Immortal Emperor
The leader of the Jade Empire, who reincarnates endlessly ever since the child of the Fourth Jade Emperor was blessed by Kawahara.
If everything I’ve learned about the Immortal Emperor is true, then he is a man with 350 years of life lessons to draw from, and a man we should never take lightly. The Hotsukai, with 200 years of his own, might be the perfect person to keep the Jade Empire at bay. I fear for the future of Shudan after his time passes.-Horbrar Vusk H172
History
The Fourth Jade Emperor
The Immortal Emperor predates anyone alive in the empire today, but not the empire itself. His origins can be traced back to a time when the Jade Empire was led by the fourth Jade Emperor, and begins with the life of a hero named Jin Lingxin. Jin was the second son of a moderately successful merchant. He didn’t live the life of a noble, but was certainly a step above the normal citizens of the empire. He didn’t spend much time with his direct family though, being viewed by many as a loner when he was a child. When he came of age, he began spending considerable time with his older cousin Ye, the son of Yao Lingxin. Yao was Chief Inspector of the empire’s Imperial Investigative Force and a close friend of the emperor himself. As such, Yao’s son, Ye, and nephew, Jin, spent a fair amount of time in the palace of the empire and on occasion watched over the emperor’s young son Zheng Liang Fou. When Zheng Liang Fou was only 14 years old, he wished to visit the family of his cousin. They lived in Baiseshansu, at least nine days ride from the imperial capital, and so the emperor called upon his greatest warriors to escort the young master. But he refused them, saying that he wished to make the journey on his own. The emperor simply would not allow this, and eventually convinced Zheng to allow both Jin and Ye, young warriors by now, to accompany him. As it turned out, Ye was engaged to marry, and was already preparing to escort his wife to be to Baiseshansu to receive the blessing of her father. Jin was happy to join the couple and help ensure the safety of Zheng on the trip. The four of them left with an abundance of supplies. Three days into the trip, they were attacked by bandits. The brave Jin and Ye were able to ward off the bandits and protect the young master, but Ye’s wife to be was injured and eventually died after the attack. Ye was so furious that he flew into a rage, blaming Zheng and saying it should have been he who died in her place. Jin tried to calm him down, but Ye ignored his cousin and turned to the young master instead, drawing a knife and holding it to his throat. Jin had no choice but to draw his own sword, stabbing Ye in the back and killing him on the spot. Not quickly enough though, because Ye’s knife cut deep into the throat of the young master who began to bleed out. Jin clutched Zheng Liang Fou in his arms as the young boy bled out and he begged for the gods to spare the child. He begged to die in Zheng’s place, so that the boy could live. Kawahara, goddess of birth and renewal, was so moved by Jin’s pleas that she visited him in person. She asked if he truly wished to give his own life for the young boy, and he assured her that he had no doubts in his conviction. And so, by her touch, the boy’s injuries were transferred to Jin who quickly succumbed to death. Zheng recovered completely, and was able to complete his journey to Baiseshansu. When he met the family of his cousin and told them what had happened, they sent riders out to the road to recover the bodies of Jin, Ye, and Ye’s beloved. The girl’s body was returned to her family, and Jin’s body was entombed in the Fou family crypt as a gesture of thanks for the heroic warrior. Ye’s body was burned and forgotten. In time, the Fou family discovered that the young master seemed to know a great many things he should not yet know. He had experience and wisdom beyond his years. They eventually came to realize that Kawahara had not desired to see Jin truly die, and so had allowed a spark of him to live on inside of Zheng. The two shared their wisdom and knowledge and grew into a wise and noble ruler, eventually succeeding Zheng’s father and becoming the fifth Jade Emperor.The Fifth Jade Emperor
