Empress Tianzi

Tianzi (天子) is the young Empress of the Chinese Federation, thus far referred to only by the traditional title attributed to the Chinese Emperor. Her real name is Jiang Lihua (蒋麗華).

Appearance
The Empress is a young girl with a slight, timid, and doll-like appearance. She has pale skin, white hair, and red eyes, possibly due to albinism. Her hair is always up in an elaborate style, and her wardrobe is fit for the puppet empress that she is: beautiful and highly decorative, but not exactly something to work in. Because she had never been exposed to the outside world and babied for her entire life by the Eunuchs who rule in her place, Tianzi has a very shy and childish air about her. Although she is 13 years old, she could easily be mistaken for a much younger child.

Personality
Tianzi is so used to being silenced by the Eunuchs and other political figures around her that she rarely shares any opinion or idea of her own. She is very shy and self-deprecating, often thinking immediately in any situation of importance that she is just wrong. She is embarressed easily. The Empress is quite childlike due to being locked away behind the palace walls. She dreams of life in the outside world and greatly values any friendship she might make. She is a naturally kindhearted person, as seen when she spoke up for Li Xingke and spared his life as a small child.

Character Outline
In practice, she is effectively a prisoner within her own palace, which she dislikes. She saves Li Xingke from execution after he was caught giving medicine to a prisoner, and in return he promised to take her outside the palace walls. In the second season, she befriends Kaguya Sumeragi during their talks concerning the future of Area 11.

Second Season
She was to be married to Odysseus eu Britannia in a political marriage in the second season, and invites Kaguya to the ceremonial dinner the day before, who brings Zero along with her. The ceremony is interrupted by Li Xingke who instigates a coup d'état. However, as Xingke was about to reach her, she was held hostage by Zero, who retreated to the Black Knights' transport. During this time, Kaguya attempts to comfort her. While attempting to escape to India, the convoy is interrupted by Xingke in the Shen Hu, who successfully captures the Guren and forces the Black Knights to retreat, hiding out in the Emperor's Tomb.

During the assault by the Federation and Britannian forces, Tianzi climbs onto the top of the Ikaruga, pleading for the conflict to stop, only for the High Eunuchs to respond with a hail of gunfire with the intent to kill her. Xingke attempts to use the Shen Hu as a shield to protect her, but Zero intervenes in the Shinkirō, protecting them both and exposing the High Eunuchs' disregard for their country. The Britannian forces retreat, and Xingke assassinates the remaining Eunuchs. Diethard Reid suggests marrying her off to a Japanese to secure an alliance, but this is eventually disregarded. Tianzi is placed back in control of the Federation, making them Lelouch's first allies in his global alliance. She later became the Chinese representative of the newly formed United Federation of Nations, and was captured by Suzaku and held hostage with the other delegates on the Avalon. She is eventually rescued by Sayoko. However, once Lelouch defeats Schniezel, she and Xingke are both captured again after he takes control of Damocles and are slated for execution two months later along with both Black Knights and U.F.N. members. Lelouch's death at the hands of Suzaku (as Zero) prompts their rescue by Cornelia.

She is last seen in the epilogue in a pair of photos: one where she is attending Kaname Ohgi and Villetta Nu's wedding and another where she is posing with Gino Weinberg.

Code Geass: The Manga
The Chinese Federation dispute happens sooner right after Lelouch's dominion over the Office of Secret Intelligence. Just like the anime, Tianzi is forced to be involved in a political marriage to Odysseus to annex the Chinese Federation Territory orchestrated by the High Eunuchs, but is interfered thanks to Zero and the Black Knights. Afterwards, she is shown taken outside in the grass fields and proposes to Xingke the promise. She, the USC and USJ form the United Federation of Nations along with other nations as a result.

Trivia

 * Tianzi's character design resembles Hinoto, the Dragon of Heaven's prophet in X-1999 made by Clamp.
 * V.V. and Empress Tianzi are the only characters that are voiced by child actors.
 * Empress Tianzi got a different portrait since 2013. Since body size is changed in September 2011; which announced new design from Nunnally in Wonderland.