WHI – Characters and Place Names
Table of Contents
I decided to make a list of characters and place names to help keep everyone’s names and titles straight in my head @_@ I include a short description of each position based on my very informal knowledge of the ancient setting.
I aim to keep the titles, names, and place names consistent with Clam’s translations for Chp 1-26 and use her guide to harem hierarchy as an outline for this list.
Please feel free to refer back to it. I hope that it’s helpful! 🙂 JSYK, I will update this list as new characters are introduced.
List of Characters and Place Names For
{Why Harem Intrigue When You Can Just Raise A Dog Instead}
Updated until: Chapter 63
[Top Dog]
- 皇上 / 周武帝 Emperor Zhou’Wu (ZW) / 古邵泽 Gu Shao’ze / 阿宝 A’Bao [dog form] lives in Qian’qing Palace
- Main protagonist (ML)
- Our doggy Emperor <3
- Soul gets transferred to a dog’s body
- Previously treated MSY terribly due to prejudice and misunderstandings. Now knows his wrongs.
- Also goes by Han Hai
- Related Locations: Imperial Study, Imperial Court, Imperial Gardens, Taming Enclosure
- 假皇帝 Fake Emperor
- Originally a secret guard for the Emperor; Poisoned by Shen Hui’ru and forced to do her bidding
- Casanova in the harem~ Slept with nine women in one night!
[Imperial Harem]
Please check out Pavillion’s page. Clam wrote an excellent summary of all the harem rankings and their translations from the Ming dynasty. Below are the characters by rank:
Tier 0 – Empress Dowager (太后 Tai Hou)
- 太后蒋氏 Empress Dowager Jiang
- Currently living outside the palace in Pudu Temple on Thousand Buddha Mountain (Introduced in Chp 34)
- Adopted mother of Emperor ZW (Third Prince at the time) and birth mother to the previous Ninth Prince
- Similar background to MSY – Her elder brother was the previous Jian’wei Great General
- Her maternal clan was destroyed in the battle for the throne between Emperor ZW and his younger brother (Ninth Prince)
- Also goes by Wang Chen (See Chp 36‘s TL Notes for an explanation of the name)
- Servants:
- Nurse Jin – Loyal elderly maid
- Nian’ci – Betrays the Empress Dowager for SHR
Tier 1 – Empress (皇后 Huang Hou)
- Deceased prior to the start of the novel – apparently due to MSY (?)
- Mother of the Fourth Princess
Tier 2 – Imperial Noble Consort (皇贵妃 Huang Gui Fei)
- 淑惠皇贵妃 Pure and Gracious Imperial Noble Consort/孟桑榆 Meng Sangyu (MSY) lives in Bi’xiao Palace
- Main protagonist (FL), transmigrator
- Owner of Er’Bao (the original A’Bao’s brother)
- Currently the most favoured of the Imperial Harem, candidate for Empress
- Daughter of Great General Meng
- Servants: Nurse Feng, Bi’shui, Yin’cui
Tier 3 – Noble Consort (贵妃 Gui Fei)
- 李贵妃 Noble Consort Li lives in Feng’luan Palace
- Mother of the Second Prince and Third Princess
- Manages the Inner Harem
- Daughter of Left Chancellor Li
Tier 4 – Consorts (妃 Fei)
- (Pre-promotion) 德妃 Virtuous Consort / 孟桑榆 Meng Sangyu (MSY) lives in Bi’xiao Palace
- Main protagonist (FL), transmigrator
- Owner of A’Bao (Emperor Zhou’wu)
- Currently the ‘most favoured’ of the Imperial Harem, head of the Consorts
- Daughter of Great General Meng
- Servants: Nurse Feng, Bi’shui, Yin’cui
- Servants under suspicion (as of Chp 31): Xia’dong, Lan’xin, Hui’xin
- 良妃 Gracious Consort / 沈慧茹 Shen Hui’ru (SHR) lives in Zhong’cui Palace
- Main antagonist
- Second ‘most favoured’ of the Imperial Harem after Emperor Zhou’wu is unconscious
- Slept with the Fake Emperor (snu snu here)
- Daughter of Imperial Preceptor Shen
- Jealous of MSY because she was always one step ahead of her in the harem, receiving the power and position that she sees as hers
- Servants: Wan’qing
- 贤妃 Worthy Consort lives in Jiang’zi Palace
- First concubine to sleep with the Fake Emperor
- Mother of the Fifth Prince (who dies in Chp 34)
- 宸妃 Imperial Consort lives in Zhao’chun Palace
- Mother of the Eighth Prince
- Involved in the death of Jie’yu Su
- Relatives:
- 赵老封君 Elder Lord Zhao – Likely Imperial Consort’s grandfather
- 赵吴氏 Mrs Zhao, Madame Wu – Imperial Consort’s mother
- 永安侯 Marquis Yong’an – Imperial Consort’s father
- Marquis of Everlasting Tranquility
- His wife seems to have a close relationship with Lady Meng
- 丽妃 Beautiful Consort
Tier 5 – Imperial Concubines (嫔 Pin)
- None mentioned so far
Others (Will be kept in pinyin)
- Lady of Handsome Fairness (婕妤 Jie’yu)
- 苏婕妤 Jie’yu Su – Introduced in Chp 33; Lower-ranked concubine that died by the hand of her own maidservant.
