Li Xingke is a military officer in the Chinese Federation, said to equal Lelouch in strategy and Suzaku in strength; however, he is limited by an illness that is slowly killing him. The son of a low-ranked official, Li climbed his way through the ranks of the government with the intent to transform it. He is fiercely loyal to the young Empress of the Chinese Federation; his devotion stems from when she insisted on sparing his life when he was supposed to be executed for giving medicine to a prisoner. Years later, he was forced to leave the Forbidden City to attend a military academy, but promised the Empress that he would fulfill her wish to see the world beyond the Forbidden City. Xingke is extremely skilled in swordsmanship and constantly carries a sword by his side. He also pilots the Shen Hu Knightmare Frame.