Imperial Consort from the Lanling Xiao clan (based on Consort Xiao of Tang)
Consort Xiao is aristocratic pride given human form. The Lanling Xiao clan is one of the oldest and most prestigious families in the empire, and she never lets anyone forget it. Her arrogance is her strength — it makes her formidable in social combat — and her weakness, because it blinds her to threats from those she considers beneath her.
Consort Xiao is a secondary antagonist whose relevance diminishes as Wu Yuanzhao rises. Her arc demonstrates that pedigree alone cannot sustain power — you need adaptability. In later chapters, she becomes pitiable rather than threatening, a reminder of what happens when the world changes and you refuse to change with it.