- Lady of Bright Deportment (昭仪 Zhao’yi)
- Noble Consort Li’s rank after being demoted.
- Lady of Bright Countenance (昭容 Zhao’rong)
- Noble Ladies (贵人 Gui’ren)
- Beautiful Ladies (美人 Mei’ren)
- Talented Ladies (才人 Cai’ren)
- 安才人 Cai’ren An – Mentioned in Chp 54; Lower-ranked concubine that adopted the other French Poodle puppy.
- First-Class Female Attendant (选侍 Xuan’shi)
- Second-Class Female Attendant (答应 Da’ying)
[Other Characters Related to the Harem]
太医 Imperial Physicians
- 温太医 Imperial Physician Wen
- Kind-hearted imperial physician who treats A’Bao’s injuries
- Likes animals <3
- 杜太医 Imperial Physician Du
- The Empress Dowager’s exclusive imperial physician
太监 Eunuchs
- 总管太监, 常喜 Head Manager Eunuch, Chang’xi
- Former trusted aid of the Emperor, Betrays him for SHR
[Wangyes]
- 淮南王 Huai’nan Wang – antagonistic to ZW
- 湘北王 Xian’bei Wang – antagonistic to ZW
[Court Ministers]
Civil Faction
国师 National Preceptor / State Teacher – Granted to scholars or religious leaders of the state religion by the monarch for their high morals and ethics. A figurehead position with no real power; Cannot interfere with state politics.
- 太清真人 National Preceptor mentioned in Chp 32 – Head priest of the Taoist religion
太师 Grand Preceptor / Imperial Tutor – Most of the time, it’s someone who educated the Emperor when he was young. The highest official position in Ancient China.
- 沈太师 Grand Preceptor Shen / 沈忠良 Shen Zhongliang (SZL) – Shen Hui’ru’s father; Main antagonist
- Other Family Members:
- 沈熙言 Shen Xi’yan – SZL’s son who he’s trying to groom for the position of Crown Prince; Previously fought with Meng Yan’zhou over a woman.
- Other Family Members:
丞相 Prime Minister, 右丞相 Right Chancellor. and 左丞相 Left Chancellor (Usually replace the position of Prime Minister or may assist them, depending on the dynasty)
- 李左丞相 Left Chancellor Li – Noble Consort Li’s father
- Holds actual power in Court
Military Faction
大将军 Great General – There may be several. Most are responsible for guarding the borders from foreign invaders. Lead large armies.
- 建威大将军 Jian’wei Great General / 孟长雄 Meng Chang’xiong
- MSY’s father, currently at the frontier, controls 100,000 troops
- Also has the title of 镇国公 Duke of Protection (hereditary) or 孟国公 Imperial Duke Meng
- Other Family Members:
- 孟国公夫人, 林氏 Imperial Duchess Meng/Lady Meng, Madame Lin – MSY’s mother
- 孟炎洲 Meng Yan’zhou – MSY’s elder brother
- Pretends to be dumb to protect his family
- Got into a fight with SHR’s brother, wrongly punished
- 文姨娘 Aunt Wen – Duke Meng’s concubine
- 孟宇达 Meng Yu’da – Aunt Wen’s son, MSW’s half-brother
- 孟瑞珠 Meng Rui’zhu – Aunt Wen’s daughter, MSY’s half-sister
- They live in the 国公府 Imperial Duke’s Manor
- Retainers
- 王华山 Wang Hua’shan
- The person MSY entrusts her family to in the event that something happens to her
- 王华山 Wang Hua’shan
- Subordinates
- 孟亮 Meng Liang – Duke of Protection Meng’s right-hand man
- 韩昌平 Han Chang’ping
- Emperor Zhou’wu’s trusted aid
- Best choice to succeed General Meng as the Jian’wei Great General
- Disciple of strategist Ping Fuzi
- Was immediately demoted to a Captain from a Right Hand General after joining the army so that he could rise up in the ranks and earn the position through his own merit
九门提督 Commander the Nine Gates – In charge of security for the nine gates of the capital city; Usually also in charge of the city garrison.
- Previously: Commander Luo – the Emperor’s close confidant
- Presently as of Chp 29: Commander Rong
- Previous Xi’an Great General
- Relative of Left Chancellor Li through his principal wife
提督 Provincial Commander
- 谢正豪 Xie Zheng’hao – Provincial Commander of Gansu Province
- Related Place Names: Jade Dragon City, Coiling Dragon Mountain
[The Emperor’s Hidden Guards & The Embroidered Uniform Guard]
- 暗卫统领, 闫俊伟 Commander of the Hidden Guards, Yan Jun’wei (YJW)
- Loyal subordinate and childhood friend of Emperor ZW
- Also Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard
- Birth name: Qi Dong’lei, legitimate son of Imperial Duke Qi (Chp 37)
- Subordinates: Tao Hong
[‘Barbarians’]
- 耶律汗王 Yeluhan Wang – A Khan of the Grasslands
- 安扎达 An Zha’da – Top general under Yeluhan Wang’s command.
- Related Place Names: 泥水滩 The Muddy Shores
[Thousand Buddha Mountain’s Pudu Temple]
- 玄空法师 Master Xuan Kong – Head monk of Pudu Temple; Counsel to the Empress Dowager