfa. Using this, Xu Anze restored the Gao to their nobility status while shaming the Wu as usurpers and thieves, causing their current reputations.
 * 2) Empress Xu Ming (The Bloody Queen)
 * 1) Emperor Xu Du (The Craven King)
 * 1) Empress Xu Wei
 * 2) Empress Xu Yuandi (The Honest Queen) - The deeply religious Empress who is the main force responsible for pulling the empire towards the Way. She was murdered by one of her daughter's attendants, Cai Xinyue, and her chief advisor Hu Hui.
 * 3) Empress Xu Yai (The Kinslayer Queen) - The last Empress of the Xu dynasty, who was initially regarded very well. She murdered her own elder brother and used a political marriage with Khaan Bukh of Khumuus Vant to unite their two kingdoms and conquer the rest of the continent. Finally showing her true colors after a string of executions without giving the right to a trial, she quickly became regarded as a tyrant. She was killed by Yi Nao, having never born children.

YI DYNASTY (5E Mountain - 6E Mountain)

 * 1) Empress Yi Nao (The Shaizi Queen) - Initially she got a lot of bad reception by people questioning her validity to the throne. Then it was found out that she was directly related to Xu Anze being that her father was crime lord Yi Tao the Dragon. In addition, her ancestor Yi Mao, the founder of the the Shaizi, was the daughter of Wang Tingfeng II, making her the half-sister of Queen Wang Yuan Ting and the cousin of the Blind King. And even beyond that, she bore the Yi name and therefore was also the rightful heir of Kingdom Yi. Through her, the three kingdoms of the San Ren were finally truly united.
 * 2) Empress Yi Cao - The daughter of Yi Nao. She officially disbanded the Shaizi, although rumor persists that they live on in some way.
 * 3) Empress Yi Cao Cao
 * 4) Emperor Yi Cao Ping - The only child of Yi Cao Cao. He notably was the first Emperor to take consorts since the Blind King. In addition to fathering the current Emperor, he is also notably the father of Queen Yi Cao Ping through a consort.
 * 5) Emperor Yi Cui Dai (The Dragon King) - He was married to his half-sister Queen Yi Cao Ping, but also had three consorts of Gu Jiang, General Liu Li, and Zi He Lian. With his wife he was only able to bear a daughter, while he bore three sons each of the same age, who became known as the Sons of the Dragon.

GU DYNASTY (6E Mountain - 8E Wind)

 * 1) Emperor Gu Jiang Jiang (The Wyrm King) - One of the three Sons of the Dragon, specifically the son of Emperor Yi Cui Dai and Gu Jiang.
 * 2) Emperor Gu Jiang Dai - The eldest son of Emperor Gu Jiang Jiang.
 * 3) Empress Gu Dai Jia
 * 4) Emperor Gu Jia Pen (The Bright King) - The first ruler of the 7th Era. He ushered in a wave of peace and prosperity throughout the land.
 * 5) Emperor Gu Pen Mao (The Star King) - The only son of the Bright King. Due to his sudden and tragically young death, he is also sometimes called the Fallen Star.
 * 6) Emperor Gu Mao Lin (The Child King II) - The young son and only child the Star King. When his father died suddenly, he was forced to take the throne at a young age. He adapted well and overcame the struggles of ruling young.
 * 7) Emperor Gu Lin Hua (The Sun King)
 * 8) Emperor Gu Hua Sin (The Mountain King) - The first ruler of the 8th Era. He was known to be a very loyal man, retaining many lifelong friendships. When his wife, Queen Gu An Min, died giving birth to their only daughter, he refused to remarry.
 * 9) Empress Gu Sin Min - The only child of Emperor Gu Hua Sin and Queen Gu An Min. Her marriage to Wu Zhi Shi ended her dynasty because, like her mother, she died in childbirth to her only son.

2ND WU DYNASTY (8E Wind - 9E Phoenix)

 * 1) Emperor Wu Zhi Shi - The husband of the late Empress Gu Sin Min, who the throne was transferred to upon her death. He never remarried or had other children, and abdicated the crown as soon as his son came of age. That still didn't stop his son from assassinating him later.
 * 2) Emperor Wu Shi Tai (The Young King) - The only son of Emperor-Consort Wu Shi and Empress Gu Sin Min. He took the throne after he came of age.
 * 3) Emperor Wu Tai Chi (The Bloody-Handed King) - The second-born son of Emperor Shi Tai and Queen Chi Yu.
 * 4) Emperor Wu Chi Min - The first-born son of Emperor Wu Tai Chi and Queen Wu Shu Mai.
 * 5) Empress Wu Min Su
 * 6) Emperor Wu Su Ru
 * 7) Empress Wu Ruyi (The Chaste Queen) - The daughter of Emperor Wu Su Ru and Queen Yi Xian Nara. She never married, and died with no children.

JI DYNASTY (9E Phoenix - Present)

 * 1) Emperor Ji Yu Cao (The Southern King) - Following the death of Empress Wu Ruyi, he challenged the claimant Duke Wu Han Shin for the throne of Xuyan, and after a decades-long civil war, won the imperial seat. He moved the capital of Xuyan south to Haiyang, taking the Summer Palace as the primary Imperial Palace.
 * 2) Empress Ji Cao Ying - The daughter of Emperor Ji Yu Cao and Queen Cao Hou Ying.