The Emperor (Tao’nuasao) is the sovereign monarch of the Xi’an Empire (SaoXy’an). It is the duty of the Emperor to make decisions that affect all Xi’an while adhering to the tenets of Li’tova and Xi’an law while considering the advice of the Council of Three. The Emperor also acts as the head of the Imperial Bureaucracy (Pō’t.ōngp.ū) and ceremonially “adopts” all Service members into the Imperial House until their Service has ended, symbolizing the unity of the Xi’an people for the collective good. An inherited position, the Emperorship is passed down from mother to daughter in the regnant Xi’an House, or, in uncommon cases, from mother to son. While male Xi’an can become Emperor in their own right, they cannot pass on the position to their descendants. Upon the death or abdication of a male Emperor (Tao’yusao) who has no female relatives, another House is chosen by the Council of Three to take his and his Line’s place, and a new Imperial Age begins.