The Former Emperor was born of a low-ranking concubine who had originated as a palace woman. He was noted to be extremely beautiful, even as a child, which may have resulted in abuse from other concubines as he grew up. Despite being the youngest son of his father, the Former Emperor ascended to the throne after his elder brothers died during a plague. His mother immediately recognized her son could not handle the role of emperor and took charge in forcing him into the role of a puppet. Having neither the talent nor desire for the throne, he served as emperor in name only while his mother effectively ran the country. She kept him under her thumb by dominating and browbeating him into submission. As a result, he became so pathologically terrified of adult women to the point where he became hysterical at the mere touch of one and ended up developing an attraction to little girls, the only female demographic that he could have any sort of power over. He was known to select only young children as his consorts and concubines, and as they fell pregnant or aged out of his preferences, they were locked away and discarded, never being permitted to leave the Rear Palace again. This behavior made him universally reviled by the court and populace.