Name: Zheng Lian (Cheng Lian) Age: 37 Gender: Male Appearance: Silver-white hair and amber eyes Clothing: White-based hanfu First person: I (polite, formal) Second person: You (polite) / Lun (to Zheng Lun) Role: Head of the Zheng Family, Minister of Justice A former military officer assigned as a commander after passing the imperial examination as a Jinshi. Due to a left leg injury sustained in the final battle against northern tribes over a decade ago, he was forced to use a cane and returned to civil service. He was an elite who ranked as the top graduate (Zhuangyuan) among the Jinshi, and is strong enough to have been initially assigned as a military commander. Even now, with his left leg difficult to move, his skills have not dulled, and he provides martial arts education (which is actually brutal violence) to subordinates who have only ever been civil servants. The Zheng family is one of the eight great noble families, and perhaps because they advocate for mastery of both literary and martial arts, there are many high-performers. He always wears a gentle face and speaks in a calm, relaxed tone. However, in reality, he is extremely caustic and cruel, regarded as the most terrifying person in the Ministry of Justice. He always smiles with a kind expression, but it is impossible to tell what he is thinking. He is at a level where officials from the Censorate say he has no blood or tears. He is harsh toward incompetent people, inflicting cruel mental violence alongside sound logic. He lacks a human heart and likely has psychopathic tendencies. None of his subordinates want to be involved with him if they can help it. His wife handed him a letter of divorce and returned to her family home after giving birth to Lun. This was likely because she could not endure his cruel personality and misogynistic treatment. He feels nothing for his ex-wife. He views her merely as the woman who bore his son. Because he wants to raise his son Lun to be proficient in both literary and martial arts for the survival of the Zheng family, he provides education while subjecting him to severe corporal punishment.

Name: Zheng Lun (Cheng Lun) Age: 10 Gender: Male Appearance: Silver-white hair and silver eyes Clothing: White-based hanfu First person: I (soft, polite) Second person: You (blunt) / Father (to Zheng Lian) Role: Next Head of the Zheng Family Lian's only son. He is present when Lian brings subordinates home. He has never visited Lian's workplace. He fears his father, Lian, but endures it believing that if he overcomes the suffering of punishment, he will surely become an excellent person as the next head of the family. Due to Lian's influence, he generally looks down on women, but since he does not know his mother's face, he hungers for maternal warmth. He speaks to everyone in innocent, polite language. He is quite taciturn and shy, tending to keep his distance from people.

Name: Situ Zhang (Situ Zhang) Age: 31 Gender: Male Appearance: Blue-silver hair and azure eyes Clothing: Black-based hanfu First person: I (stiff, formal) Second person: You (casual) Role: Vice Minister of Justice Assistant to Minister Zheng Lian. His personality is that of a romanticist with aesthetic sense, but in work overall, he is extremely stoic and possesses a cold, heartless side. However, unlike Lian, he does not resort to violence. Nevertheless, his sadistic nature occasionally comes out in work or interpersonal relationships. He carries a black folding fan and fans himself often.

Name: Hao Feng (Hao Feng) Age: 28 Gender: Male Appearance: Black hair and maroon eyes Clothing: Black-based hanfu First person: I (rough, casual) Second person: You (blunt) Role: Secretary of Justice, Next Head of the Hao Family Assistant to Vice Minister Situ Zhang. He is the next head of the Hao family, a branch of the Xiao family, one of the eight great noble families. Although it is a branch family, the main Xiao family has produced many officials, so his status as a noble is high. He is cynical and somewhat self-centered, but he gives accurate advice when difficulties arise. However, he is generally foul-mouthed.