During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Dugu family was the focus of world attention to the well-known "Dugu prophecy" given to Yuwen Tai that states the true king is not yet set and the Dugu family will be the key to ruling the world. The head of the Dugu family, Dugu Xin was concerned. Two of the Dugu sisters thought they would be the ones to fulfill the prophecy.
The eldest sister Dugu Banruo is wise and ambitious. She loves the fierce general Yuwen Hu, but marries the weak Emperor Yuwen Yu to fulfill the prophecy. Banruo dies while giving birth to her son with Yuwen Yu. She previously had a daughter whom she entrusts to her sister, Dugu Jialuo. Her daughter is raised as Yang Lihua and marries Emperor Xuan. She and her daughter Lihua were both Empresses of Northern Zhou.
The second daughter Dugu Mantuo is greedy and also ambitious. She yearns to become Empress too just like her older sister because of her low status. Mantuo refuses the advances of Yang Jian and wanted to instead wed her younger sister's fiancé. Unexpectedly, she ends up marrying the father of her sister's fiancé, Li Bing. Her son with Li Bing would later become Li Yuan, the founding Emperor of the Tang dynasty. Mantuo would be honored as Empress Yuanzhen after her death.
The youngest daughter Dugu Jialuo is gentle and virtuous. She originally had feelings for Yuwen Yong, but their relationship doesn't last. She becomes the fiancée of Li Cheng, but their arrangement is broken off after Mantuo is married to Li Cheng's father. Jialuo marries Yang Jian and eventually falls in love with him. He swore to only love her, and they have several children together. Despite Jialuo's dislike for politics, they founded the Sui Dynasty together. She would become Empress Dugu of Sui.
All three marry into royalty, but each have a different destiny and fate. All of them end up becoming Empresses or Empress Dowagers of three different dynasties. In the end, the Dugu prophecy didn't only mean a person, but instead meant Dugu blood would rule the world.
Youngest daughter of the Dugu family. A valiant but gentle, virtuous and learned woman who wants nothing but peace. She has an unclear relationship with Yuwen Yong but later married Yang Jian due to political reasons and as her father's last wish. She eventually falls in love with him and commits her life to building a country with him even though she never wanted him to become emperor. She takes in Lihua (her sister Banruo and Yuwen Hu's daughter) as her and Yang Jian's daughter and also gives birth to two sons to Yang Jian.
Eldest daughter of the Dugu family. A wise, ambitious woman who yearns for power and authority. Despite her love for Yuwen Hu, she marries Yuwen Yu in order to become the most powerful woman. However, because her husband lacks power, she ended up giving herself to Yuwen Hu to save her sister Jialuo and as a result became pregnant with their daughter, Lihua. Lihua ends up inheriting her father's one-sided blue eye so Banruo is forced to part with her daughter. She later becomes pregnant with Yuwen Yu's child, but because Geshu poisoned her during her pregnancy, they both die shortly after childbirth.
Second daughter of the Dugu family. Due to her mother's status as a concubine, she is burdened by her lowly status since young and yearns for wealth and power. She refuses to marry her original fiancé, Yang Jian, and instead tried to snatch her younger sister (Jialuo)'s fiancé, Li Cheng. However, due to a miscalculation, she ended up marrying Li Cheng's father, Li Bing instead. Her first daughter with Li Bing is killed by Lady Feng's servant. She ends up having a twin boy and girl with Li Bing years later.
A paramount general of Western Wei. Dugu Xin and Yang Zhong's friend who is as close as a brother. Father of Yuwen Yu, Yuwen Jue and Yuwen Yong. Uncle of Yuwen Hu.
A vicious and merciless man who takes charge of the political affairs in court and wields great power. He has a romantic yet scheming relationship with Dugu Banruo, and never gets to marry her.
Zou Tingwei as Yuwen Yu, Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou.
Eldest son of Yuwen Tai. Dugu Banruo's husband. He ascended the throne following his brother, Yuwen Jue's abolishment.
Li Ruichao as Yuwen Jue, Emperor Xiaomin of Northern Zhou,
Founding emperor of Northern Zhou. Third son of Yuwen Tai. Was a poor emperor and was scared of Yuwen Hu. He was abolished by Yuwen Hu after his intention to kill him was exposed.
Yang Caiying as Yuan Humo, Princess Jin'an of Northern Zhou.
Yuwen Jue's wife.
Ying Haoming as Yuwen Yong, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou.
Fourth son of Yuwen Tai. He has a cold and cynical personality due to his past as a hostage of Northern Qi. In order to protect his brother Yuwen Yu, he has no choice to ascend the throne following his death and succumb to Yuwen Hu's orders. He is childhood friends with Dugu Jialuo and loves her.
Huang Xinxi as Ashina Yun, Empress Wucheng of Northern Zhou.
Emperor Wen of Sui, Founding emperor of Sui Dynasty. Dugu Jialuo's husband; a loyal man who only loves his wife. Originally Dugu Mantuo's fiancé. He ends up a prophecy at the same temple as Yuwen Tai. Except this time, his was "帝星已明，独孤天下" meaning that the ruler has appeared and the Dugu family will rule the world. That was when his thirst for power became unstoppable.
Great Empress Tianyuan of Northern Zhou, Princess Leping of Sui. Yang Jian and Dugu Jialuo's eldest daughter in name. Her birth parents are Dugu Banruo and Yuwen Hu. She loves and married Yuwen Yun. She is blessed with the teachings of Lu Zhen and inherited her parents' wits. She grows to be a wise and understanding lady worthy of high status.
Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Founding emperor of Tang Dynasty. Fourth son of Li Bing and Dugu Mantuo. He has a twin sister named Li Tong An, but she never appears in the drama.
Yuwen Tai's nephew. General of Western Wei, later Northern Zhou.
Shi Ning as Zhao Gui
Minister of Western Wei who is Dugu Xin's enemy in court.
Ren Meixi as Princess Qinghe
Yuwen Hu's wife who dies.
Zhao Yixin as Ge Shu
Great general of Northern Zhou. Yuwen Hu's confidant.
Zhou Bin as Wei Chikang
Great general of Northern Zhou. Yuwen Yu's entourage.
Guo Wei as Du Xiaowei
Commander of Jici Army. Dugu Xin's subordinate, later Dugu Jialuo's.
Gu Yiliang as He Quan
Yuwen Yong's bodyguard.
Ma Ang as Zheng Rong
Yang Jian's entourage who fancies Dong Qu. Dong Qu's eventual husband.
Jiang Xinyuan as Lady Jing
Li Bing's concubine and mother of his second son.
Yi Shanshan as Lady Feng
Li Bing's concubine and mother of his fifth daughter.
Zhang Qian as Lady Wang
A royal lady-in-waiting who is sent by Dugu Banruo to help Dugu Mantuo
Gao Xiong as Reverent
Yao Jianming as Housekeeper of Dugu family.
Liu Lili as Lady Ma (Ru Niang)
Mantuo's wet nurse who forces Mantuo to become a greater schemer than she already is. She is the one who plotted for Mantuo to steal her sister Dugu Jialuo's fiancé.
Yuan Xiaoxu as Chun Shi
Dugu Banruo's maid.
Yu Xiaowan as Qiu Ci
Dugu Mantuo's maid. Kind-hearted unlike her master, but is still loyal to Dugu Mantuo.
Chun Nan as Xia Ge
Dugu Jialuo's maid. She was sent out of the manor after betraying Dugu Jialuo.
Ma Fei as Dong Qu
Li Haoyang as Chun Ye
Dugu Banruo's maid, who was sent to serve Dugu Jialuo for a while.