As the fifth Jade Emperor, Zheng Liang Fou led the Jade Empire through alternating periods of peace and of political unrest. He always managed to find the support he needed among select noble families to remain in power, despite alienating other noble families greatly. Many of these families saw their reputation, power, and wealth begin to decline. He often considered the needs of the common people highest, and so was greatly loved by the people. For this reason, it was hard for dissenting nobles to oppose him. In his old age he took to spending time alone in the company of his much younger wife, a woman by the name of Fu Lan. The Lan family was a very powerful noble house, and one of the few which had not sided with Zheng directly but had so far avoided being completely alienated. They feared what might happen if they denied the emperor their eldest daughter, and so they encouraged Fu Lan to spend as much time with him as possible. She was not put out by the arrangement though, as she greatly enjoyed the company of the older man, and spending time with him in the imperial palace and gardens, which flourished despite the cold climate of the country. Even when his health began to fail him, he never missed out on time outdoors with Fu Lan. On one such occasion, he invited Fu Lan on a trip to Baiseshansu to visit some of his extended family. In remembrance of the journey he took early in life with Jin Lingxin, the fifth Jade Emperor took only three companions on this trip. The first was a friend of his, and the young head of the noble House Zhi, Liao Zhi. The second was a brave warrior and head of his personal guard, Du Ya. The third and final, was of course Fu Lan. Only three days into their trip, Zheng Liang Fou confessed that he had lied about the reason for bringing them here. He had no intention of arriving at Baiseshansu, and had only wished to visit the spot where Jin Lingxin had saved his life so many years ago. Now at peace, the fifth Jade Emperor was content to die peacefully along the roadside. His last words were his wishes to be buried here, where he had first been blessed by the touch of Kawahara. Liao and Du buried their friend, while Fu Lan cried without stop. All night and throughout the next day she wept over his grave. When it reached the point that Liao and Du feared Fu Lan would die from heartbreak, the three were visited by Kawahara. The goddess told Fu Lan that her tears were so moving that Zheng Liang Fou could not possibly die on this day. He would live on, through Fu Lan. Fu Lan was touched by Kawahara at that moment, and the life of Zheng Liang Fou entered her. It wasn’t just a spark, as it had been with Jin Lingxin. It was everything. Fu Lan had every memory and emotion of Zheng Liang Fou inside her, and was able to live alongside him in perfect harmony. The three returned to the imperial capital to spread the news of what had happened. Some were skeptical at first, but it was impossible to deny the things Fu Lan knew, things she couldn’t have known any other way. The Lan family supported her of course, as did all of the noble families that had supported Zheng Liang Fou before. She took the name Fu Lan Fou and became the sixth Jade Emperor, but the Li Qu came to call her something else; the Immortal Emperor.The Sixth Jade Emperor
Fu Lan Fou continued to win over the common people through frequent and extravagant festivals, celebrations, and holidays. She never changed the status quo for the citizens living under the Jade Empire, but the distractions made them forget about it and love her all the more. Whenever unrest did begin to show, she was quick to call out one of the noble families which had failed to ally themselves with her, and offer them up as a scapegoat. She clashed frequently with the Imperial Investigative Force regarding her favorable treatment of some families over others, and eventually disbanded the IIF in favor of a new group more loyal to her, called the Imperial Order. The sixth Jade Emperor never took a husband or spent any time in a relationship with a man, owing to the fact that she was already living with the combined consciousness of herself and her late husband Zheng Liang Fou. As she aged and her health began to fail, the Li Qu became distraught. One of the head priestesses at the temple of Kawahara, a woman by the name of Tan, came forward with a message from her goddess. She explained that there was a ceremony through which Fu Lan Fou and Zheng Liang Fou could be reborn in the body of another willing to share their body. Many noble families volunteered young men and women for the honor, and eventually a young man from House Guanting was selected.Immortal Emperor
The new Wan Guanting Fou did not accept the title of seventh Jade Emperor, but instead formally became the Immortal Emperor of the Jade Empire. During his reign Wan Guanting Fou further solidified the power of nine noble houses; House Guanting, House Gengxin, House Lingxin, House Delan, House Huo, House He, House Huan, House Zhi, and House Lan. Other notable houses, such as the once prolific Jun family, suffered great losses and fell in prominence. In the centuries since then, the ceremony has been repeated countless times. The Immortal Emperor has continued to reincarnate in the bodies of outstanding members from the nine noble houses, allowing him to lead the empire even today.
Ethnicity
Currently Held Titles
Date of Birth
~200BH ?
Children
Gender
male
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